The Angels are moving right-hander Dylan Bundy to the bullpen, manager Joe Maddon told reporters (including Sam Blum of the Athletic). Southpaw José Suarez will assume a permanent spot in the starting rotation.
It’s the continuation of what has proven to be a difficult year for Bundy. He seemed to have turned a corner upon being traded from the Orioles to Los Angeles entering 2020, spinning 65 2/3 innings of 3.29 ERA ball during his debut season with the Angels. Things have gone completely south in 2021, though. The 28-year-old has been tagged for a 6.58 ERA in 67 frames this season. Bundy actually got off to a good start with three consecutive quality starts to begin the campaign, but he’s managed just a 7.88 ERA in twelve appearances since, with opposing hitters teeing off for a .297/.360/.568 slash line in that time.
In fairness to Bundy, the underlying numbers suggest he’s pitched a bit better than his bottom line run prevention would suggest. His 21.5% strikeout rate is disappointing, a below-average mark that’s nearly six percentage points below his 27% clip from last season. But it’s not disastrously low, and Bundy’s 10.8% swinging strike rate is serviceable. He’s always been a quality strike-thrower, and that hasn’t gone away either. Bundy’s only walking 7.2% of opponents, right in line with his career pace and better than league-average. Those strikeout and walk numbers contribute to a more respectable 4.30 SIERA.
The biggest issue for Bundy this season, as it was during his time in Baltimore, has been the long ball. He’s allowed a staggering fifteen home runs (2.01 HR/9). Among pitchers with 50-plus innings, only Matt Shoemaker (2.14 HR/9) has coughed up homers at a higher rate. Unsurprisingly, a glance at Bundy’s Statcast page confirms he’s given up plenty of hard contact.
That all makes for an interesting decision for teams this winter. Bundy’s slated to hit free agency for the first time this offseason. Obviously, this isn’t the platform year he’d desired, but his arsenal hasn’t evaporated. His four-seam fastball and slider velocity are actually up a tick relative to last season, as are Bundy’s spin rates. (His spin has dropped over the past month, coinciding with the league’s foreign substance crackdown, but Bundy’s slump predated reports of imminent enforcement of the ban on sticky stuff). The results simply haven’t been there this season, but we’re only a year removed from Bundy finding plenty of success with this level of raw stuff.
The Angels already bumped José Quintana to the bullpen a couple weeks ago, so Bundy’s the second member of the season-opening rotation to move into relief. That mostly reflects Quintana’s and Bundy’s down years, but it’s also a testament to the strong work of their eventual replacements, Patrick Sandoval and Suarez.
Sandoval has a 3.44 ERA/4.00 FIP across seven starts this year. Suarez was knocked around as a starter back in 2019, but he’s earned his way back into the rotation with quality work as a multi-inning reliever this year. The 23-year-old has tossed 27 1/3 innings over nine relief appearances, pitching to a 1.98 ERA with solid strikeout and walk rates (23.9% and 8.3%, respectively).
In other words, the Angels will be looking to add starting pitching at the trade deadline
No. They won’t be buyers. They should be selling.
What do they sell? Nearly all of their rentals are having terrible years outside of R. Iglesias. They can’t even trade guys with some team control like Upton (hurt) or Rendon (all around bad).
Even if rentals aren’t performing up to par, they still might be able to flip the guys with name pedigree for something (not a lot). Bundy might be attractive enough for someone to trade a meh prospect or cash for him. Especially if he pitches well in the bullpen. Or maybe even a team that plays in a home run “unfriendly” park. Quintana kinda fits that mold also. You won’t get a lot, but anything, even prospects you pray that you can develop a little and flip again later in a package deal is worth something
I’m not sure you alienate your fan base, and potentially piss off Trout & Ohtani for the sake of acquiring a couple system fillers.
Bundy would be the type of target the Cardinals would be interested in. He isn’t walking many batters, can soak up innings, and wouldn’t cost any of their top tier prospects. Could see a trade involving the two teams being discussed. Maybe someone like Brendan Donovan and Patrick Dayton for Bundy and Iglesias.
