Today, after a brutal lost to Boston, Perry has had enough waiting around and has made a trade. He acquired Hunter Strickland from the Rays.
For what you may ask? A PTBNL or cash. This is for a pitcher who has a career ERA of pi, 3.14. The bullpen, which has gotten ridiculed this month, has a reinforcement.
He’s chasing a ring. Can’t blame him.
Jon Heyman
@JonHeyman
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1h
Pujols and the Dodgers are said to have had very open and honest conversations in which they explained a very limited role, and he’s said to be all in. So for the most part, consider him a pinch hitter extraordinaire
Pujols to the Dodgers?!?!
Didn’t see that coming. What a chump. All the more reason to root against them. Where does he even fit in though? If he rides the bench for them well know he is a hypocrite and now is being petty.
The blurb I read was they’re gonna move Muncy around a bit (2nd, 3rd) to give him playing time.
I hope they enjoy that statue at 1st
That’s neither hypocritcal nor petty. It’s called a reality check.
Pujols thought he was still a regular starter. He was released to allow him to pursue that opportunity. He discovered that everybody else considers him a spot starter. Since he couldn’t get a job offer for a regular position, he decided for the next best thing – a chance to be no the bench for a top WS contender.
Yep. Hence my post below
This is funny as shit. Just when everyone thought he was gone, everything he does will be right in Arte’s face….and Arte will be funding it.
Watch him get a ring before Trout.
Welp. I always said that if Pujols gets 1 ring in the 10 year deal it was worth it. I guess I forgot the asterisk. … * 1 ring for US
Who will the Angels send down to make room? Noe? Has he even pitched since they brought him up? I’d like him to have a chance to prove himself.
One time, briefly.
I believe Noe himself answered this question today
Hunter Strickland has a .653 OPS against so far in 2021. Only three of the 15 pitchers the Angels have used this season have a lower OPS against than that — Ohtani, CRod, and Watson. League average OPS against is .705.
I like that this puts every guy in the bullpen on notice. The days of major league mints on your hotel suite pillow may be numbered rubber-arm…
Yes. Motivation is definitely something I like too.
I have a bad feeling about the ptbnl.
Me too.
Any word on Chris Rodriguez’s status? So Angels like to have a potentially good pitcher who is made out of glass health wise.
…maybe we should just steal TB bullpen coach while we’re at it. He might know a few ingredients to TB’s pitching secret sauce.
Jahmi Jones for one season of Alex Cobb makes me not trust this GM at all.
So – basically Rays needed to make roster space for Ji-Man Choi who is coming off the DL. Strickland was a non-roster invitee to Spring Training. Whether the Rays get money or a player, this is a win-win for them as they parlayed a non-roster invitee into something. That’s what good Organizations do. Sell high on risky players.
For his part, Strickland has been used in low to medium leverage situations and has done well in them with an impressive 1.69 ERA and a very respectable 3.04 FIP.
Of course Maddon will pitch him in high leverage situations, the wheels will come off and he will end the year with a 5-plus ERA. TrAdition.
Anybody this side of Shemp Howard would be an improvement on our current bullpen. Just curious about what we give up.
Really interesting. Having trouble wrapping my head around this unless Rays are trying to sell high. I doubt they would give him up for cash knowing how desperate the Angels are for pitching. Gotta be a prospect involved.
More I look at this it’s the Rays selling high on a player who is having a good year after many crappy years
Hmm. Just a player PTBNL or cash for Strickland?? On the surface looks good but I’m suspicious of them letting him go for cheapish unless they think his 2021 so far is a fluke (look at his numbers from 2019-2020). This will be his 6th team since 2018. At least Perry is trying!
He is trying here, yes.
They are running out of roster spaces (lol, right?) for relievers and I guess he was the worst one who didn’t have options. So we are getting the Rays’ worst reliever, and he will be an upgrade for us! Go us!
Agree that this is evidence of his trying but it really depends what he’s giving up. The bullpen has been an epic fail of late.
I’ve never seen an bullpen guy with an ERA that low, 1.69? Didn’t know that was possible.
Perry hasn’t seen a reliable reliever since the season started…hope he doesn’t overpay because of desperation, confusion and depression.
Angels pitchers have had ERAs lower than that but you’d have to have looked quickly. Watson, for example, was at 0.96 just the other day.
Others, like Cishek, were born with ERAs of 5
The ‘look quickly’ comment is particularly applicable with a player like Hunter Strickland who has pitched in 16 innings this season. One bad inning giving up a few runs and that stellar ERA will become average.
So he’ll be avg after his 1st Angels game?
It could happen. Hope it doesn’t. I’m meh about this move but I can see why Perry did it. It’s sad that what the Rays view as expendible is so valuable to the Angels.
I do not like that guy. He is a headhunter and a hothead. Another bad move move by Minisian. I hope he doesn’t overpay again.
https://www.reddit.com/r/SFGiants/comments/g50pwp/bryce_harper_and_hunter_strickland_throw_punches/
The Bryce incident was over the top, but this team needs someone to show some fire. Trout gets drilled in the elbow twice in like ten days and the Astros hit multiple other players of ours and nobody responds at the plate or otherwise. Just another reason we’re in last place.
Everyone is entitled to their opinion on the matter, but if there is no intention, as there wasn’t, I feel there is just absolutely no need to hit anyone.
I’d like to share your opinion, because I despise intentional bean balls, but it is a bit more complex.
Teams might not be deliberately hitting Trout, but there are deliberately putting his health at risk by throwing him inside pitches at a greater frequency than they do other players. The only way to discourage them from throwing inside and accidentally beaning him is to take action to show that Trout will be protected, intentional or not.
Simple scenario – I throw a water balloon at a person next to you, but I miss and hit you instead. Should I be blamed for getting you wet? Yes, because I deliberately threw the water balloon near you and knew I might miss my target.
Didn’t Ohtani respond and plunk someone’s butt? Can’t remember who that was against.
Trout himself needs to show some fire.
A little fire and brimstone is exactly what this team needs.
Trout looks like a lost puppy since Gramps got canned.