LA Angels Weekend News Crash: Shake Up?

The Angels are considered one of the ten teams that could shake up the off season.  What causes anyone to believe Arte Moreno will seriously open up his pocket book?  In other news, Keynan Middleton may have been non-tendered  but the Angels twitter feed and the official Angels site made no announcement as of press time for these links. 

Meanwhile, below are links to the Crashing The Pearly Gates series on what we would do if we were Perry Minasian. Pick up a pen because everybody can play. The estimated financial budget within which we are working appears in the first text block of each of these articles. If you wrote a Fan Post, be patient. We are having an early glut of staff writers submitting articles but we hope to give everybody their chance.

If I was Perry, Part I:  Brent Maguire. 

If I was Perry, Part II:  Jeff Joiner. 

Links From Around Baseball

Terry Collins says he is retired.  Here is a listing of likely destinations for Josh Hader.  Unfortunately, the Angels did not make the short list on the grounds that they have more pressing needs.  On a related note, this is a ranking of five second tier starting pitchers as seen from a Mets perspective and this is the tier we will probably be shopping in. Will that shake up the off season?  The Brewers have promoted Matt Arnold to Senior Vice President and General Manager.  Therefore, now Perry Minasian has someone different to deal with.  Trevor Bauer tweeted an anti-steroids stance, or what appears to be an anti-steroids stance, although I’d hardly expect him publicly to tweet a pro-steroids stance.  The Dodgers laid off an unknown number of employees.  Lindy McDaniel, an all star reliever with 21 MLB seasons under his belt died at the age of 84. 

Round and round Trevor Bauer goes. Where he stops, nobody knows! (Trigger warning if you are epileptic! Don’t look at the hat logos.) Aroldis Chapman’s suspension is now only two games. Why couldn’t Joe Kelly get this deal? He’s not a Yankee?

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eyespy
Super Member
nishiogawakun
Super Member
3 years ago
Reply to  eyespy

This could be really REALLY good!

Rallymanatee
Trusted Member
3 years ago

Angels add outfield depth. Possibly a precursor to trading Adell or Walsh? https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2020/11/angels-sign-scott-schebler.html

Guest
3 years ago
Reply to  Rallymanatee

No way Adell goes anywhere but AAA next year, virus permitting. Likely a few more of these for the OF comp in spring vs. one multi M guy. Only way I trade Walsh is for promising pitching.

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend
Reply to 

Yeah, getting what is probably the best MiLB deal OF on the market is actually more of a sign that the Angels intend to soldier on with Adell in Salt Lake than it is that they trade him. He could still go for pitching though.

Rallymanatee
Trusted Member
3 years ago
Reply to 

Yeah he’s probably still untouchable. Plus he needs to reestablish his trade value after that embarrassing debut.

JackFrost
Super Member
3 years ago
Reply to 

Correction: “The only way I trade Walsh is for PROVEN pitching.”

Guest
3 years ago
Reply to  JackFrost

No complaints here, but age and short sample size would limit return methinks unless included in a larger package.

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend
Reply to  Rallymanatee

This is actually a good move. When Atlanta dropped him I kind of hoped we’d nab him cheap. For 900K he could pretty much be Kole Calhoun and gives us the opportunity to pair him with T-Ward (and Walsh when PooHole plays 1B) out in right and start Adell off in AAA. This was a good buy low pick up as long as his shoulder has actually healed.

eyespy
Super Member
3 years ago

Atlanta dropped a few players awhile back, we got at least one, and we were disapoint. Atlanta knows what they are doing.

Like back in the day, if the Braves traded a pitcher, he was already toast.

Guest
3 years ago
Reply to  eyespy

Who’s our GM?

eyespy
Super Member
3 years ago
Reply to 

Well two teams now know what the Braves have. I still don’t think the Braves will trade anything of value. Bobby Cox is the one that got that team to where it is in development. They won’t let just any player go.

Guest
3 years ago
Reply to  eyespy

I was more responding to your comment “Braves know what they’re doing”. Maybe Halos will now too.

eyespy
Super Member
3 years ago
Reply to 

I got that, and that doesn’t mean they are still friends.

Perry is also hiring a few fellows from the Braves, so the only thing I can see us getting from the Braves now are pet projects. At a price. Some people just can’t, let it go.

