Happy belated birthday to Albert Pujols. He is either another year older or another year better. (Cue geriatric jokes.)
Angels Related Links
The big news over the weekend was the signing of veteran catcher Kurt Suzuki. Here is a quick look at Dominican teenager Denzer Guzman with whom the Angels are said to have come to terms for $2 Million. Trigger warning: Mike Trout came in at number 13 of Joel Reuter’s top 25 power hitters. Several of the guys ahead of him only have one tool so he’s still the GOAT.
Non-Angels Related Links
The newly minted Mets GM has been a very bad boy. I think it’s safe to say that there will be yet another round of GM interviews over there in Queens. You can scratch Joe Musgrove off your wish list. The Padres got him. The rich get richer. New York ain’t big enough for the both of Corey Kluber and Tanaka San. J. T. Realmuto has an offer from the Phillies for five years at a bit over $100 Million. He is definitely outside the Angels price range. Rumors of a Luis Castillo trade are completely false says GM Nick Krall. The Mets are closing in on a deal with Brad Hand. The Red Sox have a one year deal with lefty Martin Perez for $4.5 Million with an option.
Check out the body transformation of Vlad Guerrero Jr. as he sets out to prove he can still play third base. Free Agent relief pitcher Archie Bradley signed with the Phillies for 1 year at $6 Million. Right handed reclamation project Shelby Miller will sign with the Cubs. Julio Teheran and Anibal Sanchez will be having a joint showcase for MLB scouts today. It appears that every team in the American League West kicked the tires on Joakim Soria this off season.
Job Postings
Job posting: Boston Red Sox Advance Information Coordinator. Job posting: Pittsburgh Pirates Player Valuation Analyst.
Photo credit: Rex Fregosi
Angels sign Jose Quintana https://twitter.com/ken_rosenthal/status/1351742385135489030?s=21
CHP?
Can He Pitch?
That has been his main occupation for quite some time. If he’s league average, this deal works out.
Pretty good career ERA+ and WHIP…. sooooooo, yes. Yes he can. In fact, he is quite Musgrovelike…. but 4 years longer career and left handed.
Just don’t let him catch you speeding.
That is acceptable.
Quintana for 8M…. yeah, I’ll take that. He’s a solid starter we will not hate. Tends to pitch past the 4th inning. We will like that.
Better than Jose Baldoquintana.
Blue Jays sign Yates and Springer. Not a bad one-day haul…
Springer so ashamed he had to flee the country.
I Guess in Canada, banging on trash cans is not really considered cheating?
“We know what we are doing.” Man in White Shirt
It’s the new normal.
Nope, banging on trash cans in Canada is considered a public service as it scares the bears away.
At least the Mets learn of their poor personnel hirings at or around the time of their employment. We, unfortunately let them fester and propagate to the point of total Organizational ignominy
RIP Don Sutton.
Dude rocked the curls under that navy blue Angels hat like a pro.
So if Albert gets 500 ABs this season, is it possible he will be the first player to ever ground into 500 double plays in his career? He is only 100 away from that dubious honor.
Every time he grounds into one he’s the first player in MLB history to hit that mark. He’s been setting new records for years now.
This, is why Arte keeps him around
Should only take him about 130 at bats to hit that mark.
He needs that launch angle. Better to get a fly out than a Double play. Also runner could possibly tag up
Can’t teach a very very very old dog any tricks
I actually wonder how much Joe and Perry are going to tend to Albert’s desire for regular ABs. If I was king, he would be relegated to pinch hitting duties (with nobody on 1st to avoid the risk of GIDP) and 2-starts a month is all he would get. He is in the HOF already, no need to cater to this crap. This is how the MFY purged A-Rod, made him almost non-existent. When Albert passes someone on the all-time list, I shriek as I know it came at the expense of extending rallies. Tastes terrible and don’t get me started on the PED rumors. My feeling is that he will eek out around 237 ABs. Over or under?
I think he probably plays about 90 games, maybe 100… so around 400 ABs. BUT if a combo of Jared Walsh and Shohei (and maybe some other yet to be seen player or Upton at DH some) all perform well at 1B/DH he will fade away fast down to the 200 AB level. As has often been the case, if you want to not play a future HOFer you need a guy who is ohviously outperforming him to take ABs from him so you have an excuse. That can totally happen this year though…. there’s hope.
Thaiss needs those ABs. Him and walsh can handle it just fine without albert, lol.
I have more faith in Walsh than Thaiss, at this point. It would be great if they both stepped up, and solve a potential hole to fill next year (we have plenty of those).
