Angels sign Ian Krol to minor-league deal

The Angels have signed left-handed reliever Ian Krol to a minor-league deal with an invitation to major-league spring training, per a club announcement on Tuesday.

Krol, 26, has been rather inconsistent over a five-season career split between the Nationals, Tigers, and Braves, posting a 4.55 ERA with a 1.47 ERA over 224 career appearances. He had a career-best season in 2016, though, pitching to a 3.18 ERA and 1.31 WHIP with 56 strikeouts and just 13 walks through a career-high 51 innings spread over 63 appearances. He was very inconsistent with Atlanta in 2017, however, posting a 5.33 ERA and 1.45 WHIP with 44 strikeouts and 21 walks in 49 innings while spending roughly a month on the disabled list with an oblique strain. Krol’s average fastball velocity dropped from 94.5 mph in 2016 to 93.2 mph in 2017 according to PitchFx, so that may have been a factor that contributed to his decline.

It’s very possible that the Angels could add more bullpen pieces as they make a strong push to compete with the Astros in the AL West. For now, though, Krol looks to have a pretty solid shot at earning a spot in Los Angeles’ Opening Day bullpen. Jose Alvarez, who posted a 3.88 ERA over 64 appearances last season for the Angels, is the only lefty reliever currently on the Halos’ 40-man roster.