We had some technical difficulties during this recording, so the audio is of a lower quality than usual. Apologies for that, but the source has been discovered and everything will be back to normal next week. This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…

• White Sox fire manager Pedro Grifol and three coaches (1:10)
• Víctor Robles and the Mariners signed an extension (6:40)
• Dodgers move Mookie Betts back to right field and Amed Rosario is designated for assignment (12:15)
• Left-hander Jesus Luzardo won’t return to the Marlins this year and the club is getting rid of several front office members (17:20)

Plus, we answer your questions, including…

• Will Camilo Doval pitch again this season (or ever) for the Giants? (25:10)
• What ever happened to Archie Bradley this season? (29:20)
• Well, if your offense stops failing you, let the pitching failures take the spotlight! As a Braves fan, I am feeling quite trampled after all the high expectations that this season came with. Should I forget any postseason hopes? (31:00)

Check out our past episodes!

• Fallout From The Trade Deadline And Mike Trout Injured Again – listen here
• Trade Deadline Recap – listen here
• Trade Deadline Preview – listen here

The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff.  Check out their Facebook page here!

These players are separate from six-year MLB free agents, who’ll reach the open market five days after the conclusion of the World Series. Eligible minor leaguers can begin electing free agency as soon as the regular season wraps up. These players were all outrighted off a team’s 40-man roster during the year and have the requisite service time and/or multiple career outrights necessary to reach free agency since they weren’t added back to teams’ rosters.

Electing free agency is the anticipated outcome for these players. There’ll surely be more to test the market in the coming weeks. We’ll offer periodic updates at MLBTR. The first group, courtesy of the transaction tracker at MiLB.com:

Catchers

• Zack Collins (Guardians)
• Caleb Hamilton (Red Sox)
• Francisco Mejia (Rays)

Infielders

• Matt Beaty (Royals)
• Brandon Dixon (Padres)
• Josh Lester (Orioles)
• Taylor Motter (Cardinals)
• Kevin Padlo (Angels)
• Cole Tucker (Rockies)
• Tyler Wade (A’s)

Outfielders

• Abraham Almonte (Mets)
• Kyle Garlick (Twins)
• Derek Hill (Nationals)
• Bryce Johnson (Giants)
• Cody Thomas (A’s)

Pitchers

• Archie Bradley (Marlins)
• Jose Castillo (Marlins)
• Chase De Jong (Pirates)
• Geoff Hartlieb (Marlins)
• Zach Logue (Tigers)
• Mike Mayers (White Sox)
• Tyson Miller (Dodgers)
• Tommy Milone (Mariners)
• Reyes Moronta (Angels)
• Daniel Norris (Guardians)
• Spencer Patton (A’s)
• Peter Solomon (Orioles)
• Duane Underwood Jr. (Pirates)
• Spenser Watkins (A’s)

Bradley signed a minor league pact with Miami in April. He pitched nine times (including a five-inning start) for their top affiliate, posting a 16:5 strikeout-to-walk ratio through 18 1/3 innings. He allowed 13 runs in that time, although only six were earned. That performance was enough for the Fish to call him up three weeks ago.

The former seventh overall pick logged four relief outings in Miami, tallying 7 1/3 innings. He surrendered 10 runs on 14 hits, striking out seven and walking three. Bradley didn’t generate many swinging strikes in that brief look and lost his roster spot over the weekend. After going unclaimed on waivers, he’ll decide whether to report back to Jacksonville or explore other opportunities on the open market.

Bradley is up to parts of nine seasons as a big league pitcher. He was an effective middle innings option as recently as 2021, when he posted a 3.71 ERA through 51 innings for the Phillies. His 2022 campaign was a significant struggle, as an elbow fracture and forearm strain kept him to 21 appearances with a 4.82 ERA that is his worst since he moved to relief (aside from this year’s small sample).

All told, Bradley has a 12.27 ERA over 7 1/3 total innings since the Marlins selected his contract from Triple-A in mid-June.  Bradley’s stint in free agency extended into the regular season, as he didn’t sign his minor league deal with Miami until almost two weeks into April.  Missing Spring Training has surely contributed to Bradley’s lack of form, though he did pitch pretty well in Jacksonville, posting a 2.95 ERA in 18 1/3 Triple-A innings.

