3 bad contracts the Angels will regret having on the books this offseason

Apr 20, 2023; Bronx, New York, USA; Los Angeles Angels third baseman Anthony Rendon (6) reacts after
Apr 20, 2023; Bronx, New York, USA; Los Angeles Angels third baseman Anthony Rendon (6) reacts after | Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
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2) Tyler Anderson: 3 years, $39,000,000 through 2025

Many Angels fans including myself thought the Tyler Anderson signing was a sneaky good one. He was coming off his best season with the Dodgers and signed a deal that felt cheap when compared to other free agent starting pitchers. All Anderson was expected to be under those terms was a decent mid-rotation arm. The Angels were not expecting him to be an all-star. He failed miserably.

Anderson wound up being one of the worst pitchers in the game. Among pitchers with at least 140 innings pitched, Anderson's 5.43 ERA was the fifth worst in the majors. The worst part about it is it doesn't feel like things will get much better in 2024. His walk rate was as high as it has ever been, and he wasn't getting unlucky. He simply was not good.

$13 million annually isn't the end of the world, but there's a chance the Angels won't even be using him in the rotation. They already have guys like Patrick Sandoval, Reid Detmers, and Griffin Canning who will certainly rank ahead of him. They also have Chase Silseth who has an argument with how well he pitched down the stretch. If the Angels add a starter or two, it's possible we're talking about a $13 million long reliever.

In order to clear Anderson's contract from the payroll, they'd likely have to pair a prospect with him. That could be worthwhile, but the Angels lack prospects to begin with. Instead of using the $13 million he's going to make this season to add another starter, the Angels will presumably be hoping the soon-to-be 34-year-old will pitch close to the guy they had hoped he would be. It's a stretch.

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