In other words it appears there will be no extension talk for Bundy for the rest of our lives.
They obviously read my comment from yesterday.
He actually was hurling it pretty well the other night…
Time to take a clue from clubs like the Cubs, Astros, etc. Totally tear it down and rebuild. Dumping Pujols was a tough but positive first step. Time to commit to the process. Eat salary and get what you can for Upton, Rendon, etc. Trout is an incredibly tough call. Starting to get injured frequently. In a total rebuild and even though he is the best player in baseball (when healthy), probably time to explore options. But that contract demonstrates that he’s obviously worth more to the Angels than anybody else. Tough, tough call. Maybe the Yanks will overpay like they did with Stanton.
Lol
Trout to the Mets for deGrom?
I started reading your post with a sarcastic tone until I realized you were actually serious.
If yanks overpaid for Stanton; I’m sure 29 teams will “overpay” for trout. 1 washed up vet and 2 lotto tickets the price- yeah Angels got 29 suiters
This is dumb. The angels hitting foundation is insane and under contract.
yeah, and where has it gotten them?
Trout’s contract is unmovable. If the Angels were to “tear it down” they would still be stuck with Trout, Rendon, and Upton (though they could possibly move Upton by just paying off his salary like the Cardinals did with Dexter Fowler). Having Trout means the Angels will never truly rebuild.
If you look at the Angels history this falls perfectly in line with the franchise strategies of the past. Aging sluggers, middle of the road pitchers well past their prime. The Angels run of contention from 2002-’09 was mostly facilitated by the fact the Mariners and Rangers were awful and the A’s early 2000’s run ended thanks to penny pinching and Moneyball. Now they have to contend with the Astros, A’s, and a Mariner team that may be pretty good as the kids continue to develop. Don’t expect serious contention out of the Angels anytime soon
Rsox just lost all baseball cred. “Trouts contract unmovable? Lmfao… thanks for the best laugh in weeks.
Do you know of any team with both the financial resources and the amount of prospects it would take to acquire Trout and the $344 million dollars left on his contract?
and he’s good for at least one IL stint a year now
Don’t waste your time trying to figure out your own question Rsox. The Angels have absolutely zero desire to trade Trout. What? For what? His first soft tissue injury. You guys crack me up.
My question was to you, not to me. And my statement came in relation to the suggestion that the Angels should “tear it down” and rebuild which i said they basically cannot do due to the expensive contracts of Trout, Rendon, and Upton
Bundy donedee?
Bundy is only 28?? Fool looks like he’s 40
He was hurling like an 18 year old earlier this week.
Goes to show don’t puke on the mound or next day your getting demoted!!! Oof. Tough times in the MLB! No sticky stuff, no puke, NO GO!
Showed potential to end up a good+ reliever in 2016, methinks he ends up becoming
Chad Green-lite
.
If that doesn’t work then
Chad Red-lite
.
Buh dum tsss
“No one ever actually says that.”
I said it, you said it, the two commenters below you said it.
Guess all 4 of us should be banned then.
Bundy started off the year as a tough luck pitcher, but lately he has become Joe Blanton 2.0.
Without Mickey Calloway the Angels can’t get their pitchers throwing good
Yea just make him have one of those big ole brick cell phones like Zack Morris used to have and then he cant send out “Richard pics”.
Did you watch the 2020 team? Callaway was as crappy a pitching coach as he is a person
Throwing good? More like sexting wood.
I’ll stop
Metsin7 –
Guess that’s the price you pay when you hire a complete scumbag. Karma, bitc*
While he is in the pen, DYLAN BUNDY will work on his pitching with AL BUNDY !!
Hey he will be able to score 4 TDs in 1 game
Due to last years short season, most teams will use 7-10 SP this year to throw the 800-1000 innings required by a rotation in a 162 game season.
