LA Angels Thursday News Crash: To Pay or Not To Pay

Photo credit: Rex Fregosi

As Jeff Joiner noted yesterday, there are some issues concerning paychecks not going to Angels Minor League players. The Angels responded to a tangential issue. (Cheap Arte?) Meanwhile, Shohei Ohtani presents a pitching machine to a female baseball team from his alma mater in Hanamaki City, Iwate Prefecture Japan.  When in doubt, bat someone unusual at leadoff.  David Fletcher remains day to day.  The PTBNL in the Goodwin trade has been named. We might even see Packy Naughton pitch this year.  Angels activity:  Can you spot the differences in these two photos of Mike Trout?  Don’t scroll down too far or you will see the answer key, which will take the fun out of it. 

News From Around Baseball

Aroldis Chapman got a three game suspension for throwing at the head of Tampa Bay infielder Mike Brosseau.  He thinks it’s a little harsh and is appealing the suspension.  I think he already got the “MFY discount” when you compare his suspension to that of Joe Kelly.  For his part, Kevin Cash appears to have been suspended for saying something pretty ominous in post game comments.  MLB and YouTube will be teaming up to air four games as Game of the Week on YouTube later this month. 

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GrandpaBaseball
Legend
4 years ago

Teheran = Harvey

matthiasstephan
Super Member
4 years ago

I have a lot more faith in Teheran, and he isn’t coming off seasons of suck. He started the ‘season’ late, and is working himself into form. The last few starts are going in the right direction. Did that ever happen for Harvey?

Eric_in_Portland
Legend
4 years ago

lineup out now. Fletcher still sitting. We get Barreto starting. That ought to be fun.

GrandpaBaseball
Legend
4 years ago

Oh BOY! That helps in our race to catch Pirates and pull away from Red Sox. This is a weird way to root to help the team in the future, but if we are to win the pennant with Trout we got to do what is best. Barrento reminds me of Brandon Wood. A highly rated athlete that is a bust.

2002heaven
Super Member
4 years ago

2024 Angel’s infield
3B Werner Blakely, 2B David Fletcher…….Trade Dylan Bundy & Brandon Marsh in December for somebody’s top shelf SS prospect with a power bat ( Corey Seager, Xander Bogaerts, Fernando Tatis Jr kind of guy ).

Last edited 4 years ago by 2002heaven
matthiasstephan
Super Member
4 years ago
Reply to  2002heaven

Why would you trade for them, rather than pick up Lindor in FA in 22?

2002heaven
Super Member
4 years ago

because of money constraints and being a ball & chained slave to yet another expensive long term contract ( see Albert Pujols & Justin Upton ) we need to have youngsters grow together for intangibles sake.comment image

GrandpaBaseball
Legend
4 years ago
Reply to  2002heaven

What do you do with a 30+ million per year over 30 yrs old 3b? Lindor and Story are good fits. Seager injury prone and Bogaerts can field very well. Catcher and pitching are a huge hole. Marsh, Trout, Adell are going to be our OF. When Adames shows up my hope is Trout to 1b to prolong his career. Now there will be a big name catcher coming up as a free agent this winter and maybe……

2002heaven
Super Member
4 years ago

see the above einstein emoji explanation.
I want what Houston & Oakland have…..not the trainwreck we got right now. I mean a big power hitting All Star SS, guess what Angel’s fans we’ve never had a SS like that in our history and punching Judy’s type SS’s are obsolete in MLB. Gary DiSarcina and Luis Rengifo take a bow!

Last edited 4 years ago by 2002heaven
Cowboy26
Legend
4 years ago
Reply to  2002heaven

Dude you’re talking about Jim Fregosi.

Jeff Joiner
Editor
Legend
4 years ago
Reply to  2002heaven

Then we’d lose 10-5 instead of 10-3.

Lots of middle infield talent available for just money over the next two years.

Jeff Joiner
Editor
Legend
4 years ago
Reply to  Charles Sutton

I flipped on their game when I got home last night and instinctively cheered when Ozuna cracked one over the monster.

I know I need to root for them to win, but it is hard.

Fansince1971
Legend
4 years ago

Two left handers for Goody. I mean it’s not terrible given that he was a 4th outfielder who was kind of streaky.

Everyone has already discussed Zero (my favorite nickname for Naughton). So I’ll focus on the PTBNL.

Jose Salvador is a project for sure. But he also has potential. His numbers have been encouraging. In 111.1 innings dating back to 2018, he owns a 5-3 record with a 3.07 ERA, a 1.141 WHIP, and an 11.6 K/9. Now those are in rookie ball levels, but everyone has to start somewhere and this is a left hander with success where he has pitched.

All in all, Salvador should not be judged today. He is a raw talent that needs developing. We will need to wait and see.

