Grading the LA Angels’ pre-MLB lockout signings

Aaron Loup - Two years/$17 million with a 2024 club option worth $7.5 million

Remarkably, the LA Angels also managed to sign another one of the best relievers in baseball. Like Iglesias, Aaron Loup had a career year in 2021, having one of the best seasons by any reliever in Mets’ history. Across 56.2 innings of work, Loup was virtually unhittable, ultimately finishing with an absurd 0.95 ERA.

It wasn’t just luck either, as the lefty also had a 1.43 RA9, 2.45 FIP and 0.935 WHIP.

With talent as both a high leverage reliever and a lefty specialist (lefties hit just .167 against him last year), Loup is the perfect compliment to Iglesias in the pen.

Grade: A+

Noah Syndergaard - One year/$21 million

Make no mistake, Noah Syndergaard was one of the top free agent pitchers available this offseason for the LA Angels. That said, he isn’t without some major concerns as well.

Injuries have been a major issue for Syndergaard ever since he missed most of 2017 with a torn right lat muscle. After undergoing Tommy John surgery in spring 2020, he returned at the end of 2021 to pitch just two innings.

Luckily, the risk being taken here isn't too bad by virtue of Syndergaard's contract only being for one year. If he fails to bounce back it only affects the Angels for one season, but if he succeeds, that opens up the door for a long term extension for a guy who turned down better deals to come here in the first place.

Plus, there’s no denying that when “Thor” is healthy, he’s one of the best starters in baseball.

If (and that’s a big if) he can come anywhere near his productivity in 2016 (2.60 ERA, 2.29 FIP, 6.0 fWAR) he’ll be the steal of the offseason. Even his less spectacular 2019 season (4.28 ERA, 3.60 FIP, 4.3 fWAR) would rank among the best by any Angels pitcher in years. 

Grade: B

Michael Lorenzen - One year/$6.75 million

Well this one was certainly a head scratcher. Still in need of another quality starting pitcher, the LA Angels front office instead went with a mediocre, sort of two-way player in Michael Lorenzen.

Not only has he not been a regular starter since his rookie season in 2015 (when he owned a 5.40 ERA), he hasn’t even been good as a reliever, most recently producing a 5.59 ERA in 27 appearances last year. 

Lorenzen is not much better offensively either. With a career .710 OPS, 84 wRC+ and only 11 extra base hits in 133 at-bats, he’s not exactly the next Shohei Ohtani.

There is one place, though, that Lorenzen actually shines. Defensively, he’s actually pretty okay in the outfield, having never made an error and owning a 4.9 UZR/150 in 96 innings of work.

Maybe Maddon will find a way to properly use him as a sort of piggyback pitcher and outfield replacement on days when Ohtani pitches and hits. Until that unprecedented strategy proves successful, however, Lorenzen’s signing remains underwhelming.

Grade: C-

Tyler Wade - Three years of team control/~$750,000 for 2022

The first and so far only trade acquisition (for a player to be named later) made by the Angels this offseason, Tyler Wade looks to be a solid, but still below average, depth piece for a team in desperate need of help off the bench. 

Still on his rookie contract and only now in his first year of arbitration, Wade is a clear upgrade over the likes of Kean Wong, Luis Rengifo and Phil Gosselin. 

Capable of playing both the infield and outfield, Wade has shown some serious talent with the glove, albeit with some glaring inconsistencies from year to year. 2021 was actually the first time in his career that he put up a positive DRS (4) in the outfield, but it also happened to be the first time since his rookie season that he had a negative DRS (-9) in the infield.

As a batter, Wade is pretty lackluster (career .605 OPS and 68 wRC+), though, he is notably coming off his best season yet. In 2021 he had a career-high .268 BA and 92 wRC+, while also stealing 17 bases in 23 attempts. For an Angels team that is pretty middling speed wise, Wade’s baserunning skills are a welcome addition.

Whether or not he can finally put it all together in 2022 remains to be seen.

Grade: C

Overall, where things stand right now, the Angels are already a better team than last year.

The Angels have made some good moves that have greatly bolstered the pitching staff and even gained some bench help.

While Syndergaard may be a risk, Lorenzen a questionable choice and Wade a below-average hitter, there's enough potential with each of them that this offseason is still an unmitigated success as of right now.

Sure, the competition has also made some flashy moves, but you can't deny that what the Angels have done so far is substantially more than the average team, or even any Angels team in recent memory.

Obviously landing another starting pitcher and a defensive shortstop are still a necessity, but for now this is about as good a start as anyone could have imagined.

Final Overall Grade: B+