Bradley was a solid-to-very good reliever with the Diamondbacks, Reds, and Phillies from 2017-21, highlighted by a stint as Arizona’s closer and even a 20th-place finish in NL MVP voting in 2017 as a nod to a dominant relief campaign.  However, things started to go south for Bradley during an injury-plagued 2022 season with the Angels, as he was limited to 18 2/3 innings due to multiple injuries, most prominently an elbow fracture.  He also had a forearm strain right at the end of September, which set back his offseason prep work.

The Marlins have seen enough to move on from the 30-year-old, but it seems likely that Bradley’s past track record and pedigree will earn him a look with another team.  While Bradley may not be quite ready to face Major League batters yet, another extended stint in Triple-A might help him get on track and get fully ramped up after his unusual offseason.  Miami could also keep him in the organization if Bradley clears waivers and accepts an outright assignment to Triple-A, though Bradley has enough big league service time to elect free agency rather than agree to an outright.

Bradley reaches the majors for the first time this year. It’s now nine consecutive seasons for the former top ten pick. He had a strong run of high-leverage relief from 2017-20 with the Diamondbacks and Reds. His results have gone in the wrong direction over the past two seasons. Bradley is coming off a career-worst year with the Angels, tossing 18 2/3 innings of 4.82 ERA ball while missing extended chunks of action with an elbow fracture and a forearm strain.

That down year kept the 30-year-old on the open market until after Opening Day. He signed a minor league contract with Miami in mid-April. He’s since pitched nine games (including one five-inning start) for Triple-A Jacksonville, tossing 18 1/3 frames. While Bradley has allowed 13 runs, only six have been earned. He’s fanned 16 while walking five.

Miami plugs him into a bullpen that has been solid. They’re 15th in ERA (4.17) but fourth in strikeout rate (24.9%) and third in ground-ball percentage (45.5%). That’s played a role in the club’s 17-5 record in one-run contests, which has them seven games above .500 despite a -27 run differential.

Rogers moves to the 60-day IL after sustaining an injury to his non-throwing shoulder. He’s been out since April 20, initially landing on the shelf with a biceps strain in his throwing arm. Rogers made a pair of rehab starts but had a scheduled outing over the weekend scrapped.

The IL transfer doesn’t have much of an impact on Rogers’ eligibility. It backdates to his initial placement, so he’s eligible to return as early as next Wednesday. However, Craig Mish of SportsGrid tweets that he’s not likely to be reinstated when first permissible because of the shoulder discomfort.

Bradley had lingered in free agency all offseason. The former seventh overall pick has played parts of eight seasons at the big league level. He moved to the bullpen full-time with the Diamondbacks in 2017, posting a 1.73 ERA over 73 innings that year. While Bradley has never quite recaptured that level of success, he allowed fewer than four earned runs per nine every season between 2018-21.

Two winters ago, the Oklahoma native inked a $3.75MM free agent deal with the Angels. His stint in Orange County didn’t go according to plan. Bradley threw 18 2/3 innings over 21 outings, allowing 13 runs (10 earned). He punched out only 19.2% of opposing hitters while generating whiffs on a well below-average 8.1% of his offerings. Bradley induced ground balls at a huge 57.1% clip but the lackluster strikeout tallies contributed to a 4.82 ERA that was his worst since moving to relief.

His season came to an unceremonious end in late June. Bradley fractured his throwing elbow when he slipped while trying to hop the dugout railing during a bench-clearing brawl. He’d been set to return at the tail end of the season but was diagnosed with a forearm strain.

On the heels of that rough platform showing, it’s not surprising Bradley had to settle for a minor league pact. He’ll surely need some time to build into game shape but could factor into the Miami bullpen during the year. The Marlins’ relief corps has struggled in the early going, allowing a 6.02 ERA that’s fourth-highest in the majors. Miami’s 38.8% grounder rate is 25th in MLB, so Bradley’s high-grounder profile could complement the group once he’s ready to go.

