The Los Angeles Angels have once again brought back veteran right-hander into the organization, re-signing to another league contract.
His return comes just days after he opted for free agency rather than accepting an outright assignment to Triple-A. Remarkably, this has become a familiar routine for both Anderson and the Angels over the past two seasons.
The 31-year-old first joined the Angels on a minor league deal in February 2025 and has essentially served as a revolving-door bullpen option for the organization ever since. After exhausting his minor league options with the Miami Marlins in 2024, Anderson has repeatedly moved between the Angels’ major league roster and the minors.
Since his contract was first selected in May 2025, Anderson has been designated for assignment and subsequently outrighted six times—three times during the 2025 season and another three times in 2026. Each time, he cleared waivers but rejected the outright assignment, elected free agency and ultimately returned to Anaheim on another minor league deal shortly afterward.
Clearly, the arrangement continues to work for both sides.
He has appeared in 19 MLB games for the Angels across the 2025 and 2026 seasons, functioning as an extra bullpen arm whenever Los Angeles has needed someone to provide fresh innings. With September roster flexibility also in play, he remains an option if the Angels suddenly find themselves short on pitching.
However, Anderson’s numbers help explain why he has struggled to establish himself permanently in the bullpen.
He owns an 8.62 ERA across 31â…“ innings with the Angels, including a 7.65 ERA over 20 innings in 2026. His most recent major league appearance came on August 9 against the Miami Marlins, when he surrendered six runs during a disastrous inning in a 12-3 Angels loss.
That outing was another difficult chapter in what has otherwise been a unique relationship between the pitcher and organization.
The biggest question now is whether Anderson will receive another opportunity in the majors before the 2026 season concludes. With the Angels using September to evaluate younger pitchers and look toward the future, opportunities could become increasingly limited for the veteran right-hander.
If Los Angeles does call on Anderson again, it may once again be a short-term solution—perhaps just a game or two if the bullpen needs a fresh arm.
For now, though, Anderson is back in the Angels organization, continuing a cycle that has somehow worked its way into becoming one of the more unusual roster stories around the club.
