Perry Minasian says the Angels are considering adding players at the trade deadline, including possibly rentals. On that note, the Angels just signed Adam Eaton to a Major League deal. This probably signals the end of the experiment with Luis Rengifo in right field.
Mike Trout showed up for a bunch of happy kids at the Play Ball Clinic.
Links From Around Baseball
Perry Minasian is apparently done with dumpster diving for relief pitchers. A marginal pitcher just passed through waivers without being claimed. Exhibit A: Jay Flaa. That is kind of good news in view of the fact that Shane Carle is now a free agent. (I know. Shane who?)
Rob Manfred says the Athletics could very well end up in Las Vegas soon. It’s fish or cut bait time for the City of Oakland.
I thought at least the American League All Star uniforms looked like pajamas. There are a lot of people who didn’t like the look.
Cole Hamels works out for teams on Friday in Frisco, Texas. I can’t tell if the Angels will have somebody there.
Liam Hendriks says he didn’t know his microphone was hot when he dropped an F-Bomb during his All Star appearance.
The Royals may trade Danny Duffy, although he has no-trade protection under the 10 yr./5 yr. rule. He says he would prefer a west coast team if something were actually to happen.
Photo credit: Rex Fregosi
Aaron Civale 3rd Rd 2016 MLB Draft Cleveland Indians
10-2 WHIP 1.065 in 2021 😜 😆 😢
https://twitter.com/burkegranger/status/1381258956128071686?s=20
I’d like this guy a lot better if his pitches just had a little movement on them. Also, if he could look a little more urgent out there that would be nice too.
What? This is some warm-up pitches, practice. How urgent do you need to be in, practice. You’re talking about practice. Do you think he needs to show some stuff in, practice? It’s just practice on that video, do you understand it is just, practice?
His slider looks nasty in this video. Crazy movement on the fastball as well.
Didn’t really feature his change in this video, but I saw it a bit elsewhere and think it’s underrated. It’s nice.
signed
https://twitter.com/kenyonyovan21/status/1415159651524505600?s=20
😊
Skanks have COVID in the locker room.
https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/31823940/boston-red-sox-new-york-yankees-eighth-game-postponed-season-due-covid-19
Also, probably, hobo piss.
Do they force them to be clean shaven as well?
For truth that it is true hobo piss, I would have to make them show me their Hobo Registration. Otherwise, it’s just some pervert who wants to pee on a Yankee.
Not saying I blame them for that.
Oh wait! Dude”s registration card says his name is McLovin’
Did they pee on the Dude’s carpet? Be shame if they did since it really pulled the room together.
DG you’re out of your element..please
I am the walrus.
Goo goo ga-joo.
V.I. Lenin. Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov!
This is amurica! We don’t need no hobo passports!
Everywhere?
Some good news in facing Jerry’s Kids for the weekend. Down a pitcher.
Seattle Mariners left-hander Hector Santiago‘s 10-game suspension for having a foreign substance on his glove has been upheld after an appeal, sources tell ESPN’s Jeff Passan.
The Mariners will not be able to fill Santiago’s roster spot for the entirety of his 10-game suspension, per MLB’s rules on pitchers using foreign substances.
And, Mariners to recall top prospect Kelenic.
Santiago is who I wanted to see
Was thinking more about one less arm….but now that you mention it.
It’s probably a bad thing for us……trAdition.
Exactly. Jerry will end up giving us a High Kelenic
If Judge has given Ohtani covid I will need help from one of you as I will have to punch Judge in the snoot and will have to stand on somebody’s shoulders to reach it.
I will require gloves mask and eye protection before landing any blows.
I’ll punch him in the nads, bringing the nose into range for you.
Problem solved.
Likely STDs in that locker room too
Those come with a Gift Basket
Atlanta has traded for Joc Pederson for a minor leaguer.
“Ball, 23, hit .207 (35-for-169) with six home runs in 53 games with High-A Rome”
https://twitter.com/JeffFletcherOCR/status/1415763321739902976?s=20
Sandoval may just be in the long run a better pitcher yet.
Canning’s just hurt. I think in the long run he still has plenty of potential. I like Sandoval too. Just my bias, but I really like the long term potential of a guy whose out pitch is a change up. It’d be great if they both progress.
Man, I’ve been hoping sandoval got his shot since the halo heaven days. He never got consistent playing time. He finally is and it’s paying it’s dividends
Love Sandfrog
Unfortunately by the time the long run finally shows up, Griff will be deep into his arbitration years so Perry’s going to have to make some tough decisions.
