Angels sign Steve Cishek, Tony Watson to one-year, $1 million deals

The Angels have signed veteran relievers Steve Cishek and Tony Watson, per a club announcement late Monday night. MLB Network’s Jon Heyman reports that they signed one-year, $1 million contracts.

Cishek, 34, posted career-worst numbers with the White Sox in 2020, throwing for a 5.40 ERA and a 1.50 WHIP. The sidearming right-hander signed a minor-league deal with the Astros and had a solid spring, posting a 3.52 ERA and 1.17 WHIP in 7.2 innings, but wasn’t able to earn a job in Houston’s big-league bullpen and was released.

While the 35-year-old Watson saw his velocity dip in 2020, his baseball card numbers were stellar over a small sample size, as he allowed just one earned run over his first 19 appearances before giving up four in his final two games and finishing the year with a 2.50 ERA and a 0.89 WHIP in 18 innings. He signed a minor-league deal with the Phillies but struggled in spring training, posting a 7.20 ERA and a 2.20 WHIP over seven appearances.

The two former closers join Noe Ramirez, who is expected to reunite with the Angels after being released by the Reds, and James Hoyt, who was dealt from Miami to Los Angeles on Monday, as veteran relievers who have joined the Angels’ bullpen mix within the last 48 hours. While they’re not flashy additions, they could push the Angels over the hump as they look to win the AL West for the first time since 2014.