Los Angeles Angels: Decent starting pitchers that are still available
By Jason Reed
The Los Angeles Angels were already dealing with a thin pitching staff heading into 2020 that may get even thinner without Griffin Canning.
While the Los Angeles Angels are a better team overall from the team that we last saw in 2019, the front office was not able to significantly address the team’s biggest need: starting pitching. The front office did add Julio Teheran and Dylan Bundy, neither of which are true difference makers to the Angels.
Thus the Angels’ rotation was set. The team seemingly has no true ace, especially considering how they may use Shohei Ohtani and how he may be on an innings limit. The hope for the Angels coming into 2020 is that the offense could provide enough firepower to win games despite the starting rotation.
That starting rotation could be getting any thinner, as second-year pitcher Griffin Canning felt discomfort in his throwing elbow and underwent an MRI on Friday.
The MRI showed UCL damage in Canning’s elbow, which is a telling sign of potential Tommy John surgery. Canning is going to undergo treatment and then throw, with the Angels then deciding a course of action, per Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.
The Angels seem to be dressing this up, as they have with other injuries in the past, hoping that Canning will not need Tommy John. However, with problems this early in Spring, there is a chance that the Angels are without Canning for most of, if not all, of 2020.
The team has other options to start, such as Patrick Sandoval, but should not scoff at the idea of adding more depth, especially for a cheap cost.
There are some notable starting pitching names that are still on the free-agent market that could provide the Angels that depth with little to no risk. At this point, the Angels need all the help they can get.