The Angels, in an effort to bolster the pitching depth and bullpen, have acquired the services of RHP Matt Andriese from the Diamondbacks in exchange for minor league RHP Jeremy Beasley.
Andriese, 30, is a graduate of nearby UC Riverside, and also attended high school in the Inland Empire. He was originally drafted by the Padres, and is a 4.58 ERA/4.22 FIP pitcher in 428 innings that saw him in both Rays and D-Backs uniforms. Just last season, Andriese posted a 3.72 FIP, 3.82 SIERA, and 95 ERA+ with high strikeout rates (10.06 K/9), which shows signs that he could he on the verge of a promising season.
These are his current Statcast rankings, courtesy of Baseball Savant. He’s a terrific strikeout man with high spin rates (all of his pitches have at least 2180 RPM). His peripherals are quite impressive, and he could be a very effective reliever if he can adjust his location and execute his pitches the way they look on paper.
As for the return, Arizona gets one of the better Angels pitching prospects in Jeremy Beasley. He’s 24, and was a 30th round draft pick back in 2017. Beasley posted eye-opening numbers throughout the lower levels of the minors, but that success ended when he got to AAA, getting smacked by the juiced PCL ball for a 7.90 ERA and 5.72 xFIP. He’s ranked as the #18 prospect in the Angels farm. To make room on the 40-man roster, RHP Luis Madero was DFA’d. Additionally, LHP Adalberto Mejia cleared waivers and has been unconditionally released from the club.
Per General Manager Billy Eppler, Andriese will enter the Angels camp as a starter.
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