Pitcher Tyler Anderson turns down Dodgers’ offer, will sign with Angels
Tyler Anderson is staying in the Southland, but it won’t be with the Dodgers.
Instead of accepting the Dodgers’ qualifying offer of one year and $19.65 million on Tuesday, the left-handed pitcher agreed to a three-year contract with the Angels worth $39 million, according to a person with knowledge of the situation who wasn’t authorized to speak publicly. The Dodgers will get draft compensation in return.
Star shortstop Trea Turner also declined his qualifying offer from the Dodgers and remains a free agent, likely to receive one of the biggest contracts of any available player this winter. That decision had been expected. Anderson’s crosstown move, on the other hand, came as a surprise.
The 32-year-old journeyman had a breakout season with the Dodgers, who needed him to take on a far more prominent role than originally expected when he signed a one-year, $8-million deal in the spring.
Albert Pujols’ personal-services contract with the Angels could potentially prevent him from having any role with the St. Louis Cardinals for 10 years.
After starting the season in the bullpen as a long reliever, Anderson was forced into the rotation because of injuries and quickly flourished with a reworked pitching arsenal centered on a devastating changeup.
In 30 appearances (28 starts), Anderson went 15-5 with a 2.57 earned-run average. He earned his first career All-Star selection. He had the best performance of any Dodgers starter during the postseason, pitching five scoreless innings in Game 4 of the National League Division Series against the San Diego Padres.
Entering the offseason, it wasn’t certain that Anderson would get a qualifying offer, as the nearly $20-million salary was expected to surpass the annual value he’d get in a longer contract on the open market. However, the Dodgers decided before last Thursday’s deadline to extend it. According to one person with knowledge of the situation, Anderson remained undecided until Tuesday afternoon‘s deadline to accept the offer.
In the end, he got the security of a multiyear contract from the Angels, who have signed pitchers to multiyear contracts in consecutive offseasons after failing to do so the previous seven winters.
Signing Anderson could round out the Angels’ rotation if they plan to move forward with Shohei Ohtani, Patrick Sandoval, Reid Detmers and José Suarez.
Two-way star Ohtani over the last two seasons has pitched in a six-man rotation. Asked whether Ohtani would be comfortable pitching on shorter rest, Ohtani’s agent Nez Balelo said at the general manager meetings in Las Vegas last week: “Shohei Ohtani on a five-man rotation, I think he’s becoming more and more comfortable. He’s realizing what he can and cannot do.”
Anderson joins a pitching staff that ranked ninth best in the majors with a 3.77 ERA. Based on the year Ohtani had on the mound — 15-9 record over 28 starts, a 2.33 ERA, 219 strikeouts — Anderson could be the Angels’ No. 2 starter.
The Angels at least will have a veteran pitcher coming in after starting for a full season. Of the young pitchers in this year’s rotation likely to be on next season’s list, Sandoval has the most experience with 2.149 years of service time (63 games and 56 starts since his debut in 2019).
Roster additions
The Dodgers added prospects Diego Cartaya, Michael Busch, Andy Pages and Jonny DeLuca to their 40-man roster, protecting them from the Rule 5 draft. The Angels selected the contracts of pitching prospects Kolton Ingram and Jose Soriano.
The Angels also designated three relievers for assignment: Touki Toussaint, Nash Walters and Rob Zastryzny. The final open spot likely remains for Anderson.
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