Andrew Vasquez has had a turbulent career in the majors. Over his five years in the bigs, he's played for six different MLB franchises, with his longest tenure being a little over a full season with the Twins between 2018-19. In his 63 2/3 big league innings, he has an ERA of 4.24 with 63 strikeouts to 31 walks, a 1.398 WHIP, and an ERA+ of 104. However, he has not pitched in the majors since 2023, back when he had an 8.31 ERA over eight and two-thirds innings with the Tigers.
However, Vasquez regained the attention of major league teams due to his performance in the Mexican League. In seven and two-thirds innings with the Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos, he did not allow a run, and he struck out six batters to one walk. He also got some time in the role of the team's closer, with three saves on the season.
While this is a small sample size, it is impressive because the Mexican League has a reputation for being hitter-friendly. At the very least, it was good enough for the Angels to sign him to a minor league contract, which could prove to be the bargain of the 2025 MLB season.
Why Andrew Vasquez is a steal for the Los Angeles Angels
Unsurprisingly, the Angels are in the basement of the American League West. They have a record of 14-20 and are six and a half games behind the Mariners for first. They are also four and a half games behind the Athletics for the final wild-card spot. Although it's only the beginning of May, it feels like it's getting late early for the Halos.
A big reason for their struggles has been the bullpen's performance. The Angels' bullpen has a combined ERA of 6.95, the second-worst in MLB. They are also tied with the Nationals for the worst WHIP at 1.720. The Angels' pen has had a really hard time keeping the ball in the park, giving up an MLB-high 24 home runs.
The Angels' best reliever this season has been Ryan Zeferjahn. Through 10 2/3 innings, he has a 4.22 ERA with 20 strikeouts to three walks, a 1.031 WHIP, and an ERA+ of 102. While these are okay numbers, they should not be held by your most trusted reliever. He's only the best because every other reliever has an ERA over five, with some reaching as high as 11.
With what we've seen from Vasquez in the Mexican League, he's going to be a godsend to this group. He's someone that can come in and hopefully give the Angels some stability. While he'll need some time in the minors to re-adjust to stateside pitching, it will not be long until he's taking the mound of the Angels.
He could also land the Angels a nice piece for the future. Every year at the trade deadline, relievers are in high demand. With bullpens able to make or break a team in October, franchises are willing to do whatever it takes to get a good reliever. In the past, some teams have gotten franchise-altering returns. While Vasquez won't fetch the Angels quite that kind of haul, he can get them a young player whom they can develop into a good piece.
Rebuilding franchises need to take as many low-risk, high-reward swings as they can while trying to build their future foundation. Signing Andrew Vasquez is as good of a swing the Angels could have taken in May.