Ben Joyce, Angels bullpen have been stepping up big in wake of Carlos Estevez trade

From the moment the Los Angeles Angels traded Carlos Estevez before the trade deadline, there was understandable concern about the team's bullpen the rest of the season. Losing a closer as good as Estevez (along with Luis Garcia, who was also moved) isn't easy for any team to absorb, let alone one that has real depth issues like the Angels do.

However, a funny thing happens sometimes when a key player departs. While a bullpen can often struggle as new roles are defined following departures, the Angels bullpen hasn't really missed a beat thanks to a couple young arms really stepping up.

Angels bullpen appears to be in good hands despite trade deadline departures

Ron Washington had his hands full when it came to figuring out who was going to handle the end of games after Estevez was traded. Initially, Washington said that Garcia would be the closer until he, too, was traded. That meant his backup plan of giving Ben Joyce an opportunity at closer went into action ... sort of.

Once the dust settled at the deadline, it was clear that Wash wasn't 100% sure how he wanted to handle high-leverage situations. Joyce was certainly in the picture, but it feels like the Angels are still feeling things out and seeing who can settle into what roles even on a part-time basis. Joyce's arm talent is tremendous, but he also isn't necessarily the kind of guy that you want throw in a bunch of games back-to-back, either.

So far, LA's management of their bullpen has been tremendous. Since the trade deadline, Angels relievers have posted a respectable 3.79 ERA with most of the damage being done against Hunter Strickland and Hans Crouse. As for Joyce, along with Roansy Contreras, Jose Marte, Matt Moore, and Jose Quijada, they haven't given up a single earned run since the deadline (across 10 appearances).

It is understandable that Joyce has been getting the headlines so far. Not only was his transition to being a high-leverage guy expected once Estevez was moved, but he also has electric stuff that garners attention all by itself. However, the performance of the rest of the Angels bullpen as a whole cannot be discounted.

No one denies that Joyce has the most upside of any Angels reliever right now and he is going to get a lot of opportunities in big spots. However, he is also a guy that relies on throwing 100+ mph on the regular to succeed, and those kinds of relievers need more time to recover between appearances (which is probably exactly why the Angels have only had him pitch on back-to-back days twice this season). As long as the Angels have multiple arms they can count on, that should be just fine.

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