Los Angeles Angels general manager Jerry Dipoto entered the offseason knowing his team desperately needed major-league ready pitching depth for the 2015 season. He also entered the offseason understanding he likely won't have the financial flexibility needed to make a splash in free agency or the organizational assets available to make an impact trade.
Dipoto will have to be creative if he hopes to accomplish his mission of restocking a pitching staff, especially in the rotation, that was beaten down by the time the postseason rolled around. So far, at least, it's looking like that won't be a problem. In a matter of a couple hours on Wednesday afternoon, he got off to a nice start by acquiring a pair of cheap pitchers that already have or are seemingly ready to contribute in the big leagues.
In the first deal, Dipoto sent back up catcher Hank Conger to the Houston Astros in exchange for Triple-A right-hander Nick Tropeano and catching prospect Carlos Perez. Soon after, he shipped minor league right-hander Mark Sappington to the Tampa Bay Rays for left-hander Cesar Ramos.
Tropeano, 24, seems to be the guy Dipoto is most excited about. In 124 2/3 innings at Triple-A Round Rock, Tropeano posted a 3.03 ERA, which was lowest among qualifiers in the hitter friendly Pacific Coast League. He was currently ranked as the 13th best prospect in a loaded Astros system, and was on track to compete for an Astros rotation spot in 2015 after allowing 11 earned runs in four September starts for Houston.
Ramos, a 30-year-old left-hander, could also end up in that mix. For now, though, Dipoto foresees a clear bullpen role.
Ramos is comfortable starting or relieving. In 2014, he made seven starts and 36 relief appearances, posting a 3.70 ERA across 82 2/3 innings.
Regardless of immediate roles for both, it's a good start toward supplementing Mike Scioscia's options.
The Angels surged to the American League West championship this season with a remarkable 90-game stretch that almost defied logic. On June 20, the Angels were 39-33 and six games behind the Oakland A's. From that point forward, they were 59-31, which allowed them to finish the season with an MLB-best 98 wins and completely flipped the division standings. They ended up with a 10-game edge.
All of this played out while the A's added legitimate aces like Jon Lester and Jeff Samardzija to an already solid starting rotation. The Angels settled on adding closer Huston Street and little else to their roster. All the while, left-hander C.J. Wilson, in the third year of a five-year, $77.5 million deal, was maddeningly inconsistent and never able to get on track. Then, in late August, they lost de facto ace Garrett Richards to a season-ending knee injury that could linger into 2015.
That left them with Jered Weaver and emerging rookie Matt Shoemaker as their only two reliable arms down the stretch, and Shoemaker himself wasn't completely healthy as the postseason started. That they were able to sustain their regular season success despite the pitching shortage was amazing. That they were unable to overcome it in the postseason - Wilson was hammered in ALDS Game 3 - wasn't surprising. It confirmed was already clear, and now Dipoto is doing his best to address it.
Of course, the Angels have other problems. Most notably, they have to figure out how to work around Josh Hamilton's massive contract and declining production, which won't be easy. It's quite a laundry list of problems you wouldn't expect with a 98-win team, but it's a challenge Dipoto appears ready to tackle head-on.
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at bigleaguestew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Townie813
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