Anaheim has announced that they are no longer in the running for Paul Byrd or Jarrod Washburn, having signed Hector Carrasco to a 2 year, $6.1 million deal. The AP article has this quote:
"We're dropping out of the Paul Byrd chase," Angels general manager Bill Stoneman said in a conference call. "We have not really been in the chase for Jarrod Washburn."
Why anyone would give Hector Carrasco a 2 year, $6.1 million deal is beyond me. Carrasco is a run-of-the-mill journeyman reliever who benefitted from a great home park, an unusually low BABIP last year, and overall good luck to post the best ERA of his career. Of course, it was also just the third time in his career, and the first time since 1996, that Carrasco has posted a sub-4 ERA, and Carrasco is 36. This is like the Rangers' disastrous TVP signing from a few years ago, only without the upside TVP represented.
One would think that Anaheim -- the team that showed you could build a bullpen with guys like Brendan Donnelly, Ben Weber and Scot Shields -- would know better than to sign someone like Carrasco to a deal like this, but if it means that they are now out of the Paul Byrd race, then so much the better for the Rangers.