MVP Results
The MVP results are out. The National League MVP is Freddie Freeman. The American League MVP is Jose Abreu. This was the last award for awards week. We can now turn our attention to protecting guys from the Rule 5 draft and later to non-tendering certain guys.
Angels Related Links
Perry Minasian, former Assistant General Manager of the Atlanta Braves, is the Angels new General Manager. He has a four year deal. He is to be introduced formally next Tuesday. There was actually a Dodger Assistant GM who was a finalist for the Angels GM position after all. The Angels have signed right handed pitcher Jake Reed and infielder Kean Wong to minor league contracts with spring training invites. The Angels have 9 guys in their top 30 prospects that would need to be protected from the Rule 5 Draft. Brandon Marsh is a no brainer. It would be kind of silly to trade for Packy Naughton and then fail to protect him. There is only so much room on the 40 man roster, though. Who do you think we protect? Chris Rodriguez? Well, complaining about Albert Pujols now transcends the Angels fan base. In answer to the question: a deal’s a deal. Caveat emptor!
Other Links
Negotiations are now underway between the player’s union and MLB concerning which 2020 rule changes to hang onto in 2021. Let’s get rid of that stupid idea about holding the World Series in a neutral park. If it was up to me, the man on second base to start the tenth inning would have to go as well. I don’t mind the universal designated hitter rule. The Yankees have been in touch with Andrelton Simmons. Here is another crazy kid stealing home with a gymnastics display. Where are these guys learning this stuff? Video games?
Did y’all see that Ken Rosenthal suggested Freeman was a legitimate candidate to come home to OC as a free agent next year after the Pujols contract expires? Fletcher, Trout, Rendon, Freeman. Whoa!
The Angels don’t really need Freeman, they need pitching, and lots of it.
If his contract demands weren’t too high I’d still take him though. Freeman, Rendon, Trout, a more “veteran” Fletcher…. that’s a clubhouse with a lot of low ego high caliber leadership and a lot of skill to boot. But it would be pure luxury, only worth it if we got pitching first.
“UP IN LIGHTS!!!” did you hear me LIGHTS!!!”
as the rest of the organization suffers
Freeman is great, but consider: we “recently” signed a 32 year old free agent first baseman who was a stud offensively, and that has not turned out too well for us.
Of note, Freeman will be a 32 year old free agent first baseman. No disrespect to him, but I’d much, much, much rather roll with Walsh at his league minimum salary, and use whatever money we would have spent on Freeman towards other areas of need instead.
Walsh is definitely the better play.
Per Fangraphs’ “Depth Charts,” we’re actually the 5th best AL team entering the offseason, tied with the A’s:
https://www.fangraphs.com/depthcharts.aspx?position=ALL&teamid=1
If you look at the breakdown a bit further, we could really significantly improve our projections fairly cheaply with a 2B like Wong/Hernandez and a RF (someone like Pederson), as 2B and RF are two of our weakest areas per the projections.
We can, of course, make a large leap with someone like Bauer as well, too.
This is fake news lies. The Angels are second only to the Pirates in worsiness and stinky poo owner poops. Also wasting Troutprime and owner likes Trump so that means all our players are 8% less good than they would be otherwise and our owner literally sets scouts on fire and kills them because he hates science. Literally.
Though these guys are actually right. If we could even get just average pitching while guys like Ward/Walsh/Stassi produce at less inflated but still OK levels and guys like Ohtani, Upton and Rengifo come back toward normal and Trout and Rendon continue to be good then this team is a middle infielder and catcher away from being pretty damn deep. Trouble is, that was true at the beginning of last season.
Still, I think a bunch of our players had aberrantly bad seasons last year because of no Spring Training, etc and if things slide more toward normal we will be better/deeper. If they signed say Kurt Suzuki, Kiki Hernandez and Freddy Galvis we’d be deep like an ocean.
Then Sgt Schultz looks at the pitching staff and lower levels
I mentioned the pitching, and I think they are talking about MLB Roster, but thanks sadsack, don’t know what we’d do without you.
HONK-HONK gitchogritchoffmypettis
I was just stating where I think the money should be going, Ol’little Miss Sally Sensitive.
What is so sad about sating the obvious, at least to me, when we all know that would take a rebuild, and we all know that ain’t gonna happen.
You just brought up that build up the non pitching, non development, sides of the organization. As places to spend necessary money, which Arte won’t make available to the GM, or any other member of the organization. He hasn’t yet.
HONK-HONK, they were talking whole team at FGs, and you my friend, would be lost
Mlbtr somehow didn’t tag this to the Angels (maybe because nobody cares), but Briceno is gone to CO. https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2020/11/rockies-sign-jose-briceno.html
Great! Now we’re down to Bemboom and Bum-hip. Some of our precious budget must be spent on another catcher this off season.
Jeff Mathis is available. He’s premium.
Ahh Mane
This is cool:
Trout Porn
So you’re saying he’s pretty good, but still no Harper, Puig or Judge. I mean, are his blast Judgian?
Very good find and fun.
Middle infield need – Kean Wong CHECK
Pitching need- Jake Reed CHECK
I’m ready for Spring Training!
