Weekend Halolinks

So much news yet no news at all as we wrap up this first week here at CtPG. A big thank you to all who have joined the community and please spread the word.

Of utmost importance to Angels fans is the reported trade with the Dodgers for Joc Pederson and Ross Stripling. This is the second domino in a trade sequence that starts with the Dodgers acquiring Mookie Betts and David Price from the Red Sox with the Twins helping to facilitate the deal.

Rather than greasing the skids, however, the player from the Twins, pitcher Brusard Graterol, isn’t passing the Boston medical team’s smell test for a starting pitcher. They see him as a reliever. So two trades are on hold.

Ken Rosenthal reports that talks to remedy the situation are going slowly and that the Dodgers may engage other teams in order to get the blockbuster done.

One seemingly obvious solution would be for the Dodgers to keep Graterol and offer the Red Sox one of their young hurlers, like Frank Zappa clone Tony Gonsolin.

Purely my speculation, but if the Red Sox want a young, cost controlled starter with upside the closes the Angels have to Graterol is Griffin Canning. If, hypothetically the Angels take Maeda for Canning then complete the second trade, the rotation would be Ohtani, Maeda, Stripling, Teheran, Bundy, Heaney all under control for multiple years. I don’t know if I’d want to do that, I doubt Canning alone gets it done, but I like to think out loud.

Joc Pederson, maybe on the move, still had yet to lock in a salary for 2020 and that detail was affecting the exact parameters of the trade. So MLB moved his arbitration hearing up to yesterday.

The Dodgers did accomplish a contract extension with Max Muncy, locking in his three arbitration years for $26 million and getting an option over Muncy’s first possible free agent year.

Is the saga involving multiple stalled trades wasn’t enough, the drama surrounding the Mets sale has taken multiple turns. Steve Cohen is walking away from the table after the Wilpons reportedly tried to make late changes to the deal.

But, alas, the Wilpons are saying they will find a new buyer for the team. But they were non committal on terms. One term of the Cohen sale was that the Wilpons would remain in control of the team for five years with Little Wilpon as Chief Executive during that time.

Granted, my corner of the business world is home loans not baseball, but I’ve never helped a customer buy a piece of high end real estate where the current occupants got to stay in the home, do any remodel or tear down work they wanted, then stick the new owner with the tab.

Up north, longtime Giants manager Bruce Bochy is staying with the club as a special advisor to the GM. I love moves like this.

Meanwhile Joe Torre is climbing up the baseball ladder, being named special assistant to the commissioner.

In the “you can’t make this stuff up” category, a story that seems crazier than two announced trades on hold, an arbitration hearing for a guy who doesn’t really have a team or the Mets being the Mets is this:

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred thinks the “100% best” way to keep the Rays in Tampa Bay is to move them to Montreal for half of each season. Start and end in Tampa, move to Montreal for the summer months. If you’ve read this far, you deserve that chuckle.

Keep in mind that teams generally play division opponents to start and end each season and the only well attended Rays games are against NY and Boston, where the droves of transplants are rooting for their native teams.

It has been a great first week here at CtPG and we can’t thank you enough. Please enjoy your weekend, tell your friends to sign up, and don’t miss our Big Fly gear giveaway.

168 Comments
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LABASEBALLFAN
Newbie
4 years ago

Graterol will be the Dodgers Closer in 2022 for now he will be a solid relief pitcher that can strike some guys out. Definitely a very valuable asset to have in the bullpen. If he can stay healthy and show that he can throw 160-180 innings a season he has a long shot at becoming a starter in the future. The dodgers are stacked with Starting Pitchers in the minors including: May (top 20 in mlb prospects) Gray (Top 100) Graterol (top 💯) Santana ( double A) Gonsolin ( mlb rookie) and Mitchell ( double A). Plus they have Julio Urias ( team control for 4 more years) buehler ( Ace w. 4 years before FA) Stripling ( starter/ reliever) for 3 more years, and the list goes on. In regards to Graterol he has a huge ceiling and can become a star in the next 2-3 years. Great read, love to see this kind of stuff.

Mia
Legend
Mia
4 years ago

Looks like this series of trades in it’s original form is falling apart.

And all because the Red Sox new GM didn’t like the backlash to the original deal.

You’ve got to imagine the relationship with the players and teams is strained now, idk how you come back from publicly being about to trade them.

Some deal probably still gets done. It may not be as good for us, though.

Sucks.

Cowboy26
Legend
4 years ago
Reply to  Mia

Maybe there hasn’t been a “Twins’ killing” quite yet?

