Kyle Hendricks' Role for Angels Revealed by GM Perry Minasian

The Angels signed Hendricks last week.

Matt Marton-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Angels continued to make moves this offseason when they signed pitcher Kyle Hendricks to a one-year deal last week. Angels general manager Perry Minasian confirmed that the team plans for Hendricks to start and become part of the team's rotation.

Hendricks, who once led MLB in ERA in 2016, is looking to rebound from the worst season of his career. In 2024 with the Chicago Cubs, Hendricks appeared in 29 games with 24 starts. He recorded a 4-12 record with a 5.92 ERA, both the worst of his career. He finished the season with 87 strikeouts while registering a -1.6 WAR, the only time he has come up with a negative WAR.

Even so, the Angels feel confident about where their rotation stands at this point of the offseason. Hendricks joins a rotation that also includes Tyler Anderson, José Soriano, and Jack Kochanowicz. The Angels will also have options in Chase Silseth and Reid Detmers, but a potential spot in the rotation will likely depend on if they can pitch consistently next season. Los Angeles is still looking to add another starter to the rotation.

“We feel our pitching is in a better place than it's ever been since I've been here, but we need to continue to add to it,” Minasian said, via Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com. “Over the course of a season, everybody knows that you need a lot of arms, right? You need a lot of arms in the rotation and a lot of arms in the bullpen. So we'll continue to try and add quality and quantity there too.”

Bolstering the rotation is key for the Angels, who are set on trying to contend for the postseason in 2025. The Angels finished fifth-last in MLB in ERA during the 2024 season, and second-last in strikeouts.

Along with their rotation, the Angels are looking to improve the entirety of the roster. They have done so by acquiring slugger Jorge Soler from the Atlanta Braves in exchange for Griffin Canning, and have also signed infielder Scott Kingery and catcher Travis d'Arnaud.

The Angels still have three months until spring training, and over four months before the start of the 2025 season, offering plenty of time for them to make acquisitions to improve the team.