Even at a relatively quiet portion of the season, there remain a handful of notable players on the free agent market. Gary Sánchez just came off the board on a minor league deal last week, for instance. Which other players — many of whom are late-career former stars — could still find interest as depth options, particularly if they’re amenable to a minor league contract?

Miguel Sanó

Sanó had a disastrous 2022 season. Right knee troubles kept him to 20 games and 71 plate appearances, in which he hit .083/.211/.133 with only one home run. That ended his time with the Twins, who made the obvious call to buy him out of a club option, but he’s only a year removed from hitting 30 homers. Sanó has topped 25 longballs on four occasions in his career. He won’t turn 30 until next month, making him one of the younger players who didn’t sign over the offseason. Sanó reportedly held a showcase for scouts in early February but there was no publicly reported interest from any teams thereafter.

Chris Archer

Like Sanó, Archer spent the 2022 season in Minnesota but was bought out at year’s end. He tossed 102 2/3 innings across 25 outings, posting a 4.56 ERA with a modest 19.2% strikeout rate and an elevated 11% walk percentage. It was the most hittable Archer has been in his career, but he still averaged 93 MPH on his four-seam and 88.7 MPH on his slider. He’s clearly not the upper mid-rotation arm he was when he made two All-Star games during his time with the Rays, but he’s probably the top unsigned starting pitcher. Archer hasn’t been substantively linked to any team since being cut loose by Minnesota in November. Last month, Joel Sherman of the New York Post wrote that Archer had conducted a showcase for teams, though it isn’t clear when that workout occurred.

Darin Ruf

Released by the Mets earlier this week, Ruf is a right-handed hitter who has typically been an effective platoon first base/corner outfield option of late. He mashed at a .271/.385/.519 clip two years ago. At last summer’s deadline, he was carrying a .216/.328/.373 line over 90 games for the Giants. New York acquired him for a four-player package including J.D. Davis and Thomas Szapucki. Ruf’s production cratered in Queens but he’s not far removed from being a well-regarded offensive player.

Stephen Piscotty

Piscotty has tallied over 2800 MLB plate appearances split between the Cardinals and A’s. An above-average hitter through his first four seasons, he’s struggled significantly in the last four years. Piscotty was released by Oakland last summer and didn’t return to the majors after signing a minor league deal with the Reds. He caught on with the Giants and collected eight hits in 25 at-bats (.320/.370/.440) but didn’t land a job out of camp. San Francisco granted him his release on Opening Day.

Zack Britton

Britton was arguably the sport’s most dominant reliever during his halcyon days in Baltimore. He remained an elite ground-ball artist for much of his time with the Yankees, excelling in high-leverage innings through 2020. Poor health has intervened in the last two years. Britton spent time on the injured list with elbow concerns in 2021, struggling when able to take the mound. He eventually required Tommy John surgery, which wiped out virtually all of the ’22 season. Britton returned at the tail end of the season but couldn’t find the strike zone and was shut back down. He’s thrown multiple showcases in recent months.

Ken Giles

Much of what applies to Britton is also true of Giles. They’re different pitchers stylistically — Giles is a right-hander whose best days were fueled by huge strikeout tallies instead of grounders — but he’s also a formerly elite reliever who has fallen on hard times from a health perspective. Giles also required Tommy John surgery. His procedure came late in 2020 and cost him all of the ’21 campaign. He returned to the majors with the Mariners last summer and was let go after five appearances. Giles also worked out for clubs late in the offseason but has yet to put pen to paper.

Corey Knebel

Continuing with the run on relievers, Knebel is a former All-Star closer in his own right. He wasn’t as dominant as either Britton or Giles at his peak, and his career has frequently been interrupted by injury. Knebel was very productive as recently as 2021, when he posted a 2.45 ERA in 25 2/3 innings for the Dodgers. That earned him a $10MM deal with the Phillies, which was sidetracked by shoulder problems. He finished the year on the injured list after tearing his shoulder capsule.

Leury García

García spent a decade with the White Sox in a utility capacity. Never much of an offensive threat, he nevertheless endeared himself to multiple coaching staffs based on his defensive flexibility. García signed a surprising three-year deal with Chicago over the 2021-22 offseason. He had a dreadful ’22 campaign and was off to a rough start in Spring Training. The White Sox cut bait in spite of the two remaining years on his contract. García’s an affordable utility option elsewhere.

