Shane Bieber won the American League Cy Young Award. Meanwhile, Trevor Bauer won the National League Cy Young Award. He was already going to be expensive. At least an Angels pitcher won something this year.
Angels Links
Shohei Ohtani started his off season throwing program in October. Arte Moreno talks a little bit about what the Angels have been doing so far this off season. (video link) Ken Rosenthal says the Angels could announce their new General Manager by the end of the week.
Qualifying Offer Links
Kevin Gausman and Marcus Stroman both accepted their qualifying offers. Meanwhile, George Springer, J.T. Realmuto, Trevor Bauer, and DJ LeMahieu all rejected their qualifying offers.
Hot Stove Links
Brian Gonzalez signed a minor league deal with the Rockies while Montana DuRapau signed a minor league deal with the Athletics. The Cubs got Jose Martinez from the Rays in exchange for cash. The Braves have re-signed Josh Tomlin for $1 million plus an option. The Giants signed infielder Jason Vosler. The bumper crop of good shortstops on the market is sure to complicate the Francisco Lindor trade being contemplated by Cleveland.
Photo credit: Rex Fregosi
Looks like Perry Minasian is going to be out next GM. Jon Morosi just tweeted the Angels hope to formally announce him as the next GM later today.
Oh Boy, another one of the “no experience” under the belt. How many times do the players and fans have to put up with the inept group of top 3 Kuhl, Carpino and the big dog Arte making this decision. At least the over the hill and never was top management that delivered, LaRussa is gone. So who should make the decision? Well if I was was Arte I listen to the other two and go in a different direction, such as maybe hiring experience over potential. And if it is about hiring out of front office that is doing well now, how did that work last time? But if I had to chose from a successful current front office it would be the Dodgers.But if it is Minasian I wish him a Congratulations and great success in the future.
After Bauer, who is everyone interested in signing in the case he may sign somewhere else? I’m kind of interested in signing Tanaka or walker, but don’t quite know how well those would work out.
Congrats to this UCSB Gaucho and native son of Orange CA…..2020 AL Cy Young winner
He could’ve been literally born in CF at Anaheim Stadium and we still would’ve missed on him……..unbelievable isn’t it! But then again he’s a pitcher!!! 😆  😥 
Yep, the Angels are terrible for not drafting every single good player that comes out of Southern California. Let’s ignore that the Dodgers, a team with a good scouting staff that is closer to UCSB also didn’t draft him. In fact, none of the 30 teams in the draft thought he was worth a pick in the 1st-3rd rounds. We’ll never know if the Angels would have taken him in the 4th round, because the Indians were two picks ahead of the Angels.
But forget all of that. What’s important is he was born in Orange County, he’s a good pitcher, and the Angels didn’t get him.
FWIW, Jeff Fletcher has indicated that it’s just a “formality” at this point and it’ll be Minasian as our new GM.
Here’s hoping that’s accurate!
McLeod and Porter are out of consideration for the GM position.
As Warfarin mentions, it looks like Minasian is the frontrunner (as Alden Gonzalez reports).
It looks like we will know later today.
The sooner the better, imo. Hot Stove doesn’t work well without a GM in place.
Agreed. I mentioned that we should definitely have a GM in place by next Monday at the latest, given that he will need to make some decisions by 11/20 (rule 5 draft protection). So I’m glad to hear we’ll have one in place by today, hopefully.
I will give whoever it is a chance, but I do have to say I hope it is Minasian. I really like his pedigree, working for two organizations with strong farm systems, and working alongside Anthropolous, who is widely considered one of the best in the business.
Can he scout and develop talent?
Duz hee noh pitcherz, shortstaupz, and therd basemen?
See Astros and A’s infields.
Sounds like Minasian is the front-runner for the job. If it is indeed him, I’m pleased. Of the 5 candidates we had, I would say he had the best pedigree. Obviously that guarantees nothing, but I’m willing to give it a shot.
I would expect him to bring some of his team from Atlanta with him. If you look at the strength of Altanta’s farm system, this should definitely be a positive. Or so we hope, right?
So, Stroman is out. And Bauer is the top priority – for everyone. What do we think it takes to get him? Could we back load the actual payments, if that means we can ‘save’ enough this year to wait for Pujols money to come off the books (always working with the theory that Arte cares more about payroll year to year than AAV (which only has salary cap implications). Would he take a 4/110 contract, if we pay him only 10 in 2021 and 33 the remaining three years?
But, other than getting Bauer – who would we target? NBC has an article with their top 10 pitchers on the market.
They are, in order, Bauer, Stroman (gone), Tanaka, Kluber, Paxton, Ray (gone), Odorizzi, Lester, Taijuan Walker, and Mike Minor. It is an intriguing list. It doesn’t map onto the 2020 WAR order (as MLB puts out), and leaves off Morton (because he signs in Tampa or not at all?), and it is heavy on people bouncing back to form (like Kluber, Paxton, Odorizzi) from injury or poor performance.
I think we should consider targeting from this list, especially if Bauer is out of reach (hoping we sign him, but if not …?). There is an article out suggesting Tanaka can be had for 4/58, and I think that 13M would be great for us. Tanaka is good, not consistently great, but would be an excellent pick up. I would also think adding Walker, off a successful 2020 for two teams and proving he is bounced back, would be good. 3/30? More? Those would be my targets to pair with our existing rotation, and intriguing ‘prospects’ (meaning everyone from Barria and Sandoval to Detmers). With Bundy, Heaney, Canning, Ohtani (maybe) that could make for a decent rotation (and I would hope we could add a reliever and perhaps someone like Shoemaker or Richards (for nostalgia sake).
Thoughts?
Bauer I would imagine is going to the Mets. They have maybe the one owner in the entire sport willing to spend as if the pandemic didn’t just happen and that will be a big advantage this year.
DeGrom, Syndergaard, Stroman and Bauer is a hell of a rotation.
Meanwhile the GM less Angels will most likely trot out the same basic rotation as last year, while spending their off season hiring an assistant GM to replace Eppler. Well The Angels can always flip one of their glut of toolsy outfielders for a front line starter, I mean that always has seemed to work out for them. Looks like my dream of The Angels hiring a President of Baseball Operations,who hires a G.M. and scouting staff while Arte / Carpino / Kuhl spend their time on the development project of the stadium is a dream that will never be realized.
I hear you on the PBO vs GM, but the key thing isn’t so much the title as it is the staff that the GM will be able to build. Notably, the Dodgers and Braves both have a PBO but NO GM – they have assistant GMs. Friedman and Anthropolous are both PBO and GM.
So, really, the key thing will be to see how much Arte lets our new GM invest in terms of FO infrastructure. Obviously I understand being pessimistic about it, but perhaps Arte will do that moving forward. We’ll see.
Looks like Arte is effectively still the GM and is just hiring an assistant GM to carry out his orders and be the sacrificial lamb after failing to make the playoffs again.