My mid-season grades: Do you really give a shit? If so why?
Your mid-season grades: I don’t give a shit. I already know.
Do you think that what you have to say in critiquing is really that important. Why should your opinion be so that anticipated by any member or poster here? Do you really believe you are special?
I am full special.
Short Yellow Bus Special?

Stupid ass Simple Jack….to be a moron, to be moronic.
great movie
Who’s our special boy?!?!
Oh ME! I’m the special boy!
Woah GPB…….getting little itchy with no Angel baseball for 4 days…
Some of us see Rats. Some see Raccoons. The Mets can settle it peacefully, so can we.
By the way i grade on the pass/fail sliding scale….I gave us a pass, just barely.
My only teacher’s notes are “Hey, nice draft. Please don’t have Mike Trout, Justin Upton and Anthony Rendon out with a case of Plague and lie to us about it, also please keep being better than last year. That is all.” We’ve all seen each other’s opinions constantly for weeks now, no one needs my same thoughts, but this time with a letter grade next to it.
And now, here is a picture of a player who is good that the Angels did not draft or sign a few years ago….

Is that really you, 2002?
It’s true. 2002 and I are actually the same guy.
Your mind assplode!
Last night
Inland Empire Moves into First Place Tie on Epic Night for
Edwin Yon, 4-5, two-homer, nine RBI, grand slam
Knowles stole his 17th base in 17 attempts
Jack Kochanowicz Sucked again 9 hits, 6 earned in 2.2 innings
All Star Uniforms were nauseating and did not at all represent the individual teams that have all at least one representative. I take pride in the fact that I am an Angels fan and do think our uni’s look great. I am sick and tired of Robert Manfred thinking that the Game of Baseball needs to change so many of it’s traditions that have been handed down.
Manfred just leave the game alone please. Oh and also please resign.
I like the shirts. Bought some so biased. Ohtani’s first AS jersey, yes please. Mike trout’s 9th? Again yes. Too bad they didn’t have a walsh.
Pants couldve had more umph. I have enough navy blue gear too. While I like the teams jersey represented those aren’t enough to move the needle to get me to buy. I liked these and was eager to get them (so was everyone else at angels and Rockies teams stores because they sold out). Just my 2 cents
I’m not a fan of the jerseys, but that’s OK. The whole point is to create another set of jerseys for people to spend money on. Some people enjoy that and it doesn’t hurt anything, so enjoy away!
I have a weird soft spot for late 70s-80s jerseys that plenty of people hate, and I totally get that. Other than that I am a total old man inside. I think the Tigers white home uni should basically be left alone forever (yeah, I know they changed it a tiny bit) and that most teams should just mellow out and have “old style” unis with wild and wacky alternates. But some folks love the Angels current NASCAR look and other team’s zany “Oregon Ducks” closet of modern gems. More power to em.
I think the 1961 LA Angels unis were classy AF. I also wish they made jerseys out of that old material they used… that stuff just looks cool.
So New Jerseys in baseball? I think we’ve already cornered that market
Pants are overrated.
Was anyone surprised by this reaction?
Meh. Uniforms were dull looking but why not change it up once in a while? It was the first ASG I watched all the way through in quite some time … many times I find watching paint dry more fascinating.
No complaints about the announcing or are you partial to Mr. Hair Plugs?
Hair plugs are fine if it is what you feel you need, but Jr. is a Hall of Famer in two sports for announcing imho. There is a reason he does All Star Games and World Series and Super Bowls as it surely is not the shine on his head.
He’s definitely in the hair plugs Hall of Fame. The dudes had about 10 hair transplants and that info is from his own book.
As an Angel fan it would have been nice to know that it was Jarred Walsh in Left field making the AS game saving catch while it was happening instead of watching some familiar stranger out there in his navy blue jammies.
Perry has done the best he or anyone else could have in the same position, handicapped by Arte’s spending ceiling, and having so many holes to fill at one time is tough to do. So at the half way point here we are with a half way decent cheap starting staff with some talent. Grade it all with me,
GM B+ hard to go higher as this is just the beginning for his reign.
Starting staff C+ and has certainly a higher ceiling.
Relief staff C- and not much of a higher ceiling, but it could with a few promotions or pick ups improvements. Some could bring some value in return prior to the trade deadline as there are many teams wanting to stretch themselves out to make the Playoffs.
Catcher is a C. Kurt is done and Stassi can’t really throw at all. Over rated as a framer and defensive Catcher. But his streaky bat can carry a team with some help.
