Angels projected bullpen looks extremely uninspiring after latest bargain-bin addition

The Angels continue to sign mediocre relievers when their bullpen needs a lot of work

May 31, 2023; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays relief pitcher Adam Cimber (90) throws a
May 31, 2023; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays relief pitcher Adam Cimber (90) throws a / Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports

It's been a slow-moving offseason around the league, and the Los Angeles Angels are no exception to that. The Angels are one of many teams waiting to see what Shohei Ohtani decides to do and are in the meantime trying to improve on the fly while waiting.

So far, the only area where the Angels have made MLB additions is their bullpen. The Angels have signed three relievers to MLB deals. Adam Kolarek, Luis Garcia, and now Adam Cimber were all signed to one-year deals. They're not dreadful additions by any means. Garcia and Cimber have had really solid careers. It's just not good enough.

LA Angels bullpen continues to look subpar after early offseason bargain bin additions

There's still time for Perry Minasian to make this bullpen a force, but the early returns look extremely unimpressive. Kolarek, Garcia, and Cimber were all signed to cheap one-year deals which can look good if they perform well, but the reason they're so cheap is because they're all coming off down years. Cimber, the newest Angel, had a 7.40 ERA in 22 appearances for Toronto this past season. The track record is good, as he has a 3.49 career ERA even after this down year, but he was non-tendered and signed for cheap for a reason.

The Angels bullpen, even after the three additions, looks subpar.

The new trio joins Carlos Estevez, Ben Joyce, Jose Soriano, and a whole bunch of questions. Jose Suarez is out of options, so he has to either be in the bullpen or the Angels risk losing him for nothing barring an offseason trade. Do they trust guys like Sam Bachman, Andrew Wantz, and Jimmy Herget to play a role? Are there more moves coming?

Signing three relievers is a great thing, but signing three relievers who you hope will bounce back is a whole other story. This isn't the Angels signing pitchers they can realistically be confident in succeeding, it's them taking gambles. One or two is fine, but eventually, the entire bullpen is going to be the team hoping and praying it sticks. That's where they lose me.

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