LOS ANGELES -- The Angels and Braves exchanged pitchers on Sunday, with Atlanta sending right-hander Ian Anderson to the Angels for left-hander José Suarez.
Anderson, who underwent Tommy John surgery in 2023 and hasn’t pitched in the Majors since 2022, appeared ticketed for a spot in Atlanta’s rotation for most of the spring, but will now slot into the Angels’ bullpen, manager Ron Washington said shortly after the trade was made official on Sunday afternoon.
Anderson returned from injury midway through last season to make 15 starts across four levels of the Minors with Atlanta. With the Braves between 2020-22, Anderson made 52 starts and had a 3.97 ERA. Atlanta selected him in the first round (third overall) of the 2016 Draft.
The 26-year-old Anderson threw three scoreless innings for Atlanta on Sunday before being traded. He owns a 2.25 ERA in six spring appearances (four starts) but has struggled with his command, walking 20 in 20 innings, with 10 strikeouts.
"Before he got hurt, he was an up-and-coming, pretty good pitcher,” Washington said. “I don't think he lost the ability to pitch. We were left-handed-heavy in our bullpen, and this gives us an opportunity to get a right-hander in there. Although Ian Anderson is a starter, I think he'll certainly help us out of the bullpen. Just trying to get ourselves better as we move forward to Opening Day."
Suarez was mostly a starter during his first five big league seasons, but he converted to nearly a full-time reliever last season. His first 16 appearances all came in relief before Suarez started three of the final six games he pitched.
Suarez owned a 6.02 ERA in 2024 but fared slightly better against left-handed batters than against righties. He allowed an .806 OPS against left-handers compared to .892 against right-handed batters, and he struck out 21 of 83 lefties faced.
"The Braves are getting a bulldog. We're going to miss Suarez,” Washington said. “I'm not taking anything from Suarez, saying that 'he was no good for us, that's why we traded him.' We do what we do to make us better, and he just happened to be the guy that we made a trade for him. Atlanta probably needed him, and we felt like we needed Ian Anderson."
Between 2021-22, Suarez pitched to a 3.86 ERA over 207 1/3 innings, making 34 starts and 11 relief appearances.
Though Anderson will open the season in the Angels’ bullpen, he will provide some depth should any injuries hamper the rotation.
"Right now, it's the bullpen,” Washington said. “As we go through the season, that'll play out the way it's supposed to play out. I certainly hope the five guys we got in our rotation are there for 31 starts, and he's a bullpen piece.”
Washington said the club has not yet decided on its fifth starter. The leading contenders are lefty Reid Detmers and Jack Kochanowicz. Detmers, who made 17 starts for Los Angeles in 2024 with a 6.70 ERA, owns a 2.79 ERA in six Spring Training appearances (three starts). Detmers threw 3 2/3 innings out of the bullpen on Friday, striking out five while surrendering two walks, three hits and two earned runs.
Kochanowicz, who made 11 starts last season after making his MLB debut in July, takes the mound on Tuesday as the Angels and Dodgers conclude the Freeway Series and Spring Training.
"That decision is coming,” Washington said of his fifth starter. “It's coming. We're still in Spring Training."