The Hidden Gem: Why Ryan Zeferjahn is the Angels Trade Chip Nobody is Talking About

Ryan Zeferjahn has revamped his pitch mix and quietly become a very good relief pitcher. He is also making near minimum wage and under club control through the 2030 season. Quality relievers with years of club control rarely hit the trade market. Usually the shelves are stocked with either high dollar closers about to be free agents or rental retreads who bring back lottery tickets rather than legitimate prospects.

However, with Angels interim GM stating they will listen on all players, Ryan Zeferjahn is theoretically available and could have a higher value than fans initially think. Yes, he would net a better return than Jo Adell at this point. But he is flying completely under the radar when the Angels trade chips are discussed.

Ryan Zeferjahn's sweeper made him a legitimate reliever.

Prior to this season Zeferjahn relied on straight velocity to try to get outs. He threw an upper 90s four seam fastball and a mid 90s sinker as his primary pitches. In theory both sound like they should be effective but in practice the two came out at such similar velocities and planes that hitters could just sit fastball and make a minor adjustment based on which fastball came out.

Then came the sweeper. Now Zeferjahn throws an 85 mile per hour sweeper about 37% of the time. The extreme horizontal break and massive velocity difference combine to form a pitch that gets a ton of whiffs. It also keeps hitters guessing.

Now that hitters can no longer sit fastball, Zeferjahn's fastball is getting better results. He throws the four seamer about 34% of the time and the sinker 16% of the time. The sinker gives him a pitch that breaks vertically while the four seamer has a slide run to the arm side.

In total, batters must now account for two vastly different velocities as well as three different locations. The results the last couple of months have been promising and Zeferjahn is now pitching in high leverage roles.

Zeferjahn's breaking ball value is in the top 6% in MLB. His whiff rate and K rate are both in the top 4% and he has the best expected batting average against in the game. He is an extremely valuable bullpen piece right now and would be getting national attention if he was on a winning team.

Every contender can use bullpen help.

The fundamental dynamic of supply and demand is definitely in the Angels favor this trade deadline. There isn't a single playoff contender who would not want to improve their bullpen. Some teams, such as the Dodgers, are dealing with injuries. Others, like the Nationals, have simply struggled to prevent runs all season long.

Thanks to his minimum wage salary every single playoff contender can afford to add Zeferjahn as well. The fact any team acquiring Zeferjahn would have him under team friendly salaries through the year 2030 also makes him more attractive.

Caleb Lomavita could be the return from Washington.

The Angels have made their desire for a young catcher widely known. The Nationals bullpen woes are also as widely known. The two could line up here and solve each other's problems.

Lomavita is a power hitting 23 year old backstop at the AA level. He is currently hitting .243/.318/.487 with 12 home runs and 16 doubles in 62 games. Regarded as a solid receiver with plus power, Lomavita is a below average runner and profiles as more of a power bat than a high average bat. He is walking about 10% of the time at the AA level after rarely walking earlier in his career, though, so it appears he is making better swing selections.

Marlon Nieves would be a solid return from the Dodgers.

Dealing with a crosstown rival is always difficult optics wise, but in this case it could make a ton of sense for the Angels and Dodgers to come together. The Dodgers could Detmers plus a reliever but let's isolate just Zeferjahn for a moment.

In exhange for a developed reliever with years of club control, the Angels could ask for a developing pitcher with a heater and slider that are already rated above MLB average. FanGraphs projects Nieves to have a 70 grade slider to go along with a 60 grade fastball and average change up once the 19 year old has grown into his frame. He needs help with control but already looks like a future closer who could develop into a quality starter.

Will Ryan Zeferjahn be traded?

Given the fact the Angels are not likely to contend for at least two seasons it would make sense to trade Zeferjahn at peak value. Teams will generally overpay a bit at the trade deadline because they can not utilize free agency to fill in roster holes.

There should be no rush to trade Zeferjahn but if the return is right, Mozeliak will pull the trigger. The Angels farm system is ripe with pitchers who profile as relievers. Guys like Chase Shores, Chris Cortez, Joel Hurtado, and Luke Murphy should all vie for big league bullpen jobs in the short term.

If the Angels can add a quality prospect that can benefit them down the road the would be wise to do so. Angels on SI will cover and analyze trades as they happen.

Add us as a preferred source on Google