3 relievers the Angels should target next after the Adam Kolarek signing

3) Collin McHugh

The Angels went to the bargain bin to find Kolarek, it wouldn't be surprising for them to pursue another cheaper reliever coming off a bit of a down year in Collin McHugh. The veteran right-hander had been consistently solid ever since being transitioned to a full-time relief role in 2018, but had an uncharacteristic down year.

McHugh posted a 4.30 ERA in 41 appearances and 58.2 innings pitched. He saw his strikeout rate plummet, his walk rate climb, and his hit rate take a huge leap in the wrong direction. While all of those things happening at one time aren't great, the hit thing at the very least can be attributed to poor luck.

Opponents had a .348 BAbip against McHugh this past season, a number far higher than the league average of .300. McHugh allowed just five home runs all year, and was in the 78th percentile in barrel rate according to baseball savant. The balls opponents hit against him just seemed to find holes.

In terms of the command, that's an area McHugh had shined in, particularly in recent seasons. He walked just 1.7 and 1.8 batters per nine in 2021 and 2022 respectively, so seeing that number double was jarring, but also seems like it could trend in the opposite direction in 2023.

McHugh would help the Angels in a couple of areas. First, he's a veteran. They need more of those out of the bullpen. Second, he's actually been better against lefties than righties throughout his career. He's a pitcher they can turn to against quality left-handed hitters and not worry about having a righty out there. Third, he can record more than three outs in an outing. As a former starter, McHugh has been used for multiple innings routinely and has had success doing so.