The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim enter this holiday season with a rather sizable wish list. Now they might be able to check off three items with one deft move.
On Thursday, left-handed relief pitcher Hisanori Takahashi agreed to a two-year, $8 million deal with the Halos. It was not the high-profile signing many are expecting, and media coverage of the deal is all but non-existent.
But make no mistake, this is as meaningful a signing in the short term as any deal the Angels will make this offseason.
Takashi is as versatile a reliever as they come, having shown the ability to start, fill the setup role and even close games when necessary. And all for less money than it took to lock up the limited and inconsistent Fernando Rodney.
A longtime veteran of the Japanese league, Takahashi made his major league debut last year with the New York Mets at the tender age of 35. He posted a rather average 4-4 record in 12 appearances as a starter with a below-average 5.01 ERA. Where he did his real damage was out of the bullpen.
In 57 1/3 innings of relief, he dominated to the tune of a 2.04 ERA. The Mets were so impressed with his work, they even used him as a closer when former Angel Francisco Rodriguez was injured. He converted all eight of his save opportunities.
Angels general manager Tony Reagins should be arrested for stealing this guy off the market.
Takahashi, first and foremost, fills the the left-handed void in the bullpen in Anaheim. His 0.59 ERA against lefties last season is a more-than-welcome sight to the Angels’ beleaguered relief corps, and his experience both here and abroad should rub off on young guys like Jordan Walden and Kevin Jepsen.
But the Angels also have questions at both the closer and No. 5 starter slots. Or at least, they had questions.
After the departure of closer Brian Fuentes, the previous token lefty reliever, setup man Fernando Rodney struggled mightily to find saves and now seems to have fallen out of favor with the coaching staff.
Walden and Jepsen could be the heirs apparent to anchor the back end of the ‘pen, but both lack the experience and neither has shown enough consistency to be handed a closer or setup role outright.
Takahashi, meanwhile, thrived in both roles last season, making him the ideal candidate to step up if the Angels fail to sign a closer or if his new teammates falter.
On the other hand, if the Angels do manage to find a new closer or the youngsters prove trustworthy in the late innings, his experience starting games means he can comfortably take over as the long-reliever and spot-starter.
That kind of protection alone makes this deal worthwhile.
As much as the Angels don’t like to admit it publicly, they know Scott Kazmir was a serious liability in an otherwise formidable starting rotation last season.
Whether it was the arm strain he suffered early on or a simple lack of confidence, he rarely made it through six innings successfully and was frequently hit hard early in games.
His history as a strikeout king and former ace has kept him in the rotation for now, and there is still some hope for a rebound in 2011. But if Kazmir can’t return to his old form quickly, he’ll find himself the new lefty specialist in the bullpen while Takahashi takes over every fifth day.
Most importantly, however, the acquisition of Takahashi provides strong support to what Angels owner Arte Moreno said when his team entered the offseason earlier than expected: he will do what is necessary to make this a winning club again.
Their first losing season in seven years left a bitter taste in a lot of mouths, but none more than Moreno, and he’s not afraid to do something about it.
The Angels needed a lefty reliever. They got it.
The Angels needed options at the closer and starter position. They got it.
Next on the list, the Angels need speed in the outfield and power at third base. They will get those too.
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