As pitchers and catchers are report for duty at spring training we have a recap and a rating of the Angels off season moves. The staff of Crashing the Pearly Gates was decidedly underwhelmed by most of the moves other than the trade for Raisel Iglesias. Some liked Josέ Quintana. Dylan Bundy’s slider ranked number 17 in the top 25 off speed pitches in baseball. Felix Peña got an honorable mention for his slider. David Fletcher made Fox Sports MLBs “All-Underrated Team.”
Last Minute Signings
C.J. Cron got a minor league deal with the Rockies who have invited him to Major League spring training. The Athletics re-signed Yusmeiro Petit. It’s a one year deal worth $2.55 Million with incentives. Brad Boxberger got a minor league deal with the Brewers. He’ll be invited to Major League spring training. The Dodgers avoided arbitration with Austin Barnes by signing him to a two year deal worth $4.3 Million with $400,000 in additional incentives. Keone Kela has some kind of deal with the Padres.
The Braves signed Jason Kipnis to a minor league contract with a spring training invitation. The Red Sox are near to signing relief pitcher Hirokazu Sawamura, most recently with the Chiba Lotte Marines. The Phillies signed outfielder Travis Jankowski to a minor league deal with a spring training invitation. Matt Shoemaker got a job with the Minnesota Twins for one year at $2 Million. Finally, the Yankees have an agreement with free agent reliever Justin Wilson.
Links From Around Baseball
In sad news Nicole Hazen, wife of the Diamondbacks General Manager, is battling an aggressive form of brain cancer. Somebody ripped off our Mount Rushmore idea. Job posting: The Mets are looking for a Baseball Systems Director. This is a supervisory programming job and no prior baseball experience is needed. Jared Hughes retired from baseball. Get a load of some of his pictures over the years.
Photo credit: Rex Fregosi
Ready for 2 more disappointments (not signing Walker or Odorizzi) and then my optimism will kick in. We can see October from Arizona!
Buttercupped before the start of Spring? Ouch
Angels name Matt Wise interim Pitching Coach
So, arms I’d still like to add (although hope is fading)
Odorizzi, Rosenthal
Greene, Watson, Hamels.
Hamels is a pretty interesting case. In 2019, the last time he was healthy, he put up 141 innings of ERA+ 114 ball. In a year with very limited workloads likely from starters I think having a legitimate six man rotation plus Ohtani listed as a two ay player would be great.
Hamels would be a good incentives based signing. (Small base salary with big bonuses for various innings thresholds). At his age and after last year, I worry about health, but if you could get 120-150 innings out of him, he would be worth having.
health is obviously the key.
I do think that pitcher workloads will be pretty limited this year and some Dodgers style manipulation of the 10 day IL could be key.
A genuine 6 man rotation plus Ohtani would mean guys get extra rest, maybe even hit the 10 day with a strain or itis and only miss 1 start. I’d prefer Odorizzi, obviously.
I’d load up with Rosenthal + Greene or Watson. Build the pen.
Did we ever get an update on who is replacing Rojas?
Not yet.
I did get an update from Rojas on a great new Angels themed shirt coming out. Can’t share the graphic yet, but once he gives the OK I will and I’m sure you’ll love it.
Here’s an encouraging report on Shohei
https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/angels-joe-maddon-says-shohei-ohtani-is-full-go-as-two-way-player-for-2021-season/
Awesome. Be even better if he’s doing that in July and August this year.
95+ fastball and looking confident! That is what you want to hear. I hope that fastball isn’t flat so his off speed stuff can keep hitters guessing.
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2021/02/reds-sign-cam-bedrosian.html
And Sub soil lands a minor league deal with The Reds.
I figured he’d land an MLB deal somewhere.
Sborz to the Rangers
Would’ve liked Cam back on a Minors deal
Only if the league changed the rules so that each inning ended after two outs.
Switch after 2nd out and 3rd batter. 2 outs with a runner on doesn’t sound to bad
with pitchers (and catchers) reporting it means we should see Odorizzi and Walker signed very ,very soon. Today maybe. Surely this week. Then we can stop thinking we’ll have either and get on with preparing for the season. I read somewhere, I forget where, that Iglesias will likely not give up any hits this year so that’s good.
YARRR HOOOO!
ANGELS WILL WIN 90 AND THE AL WEST! DIDDLIN PETERS WINS CY YOUNG GOING 19-1 WITH A 179 ERA+! TROUT MVP AGAIN! WALSH HITS 30 HR AS DOES UPTON AND OHTANI AND RENDON! SLEGERS IS A RALLY CRUSHING MACHINE! DAVID FLETCHER HITS FOR ENOUGH POWER TO ACTUALLY BE AS VALUABLE AS WE THINK HE IS! ALBERT PUJOLS HAS A SEASON ENDING HANG NAIL! TAYLOR WARD BECOMES CHRIS TAYLOR! COBB, CANNING AND QUINTANA ARE ALL NAILS! BUNDY BASHES THE BASTARD OTHER TEAMS! IGLESIAS GIVES UP ZERO HITS ALL YEAR! MICKEY CALLAWAY MANAGES TO NOT STICK HIS CROTCH IN ANY WOMEN’S FACES! PTP AND FRIENDS DRAFT 12 COLLEGE PITCHERS ALL OF WHOM TEAR THROUGH 3 LEVELS OF THE MILB! VICTORY SWEET VICTORY!
There it is, my pitchers and catchers report pile of ludicrous optimism.
Kela is a name I don’t think any of us mentioned, certainly not in our off season pieces. Very interesting guy to bring in. Had a bad 2020, but young and with a great track record.
Soon as I say that deal I thought “missed opportunity.”
Ten. Cent. Head,
Yeah agree, would have an interesting guy to bring in.
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2021/02/phillies-sign-jeff-mathis-catcher.html
Looks like our past catcher, Jeff Mathis (he of the mighty .161 batting average last year) has a minor league contract with a spring training invite. He will be 38 at the end of March and is still behind the dish, framing away. Scioscia must be so proud of his young padawan.
How he lasted so lost in a mystery to me, but he will retire a millionaire.
And the hottest new managerial candidate.
Premium!
Career earnings of $21.2M
He made the most of his skills.
Best explanation:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNHrxRC1bBA
Shoemaker signs with Twins, so much for that reunion. Glad to see our formers sign deals with other clubs and I hope all the best for them all.
Well, not that Shoey is in that camp, but it is nice (for once) to see the players we cut or move on from landing with other teams. I take that as a good sign for the team (it was harsh thinking that our starters wouldn’t even warrant signing by others).
Relievers too. Petit is making even more money than Shoey.
I wish we had signed Pettit as he would have elevated our pen.
Really didn’t seem like he wanted to leave the Bay Area. Like Morton in that regard (has his home and will play near it).