TODAY: Tepera is now a free agent after clearing release waivers, the Angels announced.
MAY 14: The Angels have designated right-handed reliever Ryan Tepera for assignment, per a team announcement. Taking Tepera’s place on the active roster will be right-hander Zack Weiss, who was recalled from Triple-A in a corresponding move.
Tepera, 35, signed a two-year, $14MM contract with the Angels prior to the 2022 season. At the time, Tepera was coming off of a dominant season in Chicago, where he posted a 2.79 ERA (154 ERA+) with a matching 2.73 FIP over 61 1/3 innings split between the Cubs and White Sox. While Tepera was solid in his first season with the Angels, he didn’t quite live up to that promise, posting a 3.61 ERA (113 ERA+) with a 4.21 FIP over 57 1/3 innings of work.
The 2023 campaign has been nothing short of a disaster for Tepera so far, however. In ten appearances, the veteran righty has allowed nine runs (seven earned) in just 8 2/3 innings of work. While Tepera has a decent 21.7% strikeout rate and an excellent 6.5% walk rate so far this season, and a massive .448 BABIP certainly contributed to his struggles, Tepera had already allowed two home runs this season after allowing just 11 over his past 118 2/3 innings of work.
Tepera’s struggles were enough for the Angels to pull the plug despite the club still owing him $7MM for the 2023 campaign. At this point, it’s all but assured that Tepera will clear waivers, allowing him to sign with another club that would only owe Tepera the pro-rated big league minimum while the Angels continue to pay down his 2023 salary.
With Tepera off the roster, the Angels still have plenty of solid options for the back of their bullpen, with Carlos Estevez, Matt Moore, Jaime Barria and Andrew Wantz all having excelled to this point in the season. They’ll be joined by Weiss, 31 next month, who posted a solid 3.38 ERA (123 ERA+) with a 4.16 FIP in 13 1/3 innings for the Angels last season. Weiss’s stint with the Angels last season was just his second in the big leagues, as he debuted with the Reds in 2018 but failed to record an out in the appearance while surrendering four runs.
Wasn’t he the pre-season favorite for saves in Anaheim?
Not after his lousy showing last year..
I have to say, last night vs Cleveland was rough on the Halos, but it’s good to see them looking a bit more competitive these days.
Tepera was very good for the Cubs and White Sox so I don’t know what the problem is. He’s only 35 so he should still have a few years left unless his velocity has fallen off a cliff. Maybe it’s the Pitching coach and staff? I don’t think a Cubs reunion is likely but surely the White Sox should be in play here. He’s a Mark Leiter Jr. clone if his splitter is working.
ㅣhis best out pitch was cutter/slider. angels ketpt asking him to throw middling fastball in crucial situation.
Well his best pitch when he was here was a sinker/splitter. So what did the Angels tell him to stop throwing it? Then they are morons.
Ryan on earth would they do that?
With the current state of the Cub’s bullpen, I wouldn’t be surprised if they took a flyer on him.
That BABIP may be the culprit
No. Estevez was. Quidjada and Joyce were dank horses.
Dank horses.
Yep, rode hard and put away wet.
Dank houses- is that where John lives with his bro Jordan?
If you live in a Dank house, don’t throw 83 mph meatballs over the plate
Like Dusty’s toothpick?
It was between herget/Estevez
No he wasn’t, more people. Would have picked him to be DFA vs the closer
Dusty Baker still doesnt know who this dude is
Dusty Baker doesn’t know who HE is half the time.
Nobody gives a poop who Tepera is. And Dusty just stated fact.
A lot of W’s in that bullpen this year. I mean last names.
Think about this for a second, Tepera was used as a late inning reliever in a critical situation and the front office thinks so much of him, they released him the next day. No way should Nevin had used Tepera there.
Because Nevin has no idea how to utilize his pen, or pitching staff for that matter, Perry needed to build Nevin a dummy proof pen… he didn’t come close.
Until a third reliable reliever can be utilized, Nevin should be letting his starters pitch out of trouble. The relievers Nevin are currently utilizing have not come close to doing the job.
That’s what I was saying. Like Wantz is good for like one inning and Neto saved him the previous inning. Should of taken him out 8th and put in Barria then Estevez. Tepera just ain’t good in situations like that w/ runners on. How we all see who should be put in and Nevin doesn’t amazes me. Demote him/fire him and put in Benji Gil. He’s got experience at managing
Wouldn’t mind benji gil, he did well for Mexico in the WBC
Benji throws like a Gil
Nevin’s bonehead moves have cost the team 3 or 4 games already this season. The best move he could make, to help the the team, is stay home.
I suppose Nevin should have left Sandoval in to pitch to Naylor today. Sandoval was dealing.
For those that didnt see it, Nevin took out a LHP with a great slider/change-up mix and brought in a right-handed fastball pitcher to face a hot left-handed fastball hitter.
Well, Langston thought him or Moore. What I and Langston don’t understand is how Nevin can intentionall walk the winning run into second base on Friday because he’s afraid of an Estevez/Naylor matchup and today go out of his way to ensure the match up?
It makes no sense.
100% agree Halo11. Estevez has a (great) straight fastball and that’s exactly what big leaguer Naylor hits. I don’t get it.
As a Guardians fan, it’s pretty obvious Nevin didn’t read any scouting reports on Naylor.
He’s pretty much unplayable against lefties (his homer the other night notwithstanding), so even at the time the decision to bring a righty in against him made no sense. Especially after walking Jose to face him, and THEN pulling Sandoval. They should have either pitched to Jose or kept Sandoval in to face Naylor. I genuinely can’t think of any way that decision made any sense.
