LA Angels: 4 giant whiffs from Arte Moreno before MLB lockout

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Sep 15, 2021; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Robbie Ray (38) delivers a / Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports

No. 2 giant whiff from Arte Moreno before MLB lockout: Robbie Ray

When Arte Moreno and the LA Angels missed on Robbie Ray, it hurt real bad. He ended up not only not signing with us when we had been linked to him since the beginning of the offseason, but also signing with a rival in the Seattle Mariners.

Ray was a great target for the Angels because he wasn't going to cost as much as the Max Scherzer's, or the Justin Verlander's for that matter as well. He was to be expensive, but more than affordable for the Angels.

Ray was the Cy Young this past season, going 13-7 with a 2.84 ERA and a 154 ERA+. Both those marks were tops in the American League, and few pitchers in this game are as good at striking batters out as Ray.

The man has struck out 11.2 batters per nine frames since he entered the league. He hit 11.8 last year and 11.5 this year. The guy's electric.

Recording a league-best 1.045 WHIP this past season, he was unstoppable. He already started showing progress when he was went over to the Blue Jays in the middle of the 2020 season, and got to that next level in 2021. Ray is a guy we should have had, and could possibly really regret not having later on.

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