Ervin Santana trade: Angels GM Jerry Dipoto touts bullpen depth with Brandon Sisk

The Los Angeles Angels' trade of rotation pitcher Ervin Santana in return for minor league reliever Brandon Sisk was about necessity, Angels' General Manager Jerry Dipoto said. With Los Angeles deeply in need of bullpen depth and the Kansas City Royals needing an addition to their starting pitching rotation, the deal made sense, Dipoto told the Los Angeles Times.

Santana would have become a free agent, but the Angels picked up a $13 million option on the pitcher before shipping him off and receiving Sisk in return. In 50 games with Triple-A Omaha last year, Sisk went 3-2 with a 2.54 ERA and eight saves:

"He's always had the deceptive ability to miss bats. He's done it at every minor-league level. He hasn't had the opportunity to showcase it in the big leagues."

Sisk is 27 years old, and he should compete for a spot in the bullpen with the Angels.

Meanwhile, Kansas City receives Santana, who went 9-13 last season with a 5.16 ERA. That was a stark contrast to fairly strong numbers in 2010 and 2011, when Santana had a 3.65 ERA to go with a 28-22 record.