The Angels have impressively navigated the entire 2025 season using just five starting pitchers, but it’s their bullpen that has truly been the backbone of the team over the past two months. Starter Tyler Anderson acknowledged as much following his recent outing against Boston, saying, “Obviously as a starter, you want to go deeper into games there, but man, our bullpen has just been unbelievable, so kudos to those guys for coming in, shutting it down and keeping it there.”
Since Héctor Neris and Connor Brogdon joined the roster on May 6 and 7, respectively, the Angels’ current bullpen core—comprising Jansen, Detmers, Strickland, Zeferjahn, Burke, Bachman, Neris, and Brogdon—has been dominant. Over that stretch, the group has posted a 3.48 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 8.80 K/9, and a stellar 7.30 hits allowed per nine innings. Those numbers rank among the top ten in ERA and top six in H/9 league-wide, with a collective 14-5 record to show for it.
The bullpen’s effectiveness led interim manager Ray Montgomery to pull Anderson after just 4.2 innings on Tuesday—despite it being the veteran lefty’s best outing of the month. While the Angels are functioning as a tightly knit unit, their current position raises a compelling question: with Anderson pitching well but clearly being covered by an elite bullpen, it might be wise to explore his trade value. Given his age (35) and contract status, it would be hard for the Angels to ignore the potential prospect return he could bring ahead of the deadline.
Tyler Anderson’s June has been rough by any standard. In five starts this month, he has yet to deliver a quality outing, posting a 6.93 ERA, 4.54 FIP, 12.41 H/9, and 1.74 WHIP. While his strikeout-to-walk ratio remains solid, Anderson simply hasn’t been able to work around the sheer volume of hits he’s allowed. His quirky, herky-jerky delivery remains unique, but it’s wearing thin with fans as his effectiveness continues to decline.
Regardless of whether the Angels approach the trade deadline as buyers or sellers, Anderson is a viable trade chip. He’s on an expiring deal and, despite recent struggles, still holds value on the market. ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan ranked him 35th on their list of the top 50 trade candidates—proof that his reputation and past success could draw interest from contenders in need of veteran pitching depth. Moving him wouldn’t signal that the Angels are giving up on the season—it could actually be a strategic play to bolster a thin farm system.
Even with his struggles, Anderson’s rotation spot isn’t under immediate threat. Internal options are limited: Jack Kochanowicz has also had a tough June, and top prospects like Caden Dana and George Klassen aren’t major-league ready yet. Sam Aldegheri, however, impressed in a recent big league appearance and could be a logical replacement. A crafty lefty in the mold of Anderson, Aldegheri would be a poetic fit if the Angels chose to swap out the veteran. There’s no perfect successor waiting in the wings—but with Anderson’s recent form, the bar isn’t especially high for a replacement to match or exceed his current output.
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