Two weeks from today, Angels pitchers and catchers will report for spring training. And don’t be surprised if at least one pitcher who isn’t on the roster now is in the clubhouse then.
It was no secret that Matt Garza was the Angels’ primary target to add depth to their starting rotation. After Garza signed last week with the Milwaukee Brewers, General Manager Jerry Dipoto said the Angels would be OK standing pat with a rotation of Jered Weaver, C.J. Wilson, Hector Santiago, Garrett Richards and Tyler Skaggs.
While the Angels’ rotation has potential – Santiago, Richards and Skaggs all have the stuff to be solid major league starters – it’s also a rotation with significant risk. None of the three has made 30 starts in a single big league season. Skaggs is only 22.
So you can bet that the Angels’ preference would be to sign one more starter with some big league experience. The Angels are most likely looking to see if they can sign someone on a one-year deal for less than $4 million.
(Yes, they still have Joe Blanton and they have Mark Mulder and Wade LeBlanc on minor-league deals, but those are less-than-ideal answers.)
Fortunately for the Angels, as we get closer to spring training, the prices surely go down among the free agents scrambling to find jobs. Bruce Chen just agreed to a one-year, $4.25-million deal.
The best available free agent pitchers are A.J. Burnett, Ubaldo Jimenez and Ervin Santana. Burnett isn’t likely to sign with a West Coast team, and the Angels have said they won’t give up a draft pick to sign Jimenez or Santana. The Angels don’t appear to be involved with Korean pitcher Suk-Min Yoon, either.
That leaves this foursome: Bronson Arroyo, Chris Capuano, Jason Hammel and Paul Maholm. There are other guys out there, such as Joe Saunders, Barry Zito and Aaron Harang, but I don’t believe any of them is on the Angels’ radar (unless they want to give out more minor league deals).
So, here’s a breakdown of the four guys who have the best chance of winding up in an Angels uniform, with the caveat that it’s still very possible they add no one:
BRONSON ARROYO, RHP
- Age: 37
- 2013: 3.79 ERA, 202 innings with Reds
- Last three seasons: 4.19 ERA, 603 innings
- Injuries: None. In fact, Arroyo has never been on the disabled list.
- Comment: His durability and consistency make him attractive. However, he’s a pitch-to-contact guy (5.8 K/9) who gives up a lot of homers (1.2 HR/9) and that may be a bad combination in the American League. Arroyo is also the least likely of the group to accept a one-year deal.
CHRIS CAPUANO, LHP
- Age: 35
- 2013: 4.26 ERA in 125 innings with Dodgers
- Last three seasons: 4.15 ERA in 490 innings
- Injuries: Two short stints on the DL last season, with a leg strain and a shoulder strain. Also missed time in September with a groin injury. Tommy John surgery in 2008.
- Comment: Capuano has a career 4.27 ERA, pitching only in the National League. He’s a finesse guy (average fastball 88-89), but still manages to miss bats (7.5 K/9). He also has a strong 3.1 K/BB ratio over the past three years.
JASON HAMMEL, RHP
- Age: 31
- 2013: 4.97 ERA in 139 innings with the Orioles
- Last three seasons: 4.46 ERA in 427.2 innings
- Injuries: Missed five weeks with elbow injury last season. Had knee trouble throughout the second half in 2012.
- Comment: Hammel’s only season with an ERA under 4.00 was 2012, when he posted a 3.43 mark in 20 starts with the Orioles. Hammel is relatively young and still throws 92-93 mph. He’s also been successful in the American League, but the injuries and inconsistency throughout his career make him risky.
PAUL MAHOLM, LHP
- Age: 31
- 2013: 4.41 ERA in 153 innings with the Braves
- Last three seasons: 3.89 ERA in 504.1 innings
- Injuries: Missed a month with sprained wrist and about two weeks with elbow inflammation last season. Missed last six weeks of 2011 season with shoulder strain.
- Comment: A soft-tossing lefty, Maholm has the best ERA of this group over the last three seasons. Although his career strikeout rate is only 5.8 per nine innings, he’s been at 6.4 over the past two seasons.
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