Danel of the Jr. and and Rebild
Winners of three straight video games to raise their file to 53-55, the Angels are abruptly performing like contenders. On Wednesday, a day earlier than this yr’s commerce deadline, the staff bolstered its bullpen — which has been one of many majors’ worst this season — by buying relievers Andrew Chafin and Luis García from the Nationals in change for reliever Jake oaths and first base prospect Sam Brown.
That is the third cease of the season for the well-traveled García, a 38-year-old righty who has pitched for eight totally different groups — and the third time he’s joined the Angels. Not solely did he spend the 2019 season in Anaheim, however he additionally re-signed with them as a free agent in December 2023 and spent the primary 4 months of ’24 with them. Actually, the Angels traded him to the Pink Sox in change for 4 prospects precisely one yr in the past.
García’s odyssey has since continued. He signed with the Dodgers in mid-February and made 28 appearances totaling 27 1/3 innings earlier than being designated for project on June 29 and launched on July 4. He missed a few month from late Might to late June with a proper adductor pressure, then returned for 2 appearances earlier than getting DFA’d. That final outing was abysmal; he allowed three runs in one-third of an inning in opposition to the Royals on June 28, capping a stretch wherein he gave up 9 runs and 19 hits in his remaining 10 2/3 innings with the Dodgers and ballooning his ERA to five.27. 4 days after being launched, he signed with the Nationals. Since then, he’s gone on a roll, permitting only one run and 5 hits in 10 innings. Regardless of the distinction in ERAs, García’s 3.57 FIP with the Dodgers and three.59 FIP with the Nationals counsel he’s principally the identical pitcher, a worm-killing machine (54.6% groundball fee general) who doesn’t miss many bats (19.5% strikeout fee) however retains the ball within the park (0.48 homers per 9).
That stated, García has been throwing the ball notably higher since becoming a member of the Nationals. The common velocity of his sinker elevated from 96.4 mph with the Dodgers to 97.9 with the Nationals, with that of his splitter rising from 87.8 to 90.1. He’s thrown the latter 47.9% of the time in opposition to lefties, in comparison with simply 3.0% in opposition to righties. The velo of his sweeper, which he’s thrown 48.9% of the time to righties however simply 15.7% of the time to lefties, has ticked up from 82.9 to 83.6 as properly. Based on our two pitch modeling techniques, that are helpful for capturing small-sample modifications, his general stuff rating has improved, primarily pushed by higher command/location and slight enhancements in each the sinker and sweeper.
Luis García Pitch Modeling
Season
Workforce
Stage
botStf SI
botStf FS
botStf SL
botStf
botCmd
botOvr
2023
SDP
MLB
64
54
70
66
47
54
2024
2 Tms
MLB
62
52
56
58
49
56
2025
2 Tms
MLB
56
44
64
60
56
60
LAD
MLB
55
44
64
60
55
58
WSN
MLB
57
43
67
59
62
65
2023
SDP
MLB
113
114
122
112
95
106
2024
2 Tms
MLB
102
108
113
105
105
111
2025
2 Tms
MLB
101
103
120
108
106
113
LAD
MLB
100
104
119
108
106
113
WSN
MLB
103
95
132
107
111
116
The development of these two pitches is vital, as a result of García has been uncharacteristically lit up by righties (.307/.381/.547, .396 wOBA) whereas stifling lefties (.250/.342/.297, .272 wOBA). In every of the earlier two seasons, he yielded a .304 to righties and .327 to lefties.
As for Chafin, a 35-year-old lefty, that is the second yr in a row he’s been traded on July 30 (final yr he went from the Tigers to the Rangers) and the fourth time previously 5 years he’s been traded simply earlier than the deadline. After posting a mixed 3.51 ERA and three.54 FIP in 56 1/3 innings final yr for Detroit and Texas, he went unsigned into late February and needed to accept a minor league cope with the Tigers, who despatched him to their Triple-A Toledo affiliate to start out the yr. He opted out on April 30 after posting a 2.13 ERA and 31.5% strikeout fee in 12 2/3 innings. The Nationals signed him, and since then he’s pitched to a 2.70 ERA and three.74 FIP in 20 innings.
Whereas Chafin has allowed only one homer thus far, his 20.5% strikeout fee and 13.6% stroll fee — the previous his lowest mark since 2015, the latter the best of his 11-year profession — counsel he’s on thinner ice. Each his four-seamer and sinker have misplaced no less than 1.5 mph from final yr, when the 2 pitches averaged 91.7 mph every; the four-seamer’s velocity has fallen to 90.0, whereas the velo of his sinker, which he throws about twice as usually, has dropped to 90.2. The slider scores notably properly on each of our pitch modeling metrics (59 on PitchingBot’s 20–80 scouting scale and 125 on Stuff+ scale, the place 100 equals common) however each of his fastballs, and his common command and site, usually rating under common. Platoon-wise, he’s smothered lefties this yr (.147/.293/.147. .226 wOBA) however has been pummeled by righties (.366/.435/.463, .397 wOBA), although for his profession, he’s been about equally efficient in opposition to each.