First Base A is in very fine hands both offensively and defensively. We came out smelling like a rose here. (And the Catch in the ASG playing LF for the first time was icing on the cake).
Second Base A- is in more than capable hands with Fletcher and both bat and glove.
Shortstop B- is certainly more than we thought we’d get here. Better bat and a little less leather than Simmons.
Third base D+ and that is generous as Antony Rendon and a cast of castoffs and wantabe’s has been depressing to say the least.
Leftfield C+ has been collectively decent with the Bat but another year of defensive liability at best. The surprise has actually been JUp’s play when available.
Centerfield C+ lead by Trouty and then below average from there, mostly by GG’er.
Rightfield C mostly Ward and Walsh but then followed by the fill in 3RD Baseman.
DH A+ as it is hard to see fault here any where and really what a great surprise and wonderful entertainment at it’s best no matter what anyone from ESPN may really believe.
Bench B- as they have all contributed their individual best considering no one could have envisioned the amount of At Bats that have been accumulated.
Starting RF, CF, LF, 3B, and Catcher have all been absent for a good deal of time and the team is 2 games over .500. The second half is considerably tougher and just staying at .500 will be an achievement.
I did not forget this part, rating our manager. Joe Maddon has on the surface done remarkedly well as he thought he would have all his starters playing and he did expect the Bullpen to perform much better so I’ll bestow an A- here. The reason for the minus is his somewhat weird lineups and weirder use of the Blowpen.
Hey thank you for reading this far, really I know it’s a chore.
LMFAO …. 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
WHAT A JOKE
Have they now decided to pay their writers ??
More effective would be to PAY THE READERS.
Vox lost. We’re all here and happy as can be.
#homesweethome@ctpg
😂
You should read the comments to that! I’ll save you the trip. There aren’t any comments!
2002 has provided about 50% of the few comments I’ve seen. There’s an Ohtani hater guy there too but man … what a toxic waste dump that place is. Not even a dumpster fire … just toxic tundra.
Sad to see. We have spent many hours of our lives on that site.
71000 comments for me … Last log in March 2020.
I was well over 100K.
126K
Yes, but now you’re a super member. Suuu Pah Member!
So there’s that.
Is the next level Super Duper Member?
You’re one to talk…
We should print business card. Just like Wile E Coyote.
Rentals with low acquisition cost is probably what we’re looking at.
I was playing on the trade simulator and a Maeda/Robles package would cost a live body with a steady pulse. Robles pitch usage has changed quite a bit this year, I’m thinking getting him back to throwing more fastballs might work…at least better than some of our guys.
Danny Duffy is one of the few quality candidates available. Price is probably going to be higher than a 20% chance at the playoffs should warrant.
I’m hoping the Angels are sellers this summer with a plan for making 2023 the year they roar back into the playoffs.
I see the lion roaring next year to be honest. Too much to overcome this year with the bullpen limitations.
That’s the logical thing to do. But we have Arte who will insist on making it look like we’re making a playoff push.
How does being a “seller” help us? In your plan (if you have one) how does that help us next year or even 2023? And why do you think we should wait around with no aspirations of winning prior to 2023 as Trout gets older and further removed from game changing ability?
And lose out on a chance to pick up another Franklin Barreto, Packy Naughton or Gerardo Reyes? Are you Nutz?
Drafting college arms is a great part of a plan to prepare for 2023. Sell Raisel Iglesias for someone’s Triple-A or Double-A talent would help prepare for 2023. Getting your accounting in order to sign a big free agent shortstop should be part of the plan.
I would love to see the Angels do something crazy like sign a big time free agent that we don’t need and then immediately trade him to the team that we were in a bidding war with in exchange for an established player of theirs who would fill a big need the Angels have.
With the full NTC’s that most of the recent big free agents are requiring, this trade concept is kind of a pipe dream.
If there was a bidding war, the hypothetical free agent was considering signing with the other team, so all systems are go!
You’re way off here… Both selling Raisel for “Double A talent” or signing a “big free agent shortstop” are not what this team needs. Of course neither of these things helps with the immediate need of improving the SP for next season…or even the second half this year.
I think it is a mistake to try to improve the 2021 team right now. That will only perpetuate the funk of mediocrity that this team has been wallowing in for so long. The plan has to be to make improvements that will make the 2023 team a contender.
The Angels are going to need a shortstop for the 2023 season, and there are some good looking SS FAs coming onto the board.
