Angels News: Former All-Star Reliever Hoping to Find a Home With Halos

Chris Devenski hopes that playing for the Angels will help turn around his career.

Making it to the major leagues is one thing, but finding sustained success in the game is another.

It's not easy, and for some players, they can only dream of making it big. But first, they have to focus on just getting better and better every day. That's the goal for RHP Chris Devenski who was among the non-roster invitees to Angels' spring training.

The 32-year-old pitcher grew up in Southern California and after being involved in the major leagues for the past seven years, he's finally found his way back to Los Angeles.

In a recent article by Jeff Fletcher of the OC Register, Devenski shared his hope for the upcoming season:

"My goal would be to break with the team," Devenski said. "That’s the ultimate goal. That’s what I’m working towards, trying to just be the best version of myself. I was there, and then it kind of slipped away under me."

At the beginning of his career, Devenski spent five years with the Houston Astros.

In his rookie season in 2016, he finished with a 2.26 ERA, and had five holds and one save. He also threw 104 strikeouts across 108.1 innings of work. 

The following year, he was named to the All-Star team and went onto help the team to a World Series Championship. He held an 8-5 record with a 2.68 ERA and got 25 holds and four saves across 80 innings.

Then, after that 2017 season, his stats began to decline. In 2022, he split his time between the Philadelphia Phillies and Arizona Diamondbacks, and finished the season with an 8.59 ERA, giving up 21 hits and three homers in 14 innings. 

But the Angels decided to give him a chance, and hopefully, Devenski can return back to that 2017 All-Star form. If he does, he could make a real impact in this Angels' bullpen in 2023.