Angels agree to deal with free-agent reliever

The Angels are in agreement with free-agent reliever Adam Cimber on a one-year, $1.65M contract, reports Jeff Passan of ESPN. Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic first reported the sides were in advanced discussions.

It’s a rebound flier on the veteran right-hander. Cimber is coming off a 7.40 ERA across 20 2/3 innings, easily the worst showing of his career. A submariner, he had previously found plenty of success despite mid-80s fastball velocity. Cimber had turned in a sub-3.00 ERA while topping 70 innings in both 2021 and ’22 before this year’s struggles.

At his best, Cimber has shown plus control with the ability to keep the ball on the ground. The grounders have dipped in the past couple of seasons, contributing to a significant spike in home runs this year. It’s possible that injuries played a role, as Cimber spent the final three months of the season on the injured list with a shoulder impingement.

The Jays non-tendered him a couple of weeks ago in lieu of a projected $3.2M arbitration salary. While Cimber takes a pay cut on his next deal, he’ll get an immediate MLB opportunity to right the ship. With between five and six years of service time, he’ll return to free agency next offseason.

Los Angeles has taken a volume approach to their bullpen in the early stages of the offseason. The Halos signed Adam Kolarek for $900K and agreed to terms with Luis García on a $4.25M deal. They’re a trio of buy-low veterans who’ll add some low-cost experience to the middle relief corps. The Angels have Carlos Estévez in the ninth inning and harder-throwing youngsters Ben Joyce and José Soriano in the middle to late innings.