Grading the first two transactions the LA Angels made this offseason

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Heading into the offseason, the Los Angeles Angels had to figure out the direction they wanted to go in. With Shohei Ohtani in the final year of team control, the Angels needed to decide whether they'd make a push for the postseason and an Ohtani extension or whether they'd try to capitalize on Ohtani's value and re-tool.

The Angels chose the first one and have said Ohtani isn't going anywhere before Opening Day. The Angels have made two moves so far and both have made them better.

Grading the Tyler Anderson signing.

The Angels signed Tyler Anderson to a three-year $39 million dollar deal. I like the deal a lot for the Angels as they got a quality arm to slot behind Shohei Ohtani.

Anderson is coming off of his best season in the majors by far, going 15-5 with a 2.57 ERA. He made 30 appearances (28 starts) and threw 178.1 innings.

Right off the bat, I should tell you Anderson will likely not ever have a season as good as he did this season. He was an all-star and had a lot go right for him. However, that doesn't mean this was a bad deal. In fact, he doesn't have to do much for the Angels to get a steal with this signing.

What the Angels need from Anderson which was reiterated by Perry Minasian is for him to give them length and a chance to win every fifth or sixth day. Even when Anderson wasn't at his best in 2021 he still threw 167 innings. That total would be the most an Angels starter has had since 2018. The Angels have lacked an innings eater like this for years.

Anderson is making $13 million dollars annually. For reference, pitchers like Steven Matz and Jon Gray signed four-year deals last season for comparable money annually. Yusei Kikuchi signed a three-year $36 million dollar deal to be Toronto's fifth starter. I'd take Anderson, especially coming off the year he just had, over all three of them.

The Angels unfortunately did have to give up their second-round pick and $500,000 in international money which is annoying when you don't fully know what you're getting from Anderson. I'd expect something in the middle of his 2021 and 2022 seasons which would be 170 innings pitched and something like a 3.50 ERA. It's well worth the contract.

There are other pitchers I wish the Angels would've considered like Chris Bassitt, but I can't complain too much.

Grade: B+

Grading the Gio Urshela signing

The Angels traded pitching prospect Alejandro Hidalgo to the Twins in exchange for Gio Urshela. Hidalgo is a 19-year-old who's made just 17 appearances in two seasons in the Angels system. He made 10 starts in Single-A this past season.

He was ranked as the 22nd-ranked prospect in the Angels system and is ranked 25th in the Twins system according to MLB.com.

With Hidalgo years away, I'm not so mad about the Angels trading him even though he has posted some high strikeout numbers as a teenager.

What's confusing to me is why the Angels traded for Gio Urshela.

Urshela is a third baseman who does have experience at other positions, but not much. He's played 548 of his 600 career games at third base. He's played 43 at shortstop, eight at DH, five at second base, three at first base, and one in left field.

The Angels have their third baseman in Anthony Rendon signed for another four years at $38 million dollars annually. Can they look to switch Rendon's position? Maybe, but I doubt it. Minasian said the Angels see his best position other than third base being first base, a spot he's played just three big league games at.

I think Urshela's bat will be a valuable piece to the lineup. He had a 121 OPS+ this past season and has had a 119 OPS+ in his last four seasons combined. He's a major upgrade over guys like Matt Duffy and Andrew Velazquez who played in the infield when guys like Anthony Rendon and David Fletcher were out.

I think Urshela is a great backup option at third base if/when Anthony Rendon lands on the injured list. I don't love him at his $9.2 million dollar projected arbitration salary when the Angels could've just signed a quality depth infielder.

I like the player they got, I just don't know where he plays and why they got him other than be very expensive Anthony Rendon insurance. Trading a top-25 organizational prospect in a weak farm system while also having to pay the $9.2 million dollars isn't ideal either.

Grade: C

Next. 3 buy-low trade candidates for the Angels to target. dark

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