Grading the LA Angels’ pre-MLB lockout signings

With the MLB lockout halting all offseason transactions, now's a perfect time to take stock of who the LA Angels have already brought on board.

When the offseason began, GM Perry Minasian made a commitment to bringing in some serious talent for the Halos to finally make a serious postseason push for 2022. For the first few weeks he definitely made good on that promise, though, things did slow down towards the end of the month.

But for once, instead of focusing on who we didn't get, let's just evaluate the bevy of talent the front office did bring in.

The LA Angels deserve high marks for their offseason signings so far.

Raisel Iglesias - Four years/$58 million

Let’s start with the big one. Arguably the most important signing the LA Angels have made so far, bringing back Raisel Iglesias was an absolute must for this team.

After a career year in which he produced a 2.57 ERA with 13.2 K/9 and had 34 saves, Iglesias was the most sought after reliever on the market.

And yet, despite endless rumors connecting him to the Marlins, it was ultimately the Angels who re-signed the best closer in baseball.

For an Angels team that has mostly been resistant to giving out long-term deals to pitchers of any kind, this move may hint at a welcome change of philosophy within the front office.

Grade: A+

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-

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+