Mike Minor

Minor made 19 starts for the Reds last season, allowing a 6.06 ERA. He was hampered by shoulder issues at times and struggled significantly with the home run ball. Minor has allowed more than five earned runs per nine innings for three consecutive seasons, though his strikeout and walk rates were solid up until 2022. He held a showcase in February and drew some reported attention from the Cubs last month.

Dallas Keuchel

A former Cy Young winner who was effective for the White Sox during the shortened 2020 season, Keuchel has been hit hard over the past couple years. He played for each of Chicago, Arizona and Texas last season and was tagged for a 9.20 ERA across 14 starts. Keuchel was excellent over four Triple-A outings in the Ranger organization. Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported a couple weeks ago that the Phillies had expressed loose interest in the two-time All-Star, though Philadelphia apparently didn’t put a formal minor league offer on the table.

Others of note: Archie Bradley, Kole Calhoun, Robinson Canó, Kyle Crick, Didi Gregorius, Michael Pineda, Garrett Richards, Aníbal Sánchez, Andrelton Simmons, Jonathan Villar

Bradley is dealing with a forearm strain, a disappointing conclusion to a season that has been marred by injury. The right-hander missed about three months after fracturing his elbow in late June, just returning from the IL on Tuesday. Without making an appearance, he heads back on the shelf. It’s unclear how serious the issue is, but Bradley has now had a successive elbow fracture and forearm strain since his most recent major league pitch.

That’s certainly not the way he’d have wanted to return to the open market. The veteran righty signed a $3.75MM guarantee with the Halos last offseason, and he’ll reach free agency again in a few months. Even prior to the injuries, the 30-year-old had a down season. Bradley posted a 4.82 ERA across 18 2/3 innings, the first time he’s pitched to an ERA above 4.00 since moving to the bullpen in 2017. He still averaged around 94 MPH on his fastball and induced ground-balls at an excellent 57.1% clip, but his 19.2% strikeout percentage and 8.1% swinging strike rate are each a few points below the league average.

Moniak, meanwhile, suffered a left hand contusion after a Kirby Snead pitch struck him on a check-swing last night. Moniak has been the victim of some brutal injury luck this season, as this marks his third hand-related IL stint of the season. He opened the year on the shelf with a fracture in his right hand while still a member of the Phillies, then lost a month recently due to a fractured finger on his left hand.

In the interim, Moniak was dealt from Philadelphia to Anaheim in the deadline swap that sent Noah Syndergaard to the Phils. The former first overall pick never emerged as the everyday center fielder the Phillies had hoped they were selecting, and he’d continued to scuffle over his first 19 games as an Angel. Moniak’s season concludes with a .170/.207/.302 line in 112 cumulative plate appearances.

Walters is now in line to make his major league debut. A third-round pick of the Brewers out of a Texas high school in 2015, the right-hander spent parts of seven seasons in the Milwaukee system. The Angels acquired him for cash considerations in the first week of September. Anaheim immediately added him to the 40-man roster but kept him on optional assignment to Salt Lake. After seven appearances with the Bees, the 25-year-old will get his first crack against big league hitters. Walters has spent most of the year in Double-A, working to a 4.60 ERA but striking out a third of opponents through 47 frames. He’ll look to compete for a spot in next season’s bullpen.

Mayers, 30, was already designated for assignment by the Angels earlier this year, which resulted in him clearing waivers, accepting an outright assignment and later getting selected back onto the roster. In total, he’s thrown 50 2/3 innings in the majors but with a 5.68 ERA, 20.2% strikeout rate, 8.1% walk rate and 38% ground ball rate.

Those are disappointing results, especially considering how good he was in the previous two campaigns. Over 2020 and 2021, he logged 105 innings with a 3.34 ERA, 30.5% strikeout rate, 8% walk rate and 35.9% ground ball rate. But since he couldn’t carry that over into 2022, he’s now lost his roster spot for a second time. With the trade deadline long gone, the Angels will only have the choice of placing Mayers on outright waivers or release waivers. If he were to clear waivers, he would have the right to reject the assignment, both because of his previous outrights and having over three years of MLB service time. He did accept an assignment last time this happened, though the Triple-A Salt Lake Bees are the only Angels’ affiliate still playing and their season wraps up tomorrow.

