Rays trade Strickland to Angels
The Tampa Bay Rays traded right-handed reliever Hunter Strickland to the Los Angeles Angels for a player to be named later or cash considerations, the team announced Saturday.
Strickland, 32, authored a 1.69 ERA and 3.05 FIP over 16 innings in the Rays' bullpen this season.
"Yeah, it is unusual," Angels manager Joe Maddon said of acquiring a reliever at this point in the season, according to Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times. "But he's coming from the Rays, where they just keep creating them like counterfeit bills. They have all that pitching down there. That's why he's available."
The Rays - whom Maddon once managed - recently welcomed back relievers Diego Castillo and Pete Fairbanks from the injured list.
Entering Saturday, the Angels' bullpen ranks 24th in MLB, according to FanGraphs WAR, with a 5.32 ERA and 4.57 FIP. The only AL teams worse by WAR are the Detroit Tigers and Minnesota Twins.
In a corresponding move, Tampa Bay activated first baseman Ji-Man Choi, who's yet to play in 2021 after undergoing arthroscopic right knee surgery in the offseason.
Over eight campaigns, Strickland owns a 3.14 ERA and 3.62 FIP, making 298 appearances and notching 21 saves. After spending five seasons with the San Francisco Giants to start his career, Strickland also appeared for the Seattle Mariners, Washington Nationals, and New York Mets.