The Los Angeles Angels' signing of Robert Stephenson came as a surprise, but the veteran right-hander might be just what they need. The Angels' bullpen was one of the worst in Major League Baseball last season, ranking 27th out of 30 teams in FanGraphs' version of Wins Above Replacement.
Stephenson began the 2023 season with the Pittsburgh Pirates, and he struggled mightily. He posted an ERA of 5.14 and a WHIP of 1.429 over 18 appearances out of the Pirates' bullpen.
Traded to the Tampa Bay Rays, the change of scenery completely transformed Stephenson's season. Suddenly, he was one of the more dominant pitchers in the league.
With Tampa Bay, his ERA dropped to 2.35, his WHIP fell to 0.678, and his strikeout rate jumped. He struck out 60 of the 140 batters that he faced while with the Rays.
Stephenson added a new pitch to his mix, and it worked wonders. He spoke about it, and how it helped him grow as a player.
“I still call it a slider,” Stephenson said of the pitch sometimes identified as a cutter. “It’s the exact same grip I used with my slider before. I just released a little bit different now so might move a little differently, but it’s still the same grip.”
The Angels are hopeful Stephenson's success will carry over to Anaheim. They were willing to bet $33 million on it over a three-year contract.
Halos general manager Perry Minasian gave his thoughts on the new pitch, and his excitement to see Stephenson work with it.
“He had a new toy, with the change of speed on his slider, and he was one of the best, if not the best, relievers in baseball over the last 40 innings,” Angels general manager Perry Minasian said.
If Stephenson can be productive for the Halos, this deal will be a steal. He is expected to have a prominent role with the team and help lead this bullpen forward. Since converting to relief full-time, Stephenson has never exceeded 60 appearances of 58 innings in a major-league season.
Spurred perhaps by concerns about his coming workload, or their review of his medical scans, the Angels hold a team option for a fourth year at $2.5 million if Stephenson has an elbow ligament injury that causes him to miss 130 consecutive days.
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