The Angels claimed Vinnie Pestano off waivers from the Indians and subsequently worked out a trade for the righty earlier today, but GM Jerry Dipoto tells reporters, including the Orange County Register’s Jeff Fletcher, that he’s actively claiming other players and trying to bolster his rotation (Twitter links). However, acquiring starting pitching upgrades at this time of year is very difficult, Dipoto added (rival clubs, of course, can pull their players back off revocable waivers).
The Halos clearly passed on Josh Beckett when he was placed on waivers, as he’s the lone starting pitcher on MLBTR’s list of players that have already cleared revocable waivers. Beyond that, however, there figure to be multiple possibilities on the market, though several would come with significant financial commitments. A.J. Burnett of the Phillies, for example, was said to be on waivers earlier this week. So, too, were Kyle Kendrick, Jason Hammel and Wade Miley, although each would come with road blocks (e.g. Kendrick’s salary and mediocre performance, Hammel’s presence on the roster of a division rival and Arizona’s unwillingness to move Miley).
The Angels’ pitching depth took a hit when Tyler Skaggs was lost to the disabled list due to a strained flexor tendon in his left arm last week. At the same time, C.J. Wilson, who is returning from injury, pitched poorly in his first time back on the mound and has allowed six runs in four of his past five outings.
For the time being, Wilson will pair with Garrett Richards and Jered Weaver atop the rotation, with Hector Santiago and Matt Shoemaker rounding out the quintet. However, Dipoto will have several options available to him. Last month, I took a look at the trade market for starting pitchers, and while several arms I listed in the post have since been moved, a good number of the pitchers listed could make sense for the Halos. Bartolo Colon, for example, would be a sensible option to add some stable innings down the stretch for Anaheim, and his salary makes him a likely candidate to clear waivers (his name is purely my own speculation, of course).