Maybe if Thaiss had better abs he could more hits
The Angels/Arte have been catering to this dude for 4+ seasons now.
Looks like the NBA wants to jump the line to make money
https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/30742821/nba-talking-vaccinating-players-psa?platform=amp
Yes, I understand the fear for African-Americans on being given shots from the government. This is all well and good by the NBA, but they sure are having a hard time playing their schedule right now.
This should have been thought out from the start. They shouldn’t have put themselves in the same line as the rest of us, and acted like that is that way it will be done. When we knew all along it wouldn’t.
Money talks. Be save my friends. It will be awhile before you get your shots. Moderna is getting pulled from the program. So even less to go around.
Hannah Keyser was talking about MLB maybe vaccinating all the players at Arizona and Florida in its own right as an organization. It was all kind of speculative so I didn’t link it. If they did that it would be a massive jumping of the line since most of those guys are young healthy guys who do not have high risk conditions and are not first responders.
I like this whole idea of “a line”…. as though all the family members of pretty much every politician in California hasn’t had a little visit from the family’s private doctor in the past couple of weeks. Oh, and major donners. Can’t risk them either. Especially if they are media figures….. If you truly believe Gavin Newsome and his lovely family is still waiting their turn you may indeed be stoopider than Arte.
I’m confused, why would cannibals need the vaccine?
Because some Cannibals don’t like artificial flavors in their meat
hah! Not all cannibals, just the major ones… the people meat at least once a week types. Does human meat carry Covid?
I’ll pass
So they can remain fine and young.
but not cheap, broke in many ways, but not cheap
You have to vaccinate the Donners (and the Cupids and Blitzens). Christmas is all important.
Of course you have to vaccinate the Donners. They’re having a party.
If they say they’d like to have you for dinner, run.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3I-D8Ozc4Oc
By March “the line” likely wont include anyone over the age of 65 that wants the vaccine so I don’t really care. We just saw in California how being overly-precise with tiers slows vaccination down tremendously.
You want these things in the population as quickly as possible. Like a Playstation 5, things fly off the shelves when demand is greater than supply otherwise we’re sitting around with unused vaccines waiting for the next tier to be opened and people die in the mean time.
“leaders with large platforms such as ministers, entertainers and athletes can set an example by getting the vaccine.”
What a convenient way for our elite to jump the line….they are doing it for OUR benefit.
I think it would be best for society at large if fringe opinions like this were not allowed to be seen by people with eyes, or heard by ears either. For safety sake.
Meh. They can go and finish the trials for me
looking at last year’s transactions I see the Betts trade didn’t happen until Feb. 10th. I was hoping to see a pattern that would mean we’re due for big signings/deals this week but unh-unh. We’re in for another 4 weeks of waiting.
I’m not gonna worry until p&c report and we have no additions.
But like, any day now, Perry.
Finally watched the 15 min video of what Bauer wants from a new team and the 1 thing that stood out to me is based on his video he could do a better job of marketing baseball without rule changes than Manfred could ever accomplish
My ass could do a better job of marketing baseball than Manfred. And that includes immediately after me eating Taco Bell,
Challenge accepted
Musgrave to Padres, wow.
Happy 44th to Albert!
Angels truly dodged a bullet with Porter. That type of behavior is inexcusable
I watched an interview he did on MLB Network after he got his job, he came across like a guy who thought his shit did not stink, First impressions although I might have gotten this wrong but after yesterday, the shoe fit.
here’s a tweet someone sent to Cohen. It’s wild how the tweeter believes Porter is the victim.
“Caving to cancel culture is abhorrent, now that his life has been ruined, what is his path to redemption Mr. Cohen?”
Geese, too much. This cancel culture crap is truly very scary stuff but in this case, he did not exactly state something politically sensitive or let slip a derogatory ethnic remark. I would not hire that guy on the merits of his actions.
Ummmm, yeah. I hates me some cancel culture, but this case is not “cancel culture” at all. Porter doesn’t have an opinion that he should be entitled to here that he is being overly punished for, nor did he just ask a lady out.
I think the standard for this stuff is pretty obvious. Would I be pissed if some guy asked a lady friend of mine out? Nope. Even if it made her feel a little awkward? Nope. What if he was a little persistent but she made it clear there was no dice and he let it go. OK. Fine. What if he texted her 50 more times? Ummmmm. Not OK. How about if he sent her a dick pick? He should probably avoid me at that point.
