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Orioles trade Bundy to Angels for 4 pitching prospects

Will Newton / Getty Images Sport / Getty

The Los Angeles Angels acquired right-hander Dylan Bundy from the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday.

Baltimore received four right-handed pitching prospects - Isaac Mattson, Zach Peek, Kyle Bradish, and Kyle Brnovich - in return. Only Bradish is ranked among MLB Pipeline's top 30 Angels prospects, coming in at No. 21 (he's since been reranked at No. 25 in Baltimore's system).

"It’s a bittersweet thing parting with Dylan. ... He's done a lot for the Orioles," general manager Mike Elias said, according to Joe Trezza of MLB.com.

"To get where we need to go, these are the types of decisions we need to make right now," Elias added. "It's a tough spot we were in. We have a long climb ahead of us. This is why we were brought in, to lead this effort."

Bundy went 7-14 over 30 starts for the Orioles in 2019. He posted a 4.79 ERA, 4.73 FIP, and 1.35 WHIP, along with a team-high 162 strikeouts. The 27-year-old has another two years of arbitration eligibility remaining and is projected to earn $5.7 million in 2020, according to MLB Trade Rumors.

His Orioles tenure was ultimately one of unfulfilled promise. Big things were expected of Bundy after he was chosen fourth overall in 2011 but injuries to his elbow and shoulder cost him parts of four seasons before he finally secured a big-league spot in 2016.

Bundy owns a career 4.67 ERA and 1.33 WHIP with 602 strikeouts and 206 walks over 127 appearances (103 starts). His 1.67 home runs allowed per nine innings since 2016 rank sixth in baseball.

In Anaheim, Bundy will not only try to rejuvenate his career but also help stabilize the Angels' league-worst rotation. L.A. starters combined for a 5.64 ERA and 5.41 FIP in 2019 and only had one pitcher - Trevor Cahill, the Opening Day starter who was eventually demoted to the bullpen - surpass the 100-inning mark. Bundy should help; he's been durable despite his injury history, pitching at least 161 innings in each of the last three seasons.

Bradish was the Angels' fourth-round pick in 2018 but only made his professional debut this year. The 23-year-old New Mexico State product pitched at High-A Inland Empire, recording a 4.28 ERA and 1.42 WHIP with 120 strikeouts and 53 walks in 101 innings.

Mattson, a 23-year-old reliever, pitched at three levels of the Angels' system last year and finished 2019 at Triple-A Salt Lake. In 73 1/3 total innings, he posted a 2.33 ERA and 1.009 WHIP with 110 strikeouts and allowed just four home runs.

The Angels drafted Brnovich, 22, and Peek, 21, in June out of Elon University and Winthrop University, respectively. Neither player has made his professional debut, as the Angels' organizational policy is to shut down college draftees after their NCAA seasons are finished, according to Joe Trezza of MLB.com.

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