ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — The Los Angeles Angels have acquired right-hander Dylan Bundy from the Baltimore Orioles in a trade for four minor league pitchers.
The 27-year-old Bundy has been a solid starter with a nasty slider for the past four seasons with the Orioles, who chose him with the fourth overall pick in the 2011 amateur draft.
He has won 38 games in those four seasons, including 13 wins in 2017 during his first full season as a big-league starter. Bundy went 15-30 with a 5.13 ERA and 70 home runs allowed during the Orioles' past two miserable seasons, but he has started at least 28 games in three straight years while averaging 168 innings in Baltimore's rotation.
Bundy will be a key rotation member for the Angels, whose starters last season had the majors' second-worst ERA amid a mind-boggling string of injuries. Starting pitching is the prime focus of offseason improvement for the Angels, who expect to compete for the services of Orange County native Gerrit Cole and other elite free agents.
Bundy is due for a significant raise in arbitration after making $2.8 million last year, but Angels owner Arte Moreno has said he is ready to increase his payroll.
In its latest dump of veteran major league talent for inexpensive prospects, Baltimore acquired four right-handers from the Angels' system: Isaac Mattson, Zach Peek, Kyle Bradish and Kyle Brnovich.
Infielder Jonathan Villar, likely to earn about $10 million next year, was traded to Miami on Monday for minor league pitcher Easton Lucas.
