Angels trade Jordan Walden to Braves for starter Tommy Hanson
The Angels have acquired starting pitcher Tommy Hanson from the Atlanta Braves for reliever Jordan Walden, according to a person familiar with the trade but unauthorized to speak publicly about it.
Hanson, a 26-year-old right-hander from Redlands East Valley High School, had a 45-32 career record and 3.61 earned-run average in four seasons with the Braves and went 13-10 with a 4.48 ERA, 161 strikeouts and 71 walks in 174 2/3 innings in 2012.
He will provide much-needed rotation depth for a team that before Friday had only two starters, Jered Weaver and C.J. Wilson, under contract for 2013 and one, rookie right-hander Garrett Richards, under club control. The team must decide by 9 p.m. whether to tender a contract to right-hander Jerome Williams.
Because he is entering his first year of arbitration, Hanson will be under club control for three more years, and he is projected to earn a salary of about $4 million this season.
Walden, a 24-year-old right-hander with a 98-mph fastball, was the Angels’ closer in 2011, going 5-5 with a 2.98 ERA and 32 saves, but he was slowed by a shoulder injury last season and relegated to middle relief, going 3-2 with a 3.46 ERA in 45 games.
Wednesday’s signing of closer Ryan Madson made Walden a little more expendable. The Angels are also pursuing Japanese closer Kyuji Fujikawa, who is believed to have narrowed his choice down to the Angels, Chicago Cubs and Arizona Diamondbacks.
ALSO:
The 8 most underrated things about L.A. sports
Girlfriends, sisters fight at Hector Camacho’s wake
Go beyond the scoreboard
Get the latest on L.A.'s teams in the daily Sports Report newsletter.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
