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Los Angeles Angels sign pitcher Chris Volstad to minor-league contract

By Brad Rowland

Apr 18, 2013; Denver, CO, USA; Colorado Rockies pitcher Chris Volstad (31) greets catcher Wilin Rosario (left) after the ninth inning against the New York Mets at Coors Field. The Rockies won 11-3. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 18, 2013; Denver, CO, USA; Colorado Rockies pitcher Chris Volstad (31) greets catcher Wilin Rosario (left) after the ninth inning against the New York Mets at Coors Field. The Rockies won 11-3. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports /
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Apr 18, 2013; Denver, CO, USA; Colorado Rockies pitcher Chris Volstad (31) greets catcher Wilin Rosario (left) after the ninth inning against the New York Mets at Coors Field. The Rockies won 11-3. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 18, 2013; Denver, CO, USA; Colorado Rockies pitcher Chris Volstad (31) greets catcher Wilin Rosario (left) after the ninth inning against the New York Mets at Coors Field. The Rockies won 11-3. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports /

The 2013 MLB season didn’t go as the Los Angeles Angels may have hoped (in the understatement of the millenium), and the pitching staff deserved much of the blame. With that, the Angels are looking far and wide for help in their starting rotation, and that has brought them to an unlikely pick-up.

Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com is reporting that the team has signed former Marlins, Cubs, and Rockies starting pitcher Chris Volstad to a minor league that includes a 2014 Spring Training invitation. Before you go crazy and begin to flame this post, I will acknowledge that Chris Volstad doesn’t (currently) resemble a quality Major League pitcher.

In terms of evidence, Volstad posted a laughable 6.31 ERA in his last “full” season (2012 in Chicago) and he did so with an unacceptable strikeout ratio of 4.93 per 9 innings. Then, he languished in AAA with the Rockies for the majority of 2013, pitching only 8.1 innings (6 appearances) of 10.80 baseball.

Now, it should be noted that Volstad does have the look and feel of a real-life pitcher. He was a big-time prospect (including being a 1st-round pick) of the Marlins, and he did post a 2.88 ERA for about a half-season with Miami (then Florida) during 2008. There should be little to no expectation here, but if Volstad can discover the magic that gave him an elite pedigree, it’s worth a shot.

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