The Angels can use the aid. Their bullpen ranks final within the majors in each FIP (4.81) and homers per 9 (1.5), twenty eighth in stroll fee (10.6%), and twenty seventh in ERA (4.96). They haven’t spent a day above .500 since April 20, once they had been 11-10, and the belief in latest weeks was that they’d be sellers on the deadline and will commerce gamers akin to nearer Kenley Jansenstarter Tyler Andersonoutfielder Taylor Wardand anything that wasn’t nailed down. As it’s, their Playoff Odds are solely simply 5.1% at this writing; they’re tied with the Royals at 4 video games out of the third Wild Card spot, half a recreation behind the Guardians (53-54), a recreation behind the Rays (54-54), and three video games behind the Rangers (56-52). This can be a staff that doesn’t have a lot enterprise buying and selling younger expertise from a farm system that ranks among the many majors’ backside 10however possibly the temptation of going for it whereas Mike Trout is upright was an excessive amount of to beat.
As for whom they’re giving up, the 26-year-old Eder is a 6-foot-4 lefty whom they acquired from the White Sox for money issues on March 31. He entered the season as a 40 FV prospect, notable for an above-average slider. He was tattooed for a 6.11 ERA and 5.87 FIP in 63 1/3 innings as a starter at Triple-A Salt Lake Metropolis, however he pitched out of the bullpen for the Angels and posted a 4.91 ERA, 5.22 FIP, and 19.2% strikeout fee in 18 1/3 innings in that function. His final three outings have been longer ones, starting from three to 6 innings, with 98 pitches in opposition to the Mets on July 23, so he’s stretched out to the purpose that he may be part of the Nationals rotation if there’s a gap. Right here’s what Eric Longenhagen needed to say about Eder in notes he offered:
Eder was drafted out of Vanderbilt within the fourth spherical of the truncated 2020 draft, and his stuff exploded in professional ball. Eder made 15 begins in 2021, racking up a mid-30s strikeout fee and a 0.98 WHIP whereas sitting 94-97 and bending in a plus-plus slider, however he blew out and wanted Tommy John surgical procedure. His rehab was interrupted by an ill-timed foot fracture, which stored him off the mound till halfway by the 2023 season, after which previous co-workers Kenny Williams and kim of swapped Jake Burger for Eder on the commerce deadline. When he returned, it was with a decrease arm slot, and Eder struggled to recapture the arm energy from earlier than his harm, as his fastball has sat within the 92-94 mph neighborhood since. Eder’s stuff has performed nearer to common throughout the board since then, and he’s been on the 40-man fringe, modified orgs a number of occasions and struggled to remain within the bigs lengthy sufficient to graduate from rookie standing as he approaches age 27. He’s throwing sufficient strikes with a four-pitch combine to be thought-about an inning-eating fifth starter or secure center reliever, however the days of him wanting like an affect arm are lengthy gone.
The 23-year-old Brown was the Angels’ Twelfth-round select of Washington State in 2023, and now charges as a 35+ FV prospect, albeit one which doesn’t have a single device that initiatives as common or higher. After signing for a $150,000 bonus, he started his professional profession by struggling mightily at Double-A Rocket Metropolis final yr (.214/.298/.302 with 4 homers and a 85 wRC+). He’s been extra profitable repeating the extent (.244/.350/.358 with 5 homers and a 117 wRC+). From Logenhagen:
Brown is a lefty-hitting first baseman (and occasional nook outfielder) who has posted above-average bat-to-ball metrics at Double-A this yr, with a 78% contact fee. It’s Brown’s second go round at Double-A, as he was ultra-aggressively assigned there when he debuted in 2024. His fingers work in such a means that he tends to be late on fastballs and drive them to left discipline, which could portend a dip involved efficiency in opposition to massive league velo. Brown’s uncooked energy is a shade under the large league common, comfortably under what’s typical of massive league first baseman, however no less than on paper he has sufficient of a contact/energy combo to be thought-about a fringe prospect.
For the Nationals, these aren’t unreasonable flyers to take at this stage. For the Angels, this would possibly properly wind up wanting like a repeat of their 2023 deadline, once they cleared out their already-weak system by buying and selling for Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo López, Randal Grichukand extra, then went 17-38 after July 31. That staff was no less than above .500 when the deadline dealing began. Those that overlook historical past one thing one thing… ask Arte Moreno!
