Angels acquire Curtiss for bullpen depth
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ANAHEIM -- The Angels picked up some relief help on Tuesday by acquiring right-hander John Curtiss from the Twins in exchange for Minor League infielder Daniel Ozoria. To make room for Curtiss on the roster, right-hander Parker Bridwell was designated for assignment.
Curtiss, 25, was designated for assignment on Monday, as the Twins had to make room on their roster after signing former Angels reliever Blake Parker. Curtiss, who was ranked as Minnesota's No. 26 prospect by MLB Pipeline, appeared in 17 games over the past two seasons, posting a 7.20 ERA with 17 strikeouts, while allowing six walks and two homers in 15 innings.
The hard-throwing reliever has strong career numbers at Triple-A with a 2.49 ERA and 94 strikeouts in 79 2/3 innings. Curtiss was selected by the Twins in the sixth round of the 2014 MLB Draft out of the University of Texas.
Curtiss' fastball has averaged roughly 95 mph in the Majors and he pairs it with a hard slider that sits between 83-85 mph. He's used his fastball heavily, throwing it 72 percent of the time. He will compete for a spot in the bullpen, and he still has Minor League options, so he can be sent down to the Minors if he doesn't make the club out of Spring Training.
Bridwell, meanwhile, was designated for assignment for a second time by the Angels this offseason, as he was DFA'd on Nov. 20, but he was then reclaimed from the Yankees on Dec. 21. If he clears waivers, he could rejoin the Angels as a Minor League free agent.
Ozoria, 18, has played in 111 games at the Rookie level the past two seasons, hitting .222/.293/.263 with nine doubles and four triples. He's mostly seen time at shortstop and second base.