Angels take a gamble on this controversial pitcher

The Los Angeles Angels’ first post-Shohei Ohtani starter signing is definitely an interesting one.

Robert Murray of FanSided reported Saturday that the Angels have reached an agreement to sign free-agent pitcher Zach Plesac. The 28-year-old Plesac is getting a major-league contract from the Angels, Murray adds.

Plesac is well-known name but not necessarily for the best reasons. He is coming off a calamity of a 2023 season with the Cleveland Guardians where he posted a 7.59 ERA in five starts before getting optioned to Triple-A in May and then designated for assignment in June. 

Plesac has also proven problematic in other ways — he was dropped by his agency in 2022 after a self-induced injury and got sent home by Cleveland in 2020 for violating COVID-19 protocols at the time.

For the Angels, they will likely shift back to a five-man rotation now that Shohei Ohtani has left the team. That will leave Plesac to compete for a spot in the rotation with fellow righties Chase Silseth and Griffin Canning as well as lefties Reid Detmers, Patrick Sandoval and Tyler Anderson. 

Though the Angels will probably just be able to cut Plesac loose if he does not work out, the signing is still a gamble considering the baggage that Plesac comes with.