According to ESPN, the Los Angeles Angels signed starting pitcher Julio Teheran of Cartagena, Colombia on Sunday to a one year contract on Sunday. The contract, according to the Associated Press, is worth $9 million.
Teheran has played the last nine seasons with the Atlanta Braves. In 2019, he had a record of 10 wins and 11 losses with an earned run average of 3.81 in 33 games. Teheran also gave up 148 hits, 74 earned runs, 83 walks and had a WHIP (walks and hits per innings pitched) of 1.32. The rather high WHIP and the fact Teheran led the National League with 14 hit batters, may lead to some questions about Teheran’s control.
However, Teheran’s consistency and durability deserve some praise. Teheran has reached the double digits in wins five times with the Braves, including a career-high 14 wins in the 2013 and 2014 Major League Baseball regular seasons. He has also started a minimum of 30 starts each season since 2013.
A two-time All-Star in 2014 and 2016, Teheran is slated to be the number three starter for the Angels. Shohei Ohtani of Oshu, Japan, is expected to return to the Angels pitching staff as their ace after not pitching in 2019 because of Tommy John surgery. However, due to the fact Ohtani is Major League Baseball’s best multi-dimensional player since Babe Ruth, he played regularly for the Angels in 2019 as their designated hitter.
Even though Teheran is projected to be the number three starter, he could easily rise to number two. Statistically, he is better than Andrew Heaney, Dylan Bundy and Griffin Canning, who are also projected to be starting pitchers.
