Good news for baseball fans: the Los Angeles Angels appear to be going for it.
Why else would they go after a soon-to-be 33-year-old pitcher in free agency?
They recently said they weren’t going to trade Shohei Ohtani in his last year of team control.
It might have been posturing, but this piece of news certainly increases the odds of them maintaining their word:
Tyler Anderson has deal with Angels
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) November 15, 2022
The Angels are bringing in Tyler Anderson, who thrived last season with the Los Angeles Dodgers, as the first high-profile free agent addition of the hot stove season that is not a player re-signing with his former team.
It’s on!
The Angels correctly diagnosed their pitching woes in 2022, and are banking on Anderson bringing some much-needed quality to the rotation.
Ohtani is obviously the ace, but the addition of Anderson gives the team a solid mid-rotation option to join Patrick Sandoval.
According to Ken Rosenthal, it’s a three-year deal for Anderson.
The Los Angeles Angels are in agreement with Tyler Anderson on a 3-year deal, per @Ken_Rosenthal pic.twitter.com/PwmfBenxDF
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) November 15, 2022
A Career Season For Anderson
The southpaw parlayed a strong season with the Dodgers into a nice three-year contract.
He pitched 178.2 innings for LA, earning a rock-solid 2.57 ERA.
It was one of the best marks in the National League.
He didn’t strike out many people (138 hitters) but his solid ERA is backed by a good 3.31 Fielding Independent Pitching, or FIP.
He may not be overpowering, but as his 1.71 walks per nine innings indicate, he has impeccable control and command.
That should help him set a nice floor for himself with the Angels.
Perhaps is not fair to ask him for another sub 2.60-ERA season, but an ERA in the low-to-mid 3.00s is achievable.
It’s good to see the Angels addressing their pitching needs.
NEXT: Shohei Ohtani Has Moved Beyond Babe Ruth Comparisons