For the Angels, that means getting 70-120 innings early in the season from veterans like Cobb, Bundy, Heaney and Quintana while their young SP mature and manage their workloads in the BP or minors. By years end, I’m guessing Rodriguez and Detmers join Sandoval, Suarez, Ohtani and Canning in the Angels rotation.
Knowing the veteran SP will be gone next season, the Angels young, controllable SP will get valuable major league experience this year and build their innings. This will position them, as best as possible, to take the reins next season – Ohtani, Canning, Sandoval, Suarez, Detmers, Rodriguez and perhaps Barria.
Add a couple of SP to the mix and a couple of BP pieces and the Angels will be looking solid in 2022.
Sucks because Bundy showed so much promise last season.
I say take advantage of Minnesota’s down season and see if you can pry Berrios from them at the trade deadline. Reports indicate you can. Then sign Scherzer in the off-season to a high 2 year AAV and a rotation of Scherzer, Berrios, Ohtani, Canning, Sandoval, etc. looks very credible. Dump the remaining cash on bullpen arms. Sign a defensive SS for next season, keep the studs healthy, and enjoy the playoffs!
Mickey Calloway made a big difference
Dylan misses him
Long Live Mickey Callaway
That…or Dylan misses throwing only to AL West and NL West opponents. Last year was such an anomaly as far as competition it’s hard to get a good read on 2020 numbers.
Lefty_Orioles_Fan –
Particularly to the females in the organization
Definitely a step in the right direction…Joe and Perry seem to be making the right tough decisions. Next should be promoting Jo in a month or two if we are out of it. We need to find a left or right fielder who can stick it out. If we are out of it when Trout gets back then may as well start having try outs for next season. Because we better turn the page in 2022…
This is great for Suarez. People forget how good of a prospect he was. He shot through the minors with high K #s. I know he struggled in 2019 but he was only 21yo and wasn’t ready. I think Eppler would rush their prospects too much
Good point. Suarez and Sandoval came up in ’19 due to injuries and ineffectiveness in the Angels rotation. They were not remotely ready, but got some valuable major league experience. Both have continued to progress nicely since ’19.
I have not looked at fangraphs data this year, but Bundy had two very good pitchers in the past, which is fine for a bullpen arm.. He does not have a fastball.
Suarez was a top 100 prospect who was rushed. Sandoval has always shown good stuff.
Good move by the Angels, let’s see what they have for next year and maybe Perry will wake up and actually try to address the bullpen.
It’s been the same “new GM, same story” scenario for several years which suggests the problem lies with Moreno. A big bat sells more tickets than a low scoring pitchers duel. We have needed a pitching staff revamp for over a decade and year after year it is addressed by waiver wire pick ups and guys who are looking for a bounce back to a once mediocre career. I believe Minasian was credited with putting together a great bull pen in Atlanta. So I believe Moreno will be the problem until he sells the team or revenues drop.
He’s gone after pitching but the Angels are a “smaller” market team…. Meaning if the Dodgers or Yankees or Red Sox want a particular pitcher, they are going to get him…to which I say… good.
I never blame a team for not going all in on starters, I ALWAYS blame them for ignoring the bullpen. You can’t always make the right move, but you are not destroyed if you make the wrong one.
I agree a team shouldn’t go all in on SP. Very risky proposition. If the contract goes bad, it goes real bad.
Good luck to the Yankees with Cole. Thats a high risk, high reward contract that few teams could absorb if it goes south… but so far, so good.
Halo11, just a little reminder how you have your head is in the sand, when u watching Angels games. The last 4 games starters have gone 3 innings, 2.2 innings – 2 outs – 2.2 innings. Forgetaboit there ERA.. Lmao
It’s all the BP’s fault! There the main problem this year. Blah blah blah! All I can do is laugh at you every time you cry BP, BP, BP. Like a spoiled little child.
Halo11, would put new carpet in his house, without having a roof on it. Hahahaha.
“He’s gonna be our ace”
LA Angels of Anaheim: where pitchers go to die
So another decent start from Cobb against Seattle and the bull pen (Quintana) gives up a grand slam in the 8th to blow the effort.