The Los Angeles Angels and right-handed pitcher Zach Plesac had agreed to a one-year MLB contract last week.
Formerly on the Cleveland Guardians, Plesac had been losing ground in the depth chart and was designated for assignment in June.
He cleared waivers and found himself outrighted to the minor leagues, but after the season ended, he elected to become a free agent.
He knew that he didn’t have a place in the Guardians’ long-term plans anymore, so he took an MLB deal from the Angels that will pay him $1 million for the 2024 campaign.
The pact is now official, as the Angels announced via Twitter.
“OFFICIAL: The Angels have agreed to a one-year contract with RHP Zach Plesac,” they wrote.
OFFICIAL: The Angels have agreed to a one-year contract with RHP Zach Plesac. pic.twitter.com/BaMpvrsuiM
— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) January 6, 2024
Plesac had a disappointing 7.59 ERA in 21.1 innings with Cleveland in 2023, conceding a whopping 37 hits in five starts.
It became evident that he wasn’t the same pitcher that posted a 3.81 ERA in 115.2 innings as a rookie in 2019, or the one that finished the 2020 campaign with a 2.28 ERA in 55.1 frames.
The league eventually caught up to his mediocre stuff, made adjustments, and his effectiveness decreased dramatically.
He posted a 4.67 ERA in 2021 and a 4.31 mark in 2022.
Still, those numbers can make him a decent backend option or depth arm in another organization, provided he is healthy and can leave the rough 2023 performance behind.
The Guardians have the depth to withstand Plesac’s loss, and actually didn’t miss him too much when he was in the minor leagues.
What they need at this point is a power hitter or two.
As for the Angels, they are entering a transition process without Shohei Ohtani and, barring a huge spending spree in what is left of the offseason, they likely won’t compete for a playoff spot in 2024.
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