The Angels made minimal moves to strengthen their bullpen this offseason, aside from one signing, choosing instead to rely on internal options. Although The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reported that the team aimed to add two to three relievers, GM Perry Minasian has only brought in Kenley Jansen. Unless they unexpectedly sign David Robertson or offer a surprise major league deal to Craig Kimbrel, the Angels are expected to enter Opening Day with a young group of homegrown arms in their bullpen.
The Angels’ 2021 first-round pick, Sam Bachman, appeared to have a clear path to making the major league roster out of camp, but his spring training timeline is now uncertain. According to Jeff Fletcher of The OC Register, Bachman said he is “working through a little bit of stuff” and is unsure when he’ll be ready to pitch in Cactus League games. He also mentioned he’s “not sure” if further medical evaluations will be necessary. Fletcher had previously reported that Bachman had slimmed down and was in good shape after an “injury-free winter,” but the oft-injured right-hander is now facing another setback.
Bachman needed to impress during spring training to push the Angels into a tough decision regarding their bullpen. When healthy, his arsenal—featuring a reverse gyro two-seam fastball and a hard slider, with the occasional changeup—profiles well for a full-time relief role. However, his durability remains a major concern, and with his latest setback, his chances of making the Opening Day roster now appear slim at best.
Latest pitcher injury all but finalizes the Angels’ Opening Day bullpen
Here’s a likely projection of the Angels’ bullpen for Opening Day:
CL: Kenley Jansen
SU: Ben Joyce
MR: Brock Burke, Ryan Zeferjahn, José Quijada
Swing: Chase Silseth, Garrett McDaniels
Long: Jack Kochanowicz or Reid Detmers
Bachman was vying with Chase Silseth and Davis Daniel for a swing role, where he could provide multiple innings or serve as a back-end reliever when needed. However, with Silseth’s availability and upside, along with Daniel’s strong showing and the risk of losing him if he doesn’t make the roster, both now appear close to locks for that spot—leaving Bachman on the outside looking in.
José Suarez may be in better shape physically, but his effectiveness and overall value to the Angels moving forward remain questionable, especially compared to Silseth, Davis Daniel, Reid Detmers, or Caden Kochanowicz. If Suarez fails to make the roster, he would need to be designated for assignment (DFA) since he is out of minor league options. However, he has cleared waivers and returned to the Angels before, so there’s a chance history repeats itself.
The remaining bullpen candidates are either long shots, less valuable than Silseth or Davis Daniel, or have minor league options available. This group includes Hans Crouse (1 option left), Víctor Mederos, Michael Petersen, Jack Dashwood, Connor Brogdon, Dakota Hudson, Victor González, and Shaun Anderson.
Bachman logged 17 big league innings as a reliever in 2023, relying mostly on his bullet slider while averaging 96.9 mph on his two-seam fastball and occasionally mixing in a changeup. His surface-level results were solid, as he posted a 3.18 ERA, 143 ERA+, and a 3.73 FIP without allowing a home run. However, his underlying metrics painted a less encouraging picture—he recorded a 1.647 WHIP, 4.67 xERA, 4.70 xFIP, and a 9.0 H/9 rate (17 hits in 17 innings), along with a concerning 14:11 K:BB ratio.