As for Bradley, 30, he was a fairly effective reliever in the previous five seasons but had a frustrating campaign here in 2022. Signed to a one-year, $3.75MM deal in the offseason, he’s spent much of the year on the IL due to an abdominal strain and then an elbow fracture. In between those ailments, he was only able to throw 18 2/3 innings an put up a 4.82 ERA, his highest since he was a starter back in 2016. He was getting ground balls at a solid 57.1% rate but was subpar in the strikeout department, only whiffing 19.2% of batters faced. Now that he’s healthy again, he’ll look to get a few solid outings on the record before returning to the open market in a few weeks.

Prior to the official announcement, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register relayed that Mayers did not have a locker in the Angels’ clubhouse and that Bradley would be activated (Twitter links).

Trout has now missed a full month of action due to left ribcage inflammation and back spasms, and Frostad’s past update about Trout’s larger-scale back problems (a costovertebral dysfunction) left concern over both Trout’s short-term and near-term future.  Given that Trout ended up missing almost all of the 2021 season due to a calf problem that just kept lingering, fans probably won’t be fully relieved until they actually see Trout back on the field, no matter this latest positive news about his rib injury.

More on the Halos…

• Frostad also provided details on several other injured Angels players, including 60-day injured list members Michael Lorenzen, Matt Duffy, and Archie Bradley.  Lorenzen has thrown two bullpen sessions this week and will face live batters on Tuesday.  The right-hander (who has sidelined by a shoulder strain) is tentatively expected to be activated from the 60-day IL when first eligible on September 2.  Duffy’s first eligible activation date is August 26, and the infielder is slated to start a minor league rehab assignment next week as he makes his return from back spasms.  The news isn’t as good on Bradley, who has been out since late June with a fractured right elbow and has yet to start throwing, though Frostad suggested that Bradley could start throwing this week.  Given Bradley’s long layoff and the amount of rehab still to come, he might not pitch again in 2022.
• Mickey Moniak’s season was though to be in jeopardy when the outfielder fractured the tip of his left middle finger, which sent him to the 10-day IL on August 7.  Frostad said that Moniak’s stitches were removed yesterday, and depending on how he heals, might be able to return even if Moniak might still be playing through some discomfort.  Acquired from the Phillies as part of the Noah Syndergaard trade at the deadline, Moniak played just five games for the Angels before hitting the injured list.
• The Mets and Yankees were among the teams also interested in acquiring Raisel Iglesias prior to the deadline, the New York Post’s Jon Heyman writes.  However, neither New York club was willing to cover all of the $51.5MM remaining on Iglesias’ contract, while other teams were willing to take that deal entirely off the Angels’ books.  Los Angeles ended up moving Iglesias to the Braves for Tucker Davidson and Jesse Chavez, but though the Halos dealt Iglesias and Syndergaard, Shohei Ohtani remained.  “Half the teams or more” around baseball inquired about Ohtani, Heyman reports, and Heyman views owner Arte Moreno’s refusal to trade Ohtani as a missed chance.  With Ohtani set for free agency after the 2023 season, there has already been a lot of speculation that he could be on his way out of Anaheim, and in search of a potential record-setting contract that reflects his unique two-way skillset.

10:50am: MLBTR has confirmed Villar is in agreement with the club on a major league deal.

8:20am: The Angels are reportedly signing infielder Jonathan Villar, according to Hector Gomez of Z101 Digital. The team has not yet confirmed the deal nor announced any corresponding moves. The club’s 40-man roster is presently full, meaning someone will have to be subtracted in order to make room for his addition. Villar is a client of ACES.

Signed by the Cubs in the offseason to a one-year, $6MM deal, Villar has struggled this year to the point that Chicago designated him for assignment and released him last week. With around $3.4MM left to be paid out, the Cubs will be on the hook for most of the remainder of that. The Angels will pay Villar the prorated league minimum for any time he spends on the roster, with that amount being subtracted from what the Cubs pay.

