Angels Predicted To Land Veteran Closer This Offseason
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Just a month after winning his second World Series in his career, it seems that former Texas Rangers closing pitcher Aroldis Chapman may stay put in the American League West.
According to a report from MLB Trade Rumors, the Los Angeles Angels are one of three teams that the former two-time World Series winner is linked to sign with this offseason.
Last year, Chapman signed a one-year deal with the Kansas City Royals for $3.75 million. After excelling last year pitching with a 2.45 ERA with the Kansas City Royals, Chapman was traded to the Rangers where he carried that momentum by pitching with a 3.72 ERA while striking out 50 batters in just two and a half months after being traded.
“Chapman, 36 in February, ranked seventh among all relievers this year with an average fastball velocity of 99.6 miles per hour. Among relievers with at least 30 innings, his strikeout rate of 41.4% ranked second. His 14.5% walk rate was one of the game’s worst, but when he’s on, Chapman is still nasty.”
Last year, the Angels pitching staff was one of the worst in the league. They had a combined ERA of 4.64 and gave up 209 home runs, which was the sixth most in the league. Additionally, they struggled to keep batters off the base paths and allowed 613 walks throughout the season.
While the pitching stats for the Angels didn't help, they also dealt with constant injuries from the bullpen that resulted in them having a completely different bullpen from opening day by the time it was June.
If Chapman does end up with the Angels next year, I would expect him to work as a setup man for Los Angeles as they are still with 2023 AL All-Star Carlos Estevez.
Last season, leading into the All-Star break, Estevez was perfect in save opportunities and didn't blow his first save opportunity until Aug. 3. He finished the year going 31-35 in save opportunities and struck out a total of 78 batters for the Halos.