He’s not a guy being cancelled. This isn’t cancel culture. He’s an asshole. Everyone’s always hated assholes, even back in the dark dark 1950s. So now he’s fired.
From a woman’s perspective, I have never been offended by being hit on, it’s when you don’t accept the first no that causes the issue. Why on earth would you date someone who doesn’t respect that simple boundary?
When ever I see a guy go past asking once or twice, really keep pushing past a certain no, I always wonder “What the hell do you think is going to happen? If you ask the 7th time a lights gonna shine down from heaven and she will suddenly think the total opposite and want to date you?” It’s just never made sense to me what the guy (or girl, actually I see plenty of women do this too) actually expects in that little head of theirs.
Some people grow up getting whatever they want by nagging their parents until they cave, and never grow out of it haha.
Women can be the WORST about not taking no for an answer. Shitty people are shitty people.
There is ‘hitting on’ and there is sexual harrassment. One is illegal for a reason.
Feeling like an Eppler offseason. Would love to see something creative or transformative to change the ju ju around here otherwise I don’t see a guy like Odorizzi changing our fortunes from crappy to postseason contenders.
It’s an Arte offseason. That’s why nothing changes.
Hard to read the Halos currently as to what direction we are heading. I’d trade Albert to the best fans in baseball team and eat 29 million of the 30 owed and bring on Brantley and then sign the best reliever available. Pay the tax for one or two years and pay Upton’s contract and send him to NY. (take your pick). Next off season sign Lindor or Story,or Seager if available. Use all draft picks on pitching, pitching and pitching. This not happening but was fun to think about over the weekend. Also sign Petit for the pen if bridges weren’t burned.
Is Harvey still available out there? No not that Harvey, the other one, the Rabbit, heard he can still run the off the Burro.
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2021/01/mets-fire-jared-porter-gm.html
And Jared Porter ….. he gone.
Can’t fix “Stupid”, well he still could get a job selling Popcorn and Dogs.
Don’t forget photojournalism
I’m not sure I need him soliciting people to buy his hot dogs. That’s what got him in trouble in the first place.
You should be ashamed of yourself and damm I wish I had thought of this first because it’s freaking perfect.
Wienergate v2.0
What’s a little sexual humor among friends?
Just Ask Jared.
I don’t think the woman he harassed would consider him a friend.
“She didn’t reply to the first 49 texts…. but this 50th one with the dick pick,,,, this is what she’s been holding out for.”
I actually kind of feel sad for the guy, he really lit himself on fire chasing this lady to a point where it’s pathetic. I always envision a guy like this as never having anyone encourage him that there are plenty of fish in the sea and at least some of them would be glad to meet him.
I’d give anything for even 10% of the confidence that man has in his penis.
Yeah. It would be nice to have a sense that your penis is an impressive friend who is always with you and never lets you down. Sadly it’s usually more a sketchy friend who keeps getting drunk and staring at your friends’ moms and sisters too hard before taking to the streets to figure out where the real trouble is.
Bad penis! Bad!
In the words of Elaine Benes: “I don’t know how you guys walk around with those things.”
Git ur HOT Dog heeeeere!
Hot Dog!
Git it while its Hot!
In Az it’s a Boomstick!
Mine comes with a text pic!
This Nathan guy sure is pushy.
By the way: Jared Porter is a complete and utter idiot.
Another career finished because of Stupidity. They, the Mets will go to plan “B” and still come out ahead.
He thought it would make it better if he said it was just “a joke stock image.”
The dude is an inverse Einstein.
Padres keep Bulking up. I just don’t see the dodgers making it to the WS let alone winning it.
Your personal opinion and bias gets in the way of your brain’s logic section. The Dodgers are such a deep team at every position that they need not fear the Padres. More “if’s” on the Padres than on the Dodgers. Manny and Tatis are not the equal of Bellinger and Betts though they due play the infield and very well. Dodgers have proven pitching, Padres not so much. Coming off of a 60 game schedule the Padres 3rd best bat is Myers as the Dodgers 3rd best is Seager. Pitching is where the Padres close the gap though as the starters are pretty much equal and the pens are hard to tell apart. I do see the Dodgers going farther than the Padres because of experience..
I don’t think the dodgers make the WS in 2020 if the braves had rest days. Being a deep team did help the dodgers, but I don’t think they were the best. Product of a rushed post season.
Watch them swoop in and sign Bauer.
……while in other news, the Angels still need pitching, Generalissimo Franco is still dead, and Arte’s prior meddlesome decisions continue to hamstring any GM that comes to Gene Autry Way.