Estevez has one of the highest rated FB in baseball. If it was straight, people would be hitting it. They are hitting .184 off his 4 seamer and LHB are hitting .174 off his FB. That is because he has 90th percentile movement on his 4 seamer.
baseballsavant.mlb.com/savant-player/carlos-esteve…
Yes Nevin’s moves have been baffling. Why was Barria not the “next man up” for 8th inning duties?
And I also agree that Reid was a better option in the 6th just about any of the relievers. He was pulled before facing J Ramirez, who is hitting .173 vs LHP this year.. Bell who is struggling, and Naylor is batting .156 vs LHP.
Rosario, one of the few Guardians who CAN hit lefties, should not have been used as a guide for Detmers effectiveness.
I agree Wantz should not have come back out, but if Tepera can’t keep beer leaguer Naylor from hitting a home run in that scenario, he doesn’t belong on a big league roster. That was a 91 mph fastball right down the middle.
Tepera has been done for months. I applaud this move.
Finally. Dude falls out of the bed in the morning giving up runs. His ERA is deceptive. He lets inherited runners score too, he is very giving.
It’s why I utilize ERA for RPs less than others. I prefer WPA. ERA will be reflected, when a pitcher gives up runs and inherited runners scored will be reflected.
The league average inherited runner pct is about 35%. The Angels are at 48%. Part of that is because Nevin doesn’t know how to use the bullpen, the other part is because Perry didn’t give him enough bullets.
Loup, has done the same thing to call up holder to see if he can still be in the big leagues
Loup is the worst. He has stunk the place up since he got to Anaheim.
I wouldn’t be surprised if another team signs him after he clears waivers and he suddenly becomes good again.
Always seems to happen. Last season it was Hunter Strickland.
And Matt Wise will still be the pitching coach.
@Setzer Kudos on your legendary taste in all-time classic video games!
It should be a literal crime that this team hasn’t made the playoffs while rostering 2 of the best players in the history of the sport.
FINALLY!!!!!! Now get rid of Loup and everything will be right in the world!
Tepera’s xERA is more than three runs lower than his ERA.
8.2 IP is such a limited amount of information to use to evaluate a relief pitcher. He very well could provide another team with strong relief.
Gasman. Let’s say that’s true…Nevin kept utilizing Tepera in critical situations. If he had ant chance to turn it around Nevin kept using him in the wrong spot. and kept costing this team games. Something had to be done.
Blame Nevin for not giving Perry a choice.
I agree it’s a small sample size, but tepera, loup were the weakest of the bullpen options since the start. Hergert was really bad as well. They will definitely need to trade adell,rengifo, moniak for a arm of two.
But he and Loup have been trash since coming to the Angels, seems like every time the other team has runners on and it’s a close game, they just hand them the lead. What’s spot should they be used in? 10 run lead with no chance of blowing it?
Trade him to the Royals for Hunter Dozier. Each player gets a fresh start. Each team moves an ugly contract.
Why would the Royals do that, when they could get Bobby Bonilla
I heard Jo Adell is quite the hot ticket. I wonder if anyone could see them trading him
I was at the Guardians game last night when he blew it and singlehandedly gave them the win. (I picked a terrible game to not have a few beers because the stadium was electric after the Naylor home run.)
I’m sure someone else would give him a chance since the underlying numbers are a little better, but last night was kind of icing on the cake for the way he’s struggled overall.
Were they ten cent
10 cent beer night was before my time but I wish lol
Nevin is a moron.
So on Friday he doesn’t want Estevez to face Naylor. Now he has no problem taking out a LH and having Estevez face Naylor.
The Angels are not going anywhere with Nevin as Manager
Just saw Ryan at the airport and word is he is heading back to sign a minor league deal with the Whitesox . He knew I was a fan as I was wearing my Ken Kravec jersey from 1977. You heard it here first
Rock over London
Rock on Chicago
Massengill
A name you can trust
Now DFA Nevin
And Perry.
It’s like a car crash…I can’t stop watching it.
Hazardous driving conditions ahead
Another genius signing by Perry.
Someone noted recently that Trout wasn’t hitting well when it seems he’s needed most. I checked his slash line with RISP and he’s slashing .200/.306/.400. Small sample size caveats apply, but a couple of timely hits may have come in handy in some of the Angels close loses.
Trout has been struggling lately.
Trout has been struggling lately. Hopefully he will overcome it.
That sucks he was my favorite pinata
The Angels pitching machine seems to work the opposite of the Rays pitching machine. Tepera is practically free bullpen help so unless he’s injured he won’t be a free agent for long
My sons call Weiss “Luigi” and I can’t unsee it now.
Finally
Cubs should pick him up. Halos should get rid of Phil Nevin at season’s end, dude doesn’t even read scouting reports.
Why wait? they should fire Nevin now, and if it’s sooner than later, they just might make the playoffs.
You’re probably right. The bench coach or pitching coach would probably do better, and they could squeak into the playoffs.
Dodgers will sign him for cheap!
The Angels needed two more reliable bullpen arms before the season began and they still need two more arms. Jimmy Herget is not going to get it done. And the Angels need another starter. They can dress up this pig any way they like, but we need more arms. Maybe the bullpen pieces can come from within, but however they do it they need other RELIABLE pieces to go with Moore and Estevez.
Cubs need to sign him and hope he can return to form in familiar surroundings. Our bullpen couldn’t get much worse right now.
Don’t. The Angels always sign pitchers who are looking for a bounce back to a once mediocre career and it never works out. If anything, he needs a minors deal so he can prove himself.