Once upon a time, after the 2019 and 2020 campaigns, the Cleveland Guardians thought they had a long-term rotation piece in Zach Plesac.
After all, he had a 3.81 ERA in 115.2 frames in 2020 and a much better 2.28 ERA in 55.1 innings a year later, during the pandemic season.
Unfortunately, Plesac’s career has been on a downward trend since that season, and his stint with the Guardians ended in 2023.
In early June, the Guards designated him for assignment and then sent him to Triple-A Columbus after no team took a chance on him on waivers.
After the season ended, the right-hander elected to test free agency and has now found a new organization to take a chance on him.
“Angels have a deal done with Zach Plesac @ByRobertMurray 1st said “close,” MLB insider Jon Heyman tweeted.
Angels have a deal done with Zach Plesac @ByRobertMurray 1st said “close”
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) December 31, 2023
The exact terms of the deal haven’t been revealed, but it’s a major league contract.
Plesac will turn 29 in January, so he could still have a bounceback in Los Angeles.
Still, it’s not hard to see why the Guards elected to let him go, after he posted a horrible 7.59 ERA in 21.1 innings of work in five games in the majors.
Even his Triple-A performance, a 6.08 ERA with a 17.9% strikeout rate in 19 appearances and 94.2 frames at the level, was dreadful.
Still, the Angels are always on the lookout for pitchers and they haven’t been too active in the offseason.
At this point, they are willing to take a chance on a pitcher still theoretically in his prime who has a decent 4.20 ERA for his career.
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