For the Angels, this is a way of trying to bolster an infield mix that is in serious need of bolstering. The middle infield was arguably the team’s weakest area going into the season, with a mix that included David Fletcher, Matt Duffy, Andrew Velazquez, Tyler Wade and Luis Rengifo. Fletcher struggled through 14 games before hitting the injured list and won’t return until around the All-Star break. The season-ending injury to Anthony Rendon created a hole at third base, further stretching this infield crew to cover three positions instead of two. The depth was further depleted when Duffy landed on the injured list with back spasms. Although he’s not expected to have an extended stay on the shelf, that still left the Halos with Velazquez, Wade and Rengifo in line for everyday roles, with David MacKinnon occasionally taking some time at third base.

No one out of that group has done much to solidify the infield mix, with Velazquez, Wade, Rengifo and MacKinnon all currently a sporting a wRC+ between 36 and 92, meaning they’ve all hit at below-average rates to differing degrees. Even if Duffy can return from his IL trip in short order, he’s only hitting .261/.308/.291 for a wRC+ of 74. Due to the uninspiring results of this group, the Angels have gotten a 68 wRC+ from the second base position overall, placing them 24th out of the 30 teams in the league. At third base, it’s an 82 wRC+ for 21st place, and shortstop is even worse, as their collective 44 wRC+ is dead last in the league.

Given that dearth of production from their infielders, it makes sense that they would be willing to take a gamble on Villar. Of course, whether that gamble pays off will depend upon which version of Villar shows up, as he’s had oscillating results in recent years. 2019 was arguably the best season of his career, as he hit .274/.339/.453 for a 107 wRC+. Combined with his 40 bases stolen bases, he provided 3.9 wins above replacement that year, in the estimation of FanGraphs. He followed that up with a downswing in the shortened 2020 season, hitting just .232/.301/.292 for a 65 wRC+. Last year was a nice bounceback, as he hit .249/.322/.416 for 105 wRC+, along with 14 steals. With the Cubs this year, the pendulum has swung back the other way, as Villar’s batting line is currently .222/.271/.327 for a wRC+ of 65. The defensive metrics have also soured on his glovework, with DRS giving him a -8 at second base this year.

With the Angels sporting a record of 37-42, they are currently five games behind the Guardians for the final AL Wild Card spot, with three other clubs in between them. The trade deadline is now one month away, making the next stretch of play incredibly important for teams like the Angels that could see their deadline status quickly altered by a streak, either hot or cold. If Villar can find some of the form he showed in 2019 or 2021, even for a short amount of time, it could be a significant boost to the club’s fortunes.

Signed to a $3.75MM guarantee over the offseason, Bradley has made 21 appearances on the year. He owns a 4.82 ERA across 18 2/3 innings, striking out just 19.2% of batters faced. It’s the second consecutive season in which he’s not missed many bats, but Bradley has continued to shoulder high-leverage innings late in games. To his credit, the right-hander has induced grounders on almost three-fifths of batted balls against him, an excellent rate that has contributed to his allowing just one home run all season.

Unfortunately, the Halos will now be without one their more trusted late-game arms for the foreseeable future. An eventual transfer to the 60-day injured list seems all but inevitable, as the 29-year-old is seemingly looking at a September return at the earliest. That obviously won’t afford him much time to demonstrate his health before he again hits the open market next winter.

The fracture also all but eliminates the possibility of the Angels moving Bradley midseason. Entering play Tuesday with a 36-40 record, the Halos could find themselves dealing away short-term players in advance of the August 2 trade deadline. Flipping Bradley wouldn’t have brought back a massive return, but there’d likely have been some interest from other clubs given his high-leverage experience and lofty ground-ball numbers.

Players on the injured list can still be traded, but it’s hard to envision another team dealing for Bradley at this point. He seems unlikely to be available for more than the final month of the regular season, at best, and his status as an impending free agent means there isn’t any long-term upside in acquiring him for a contending club.

Rojas, 29, has seen Major League time at second base, third base, first base and in both outfield corners. He’s a .199/.261./.377 hitter through 207 plate appearances in that time but does possess a much more appealing track record in Triple-A, where he’s logged a .274/.340/.496 slash in 950 trips to the plate. Rojas swatted 31 home runs with Triple-A Salt Lake back in 2019, although that came during a season when the baseball is widely believed to have been juiced both in the Majors and in Triple-A.