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GrandpaBaseball
Legend
4 years ago
Reply to  Cowboy26

Dodgers are not going to let this go, having Betts makes them the Top Cat in the Alley. If they throw in a pitcher that is decent does our deal go through? If Boston accepts a deal with the Dodgers straight up our deal should go forward as Pederon would be one to many outfielders.

losangel
Trusted Member
4 years ago

Would be great if a Rengifo + prospect trade for Maeda or Stripling could still be worked out. The Dodgers were trading 2 MLB pitchers and only getting one back in the previous deal.

Cowboy26
Legend
4 years ago
Reply to  losangel

Maeda makes too much money compared to Stripling. His base is low but with easily obtainable incentives ( for a Dodger pitcher anyway) and the trade kicker Arte would be paying him $11,000,000 this year alone. Stripling’s $2,100,000 salary is way more desirable.

admkir
Trusted Member
4 years ago

Maybe the Angels could send a prospect to Boston and keep the current trade in place but adding Maeda to Angels???

eyespy
Super Member
4 years ago
Reply to  admkir


Stassi?

HalosFanForLife
Trusted Member
4 years ago

MLB.com reporting that Graterol staying with Twins – out of deal. Could get interesting.

Senator_John_Blutarsky
Legend

Twins back out of the Betts trade…..

Eric_in_Portland
Legend
4 years ago

Twins out of 3 way deal so….?

This is a mess! Pederson/Stripling is obviously contingent on the Dodgers getting Betts and Price and if that one falls through then so will our deal.

Mia
Legend
Mia
4 years ago
Reply to  eyespy

Classy. Along with the team opening the stadium up for the memorial for the Altobelli family.

I love our team.

eyespy
Super Member
4 years ago
Reply to  Mia


The funny thing is, Kobe changed to 24 after his visit to Colorado

OMAHALOFAN
Trusted Member
4 years ago
Reply to  eyespy

Many things can change after visiting Colorado, especially perception.

Cowboy26
Legend
4 years ago
Reply to  Mia

And all of these Kobe tributes have enabled everyone to hone their math skills

ScoopleDoople
Trusted Member
4 years ago
Reply to  Cowboy26

And a lot of times, the numbers are low enough that we can count using our fingers (and toes) to double check our results.

Stirrups
Member
4 years ago

Just flip Graterol to Anaheim and Stripling to Boston. “Stripling” is the kind of name you would see in a Boston rotation anyway.

JackFrost
Super Member
4 years ago
Reply to  Stirrups

Hey, wait just one minute. Us getting Stripling was the only good thing about this deal. This had better not happen. And I hope you are being sarcastic Stirrups. If Arte is mad now I imagine he would really raise hell with the MLB offices if something like that was attempted.

Stirrups
Member
4 years ago
Reply to  JackFrost

Shoulda taken my deal.

NorCalHalofan
Trusted Member
4 years ago

Kendrys Morales retiring. 2010 will always be my what if moment as an Angels fan. If he is not injured in 2010 and his numbers kept improving maybe there is no Pujols, Hambone etc…. Always kept track of his career, sorry he never really recovered.

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend

This series of trades with the DuhSux is starting to feel like a total fiasco. Why did they make this whole thing public on Tuesday? Why not wait until all the details were ironed out? Between Iowa, WashDC and this trade Feb 1 is officially fiasco week. Remember how some folks on some other shittier Angels site were talking about how Feb is short and I was yammering about how the Romans thought Feb was an unlucky month and tried not to do business this month? Well, maybe they were right.

ihearhowie3.0
Super Member
4 years ago
Reply to  Jeff Joiner

Angels official website had articles and videos from MLB Network discussing Joc and Stripling on the Angels. Thats media yeah but its the league’s official arm. It all said (REPORTED) next to it but they didn’t exactly temper the flames

ALL of that has been taken down now though on angels.com

Mia
Legend
Mia
4 years ago

Because if you don’t report it someone else will and then your bosses will be mad your outlet didn’t get the scoop. The need to be “first” is killing journalism.

eyespy
Super Member
4 years ago
Reply to  Mia

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4J demands scoops

losangel
Trusted Member
4 years ago

If it wasn’t leaked then the Sux couldn’t go back and ask for more. Now all the other teams want the deal done cause their players now know the team was ok to trade them.

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend
Reply to  losangel

Really? You’re still on this “dig a little deeper” trip even after a good night’s sleep? Like Bloom, who is a pretty damn good GM, decided that, for his first move rebuilding the Red Sox, he would make it impossible to ever complete a trade again by trying to bang one more prospect out of the vending machine? Because all the fans who were going to be mad when Betts was dealt are mad because Betts is being dealt? Bloom is the only person on earth who didn’t see that coming? Or is this just a “cause Bahtun evil!” moment? There’s no conspiracy here, they just decided that Gratoral is more screwed up than they though once they got the MRIs.