Also, if the Angels get some intriguing MiLB talent for Iglesias, those players will either come into fruition in time to help the 2023 team, or they can be used in a trade to fix whatever hole the 2023 team may have.
First, I haven’t given up on the Angels for this season, and furthermore I don’t think Perry and management have either. So, trading Raisel is probably not going to happen, nor should it. As I have stated before several times, the move to make here is to do whatever it takes to resign Raisel as he can be a valuable component of this team not only for the next two months but going forward into 2022 and beyond.
Next, a big name short-stop is not necessary. Similar to the Raisel solution, an effort can be made to extend the other Iglesias. His stretch of poor defense notwithstanding he is a more than adequate solution going forward and would not be so expensive as to preclude us signing one or two FA pitchers, which is where the money should be spent for 2022. The team we have is more than good enough offensively (assuming a healthy Trout and Upton are back in the outfield; perhaps this would also include Adell in September as well) and Trevor Story or whomever else you might be thinking of is not what is needed to take this team to the next level….
I second this emotion.
Why are you giving up on 2022? Hopefully they will finish over .500 this season and then take off from there next season.
I don’t think the 2022 Angel pitching staff will be ready to take the team to the next level. I feel confident in Ohtani and Sandoval for next year, but aside from an occasional FA signing and/or trade that will actually matter, the rest of the staff is going to have to be homegrown, and I think Canning, Suarez, and a few of these 2020/21 draft picks are not going to be ready to make a significant difference until 2023.
There really is nothing that the term can or should add, except at least medium term pieces (in which there should be contingency plans). For anyone good, top prospects have to go, and that means someone like Adell, especially since we lack prospect depth of note. A team like KC, especially, thinks it can get back to contention over next 1-3 years, and that means they want someone near major league ready–again, like Adell. No chance that we can realistically trade for someone like Duffy, and with our luck, he’ll be signing as FA back with KC after being a rental for a not-so-ready team.. And we’d been having problems where at the big league level? RF, where Adell has been slotted and no one else is in the system anywhere really close to ready.
What I’d be in favor of would be a set of trades to change the makeup of the farm, to substitute some of the raw, athletic, interesting, but flawed prospects we’d been collecting for different kinds of prospects who might contribute in near future, or even young major leaguers. But those trades will be way expensive and will yield at least some that we’ll regret bitterly in 5-10 years.
In other words, I’ll be extremely thrilled to not see Minasian do something rash tradewise, even if we don’t sell overtly.
Gosh I don’t thing we’re ready to trade any farm pieces. Perry’s got enough rope now to stay pat one more year and still keep his job. I also read up some on the Oriole’s farm updates and kinda wish we had Bradish back and in that Trash Panda rotation.. Of course, if Bundy looked like 80% of Pandemic Bundy and we extended him, I’d change my tune. But for the record, I don’t want to be a buyer until we’re firmly in the running for the Division.
Ok,so I’ve been hard on Perry because his off-season acquisitions have been disappointing in my view versus who he could’ve signed.
One of my friends says I should cut him slack because of the 20/20 pitching draft, Iglesias x 2, cutting Pujols and also, I didn’t think of this, but buying out Ohtani’s arb years as a sign of faith in him and thereby giving him confidence. I still give him a passing D+ because I think he blew it on pitching and defense, and the Ohtani move was a no brainer. Also, risking the draft in Bachman worries me. I give him props for keeping Adell in AAA but also no brainer.
What grade do you all give Perry over the first 6-7 months?
I’m a Minasian supporter. I think he knows the game from both an analytic and old-school perspective. I think he’s had a good first 6-7 months.
Raisel is the first legit closer this team has had in a long time. Iglesias (SS) has been very good. Cobb has been decent. Yes some of the bullpen pieces signings have not been very good but that’s a bit of a crap shoot. Also, there are FAs who do not want to play here so it’s not a perfect system.
His draft was BRILLIANT in my opinion and I expect he will sign the vast majority of those pitchers.
I think he had a clear gameplan and is executing on it. Rome was not built in a day.
I give him a solid B+ this far.
Well then, It sounds like your right on track to be clamoring for Perry’s firing within the next 6 months .
Nope. I’ll give him a full 3 years.
him? ______________________ [Insert latest Angels GM Name Here]
Someone been peeing in your Wheaties? 😃
Well yesterday and today as post All Star game off days always seem like the darkest days of the baseball season .
So there maybe a smidge of a heightened level of sarcasm in my responses. But I really didn’t think it was noticeable.
I noticed 😎🤣
All depends on how you weigh everything.
