The Angels avoided arbitration with lefty reliever Brock Burke on a $1.15MM deal, reports Robert Murray of FanSided. Burke had been projected at $1.2MM by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz.
Los Angeles grabbed the 28-year-old southpaw off waivers from Texas in August. Burke pitched well down the stretch, working to a 3.54 ERA while striking out more than 30% of opponents across 20 1/3 innings. It was a dramatic turnaround. Burke had allowed more than a run per inning over 13 appearances with the Rangers earlier in the year.
The terrible early-season production left Burke with a middling 5.82 earned run average on the year. He showed enough in his six weeks with the Angels to get another opportunity. Burke is arguably the top lefty in a bullpen that should also include José Quijada and potentially Rule 5 pick Garrett McDaniels. He’ll be eligible for arbitration once more next offseason.
