Halos Heaven

After more than three months with no baseball whatsoever, we’re finally back to business as usual. Spring Training games have been going on for almost a week now, and Opening Day is on all of our collective radars just a few weeks away. After staying quiet for the first couple of days post-lockout, the Angels jumped back into the mix with a couple of moves of their own. They’ve also been in the news for a couple of other things as well, some of which you might have missed.

RHP Ryan Tepera (Left) & RHP Archie Bradley (Right) acquired via free agency by the Angels on Thursday, March 17. MLB.com Dominick, David and Cole react to Archie Bradley (1-year/$3.75 Million) and Ryan Tepera (2-years/$14 Million) signing via free agency with the Angels and how these moves solidify the back end of the bullpen entering the 2022 season.

It’s been 166 days since the last Angels game (October 3 @ Seattle) and having baseball return to Arizona for Spring Training could not feel anymore perfect. With the assortment of moves made in the bullpen of the past few days, much anticipation has gone into this Angels team and what to expect during this 20-game Spring Training schedule.

After bringing in Archie Bradley earlier in the day, the Angels made another significant upgrade to their bullpen on Thursday afternoon, as they reportedly reached an agreement on a contract with free agent reliever Ryan Tepera. According to Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors, the deal is for two years and $14 million. Right-hander Ryan Tepera has agreed to terms with the #Angels. Two years and $14MM, per source.

A day after general manager Perry Minasian said that he was still looking to further improve the Angels’ pitching staff, the club made a move to do just that, reportedly reaching an agreement with free agent reliever Archie Bradley on Monday morning. According to Sam Blum of The Athletic, the deal and its terms are not final just yet, but Bradley is on his way to Arizona in hopes of getting it done soon.

The Angels added some infield depth to their roster on Wednesday afternoon, bringing in veteran infielder Matt Duffy on a one-year deal worth $1.5 million. OFFICIAL: The #Angels have agreed to terms on a one-year deal with INF Matt Duffy. Welcome to the Halos, Matt! pic.twitter.com/PJ4s4IwdE1 — Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) March 16, 2022 Duffy played in 97 games for the Cubs in 2021, hitting .287/.357/.381 with eight home runs and 30 runs batted in, which was good for a perfectly average 100 OPS+.

The Angels reportedly made their first move post-lockout on Saturday afternoon, as according to Robert Murray of Fansided.com, they brought back catcher Kurt Suzuki to a one-year deal worth $1.75 million. Free-agent catcher Kurt Suzuki and the Los Angeles Angels are in agreement on a one-year, $1.75 million contract, pending physical, according to sources familiar with the situation.

Following yesterday’s MLB & MLBPA new CBA Agreement to end the 99-day lockout, Major League Baseball this afternoon released the revised 2022 Spring Training schedule for all teams in the Cactus and Grapefruit League. With the revised schedule now in place, the Angels will play 18 games in a 20-day period with off days on Thursday, March 17 and Wednesday, March 30.

Well, everyone, we finally made it. After 99 painstaking days with of heated negotiations between MLB and the MLBPA, the two sides finally reached a deal on Wednesday afternoon, bringing baseball back into our lives once again. With the end of the lockout comes the removal of the transactions freeze that has been hanging over the game for the better part of three months now, meaning that players will be free to sign with teams as soon as the new CBA is ratified at around 3 P.M. PST.