As for the Goodwin trade it is a meh for me. Acquiring two left handers with potential for a 4th outfielder who had been claimed off waivers is not bad and it’s not great. It’s probably a B- trade.

Rahul Setty
Admin
Trusted Member
4 years ago
Reply to  Fansince1971

Gonna try and write something tonight on it. Trading an affordable, controllable, and good outfielder for two bullpen pieces for a team trying to win now is really, really bad!

Fansince1971
Legend
4 years ago
Reply to  Rahul Setty

Yeah the affordability and control issues are the key. It’s not like Goodwin was in the last year of his deal or expensive.

But for an arm starved system – two lefties is at least justifiable as a return. The bullpen is an unmitigated failure. That said the guy who built this bullpen made this trade so…..

I do agree that it seems more consistent with a rebuilding deal.

Jeff Joiner
Editor
Legend
4 years ago
Reply to  Rahul Setty

They key for me is the FG comp of Yarborough. Long reliever/spot starter is the pitching staff’s equivalent of a 4th outfielder.

That’s as rose tinted as I can look at it.

matthiasstephan
Super Member
4 years ago
Reply to  Rahul Setty

Is Packy a bullpen piece? Wasn’t he the Reds minor league starter of the year?

Besides, I thought the consensus was that we needed pitching, and we have OF moving up and need room for Adell and Marsh, can’t move Upton, and have GOAT in CF. Where does Goody keep playing?

Why is it ‘really really bad’ to move the 4th OF even if in arbitration for another 2 seasons? He would still be more expensive than Adell/Marsh in that role.

Rahul Setty
Admin
Trusted Member
4 years ago

Stay tuned for tomorrow!

h27kim
Trusted Member
4 years ago
Reply to  Fansince1971

Young prospect in rookie ball, so numbers probably aren’t as important. Do we know much about him beyond these?

AnAngelsFan
Super Member
4 years ago

So I guess the Goodwin trade was all for naught.

That PTBNL seems underwhelming.

Senator_John_Blutarsky
Legend
Reply to  AnAngelsFan

…but I’m sure he throws hard, has no control, and can likely can spin the ball like very few can do. All this means he’ll be a AAAA player that Arte can slow-pay.

Last edited 4 years ago by Senator_John_Blutarsky
PatrickNaN
Trusted Member
4 years ago

For the uneducated, why are the Rays and NYY in a tiff?

I completely get why Kelly did what he did.

AnAngelsFan
Super Member
4 years ago
Reply to  PatrickNaN

I just assume it is because the NYY are crybabies that don’t like being in second place.

Kelly’s suspension was reduced to 5 games, so why didn’t Chapman get 5 games? Is there a 2 game special penalty for throwing at the Trashtros?

YOUknowulovetheIE
Trusted Member
4 years ago
Reply to  AnAngelsFan

Exactly what it is.

Rahul Setty
Admin
Trusted Member
4 years ago
Reply to  Charles Sutton

To add to this, after Chapman threw at Brosseau’s head, he took several steps towards the plate, as if to goad the batter into charging the mound. I’m glad that Brosseau got his revenge game.

Jeff Joiner
Editor
Legend
4 years ago
Reply to  PatrickNaN

The Rays had the audacity to pitch the Yankees up and in to try to get them to stop crowding the plate. The Yanks, entitled as they are, did not like this. So they got mad and had Tanaka drill a guy earlier in the game.

WallyChuckChili
Legend
4 years ago

After Fernando Tatis Jr, who will be the next one compared to Trout?

Hopefully it’s Jo Adell.

ihearhowie3.0
Super Member
4 years ago

Luis Robert has already gotten a few of those before he even played a big league game! To his credit, he does look kind of amazing.

Senator_John_Blutarsky
Legend

The more important question is which one of the “wanna be” Mike Trout’s will make the playoffs before the real Mike Trout?

Rahul Setty
Admin
Trusted Member
4 years ago

Could be a bunch of guys, but perhaps it’s Wander Franco when he debuts?

YOUknowulovetheIE
Trusted Member
4 years ago

Trout was already an elite defender. Seems like adell has a long ways to go.

Jeff Joiner
Editor
Legend
4 years ago

Adell is learning a new position on the fly. Let’s not judge his defense until he’s had a few months in right field.

Jim Atkins
Super Member
4 years ago
Reply to  Jeff Joiner

A few more Calhounesque moves like last night and we can calm down a little.

Jeff Joiner
Editor
Legend
4 years ago
Reply to  Jim Atkins

Yes. The thing that stood out to me when I saw Adell in Spring Training in 2019 was how decisive of a fist step he made in center field. He was always in great fielding position well before the ball arrived.

I keep thinking that once he gets more used to the spin in right, he’ll be fine. Although, really, him in center and Trout in right would be ideal considering the difference in arm strength.