Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic reports that the Angels have been in “constant contact” with the Giants regarding lefty relievers Will Smith and Tony Watson. Baggarly notes that the Angels were runners-up for Zach Britton, who signed with the Yankees over the weekend.
Smith, 29, is entering his fourth and final year of arbitration eligibility. MLB Trade Rumors projects him to earn $4.1 million in 2019 before he becomes eligible for free agency. This past season, he worked 53 innings to the tune of a 2.55 ERA and a 71/15 K/BB ratio. Notably, Smith wasn’t just a matchup reliever -- he faced right-handed batters 138 times and limited them to a .582 OPS.
Watson, 33, is under contract through at least the end of the season, earning $3.5 million. He has a player option for 2020 worth $2.5 million with a $500,000 buyout. This past season, Watson posted a 2.59 ERA with a 72/12 K/BB ratio in 66 innings of work. He tended to face more lefties, as they accounted for roughly 42 percent of batters faced. However, Watson still held righties to a .621 OPS.
At the moment, the only lefty in the Angels’ bullpen is Williams Jerez, so adding one or both of Smith and Watson would be a big boost.