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losangel
Trusted Member
4 years ago

Call if whatever you want in terms of how we got here but the net result is going to be that Boston is Probably going to get more out of this trade and GM’s are going to be less likely to want to deal with them in future.

If Boston did this intentionally or not, that’s pure speculation, but the end result is the same. Super nice of you that you give them the benefit of the doubt but if I were an opposing GM I would approach with severe caution in the future when dealt with them.

Eric_in_Portland
Legend
4 years ago

Cody Allen to the Rangers so that dream is over

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend

Crap. Now he’s going to be good.

eyespy
Super Member
4 years ago

against us

losangel
Trusted Member
4 years ago

Red Sox: Evil geniuses or morons?

At first I was thinking they were just trying to back out of a trade out after the public outcry of being fleeced but now I’m wondering if they’re just evil geniuses. Betts and Price already knew they were on the trading block, it’s no surprise to them that they were dealt. But the Dodgers, Angels and Twins players might not of known they were on the block and it’s possible major harm has been done to that relationship.

I could very well see the Red Sox getting a better deal out of this because the other teams want the trade to go through maybe more than the Red Sox do or need to. Could be very evil if this is what they were planning from the beginning as Boras implies his medicals were common knowledge.

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend
Reply to  losangel

Medicals are never common knowledge. Times he’s been on the DL are common knowledge, missed starts, etc. cause HIPPA. Also, though you didn’t bring him up, I’ll include this other fact that needs restating constantly. Justin Upton has a full no trade clause.

There isn’t some dark Chowd Conspiracy here most likely. Bloom is going to want to be able to trade with teams in the future. The problem is just the Red Sox doctors probably. They got the medicals, have been burned by Drew Pomeranz and Nathan Eovaldi, and now they are really conservative about injury history. Both the Doyers and Twins have a ton of prospects. Between the three teams I don’t see how they can’t manage to smooth this out, but here we are….. Friday night.

Cowboy26
Legend
4 years ago

According to the impeachable Borass it is and I agree with him . This is nothing more than a ruse perpetuated by the Chowds and their medical Charlatans.

red floyd
Legend
4 years ago
Reply to  losangel

: Evil geniuses or morons?

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Mia
Legend
Mia
4 years ago

You’d think this would be a simple question to answer “no” to if they didn’t…

https://twitter.com/Buster_ESPN/status/1225922668408557568

Stirrups
Member
4 years ago
Reply to  Mia

How much did Nolan Ryan and his son know, and when did they know it?

eyespy
Super Member
4 years ago
Reply to  Stirrups


I’m guessing the(a) reporter contacted them first.

Mia
Legend
Mia
4 years ago
Reply to  Stirrups

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rspencer
Trusted Member
4 years ago
Reply to  Mia

YOU CAN’T HANDLE THE TRUTH!!

Mia
Legend
Mia
4 years ago

Are any of you watching this Hinch interview? I’m not sure what to make of it.

He seems to be implying he had no control over his team. Like he didn’t think he had authority over them…

John Henry Weitzel
Editor
Super Member
4 years ago
Reply to  Mia

Still mad he isn’t banned for life

Mia
Legend
Mia
4 years ago

Yep, after that interview I’m with you.

The only sincere part seemed to be when he was asked if he wants to manage again. He should never be allowed that chance. Especially because there’s no way it was just 2017. Fuck him and that entire FO staff for allowing this to go on.

And fuck Manfred for not discipling ANY players. Thank the FSM for the Nats.

Mia
Legend
Mia
4 years ago
Reply to  Jeff Joiner

Yep, saw that.

“On Sept. 22, 2016, an intern in the Houston Astros organization showed general manager Jeff Luhnow a PowerPoint presentation that featured the latest creation by the team’s high-tech front office: an Excel-based application programmed with an algorithm that could decode the opposing catchers’ signs. It was called “Codebreaker.”

The way Codebreaker worked was simple: Somebody would watch an in-game live feed and log the catcher’s signs into the spreadsheet, as well as the type of pitch that was actually thrown. With that information, Codebreaker determined how the signs corresponded with different pitches. Once decoded, that information would be communicated through intermediaries to a baserunner, who would relay them to the hitter.”

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend
Reply to  Jeff Joiner

Here we go. I knew that, with time, we’d get a clearer picture of who knew what and did what instead of just guessing and then raging about our guessing. It sounds like Hinch was the weakling who went along with an entire FO and a big pile of players. Shame that Manfred had to give players immunity, but hey, we would still be guessing about a lot of this in 2022 if he hadn’t cause MLBPA.