A name that got brought up often before the Angels finally hired Eppler got a job with the Marlins.
https://www.mlb.com/news/kim-ng-new-marlins-gm-first-female-general-manager-in-mlb
That’s so awesome! Hope she has success there.
Agreed! I hope the Marlins win the pennant and then loose in 7 to Mike Trout and the Angels. However, I’m not going to place any bets on this.
I really think there’s a huge market inefficiency when it comes to women in talent scouting and acquisition.
Hard to phrase it correctly, but men tend to get overly impresses by athleticism to the point we overlook mental makeup.
.
I always thought it would be cool to have man/woman teams as scouts. They notice all kinds of different things and I bet you’d get some really good depth on guys you intend to roll the dice on.
Trouble with the Curve
Dottie Hinson making sure talented Marla Hooch was given a shot
While we aren’t in the same seemingly ‘need’ situation that the Yankee article suggests they are, I still think the better move is to resign Simba.
How many teams out there are in the market for SS (or middle infielders)?
Personally, I’d rather Fletcher play SS and instead find a 2B, who will assuredly be much cheaper than signing a SS.
The bulk of our resources should be focused on pitching, but we should still be able to carve out a modest amount for a 2B and, possibly, a LHH corner OF to provide more lineup balance.
When it all shakes out we will probably be able to get a SS like Freddy Galvis for cheap too. We don’t NEED to put Fletch at SS and those two complimented with Rendon at 3B will probably make a solid infield.
I also think we need to sign a SS rather than a 2B, for positional flexibility. Fletch as 2B has backups (in Rengifo, Barretto, Jam Jones, Ward maybe), but I wouldn’t trust those to back up SS and 3B. If Fletch is the starting SS, then any time off for Rendon or Fletch leaves us with a lot of holes in the IF.
I would rather have Simba than Galvis. Is it sure there is a big price difference?
The defensive gain at having Simmons is significant (especially at SS, where Galvis has been a defensive liability the last two years, as his bat has also suffered).
I’d rather have Simba too but he will probably cost more because he is better. If I got Galvis and Brad Kintzler (for example) for the same price as Simba I’d be happy enough.
I agree! Resign Simba!
I’m hoping for a 2B this season, maybe Wong or Hernandez, and then sign one of the SS available next year after Albert’s salary comes off the books.
Pretty much in the same boat. There are so many 2B available I think a decent one is available cheaply. Although I do prefer Fletcher at 2B.
Hernandez and his OBP would be nice.
Yeah, this will be fine too. For now Rendon makes up for a lack of range/arm a little at SS.
I prefer Davie at third, but that ain’t happening. Let him have 2nd, and get a SS. There are more hitting SS with gloves then at second base
As long as we are all wishing, I wish one or more of our SS prospects blossoms next season and we pass on the SS spending frenzy and buy moar pitching…. sign a guy this year, extend Bundy, sign Thor and Danial Norris next year…. yaaazzzz. Jerz Jackson 2022 SS…. or looks good enough that we just sign a 1 year stop gap again.
Next season might not be realistic, but signing a SS for 3 years should let us see if it is a need (and avoid the frenzy you speak of).
I’m up for the DH rule. Watching pitchers bat has all the entertainment value of watching the same miracle appliance infomercial all afternoon. The argument about having them be responsible for all facets of play is pretty specious. Pitchers don’t put any focus on batting, as shown by their 2019 slashline. Atrocious. Extra innings with a guy on second? Absolutely not. Tried it, hated it.
DH rule is here to stay, I think. More money for players (help with the agreement) and less risk of pitchers getting hurt. Plus, it fits with Manfred’s including ‘excitement’ in the game (a changed game, but with more hitting).
Definitely. Nice play to make the vets happy and vets make up the bulk of the union leadership. 15 new jobs for slow footed sluggers. And Dingerz!
But where will AL pitchers with a 4.00 ERA go to become Cy Young contenders now?
After the 6th week it was a done deal for both of them as both Freeman and Abreu were clearly having a fun time leading their respective clubs to the playoffs. Congrats to them. Our scribes here at CTPG how did this work out for you guys?
Nice to see Freeman come back so strong from COVID-19. I understand it kicked his butt pretty good last spring.
(Well. I guess it was in the summer.)
I’ve just watched that kid score Twenty times and still can’t believe it. In PONY Baseball they start the kids now at 4 yrs old, and starting in the Bronco Division (Ages 11-12) that’s a legal play but just maybe not taught, but it sure looks a lot like Spiderman with no web.
I don’t think that is legal in any amateur league. Liability is too damn high
While there is no rule against it, it certainly can’t be taught and not many kids would try it.
Head first is an automatic out. That is how I would call it.
That move shouldn’t be legal. The only reason it worked is because the catcher’s natural instinct was to duck to avoid taking a knee to the face. If the catcher stands up instead to get the out, the runner gets a groin injury and the catcher gets a head injury.
Looked like the catcher was going for the tag. Depending on how sticky that mud was (field didn’t look that dry), as swim tag of home was probably possible (though it would have been close).
It was just like when a runner in football hurdles a defender. If the defender anticipates the leap, then the runner looks stupid and the defender gets his helmet buried in some groin. But if the defender goes low for a tackle and the hurdle works, it’s magnificent.