The Angels announced Tuesday that they’ve released left-handed reliever Dan Jennings. He’d been in camp on a minor league pact in hopes of earning a roster spot but will instead head back out onto the open market. The Halos also optioned righty Jaime Barria to Triple-A Salt Lake.
Jennings, 31, had a rough spring but has a lengthy track record as a quality left-handed bullpen option. He spent the 2018 season with the Brewers and worked to a 3.22 ERA with 45 strikeouts against 23 walks through 64 1/3 innings of work, holding opposing left-handed batters to a .226/.266/.304 batting line along the way.
It’s at least something of a surprise that Jennings has had difficulty latching onto a big league roster spot given the success he’s had; in his seven-year career, he’s never turned in an ERA of 4.00 or higher. He’s pitched to a combined 2.96 ERA with a 272-to-150 K/BB ratio through 344 1/3 innings in the Majors. His release is further surprising given that he was viewed as a candidate to open the season as the only lefty option in the Angels’ bullpen. The Halos don’t have a lefty reliever on the 40-man roster, nor do they have any experienced non-roster invitees still in camp, so perhaps there’s a move for a lefty still on the horizon.
As for Barria, he’d been in line to round out the Halos’ rotation behind Matt Harvey, Trevor Cahill, Tyler Skaggs and Felix Pena. Instead, it seems that role will now go to newly acquired right-hander Chris Stratton, whom the Angels picked up in a Tuesday-morning trade with the Giants. Barria, 22, made his big league debut last season and ultimately tallied 129 1/3 innings of 3.41 ERA ball with averages of 6.8 strikeouts, 3.3 walks and 1.2 home runs per nine innings pitched. Rather than look to continue that success, he’ll get some early work in Salt Lake.
Pena could also find himself bound for Triple-A once Andrew Heaney is able to come off the disabled list, although given the barrage of injuries that has beset the Angels’ pitching staff in recent seasons, it seems a fair bet that each of the aforementioned names will make some starts at the MLB level in 2019.
First.
ChiSox should give him a try (again).
Someone can use Jennings.
Angel pitching is horrific! Sign Trout to record setting contract, but still NO chance to play in October.
Giants
Nope. Giants actually have a pretty good staff, and an excellent relief corps. It’s the corner outfield that sucks!
Doesn’t seem to be a strike out artist, but does the job.
Think teams value overall performance and ability to stay in games on average less than an inning per appearance apparently.
Still should be a testament to change in market where the lower to mid tier players are getting shafted. So many veterans with legit good recent performance are settling, including some with minor league deals.
Why cut a guy who is on a minor league deal? Yeah, his Spring Training numbers weren’t great but keeping him around another month or two doesn’t post any risk.
He might have been an XX(B) free agent, in which case they would have owed him a $100,000 bonus to send him to the minors. I’m not sure if he was one or not, but if so then that’s why.
And if not, it’s a nice professional move to give him a chance to test the market before trying to bring him back.
Tyler Skaggs isn’t on the IL. Andrew Heaney is
In the writers defense it seems like every pitcher is on that list at some point. Here is to hoping 2019 is different for the Angels
I’m not sure if this is a new thing with metrics and shifts that make it possible to go without a lefty, but I’m confused. Alvarez should have stayed. Jennings could have been a cheap replacement. Not trying to rule out a possible trade with Ep at the wheel, but still somewhat confusing
Neither of Buttrey or Anderson are a lefty
Truly an odd decision. Maybe he has bad breath?
Clearly, the supply of real MLB-quality players has outstripped demand.
Seems to me that 2 expansion teams would solve or ameliorate an awful lot of issues.
If two teams were awarded right now, for 2019 play, and I were the GM of one of them, I think I could win 70 games with the homeless talent floating around out there, and have a team payroll of < 50 million.
Are you kidding me? You see what they are putting out in Florida and Baltimore and you want to add teams?
The Blue Jays could use another lefty in the pen.
What is it with players leaving the Rays they never pan out in other ball parks like they did in the trop
I don’t really see this. Stratton is always healthy, which is a good thing, especially on the Angels. But I’d don’t get why you’d rather have Stanton over Barria.
It doesn’t make sense to me.
Don’t know to much about Chris Stratton, but I would have liked Barria to round out the rotation over Stratton.
“Seasons seasons”
Does anyone edit these posts? Sheesh. It’s all about breaking the news first in journalism today…
You should definitely ask for a full refund of your MLBTR membership fee.
Rather shocking considering the Angels injury prone pitching staff and having a trusted tried and true reliever to turn to.
Padres…
MAKE A MOVE
Barria to the minors?? He may have been their best starter last year. Appears to be a stupid move by the Angels management.
Cubs need To sign Jennings.