The Los Angeles Angels' signing of veteran relief pitcher Robert Stephenson was a little shocking around the league, despite the need in the bullpen for the team. Normally, the Halos have stayed away from handing out lucrative deals to pitchers, but they saw an opportunity with him.
Stephenson received a three-year, $33 million deal with the Angels, giving them a solid weapon out of the bullpen. He was great down the stretch last season with the Tampa Bay Rays and cashed in on the open market.
One of the main motivations for the signing: the Angels' front office knew its bullpen needed to improve. Angels relievers held an ERA of 5.28 over the sixth, seventh and eighth innings last season.
Stephenson should help with those numbers. If he can't, the Angels did add something into his deal to protect themselves: They included a $2.5 million club option for 2027 that can be exercised if the veteran spends 130 consecutive days on the injured list due to an elbow ligament injury.
The Halos made this decision to make sure they weren't burned by any lingering injury concerns. Stephenson began last season on the injured list with right elbow inflammation.
The pitcher detailed the reasons behind his unique contract clause in detail, and why he didn't push back:
“I expect myself to be healthy every year,” Stephenson said, “but if something happens to my elbow where I end up getting hurt and missing time for it, it feels fair that on the backside I’d get a little bit more time with the Angels than originally planned.”
The hope is that Stephenson won't have to miss much time, but injuries are unpredictable. This is a good deal for both sides. Now, the team can't wait to see what the year has in store for the veteran.
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