A former 36th-round pick, Rojas still has a pair of minor league options remaining, meaning any club that picks him up via waiver claim or a small trade will be able to shuttle him back and forth between Triple-A and the big leagues as some additional outfield/infield depth both this season and next. The Angels will have seven days to trade Rojas, attempt to pass him through outright waivers or release him.

Bradley signed a one-year, $3.75MM contract to join the Angels bullpen this season. The 29-year-old is off to a rough start, yielding seven earned runs on eight hits and two walks while striking out seven over 8 2/3 innings. The Angels would be fair to expect quite a bit more from Bradley, who posted a 3.71 ERA/4.35 FIP over 51 frames last season for the Phillies.

Peguero, 25, has impressed in Triple-A this season with a 1.74 ERA in six appearances covering 10 1/3 innings with an impressive 13-to-3 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Peguero joined the Angels organization from the Yankees as part of the Andrew Heaney deal.

9:38am: The Angels are close to finalizing an agreement with free-agent reliever Archie Bradley, tweets Sam Blum of The Athletic. The right-hander is headed to Arizona (where the Halos have their Spring Training facility) at the moment, Blum adds. Bradley is a client of BBI Sports Group.

Drafted by the D-backs with the No. 7 overall pick back in 2011, the now-29-year-old Bradley struggled as a starter early in his career with Arizona before seeing his career take off in 2017 when he moved to the bullpen. Bradley logged a minuscule 1.73 ERA through 73 frames that season and has since been entrenched as a quality reliever with the D-backs, Reds and — last season — the Phillies.

The 2021 season was Bradley’s first in Philadelphia. After being acquired by the Reds at the 2020 trade deadline and pitching well in his brief stint there, Bradley was non-tendered in a surprising cost-cutting move by Cincinnati. He inked a one-year, $6MM with the Phillies that exceeded the salary he’d been projected to receive in arbitration with the Reds. Bradley had a solid season in Philly, notching a 3.71 ERA over the life of 51 innings, but the year wasn’t without its red flags.

Bradley missed time with a pair of oblique strains last season, and when he was healthy, he posted his lowest strikeout rate (17.9%), lowest average fastball velocity (94.2 mph) and second-highest walk rate (9.8%) since moving to the bullpen back in 2017. It was still an effective year overall, of course, and the pair of injuries quite likely had an adverse impact on him. With the Phillies, Bradley also threw his sinker at a career-high 18.2% (double the rate of the 2020 season), which resulted in a 55.7% ground-ball rate — his best since moving from the rotation to the bullpen. In that sense, it seems there was a conscious decision to trade some whiffs for some grounders (a curious approach considering Philadelphia’s woeful infield defense last year).

If Bradley resumes throwing his four-seamer more heavily in 2022, there’s good reason to expect that his strikeout rate might creep back up a bit. And if he continues to favor his sinker more than in seasons past, he’ll at least be moving to a club that boasts a better defensive group around the infield. Each of Anthony Rendon, David Fletcher and the newly signed Matt Duffy are known for quality glovework.

Bradley has experience closing games, but the move to Anaheim will reunite him with former Reds teammate Raisel Iglesias, who he’ll surely precede as a setup man. Iglesias and Bradley were both cut loose by Cincinnati following that 2020 season — Iglesias in a salary dump trade, Bradley via the aforementioned non-tender — and will now again work together to hold late-inning leads. The Halos re-signed Iglesias to a four-year, $58MM contract earlier this winter after the Cuban-born righty enjoyed a career year in 2021. That duo, along with righty Mike Mayers and lefty Aaron Loup (signed to a two-year, $17MM deal this winter) will be counted among the primary late-inning options for skipper Joe Maddon.

Bradley’s deal boost the Angels’ actual payroll up to a projected $179.5MM — only narrowly shy of last year’s $182MM record Opening Day payroll. The Halos’ luxury-tax payroll (which is based upon the combined annual value of their contractual obligations) now jumps north of $195MM — well shy of the new $230MM luxury tax threshold.