LA Angels Tuesday News Crash- ROY Awards

The ROY Awards are out. Devin Williams (of the Brewers) won National League Rookie of the Year.  Kyle Lewis (of the Mariners) won American League Rookie of the Year. 

Angels Related Links

The Angels search for a General Manager is boiled down to three candidates who will complete their interviews by the end of next week.  This is an overview of the Angels probable roster situation next year.  It’s Garret Anderson week here at Crashing the Pearly Gates.

Links From The Hot Stove

The Red Sox have expressed interest in hiring Matt Shoemaker.  In fact, multiple teams are apparently interested in Shoemaker, including the Kansas City Royals.  Francisco Lindor is still going to be traded, but apparently not any time soon. I wonder if we are kicking the tires on Joe Musgrove.  This writer speculates on Andrelton Simmons going to the Phillies.  He thinks a one year deal with an option is what Simmons can expect.  The Rockies have signed right hander Dereck Rodriguez to a minor league deal with a spring training invite.  He’s the son of Ivan Rodriguez.  The Toronto Blue Jays have signed Robbie Ray to a one year deal worth $8 million. 

Miscellaneous Baseball Links

Jeff Luhnow is suing the Astros for breach of contract.  That should be fun.  Bubba Harkins approves this article.  Seriously, though, one coach estimates 99.9% of players are using some sort of sticky substance to improve grip on the ball.  Peter Woodfork has been promoted by MLB to Senior Vice President, Minor League Operations and Development. 

Photo credit: Rex Fregosi

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TheCheetah
Member
4 years ago

For Angels GM, Ken Rosenthal says there are still five remaining:

<blockquote class=”twitter-tweet”><p lang=”en” dir=”ltr”>The Angels are down to five finalists for their GM opening and could decide by the end of the week, sources tell The Athletic. Four of the finalists are Cubs senior VP Jason McLeod, DBacks assistant GMs Jared Porter and Amiel Sawdaye and Mariners assistant GM Justin Hollander.</p>&mdash; Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) <a href=”https://twitter.com/Ken_Rosenthal/status/1326385865527058432?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>November 11, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src=”https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js” charset=”utf-8″></script>

Last edited 4 years ago by TheCheetah
HalosFanForLife
Super Member
4 years ago

Hey Alberto, how about a long term front office deal?

HalosFanForLife
Super Member
4 years ago

Stroman or Bauer? Both big personalities that could be distractions. Who do you want? (Bauer for me.)

Greatjake
Member
4 years ago

Bauer and I don’t have to think twice. He’s is head and shoulders above Stroman and the fact that it’s being thought of as close is laughable IMO. Stroman’s ceiling (3 WAR) is Bauer’s floor. Bauer has been a legit Cy Young contender twice and Stroman has never approached that level. Bauer’s 2020 was nearly a 3 WAR campaign by itself. Bauer is unquestionably the superior talent.

Last edited 4 years ago by Greatjake
Mia
Legend
Mia
4 years ago
Reply to  Greatjake

Bauer, absolutely. But I have this nagging feeling that Stroman will be the easier of the two to convince to come here.

FungoAle
Legend
4 years ago

No on Stroman. Halos would regret this move. I feel very confident about that.

Jeff Joiner
Editor
Legend
4 years ago

Musgrove is exactly the type of guy the Angels should look to acquire. He’s established himself as league average and durable. But he’s only 27, 28 next month, so there could still be some upside remaining.

We finally have a good pitching coach. If I was the GM I’d lean heavily on Callaway to determine my interest.

Mia
Legend
Mia
4 years ago

https://twitter.com/timbhealey/status/1326219433174568962?s=21

Maybe we can trade owners with the Mets?

matthiasstephan
Super Member
4 years ago

For all the reasons that the article on Simba suggests, I think we should sign him. The article claims Simba is the 3rd best FA SS, and would want the stability of a longer than one year contract. Also, with ankle injuries in the past two years, his value on the market is down.

It lists Semien and Didi as the top 2 FA SS.

I don’t believe that Semien is a premier SS (he had a break out season in 2019, but that looks more like an outlier than him having figured it out (also see 2020 as back to his norm). I suspect, based on that one great season, he will cost more and someone will sign him for a few years, but I don’t think he is sure bet for more than about 90 OPS+.

Didi is considered better with the bat than Simba, though there have been articles posted here lately suggesting his supporting stats suggest that even his better than recent average 2020 wasn’t sustainable across a season. There is a reason NY cut him loose, and Philly isn’t quickly resigning him. I suggest that articles like this one drive his value up (with the idea that somehow he is a safe #5 hitter – plug and go), which could be good for us in targeting Simba.

I think we should bring him back on a 3 year deal (3/27? 3/30?), allowing our prospects to develop, let Fletcher play 2B (at an elite level) and have Rengifo and Barretto back up.

GrandpaBaseball
Legend
4 years ago

You hit all the right marks and I have nothing to add except I am a Simba fan and backer. I would much rather have Simba over Didi or Sieman and would even go 3 for 12 per. Makes a pitching staff look better with his play at Short and his smile and enthusiasm is over the top. The team is really crazy to not bring him back, he is an Angel at heart and loves playing here.

