We had already received word that the Los Angeles Angels might be interested in Rockies catcher Chris Iannetta, and now Troy Renck of the Denver Post is reporting that the Rockies and Angels have spoken regarding the catcher. Renck also adds that the Rockies asked the Angels about starting pitcher Tyler Chatwood, indicating that they may be seeking young, MLB-ready pitching in exchange for Iannetta.
Chatwood, 22 in December, was considered one of the Angels' top prospects before the 2011 season, and he ended up making 25 starts for LA. His performance wasn't great, though, as he posted a 4.75 ERA over 142 innings with defense-independent statistics like FIP and SIERA closer to 5. His fastball averaged 93 MPH, but he really struggled with missing bats and ended up striking out only 74 guys compared to doling out 71 walks. That strikeout-to-walk ratio was actually the worst among all MLB pitchers with over 140 innings thrown in 2011.
But even with those struggles, Chatwood is an intriguing young pitcher. He's avoided injuries, pitching 160 innings in 2011 on the heels of pitching 155 innings in 2010. He still throws quite hard, as only 17 starters threw harder on average than him last season. And he's still going to pitch the entire 2012 season at the tender age of 22, meaning that he could still show some serious improvement over the next couple years.
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