Graterol, 28, pitched just 15.2 innings for the Dodgers in 2026 and allowed 10 runs, a season disrupted by shoulder trouble that never fully resolved. It was the second consecutive year injuries kept him off the field for long stretches.
The Angels are buying the 2022 through 2024 stretch, when Graterol was one of the most effective setup arms in the National League. He posted a 3.79 ERA over 46 appearances in 2022, a 1.20 mark across 68 games in 2023 and a 2.51 ERA in 2024 while pitching high-leverage innings for a team that won the World Series. The sinker sits in the upper 90s and generates ground balls at a rate almost nobody in the sport matches, which fits a roster built around infield defense.
The one-year term is the point. Graterol has to prove he is healthy, and the Angels get a look without a long-term commitment. If it works, he becomes a trade chip in July or a candidate for an extension.
He joins a bullpen that lost Robert Stephenson, Jordan Romano and Drew Pomeranz to free agency. Ben Joyce, who converted 27 saves with a 2.18 ERA, remains the closer, with Graterol and Connor Phillips, acquired from Cincinnati in the Jo Adell trade, projected to work in front of him.
