Former Angels Starting Pitcher Signs With NL East Contender
The Los Angeles Angels had a pretty forgettable season in 2021. Despite Shohei Ohtani continuing to show the league that he was quickly on the rise to top with an MVP award, the Halos finished near the bottom of the AL West with a 77-85 record.
A lot of their problems stemmed from their pitching mound, which severely underperformed outside of Ohtani. They posted a 4.78 ERA as a starting rotation which was the ninth worst in baseball and struggled to keep opposing batters from reaching the bases.
Dylan Bundy was brought in the previous season to help the Angels build a strong pitching core but he instead did much of the opposite. Battling numerous injuries, he finished with a record of just 2-9 and a 6.06 ERA in 2021 and ended up joining the Minnesota Twins the next season.
However, it appears that Bundy is once again on the move and this time it will be in a much smaller role.
The USA Today's Bob Nightengale reported that the 30-year-old has agreed to a minor league deal with the New York Mets prior to the start of the 2023 season.
"The New York Mets add some pitching depth by signing veteran Dylan Bundy to a minor-league contract."
(Via Bob Nightengale)
Even though this a huge step down for the former Angels starting pitcher, perhaps Bundy will regain his confidence and consistency while not so much pressure is on him to perform. He has shown promise before, most notably in 2017 with the Baltimore Orioles where he posted a 16-12 record on the mound.
The Mets probably won't call him up anytime soon considering they have their own solid starting rotation right now but if Bundy is able to catch some eyes in the minor leagues, perhaps he could slide into a bullpen spot.
