Angels Close to Deal with Joel Pineiro

The Angels have reportedly reached an agreement the top starting pitcher left in this year's free agent market: Joel Piniero.  The deal, which is not official yet because of a physical, is said to be for 2 years at $16 million.

Last year, Piniero went 15-12 with a 3.49 ERA in 32 starts with the St. Louis Cardinals.  For Piniero, the move is a return to the American League West.  His previous stint was with the Mariners.

I think this is a good move considering the thin free agent crop that's left.  It will definitely help solidify the Angels rotation that already has Scott Kazmir, Jered Weaver, Ervin Santana and Joe Saunders.  It remains to be seen if this move helps them compete with the much improved division rivals Mariners and Rangers.

Photo courtesy:
Wikimedia Commons and Wknight94 under CC-SA 3.0 License