GrandpaBaseball
Legend
3 years ago

Even after a decade or two, I think we will remember this year forever, after all hindsight is 2020…………..lol

eyespy
Super Member
3 years ago

https://twitter.com/jonmorosi/status/1329951883008630785

If that is how it’s going to be, picking up pieces you got a boner on, then we should have just stayed with JarJar Derpoto

Last edited 3 years ago by eyespy
Rallymanatee
Trusted Member
3 years ago
Reply to  eyespy

Yeah not excited about Happ. Too old. There are much younger options in tier 2

GrandpaBaseball
Legend
3 years ago
Reply to  Rallymanatee

He will be less money and short term, good invite.

Brent
Super Member
3 years ago

SO LONG Keynan Middleton!

Mia
Legend
Mia
3 years ago
Reply to  Brent

This is incorrect, according to his IG.

JackFrost
Super Member
3 years ago
Reply to  Mia

Not sure what comment from his IG you’re referencing. I follow him on IG and don’t see anything from last few posts that seems highly significant. Maybe further back?

Just for the record, I like Kenyan. I still think he can be pretty good , and I wish the Angels did not give up on players so quickly. I see both KM and Robles going on and being productive somewhere else, and you know, that will be our loss.

As for Kenyan’s comments about the fans, I fully support his right to say it, AND I actually agree with him. My criticism of him would be that I think he perhaps was a little naive about what the repercussions of his comments would be. I don’t think he was aware of the consequences, and I think part of being responsible is being aware.

Mia
Legend
Mia
3 years ago
Reply to  JackFrost

In his stories, still there. Here’s a link to a screenshot:

comment image

JackFrost
Super Member
3 years ago
Reply to  Mia

Hmmm. I saw this when I went to his page about 20 mins ago but did not see it this morning.

In any case, I don’t take the comments/sentiments of one person as indicative of an entire community. It is good that Shaggy feels this way but that does not mean that the majority of OC season ticket holders who heard/read his comments about the silence of the crowd were not bothered by it.

Last edited 3 years ago by JackFrost
MH252525
Trusted Member
3 years ago

Kinda weird that the Angels would non-tender Middleton. He wasn’t suppose to make that much right, and he’s exactly the type of arm that can just figure it out. Maybe his medicals are showing an injury?

Fansince1971
Legend
3 years ago
Reply to  MH252525

Might have to do with his very unpopular comments this season re the empty Angel stadium being the loudest he has ever heard it. The team doesn’t put up with that bs from a guy who overall sucks.

Last edited 3 years ago by Fansince1971
2002heaven
Super Member
3 years ago
Reply to  Fansince1971

Damm pretty severe criticism for a guy who was once our top closer prospect since Kevin Jepson!
( He bombed BTW which is why I’m not a Ed Bane cult member ). Almost all our top young talent eventually either bombed ( Jo Adell, Matt Thaiss, Jaime Barria ) or got injured ( Griffin Canning, Shohei Ohtani ).

eyespy
Super Member
3 years ago
Reply to  2002heaven

Hype. They need to do it before they take off the cover. Can’t get a good price without the hype, but Arte blocked all these trades by taking pieces off the table, because mine.

MLB has always been messed up. It was never a place ran by good guys.

Last edited 3 years ago by eyespy
JackFrost
Super Member
3 years ago
Reply to  Fansince1971

I certainly think his twitter and IG presence has something to do with this. Whether it was the actual impetus I don’t know.

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend
Reply to  JackFrost

I think it’s more just that he’s much more expensive than league minimum and he’s not much better than a league minimum pitcher. 100 MPH fastballs are just far easier to find now. Not that he has one anymore. Those Twitter comments probably just earned him a talking to, this move is mostly just Minasian wanting that money and roster spot because he thinks he can bring in better.

JackFrost
Super Member
3 years ago

Again, I am not saying those are the reason he’s gone, but Arte seems to tolerate very little in terms of “outside the box” behavior from his players. This would be especially true of younger and essentially unproven players.

Orange County is very conservative and straight-laced. It seems like the Angels want guys who follow the straight and narrow.

