Examining The Angels Bullpen Options
March 10, 2026 - Written by Cade Lalim
Ben Joyce, 104.7 MPH Fastball. 😳 pic.twitter.com/1Ol4UnZAFE
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) August 4, 2024
With the regular season fastly approaching later this month, and two weeks into Spring Training, the reliever competition is something to pay attention to for the rest of spring.
Five spots in the bullpen are likely locked up for Opening Day. The Angels have some relievers coming back from injury making their Opening Day status questionable, and leaving the door open for others to claim spots.
They have made quite a few additions to their bullpen this offseason mix adding Drew Pomeranz, Kirby Yates, Jordan Romano, and Brent Suter all on major league deals. They also acquired Jayvien Sandridge from the Yankees in late January after New York designated him for assignment. He is currently on the 40-man roster.
The Angels also brought in plenty of relievers on minor league deals including; Tayler Saucedo, Nick Sandlin, Kaleb Ort, Angel Perdomo, Hunter Strickland, and Anuerys Zabala. Some of these guys definitely have a shot to earn a spot in the Angels Opening Day bullpen.
Bullpen Locks
Kirby Yates (RHP)
Yates is coming off a down year with the Dodgers after an All-Star season with the Texas Rangers in 2024. A big contributor to Yates' phenomenal 2024 season was his ability to limit hard-contact and force ground balls. He went from being one of the best relievers in baseball in those metrics, to one of the worst with the Dodgers. Last year he still showed his elite ability to generate whiffs and get lots of strikeouts.
Jordan Romano (RHP)
Romano was a two-time All Star with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2022 and 2023, when he was one of the best closers in the game. He’s accumulated 113 saves across seven major league seasons. His career took a turn in 2024 when he only pitched 13.2 innings before ending up on the injured list with elbow inflammation in his throwing arm. That season he had a 6.59 ERA with a 6.17 FIP. Toronto decided to non-tender Romano that offseason, and he then signed with the Phillies. He still didn’t return to form. He appeared in 49 games. His ERA skyrocketed to 8.23, but his FIP was lower at 5.39.
Ryan Zeferjahn (RHP)
Zeferjahn has been a mainstay in the Angels pen ever since he made his debut in August of 2024. He features a power fastball that averaged 97.4 mph last season. He does a great job getting strikeouts and limiting hard contact. He really struggled with walks in 2025, as he allowed free passes at a 13.3% rate. Batters only chased at 23.9% of his pitches which isn't great, and they were able to barrel him up a lot.
Drew Pomeranz (LHP)
Pomeranz returns to the Angels after he didn’t break camp with them in 2024, and was picked up by the Dodgers. He’s a 12-year veteran who had a nice bounce back season with the Cubs last year after not pitching in the majors since 2021 with the San Diego Padres. He posted a 2.17 ERA across 49.2 innings, while striking out 10.3 batters per nine.
Brent Suter (LHP)
Suter has been very consistent during his 10 major league seasons. His ERA has only surpassed 4.00 during two of those ten seasons. He’s also been an inning eater, totaling at least 65 innings per year since 2021. Batters have a really hard time getting good contact off of him, and he ranked in the 99th percentile last season in average exit velocity.
Notable Arms Battling Injuries
The Angels currently have three arms that are set to be big contributors this year dealing with injuries. If it wasn’t for injuries, all three of these guys would've likely made the Opening Day roster and still can if they are healthy. Next to the players' names are their status for Opening Day.
Ben Joyce (RHP) / Likely Out
Joyce is still recovering from shoulder surgery he had last May. He underwent surgery to repair his torn labrum in his right shoulder, which is his throwing arm. He has been throwing this spring but his status for Opening Day is still unknown. When he returns, he will likely work his way up to a high leverage role and possibly the closing role if he does well enough.
Nick Sandlin (RHP) / Questionable
Sandlin is a new arm the Angels reportedly want in their bullpen according to Angels radio broadcaster, Terry Smith. He only pitched in 19 games last season due to right elbow inflammation. He recently faced live batters in Angels camp, but has yet to see game action.
Robert Stephenson (RHP) / Questionable
Stephenson looks to be returning from injury as he faced live batters for the first time this spring last week. His fastball sat 94-95 mph in that session which is encouraging. He is currently in the final year of his three-year contract with the Angels. He missed all of the 2024 season due to Tommy John surgery, and only pitched 10 innings last year due to lingering effects.
Other Possible Options
With Joyce, Sandlin, and Stephenson all questionable for Opening Day, there are three bullpen spots that could be up for grabs. There are a lot of different possibilities that could happen, but I highlight a couple players who have the best shot to earn a role. 40-man roster guys; Jose Fermin and Jayvien Sandridge have already been optioned to the minors. Prospect Samy Natera Jr. had a good showing in the World Baseball Classic for team Mexico, but didn’t receive an invite to major league camp, and has struggled with walks in the minors making him an unlikely candidate for now.
Sam Bachman (RHP) / 40-Man
Bachman has had a good spring so far striking out eight batters across 3.2 innings. He looks to be fully healthy this year and has averaged 97.6 mph with his sinker. Bachman only has 7.2 major league innings since debuting in 2023 due to multiple different injuries. Across five minor league seasons, Bachman has pitched to a 4.00 ERA with a 1.35 WHIP and striking out 7.8 batters per nine. He’s done a good job of limited homers with a 0.9 HR/9 ratio.
Chase Silseth (RHP) / 40-Man
Silseth has a good chance of making the bullpen as a long reliever. He is out of options and would have to be DFA’d if he didn’t make the roster. The Angels would be at risk of losing him to another club if they had to remove him from the 40-man roster. During his four-year career, he’s worked mainly with four pitches including a four-seam fastball, sweeper, splitter, and a sinker. Even though Silseth came through the Angels system as a starter, he’s had bullpen experience at the major league level. 18 of his 35 major league games have come as a reliever. He’s never had a full season at the major league level, and maybe with a consistent role, we could see better results from him.
Tayler Saucedo (LHP) / Non-Roster Invitee
Suacedo has had success in the past with the Seattle Mariners and has pitched in five major league seasons. He spent the 2021-22 seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays before being designated for assignment in the offseason. He made a quick stop with the Mets before being DFA’d again and ending up with Seattle. Saucedo logged 100 games with Seattle between 2023 and 2024 pitching to a 3.59 and 3.49 ERA. He’s always been a groundball machine that’s a result of his good sinker. When he’s at his best, hitters have a really hard time getting the barrel to his pitches and making good contact.
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