Coming off a subpar year in 2016, there were many reasons to be skeptical of the 2017 season: gaping holes on the roster, a lack of talent, inability to stay on the field, the many national writers who questioned whether the Angels could field a winning team during Trout’s tenure, and so on. Even so, the bullpen was one of the greatest areas of concern.
General Manager Billy Eppler did not leap at one of the many quality relievers on the free agent market, but rather turned his efforts to cheap, reclamation projects and talented journeyman waiver claims.