Jeff Mathis is available. He is once again a free agent looking for a job.
Angels Links
The Angels had a good game against the Royals yesterday. They even won, thanks to a three run homer by Justin Upton. And I guess Josέ Iglesias is aight. He didn’t even lose his sunglasses. The Angels will allow scouts at alternate site games but not at minor league spring training games or workouts at either facility. The scouts or no scouts question is reciprocal in nature. The Angels will probably not be able to send scouts to minor league spring training games. (Arte probably said “Scouts? What scouts?”)
Under the presumption that Jo Adell and Brandon Marsh both get called up in 2021, Bleacher Report picks Jordyn Adams to be the Angels next top prospect. Hey! Jaime Barria and Dillon Peters have options left after all. This is probably the move to correspond to Felix Peña’s injury. Here is an article about the highest guy who is an Ohtani fan. Rule 5 pick Josέ Alberto Rivera was returned to the Astros.
Links From Around Baseball
The new rules are out concerning players’ access to in-game video. A.J. Puk may be on the Athletics opening day rotation if Mike Fiers cannot recover from his current bout of hip inflammation. Julio Teheran will make the Tigers opening day roster. Happy 20th Anniversary of Randy Johnson versus the bird. Spoiler alert: Randy Johnson won at one second of the first round. Ramon Laureano’s side injury seems to be resolved.
I’m not sure how interesting this is to the general audience, but the arbitration language in fine print on the back of a baseball ticket might not be as binding as the team intended it to be, at least not in Illinois. Blake Cederlind had Tommy John surgery. Left handed pitcher Steven Brault is sidelined for a month due to a moderate arm muscle strain. Cardinals center fielder Harrison Bader is out four weeks due to a forearm flare up. He might even be out six weeks. He needs to wait and see if that platelet rich plasma is going to do him any good. Lance McCullers Jr. got extended by the Astros. It looks like he gets $85 Million distributed unevenly over 5 years. The Astros also offered an extension to Carlos Correa but they don’t appear to be making any progress.
Photo credit: Rex Fregosi
Rengifo (RengIFFYo) has been optioned. Rojas anyone?
Looks that way. I don’t think many people saw that one coming but he has had a pretty good spring.
Fletch comes in on the underrated team:
https://www.espn.com/mlb/insider/story/_/id/31114378/the-2021-mlb-all-underrated-team
J.Iglesias defensive magic compilation
https://youtu.be/xGgjgZmpLNk
(ignore the Japanese subtitles)
Amazing that it takes only one ST to make all these plays!
Even when shifting and that behind the back toss is absolutely insane.
Seriously, that is a year’s worth of highlights for most starting SS. Churches might be our best off-season signing, and no one expected that.
Nice round up. While this move sucks due Barria it means the Angels have a decent starter in AAA ready for the inevitable injuries.
Barria will get plenty of MLB time this year, I’m sure.
Forbes article on keeping Trout healthy:
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.forbes.com/sites/nickdiunte/2021/03/24/how-the-angels-are-using-nutrition-to-protect-its-462-million-investment-in-mike-trout/amp/
This and his base running mitten.
Doesn’t that double as a Clubhouse oven mitten for his new diet?
So, no more Subway?
Not anymore. Everyone knows he’s really Jersey Mike
I know. That chain SERIOUSLY missed a huge marketing opportunity.
Or body armor? I call that nectar of the gods
Perry, if you’re reading this, I was just goofing around about Mathis (unless he can pitch).
Unfortunately You’re friend Mathis is not really my friend Mathis
Happy 8 year anniversary to shipping Wells off to NY.
Plz no Mathis.
Please no Jeff Mathis, please no.
I will immediately bolt to the Astros if Premium is acquired.
BYOTC
Bring your own trash can
I truly believe that Trouty is better off hitting third with Ohtani and Ward (starting RF) sharing batting #2. What do you guys think?
JUp just may yet prove worthy as he has proven that at least this Spring that he is ready and that is great news for us.
y’all been hating too long
Julio Teheran made it to a MLB team proves there is a shortage of Major League arms.
Some tough choices for the team to make concerning the infield and the outfield. We all have our combinations but Joe will make the calls with Perry and I am pulling for Ward to stay. This is a player who has worked his ass off to be on the roster and is looking like he can hit and field.
They are going to run Teheran out there as a tanking strategy to set themselves up to draft Leiter, who tossed a 16 K, complete game shutout against South Carolina and is sporting a .0.31 ERA through 29 innings so far.
They better run him out there every day. Baltimore selected Matt Harvey yesterday.
Oh damn, they are not going to be outdone in the tanking dept. are they. Wonder if they gave him a contract clause agreeing to free Uber/ Lyft rides to and from the nightclubs of his choice on nights before his game starts?
and is very very cute
Does it really matter who makes the Opening Day roster? Most of the players in camp who don’t make it will be back with the team sometime during the season, and several of these guys will get more MLB playing time this season than some of the guys who will make the Opening Day team.
The 40-man roster is the new 25-man roster.
With that being said, it is too bad Walsh, Rojas, and Ward aren’t going to get to see their name on the lineup card everyday, though. Given the opportunity, these three could put up some pretty terrific offensive numbers.
Cowboy Up to a 26 man roster
What you are saying about Walsh, Ward and Rojas is sciency unpossible because those players came out of the Angel’s farm system and are automatically the worst players ever because of it. I don’t care if all three make an all-star team for us and we win the Baseball Bowl, they will still suck.