And on top of that MLB is not the NBA. In the latter I think guys can get away with being more unconventional and outspoken. I think this is true in general and not just about any one team. The baseball audience is more concerned with family values whereas the NBA have a hard-edged “street” element.

2002heaven
Super Member
3 years ago
Reply to  JackFrost

And yet Trevor B with his pro #45 views would be OK?
A Curt Schilling wanna be.
He’ll only be able to play in Houston, Atlanta, Arizona, and Boston…….A white guy with his social views, + they’re the only teams that can afford to pay him what he wants. Both NY teams, Bay Area teams, Seattle, Philly, and the Dodgers aren’t gonna touch him.

eyespy
Super Member
3 years ago

He’s not even a pitcher. Not by Major League standards.

Key has zero pitches in his arsenal. Yes he can throw 100MPH, “Grip it and rip it”, with absolutely no control. He’s not wild, but where his pitch will go, nobody knows. His arm slots are many, he can’t hide a pitch, he doesn’t understand how to set batters up, he has no stamina, he is unable to learn how to pitch.

The problem is, he is not a baseball player. Started too late. Has/had a skill that scouts covet, and he was worth a shot, but in the scheme of things, he never worked out. A team is unable to develop a player if they are unwilling to develop. What truly ended he career early was Rule 5.10(g), and Middleton is a project Perry didn’t need to deal with at this time, let him be another teams project.

YOUknowulovetheIE
Trusted Member
3 years ago
Reply to  eyespy

Does he even hit 100? I swear he was throwing 97 max last season.

GrandpaBaseball
Legend
3 years ago
Reply to  MH252525

Middleton has been a bust his whole career, time to cut bait with this one, smart move.

2002heaven
Super Member
3 years ago

So was Billy Eppler with his absurd draft strategy, and whoever it was that recommended Arte to hire him.
He needs to go manage a Walmart super center in Missouri. 😡 

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend
Reply to  2002heaven

Did Eppler f*** your girl or something? I swear to Gah I could post a corn chowder recipe on here and you’d find a way to turn it toward Eppler.

“A slurry of flower and milk? That’s gonna get really thick. Thick like Billy Eppler’s skull and his repellant draft strategy where he didn’t draft the list of players I wish we’d drafted. Yarrr charrr the Bryn Mar!”

You know we all have a list in our head of players we wish our team had drafted right? We just don’t let that list take over our lives. The bad guy’s gone Punisher, you can rest now. Stop sharpening your huge Rambo knife and watch a fun movie, have an ice cream cone, get a life etc.

matthiasstephan
Super Member
3 years ago

Looking forward to the Mets following that advice and aggressively pursuing Morton (who won’t move out of Florida, and has said he would rather retire). Make it easier to sign Tanaka or Oddorizzi (I prefer Tanaka) when they aren’t looking (no one notices Perry, right?).
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Last edited 3 years ago by matthiasstephan
H.T. Ennis
Admin
Super Member
3 years ago

MLB probably knows that very few pay attention to suspension lengths during the offseason. Good time to quickly slip a reduction in

GrandpaBaseball
Legend
3 years ago

Yup, the commish is in love with NYY and is certainly close to the Asstros owner.

eyespy
Super Member
3 years ago

The Yankees are the Yankees. The Asstros cut a deal with the MLB when they jumped Leagues. It’s good for baseball, it’s good for business.

GrandpaBaseball
Legend
3 years ago
Reply to  eyespy

Selig cut a deal with the Astros to change leagues. And the best thing MLB could have done was cut a deal with one or two players and the rest should be gone for cheating and the same for any team that is caught cheating should be lifetime bans. Should Eddie Coccotti got a deal or banned for life? How about Rose and he knew what would happen to him or should there have been an expiration date? While I’ll admit that the Yankees are the “Fllagship Franchise” that does not mean they should eight skate and donate, what it does is overall weaken the viability in the integrity of the sport. People from those that are marginal fans to the hard core fans want to see honesty prevail, not deals and cheaters go and get away with cheating with just a little slap on the wrist.I would rather deal with honest people than weak people.

eyespy
Super Member
3 years ago

Right now, who cares about integrity when it come to being popular. Create a little controversy, make some headlines, created interest, and profits. America loves the bad man, the mystery, the suspense. Juiced balls anyone?

Guest
3 years ago

Hey, where’s Perry?