Dallas Keuchel:
Dallas Keuchel is a highly talented south paw who commands the plate well with his combination of pitches. The former 2015 Cy Young award winner has proved his pitching repertoire is exceptional at forcing ground ball outs and missing bats. Keuchel might not be the most overpowering pitcher but, he does force a lot of soft outs. Keuchel would be an immediate impact if he were to join the front of the Angels starting rotation, but his market value is more of a three to four-year deal worth around $18 million per year. The Angels have stuck to their game plan by only giving players one-year deals, which doesn’t tie them into any financial commitment. Keuchel keeps stacking awards, as he won his fourth Gold Glove award last season. He’s also a two-time all-star and 2017 World Series champion with the Houston Astros.
Craig Kimbrel:
Craig Kimbrel has been an electrifying closer since he came up to the big leagues and took over the closer role in his days with the Atlanta Braves. Although, Kimbrel’s asking price as the top reliever on the market is sky-high. Kimbrel reportedly expressed that he wanted a contract around six-years, worth $100 million. With the way things are shaping up this offseason, his offers can’t even be close to his benchmark. Kimbrel would ignite any team that he chooses to sign with and would help solidify the ninth inning for any club. He’s almost as lock down as it gets when needing the final three outs, although he did scuffle late in the playoffs. If Kimbrel looks to take a one or two-year deal you may see teams give him more money per year with the contract being a short term contract. If that’s the case the Angels could be in play on a short-term deal to help shorten the back-end of baseball games. They still have money they are sitting on as spring training approaches.
Gio Gonzalez:
Gio Gonzalez is a quality left-handed arm that eats innings year-after-year. Gonzalez was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers after starting the season with the Washington Nationals. He’s been a member of the Nationals for the last seven seasons, pitching right behind Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg in the rotation. Gonzalez has an aggressive hard hooking curveball that gives left-handed batters fits in the batters box. Gonzalez would fit in at the top of the Angels rotation and bring a polished, veteran presence that the Angels need in their pitching staff. He is now heading towards the back side of his career, going into his age 33 season. His free-agent value is shaping up as a short term deal worth around $10 million per year. Gonzalez also provides some playoff experience throughout his career, which looks intriguing.
Adam Warren:
Adam Warren is a serviceable right-handed relief pitcher who creates mismatches for the opposing batter. Warren has a mid 90s fastball that he relies on to get himself into favorable counts. Warren originally came up through the New York Yankees organization before getting traded to the Seattle Mariners last season. He has a career mid-three earned run average and strikes out about eight batters per nine innings. Warren played a key role in the playoffs for the Yankees over the last couples seasons, limiting the damage when he took the mound. He would fill the role of the Angels set-up man/ mid-reliver in a very unexperienced bullpen. Warren’s market in free agency is around a one to two-year deal worth $5 million per year. He isn’t too expensive and would contribute to any ball club looking to make a run into the playoffs.
Ervin Santana:
The former Angel currently awaits a contract via free agency. Santana was once among one of the Angels most reliable arms back in his younger days. He still has a quality mix of pitches but doesn’t quite have the velocity he once had. He is just one season removed from his All-Star performance in 2017. Although, last season Santana only pitched in five games, as he suffered a lingering finger injury that forced him to sit the rest of the 2018 season on the disabled list. Santana has had his ups and downs throughout his career but could be another starting pitcher to give the Angels some pitching depth, as they’ve struggled with pitching health the last three seasons. The one down fall of Santana, he was suspended 80 games in 2015 when he failed a drug test, when he tested positive for PED’s. Santana is likely a cheaper option for a team’s starting pitching rotation around a one-year contract worth $5 million. Santana is approaching his age 37 season, but he still has some juice left in the tank, as he showed in his last full season in 2017.
(Featured image by the Associated Press)
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