Angels add depth to the bullpen

The Angels bullpen just got even better.

The Los Angeles Angels added some more depth to an already solid bullpen. On Monday, the Halos signed veteran Darren Oliver to a one-year contract. The Angels will be Oliver's eighth major league team.

Oliver, 36, spent last season with the National League East Division champion New York Mets. The lefthander went 4-1 with a 3.44 ERA in 45 games out of the bullpen, striking out 60 in 81 innings.

"We feel Darren is a solid addition to our ballclub and adds a veteran presence to our bullpen," Angels general manager Bill Stoneman told the media. "His versatility gives us an option as both a reliever and a spot starter."

Oliver has a career 91-80 record with 11 complete games, two saves and a 4.98 ERA in 351 games, including 228 starts. His best season was 1996, when he went 14-6 with a 4.66 ERA for the Texas Rangers.

The Angels have already signed free agent reliever Justin Speier to a four-year contract last month and acquired righthander pitcher Chris Resop in a trade with the Florida Marlins.

Some experts believe that the signing of Oliver could signal a trade. With an extra arm in the bullpen, highly prized Scot Shields could be expendable.