Greatjake
Member
4 years ago

I think we should look at all the options first. A guy like Nick Ahmed (who’s Simba lite) may be available at a discount due to COVID related money troubles. Lindor and Story may be available at affordable prices due to a limited number of suitors. I’m not ready to throw $30m at Simba until we’re sure it makes sense

HalosFanForLife
Super Member
4 years ago
Reply to  Greatjake

Or do we just get a one year rental deal and get in on the Story, Lindor, Báez, Correa, and Seager sweepstakes when the Pujols deal expires?

Jeff Joiner
Editor
Legend
4 years ago

I really like Simba but ankle injuries scare me. Probably because they are the one form of injury I’ve actually dealt with in my life. Once those stirrups get loose they tend to stay loose. You limp a bit and then the hip hurts, etc.

Simba is great when he’s in the field but he’s been on the field less and less each year and his bat is getting worse and worse, likely due to a lack of drive from his lower half.

With so much middle infield talent on the market this year and next, I really think the Angels should be cautious if they re-sign him.

GrandpaBaseball
Legend
4 years ago
Reply to  Jeff Joiner

I also dealt with ankle injury that took almost 2 years to recover from and I think he is still a top notch middle infielder. Cautious + money or years or both? He knows he is not in the 15 per year class any longer and maybe 3 years is his max, but he is still better than anyone out there now for any amount of money.

BushLeague
Member
4 years ago

I don’t want to see any position player signings until we sign some pitchers. We can get by with an underwhelming middle infielder. You know how the story ends with our underwhelming pitchers.

2002heaven
Super Member
4 years ago
Reply to  BushLeague

You forgot that Arte doesn’t wanna pay for pitchers ( Zack Greinke & Gerrit Cole ). That’s why we’re the lowest paying team in MLB for pitching ( no BS….even below Pittsburgh and KC and other small markets!!! ).
Trevor Bauer won’t be a Angel in 2021.

GrandpaBaseball
Legend
4 years ago
Reply to  2002heaven

Hmmm, We were used by Cole and Arte did step up on that one. But historically Arte does not like paying the bucks to pitchers as we saw with FRod and Weaver having to give a discount. But as we saw with Cole he has changed his ways but there just is not but only one out there this off season and I just don’t see him coming to SoCal.

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend
Reply to  2002heaven

Yes, it was totally badong how Arte didn’t want to sign Cole or Greinke. I so very remember that. It was the worsiest how he just didn’t want to spend and offered laughably low ball contracts with perks like jelly of the month club memberships. What an asshole. An asshole who hates pitching. Even though massive pitching contracts always work out fantastic. What a tool he Arte is. I hate him because he is stoopid.

2002heaven
Super Member
4 years ago

Zack Greinke’s been a lot better than Albert Pujols, Josh Hamilton, and Justin Upton 😎  💪  🤘 
I think we should’ve resigned him.

2002heaven
Super Member
4 years ago

Paris and JJ are prospects?
Who drafted them makes me doubtful about that.
Farm system #25 in MLB rankings after 5 yrs of you know who. Bring back Simba to SS because that’s all we can do before climbing out of the Dark Ages ( 2016-2020 ). 😫  😥 

matthiasstephan
Super Member
4 years ago
Reply to  2002heaven

I get it, you are down on Eppler. Fair enough. That doesn’t mean that one of the Rookie league SS won’t pan out in a few years. I think paying Simba for a few years is a better move than trying to trade for Lindor, or paying for the probably more expensive FA SS in 2021. I also think Fletch is a better fit at 2B.

I want us to spend as much money as possible on pitching, but I think this solves the IF for three years, with no additional planned cost. So pitching this year, pitching next year, and pitching pitching all the way out.

Besides, at least the MLB assessment thinks our toolsy prospects make for exciting farm potential.

Angels (2)
6. Jo Adell, OF (ETA: 2020)
79. Brandon Marsh, OF (2020)

This is a farm system that definitely needs an up arrow next to its name, and that’s not just because top prospect Jo Adell has company in the Top 100 (though the Adell-Marsh outfield tandem should excite Angels fans). There’s a ton of upside in this system, and while that comes with some risk, even some moderate steps forward, particularly from the toolsy position players, would vault Los Angeles into the top half of farm systems in baseball.

HalosFanForLife
Super Member
4 years ago

I agree – as much as I love Fletch, I don’t like him at SS. But I see him as an All Star quality 2nd Baseman. In my opinion, he really looked shaky sometimes at short. I think we have to go for a SS. I’m all for the return of Simba – because he’s such a difference maker in the field and will ease the pitching load over the course of a season.

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend

Who ever wrote that blurb about our toolsy farm being a possible top half farm if some players break right is a stoopid. No players below AAA will ever be any good. Even if they turn out to have super good stats, etc they will actually suck because Billy Eppler brought them into the system and, at some point, Billy Eppler knocked over 2002heaven’s beer or parked in a spot he was going to take or something. Also, Shane Beiber. Also, Pete Alonso. Nuffzedright?

Thing is, pitching aside, our system needs to produce a starting OF, a middle IF, a catcher of some type, a couple useful bench players and that would be pretty much all we need for it to be effective over the next couple years. It’s not that tall an order. We just really need to draft and buy and grow and steal and bribe for pitching.