Los Angeles Angels sign Adam Kolarek on $900,000 deal; fans not thrilled with move: "This is not Ohtani"

The Los Angeles Angels announced the signing of reliever Adam Kolarek on a one-year deal worth $900,000. While the offer isn't grand in terms of MLB standards, fans are surprised that the bullpen guy got a guaranteed contract, considering his recent struggles.

Adam Kolarek spent the first two seasons pitching for the Tampa Bay Rays. He then spent his most successful spell with the Los Angeles Dodgers from 2019 to 2020 helping them earn a World Series ring in the shortened season. He was a reliable arm, recording 3.07 ERA in 108.1 innings for both rosters.

However, two poor seasons with the Oakland Athletics lowered his credibility. Last season, he signed a minor league contract with the Dodgers again and made only one appearance before being designated for assignment. He was traded to the New York Mets at the deadline before signing with the Atlanta Braves for the final month of the season with a minor league contract.

Kolarek showed signs of returning to his past form, posting 3.80 ERA in 42.2 innings in the Triple As. His addition to the Angels bullpen has been done to give stability and experience to the pitching staff that suffered last season.

However, Halos fans aren't entirely satisfied with the deal, as they feel that the organization can do much better in the offseason. They took to X, formerly Twitter, to voice their opinions:

Angels fans unhappy with management as Shohei Ohtani exit seems imminent

Fans in Anaheim are already putting the pressure on Arte Moreno and the rest of the ownership for their inability to keep Shohei Ohtani from heading into free agency.

It's expected that the most sought-after free agent will leave the Angels and head elsewhere after the Halos were unable to post a winning record in the six seasons he has played for them after arriving in America.

About the author

Nikhil Parshy is a baseball and ice hockey journalist at Sportskeeda, and after starting out as a cricket reporter, he has been an analyst with SK since November 2022. His interest in the sports were piqued a few years back after watching highlights on YouTube and he has followed the game ever since.

The Chicago Cubs breaking the 108-year curse in 2016 to lift the World Series remains Nikhil's favorite baseball moment. Two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani has been his favorite player ever since he started following the game, while the LA Dodgers are his favorite team.

As a writer, Nikhil maintains a strong attention to detail and rigorously cross-checks information. He seeks to strike a balance in his writing such that the regular reader gains an insight into player profiles, while also keeping in mind that the non-regular reader is not put off by jargon and shallow analysis.

Nikhil is an avid public speaker, and when not writing about baseball, he regularly participates in debates and quizzes.

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