Chase Silseth signs with Angels for well above slot value, won’t return to Arizona in 2022

The Los Angeles Angels made an offer that Chase Silseth couldn’t refuse.

Silseth, who spent the 2021 season as the UA’s No. 1 starter, signed with the Angels on Saturday just ahead of Sunday’s deadline for MLB draft picks to ink deals. According to Carlos Collazo of Baseball America, Silseth signed for $485,000, far above slot value.

The Angels took Silseth in the 11^th round of the MLB Draft in early July. Picks outside of the first 10 rounds can sign for up to $125,000 without it impacting a team’s draft bonus pool, yet Los Angeles ended up overpaying for several lower picks. The Angels signed 12th-round pick Mason Albright, a high school pitcher, for $1,247,500, the largest bonus ever given to a player taken outside the first 10 rounds.

Silseth went 8-1 with a 5.55 ERA in 18 starts for Arizona in 2021, his first season with the program after stints at Tennessee and College of Southern Nevada. He struck out 105 in 97.1 innings, his final start coming in the College World Series when he outdueled eventual first-round pick Kumar Rocker of Vanderbilt.

Had he returned, Arizona would have brought back its two main starting pitchers from last season as well as two others who spent a good amount of time in the starting rotation. Lefty Garrett Irvin, who was not drafted, announced his return on July 14, and the Wildcats also bring back righties Chandler Murphy and TJ Nichols. That duo combined for 17 starts, with Murphy going 7-0 in his 20 appearances.