The Angels announced the signing of reliever Hunter Strickland to a minor league deal this evening. He’ll be in MLB camp as a non-roster invitee.
A veteran of nine big league seasons, Strickland has appeared at the MLB level with eight clubs. The Angels are among that group. The right-hander made nine appearances with the Halos back in 2021. He allowed nine runs in 6 1/3 innings in an unexceptional stint before being designated for assignment and flipped to the Brewers in a cash transaction. Strickland went on to turn in a 1.73 ERA in 35 appearances with Milwaukee.
After a strong four-plus year run with the Giants to begin his MLB career, Strickland’s performance has been more volatile in recent seasons. Following his strong finish to the ’21 campaign, he struggled for the Reds in 2022. Strickland was tagged for nearly five earned runs per nine over 66 appearances. He settled for a minor league pact a year ago, returning to the Cincinnati organization.
That second stint proved brief. The 35-year-old pitched 12 times for Triple-A Louisville, allowing 14 runs over 11 frames. The Reds released him during the second week of May. Strickland sat out the remainder of the season but will give things another go this spring.
It’s unlikely he’d be able to land a spot in the Opening Day bullpen. The Halos have Carlos Estévez, Robert Stephenson, Matt Moore, Luis García, Adam Cimber and José Cisnero as virtual locks for the MLB roster. None of that group can be optioned to the minors, nor can swingman José Suarez. Strickland will presumably head to Triple-A Salt Lake to serve as injury insurance.
Imagine being 35 and having to still ride the bus with a bunch of kids in the minors. Sad.
Nothing sad about it. He’s playing a game he loves and trying to make a living doing it.
Oh its super sad. Trust me, Hunter is not a happy man.
I’m sure he’d rather be riding on that bus than be doing whatever it is you do for a living.. I suspect you would too.
Jad: Eat. A. Dick.
I can’t, you ate them all.
Light bill has to get paid somehow right?
Light bill? What are you, 97 years old?
What…..you live in a cave?
Clown
That’s Mr. Clown to you.
The PCL is a pretty nice place to play. And most of the bus trips are shorter than the plane rides.
I’d take that bus over most flights every day of the week.
Yeah I’m sure his wife is just thrilled.
“What’s your husband do for a living Karen?”
“Oh, he uh, plays minor league baseball with his buddies and takes a bus to work and he’s 35.”
Then he married the wrong woman.
If he ever wants another 7 figure contract, that’s exactly what he has to do. And since he’s been married since 2011. I’m sure his wife understands the business.
Lol. Dude’s worth 8 million. I’m sure his wife is fine with that.
1 more year in the major league he fills the requiremens for pensions or so i think.
For the last time Jack, no, I don’t want to supersize my combo meal.
Clown
It just so happens I am a clown, worked the Professional Bull Riding Finals in Las Vegas 2 months ago and will be in the arena again this year. And……..this is the best part……..I make considerably more than you do flipping those burgers. And so does Hunter Strickland.
By far the worst comebacks I’ve ever read. Like literally grade school stuff. You forgot the “moms basement” line and you woulda had the trifecta!
No need for me to bring up your mom’s basement…….I heard you down there this morning while she fixing me breakfast.
Karen’s husband Hunter Strickland plays professional baseball for a living, he’s won 22 MLB games which unless I’m mistaken is 22 more than you and has made over $8M dollars in his career (more than you will earn in your whole life). On top of that he has enough MLB service time to qualify for medical coverage for life for both himself and family. If he’s called up this year he will also will receive a pension of $90K/year.
Now I have a question for you…………have you always been a smart ass or did that come about when it finally dawned on you that not only will you never be a has been but a never was / never will be?
You’re describing single A.
AAA is played in nice sized cities, lots of plane flights, and lots of guys with MLB experience.
Las Vegas, Oklahoma City, Memphis, Sacramento. This isn’t the bush leagues.
I live in near a AAA PCL park, it’s just fine.
And there are worse places to live than Salt Lake City.
That’s cool. I lived in downtown Sacramento when that ballpark was new.
I loved going to AAA games.
Yeah imagine getting paid to play baseball. What an awful empty existence. Personally I’d be ashamed if that was my kid. Get a real job.
Terrible take
I think anyone would much prefer throwing a baseball at 35 then sitting at the office and going home to the ole ball and chain
bro his fastball is so straight. if you can identify the four seam out of the hand and catch up to 97, you’re basically guaranteed hard contact.
I wonder if he’s still a knucklehead.
These are the kinds of bold, enterprising moves Moreno needs to make to replace Ohtani.
Moreno has the IQ of a monkey
SELL IT SELL IT SELL IT
I got a mariners hat signed by this guy in 2019
he’d be a great fit in Philadelphia!!
LOL, yes, he and Harper were at one time very close.
He was pretty bad in 2022.
He has a good fastball, but his extension is pretty bad which makes it very hitable.
His ground ball rate was in the 10th percentile. His BB rate was 8th percentile. I just don’t see it.
I just want another Strickland vs Harper moment. I think Philly comes to the big A this year! Kabloim!
Crazy to me he’s one of the last players left from the 2014 Giants championship team and I think he’s the only one whose not a free agent (Bumgarner, Crawford and Belt are all free unsigned agents)
No Giants fan will ever forget Strickland’s fight with Bryce Harper. That was the beginning of the end there for him. That cost Michael Morse his career.
youtube.com/watch?v=ST5aBJ1eo6Y&pp=ygUXaHVudG…
For sure we won’t but for me his signature Giants moment was in Game 1 of the 2014 NLDS when he struck out Ian Desmond with the bases juiced.
Angels are not a serious organization. This is nonsense.
Both mine and your comment might not age well but I’ll wake you up when September ends
Nonsense? This screws them this year, and 10 years going forward. Nonsense!
Organizations put too much emphasis on throwing hard and not enough emphasis on the art of pitching.
The Angels have been one of the worst offenders
They switched philosophies, last year they were one of the worst in velo. Either way Strickland will have a tough time making it to the roster atleast 3-4 guys ahead of him
True. Epller was all about velo for years.
Well The Angels have new PC. Hopefully things will change for the better. Only time will tell. Not every team can have a Mike Maddux or whom ever the Dodgers PC is….
Right Rex. We finally got RPs who can throw hard.
We have a mix with moore, cimber, Cisneros and maybe kolarek. They throw 95 or less, and cimber is the Fuentes. I don’t mind it, they can cimber, Cisneros, kolarek, Strickland if they suck pretty much all 1 year 1 million dollar deals.
For god’s sake, can they at least sign some scrub SPs instead of relief?