Now look for new Astros GM to totally clear house if he hasn’t already. Same with Baker and coaches. Eventually we may even see some bones dug out of Jim Crane’s closet and I can dislike him with actual facts instead of conjecture. Even if they have immunity it would be good if they dug up which players were involved in which ways too and made that public. Then my journey to really disliking Guriel with all of my heart can be complete….. or not, but probably.

Mia
Legend
Mia
4 years ago

The truth will out.

eyespy
Super Member
4 years ago
Reply to  Mia


It”s a hard watch. AJ is such a douche. Trying lawyer speak, but failing badly

WhatShouldIThrowToday
Member
4 years ago

Kendrys Morales Retired. Thanks BamBam!

Eric_in_Portland
Legend
4 years ago

it wasn’t his fault if it ever happened and I’m not so sure it did

WhatShouldIThrowToday
Member
4 years ago

I’m pretty sure it didn’t

FIREBIRD81
Member
4 years ago

The memories of that dude! I have always wondered if the home plate injury damaged a possible hall of fame career.

red floyd
Legend
4 years ago

More Kowbell!

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VictoriousVIC
Trusted Member
4 years ago

https://twitter.com/JonHeyman/status/1225884247925411841
El Jefe is getting pissy about the Dodgers holding up the Joc/Stripling trade. Quite honestly I don’t blame him. Must be frustrating getting a deal done then because of circumstances out of your control it gets put back on hold.

Charles Sutton
Editor
Super Member
4 years ago
Reply to  VictoriousVIC

Right! Not our problem about Graterol. A deal’s a deal.

red floyd
Legend
4 years ago
Reply to  Charles Sutton

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losangel
Trusted Member
4 years ago
Reply to  VictoriousVIC

I would also think people are going to hesitate trading with the Red Sox given this fiasco. Now, the perception is the Dodgers fleeced them, so maybe it’s still worth it this time, but this can’t be great for the Red Sox credibility going forward.

Senator_John_Blutarsky
Legend
Reply to  losangel

Maybe Minnesota shares in some of the blame? I’m not sure – has it been reported that they were forthcoming in the medicals on Graterol?

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend

Nah. This whole thing is only happening because everybody started counting unhatched chickens. The Red Sox were able to know about IL stints, missed starts, etc…. public reports of bumps, etc. But only the Twins had his actual medical records, tests, charts, etc. That’s never public, a HIPPA thing. There is a set time in a trade process where teams exchange this info on the players. The Twins sent the Red Sox the info, they didn’t hide anything. The Red Sox didn’t like the info.

The “controversy” is partly because everyone was writing/acting like the trade was done. It wasn’t. Also, you have people who want to get stuff in trade, or in future contract, for Gratoral declaring that they can’t see any reason he can’t be a starter. The trouble is, Boston is the one buying a future starter, and they don’t want to buy this one. They think this one smells like Alex Meyer.

DowningDude
Legend
4 years ago
Reply to  VictoriousVIC

Is this an old man yelling at a cloud moment?

Commander_Nate
Member
Trusted Member
4 years ago
Reply to  VictoriousVIC

I’m with Arte on this one.

We paid for our order three days ago, MFs. Give us our double-double already!

Senator_John_Blutarsky
Legend
Reply to  VictoriousVIC

He sounds like a guy who knows he fleeced the other guy and doesn’t want the other guy to “wise up”.

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend

While I have almost no curiosity as to why Boston doesn’t want Gratoral…. they just don’t….. I am curious about the Angels deal. It is, after all, separate from the Boston deal. I wonder how it was worded and set up? Will the Dodgers feel compelled to work out something with the Angels regardless of the Boston trade?

Tree
Member
4 years ago

Are those the Pearly Gates? Manfred: A Dramatic Gape.
The attempted Pedersen/Stripling/Rengifo trade shows just how close the Angels truly are to not just competing, but contending.

nishiogawakun
Super Member
4 years ago

Woot woo! Love me some HaloLinks!

admkir
Trusted Member
4 years ago

Another casualty of the Asstros cheating came today, Jessica Mendoza is out as part of Mets organization.

cookmeister
Trusted Member
4 years ago
Reply to  admkir

lol the Astros did not make Mendoza say what she said or receive backlash, or sign an extension with the Mets

cookmeister
Trusted Member
4 years ago
Reply to  cookmeister

with ESPN* sorry

eyespy
Super Member
4 years ago
Reply to  admkir

What is she going to do at ESPN? We’re they not looking to replace her with DConeHead?