The Los Angeles Angels are teetering on the edge of a bullpen crisis as they head into spring training, and it’s a situation that could make even the most loyal fans uneasy. Imagine having a treasure trove of potential closers, yet none of them seem reliable enough to anchor the ninth inning. It’s a conundrum that feels like a high-stakes gamble, and the stakes couldn’t be higher for a team aiming to contend.
Legendary NFL coach John Madden once quipped, 'If you’ve got two quarterbacks, you’ve got none.' Apply that logic to the Angels’ closer dilemma, and you’ve got a recipe for sleepless nights. The team isn’t short on options—far from it. But here’s where it gets controversial: the sustainability and reliability of their bullpen arms are questionable at best. With at least five contenders vying for the role—Robert Stephenson, Ben Joyce, Jordan Romano, Kirby Yates, and Drew Pomeranz—each comes with their own set of red flags, and health concerns loom largest.
And this is the part most people miss: the closer who emerges from spring training might not even be the one finishing games by season’s end. It’s a precarious situation, and the Angels’ bullpen could be left with a gaping hole in 2026.
Take Robert Stephenson, for instance. The Angels’ big-ticket signing in 2024, he’s the probable front-runner but also the riskiest bet. After missing the entire 2024 season with a UCL injury, he threw just 10 innings in 2025. The team knew the gamble they were taking, even building in a cheap club option for 2027 in case of further elbow issues. But now, they might pay the price for that risk.
Then there’s Ben Joyce, the flamethrower who regularly hits 105 mph. Exciting? Absolutely. Reliable? Not so much. At 25, Joyce has logged just 49 major league innings over three years, with injuries sidelining him repeatedly. His season will start late, and it’s anyone’s guess how long he’ll stay healthy once he returns.
Kirby Yates, a veteran reliever, is another wildcard. The Angels hope their new coaching staff can revive his career, but he’s no stranger to the IL, landing there three times last season. At 39, his durability is a major question mark.
Jordan Romano, once a rising star with the Blue Jays, has seen his career derailed by injuries. Despite back-to-back All-Star selections in 2022 and 2023, his ERA ballooned to 6.59 in 2024. And Drew Pomeranz? He’s the least experienced closer candidate and has battled injuries that kept him off the field for three years. While he looked strong last season, his history and age are hard to ignore.
All of this raises a critical question: Why didn’t the Angels pursue a more secure option to lock down the ninth inning? They couldn’t afford a top-tier closer like Edwin Diaz, but they let proven veterans like Kenley Jansen slip away. Cost-effective alternatives like Emilio Pagan or Kyle Finnegan were available, yet the Angels passed. Now, their bullpen is a minefield of injury risks, and it’s a gamble that could cost them dearly.
Here’s the bold truth: relievers are inherently volatile, but this level of risk is unacceptable. The Angels’ bullpen could be their Achilles’ heel, and it’s hard not to wonder if this will cost them multiple wins this season. But what do you think? Is this a calculated risk worth taking, or a recipe for disaster? Let’s hear your thoughts in the comments—this is one debate that’s sure to spark some fiery opinions.
