Los Angeles Angels: Stock up, stock down

Carlos Estevez, pitcher: In his first season as a member of the Angels organization, Estevez has been lights out at the end of games in 2023.

Signed to a two-year, $13.5M deal in December, Estevez spent his first six seasons playing for the Colorado Rockies where he totaled 25 saves. In his first 32 appearances for the Angels, he is already up to 19 saves while limiting opposing hitters to a .188 average.

With a career ERA of 4.32, Estevez is currently sitting at a 1.74 ERA in Los Angeles. Getting away from the hitter-friendly field he played at in Colorado has been a part of his success but he is also striking batters out more. His 11.61 K/9 is over two full points higher than his career average of 9.51.

Estevez will look to keep pitching strong as his career year continues in 2023.

Stock Down

Anthony Rendon, third base: In his fourth season in Los Angeles, Rendon has been a massive disappointment and one of the worst free agent contracts in recent memory. 

Fresh off a strong postseason that saw the Washington Nationals win the World Series in 2019, Rendon was signed that offseason by the Angels to a seven-year, $245M deal that was supposed to help propel the Angels into World Series contention for years to come.

In return, the team has seen Rendon make 195 appearances totaling a .251 average with 21 home runs and 110 RBIs. Far from the hitter that averaged 146 games with a .299 average and 26 home runs and 101 RBIs from 2016-2019.

With Rendon currently on the injured list, the Angels might look to shop him before the deadline to get out of the rest of his contract even if they have to sweeten the pot to get the deal done.

Tyler Anderson, pitcher : Another offseason addition that hasn't found his stride yet with the Angels, Anderson was lured away from the Los Angeles Dodgers this offseason with a three-year, $39M deal.

A journeyman pitcher who is on his sixth team in eight years after spending the first four with the Colorado Rockies, Anderson had a career year in 2022 posting a 15-5 record and a 2.57 ERA while making his first All-Star team.

In 2023, Anderson has had difficulties replicating that success and is looking more like the pitcher that has bounced around the league. With a 5.64 ERA, Anderson is allowing opposing batters to make hard contact and they are doing it often with a .289 batting average against to go along with eight home runs allowed in 68 2/3 innings pitched compared to the .221 batting average against and 14 home runs allowed in 178 2/3 innings in 2022.

Unfortunately for the Angels his career year in 2022 is looking more like an anomaly that was successfully parlayed into a nice payday and another potential free agent whiff to add to the list.