Obviously this draft was necessary, but starting from next year, I hope he keeps taking the shots in the later rounds, as those produce stars.
Do you consider results? Process? Draft? Major league club? Everyone may have a different grade for different reasons.
I’d give him a B/B-. I’m good with the draft and the leadership he’s shown. Retrospectively, my first reactions on the Pujols decision were wrong. Perry gave Albert a chance and he didn’t perform. He didn’t fit on the roster and had to go. I’m good with Perry’s decision. Perry did “ok” ith the bullpen. He placed his bets and some paid off – while others did not. My lowest grade for Perry would be with the starting pitching. There’s 5 positions and he gave one to “Q”.
I’m optimistic that we may have turned the corner even if we don’t make the playoffs this year.
I do remember everyone here at CtPG being ok with Q as an innings eater and hated the Cobb acquisition
I was one. Was eh, not excited about Q, and hated the Cobb signing. Cobb has surprised me, and I will be dining on crow curry if he keeps it up through August.
To be honest, I thought the jerseys weren’t that bad. It was pairing them with the blue pants.
I’ve always thought of pants as evil (so evil it’s pronouced “eh-vul”).
“Like the Froo-its of the devil … E-Vil”
https://youtu.be/Ci3rYOH8t3A
Does anyone have any reliable info as to when Trout may return? I know he’s eligible to come off the IL a couple games in. Any word on his status?
Been looking around the interwebz and twitterverse for something and have thus far found nothing. He’s eligible to come back this weekend.
I’d think a rehab start out in the IE should be on tap soon.
Or a scheduled surgery date. Its probably a toss up.
Next we’ll hear Spring Training 2022.
From The Athletic today:
Mike Trout
Injury: right calf strain
Injury Date: May 17, 2021
When Mike Trout went down with a calf strain two months ago he was given a 6-8 week recovery time. This may sound long for a strain, but Trout is likely dealing with some small tearing to the calf muscle. Calf strains are an injury that almost always take longer than expected to heal, and they are also easily re-injured. While there was some hope that Trout would return after the All-Star break, he isn’t ready yet. Trout has been hitting off of a pitching machine but as far as we know he isn’t running yet. That tells me he is still weeks away from going on a rehab assignment. The calf muscle is responsible for plantarflexion of the foot and ankle, meaning it propels you forward when you do things like run and jump. If Trout is patient with his recovery and waits until late August to return, I am cautiously optimistic that he can put up strong numbers in the month of September. A quicker return would mean a very high risk of re-injury.
So I think what they are saying is the next time we see MNT he’s going to be an over-the-hill 30 year old
2023
The medical team should have known everything you say here ( I am giving you the benefit of the doubt and assuming it is medically accurate). If so, then why were we initially fed the misinformation of 6-8 weeks?? That is a big difference from late August. I don’t like being f_ with by the medical team and/or front office.
Sorry. TrAdition
Technically you’re not being F_ with…..Incompetence is the “Root Cause”.
Arte, right or wrong, likes to have things sound optimistic. Good for business.
Hmmmmm. Lying to us so we keep buying tickets.
Not a good look Arte.
saying nada at all, is that lying?
Ummm, saying “6-8 weeks” for Trout and having him come back in late August IS lying to us.
I don’t want to see Trout blow his Achilles. Durant strained his calf, came back too fast then blew his Achilles. Trout needs to get healthy and also work on his upper body weight (yes here come Fatboy jokes) but tbh he needs to reshape his body a little bit more to his younger years . He needs top notch body mechanics to carry him the next 10 years.
Exactly, he went from Mike Trout to Mike Alper
Ugly. Really ugly.
Coming off that draft, I was just looking birds eye view at the Angels “top prospects” that MLB.com lists and uh, yeah, I can see why we were in a hurry to inject some more pitching.
Outside of Detmers the “prospects” all have ERA’s in the 6s. I know we have some new guys on the scene this year performing OK that aren’t listed there but holy crap is it bad on the farm. Kyren Paris might be the one guy we can look forward to outside of the obvious 3 (Adell, Detmers, Marsh)
*provided he can stay healthy.
I don’t see how we can become buyers in the trade market considering our complete lack of minor league talent. It still seems likely to me we should probably end up sellers, but with few non-core assets other teams might be interested in beyond the Iglesias twins.
Trout hurt, so discount
Ohtani, first round ouster in the derby, so discount.
Lots of pieces to trade.
Yes, and if they did that there would not be a single fan in the stands until Moreno sells.
Unless they decide to mortgage Adell for the chance to get their asses beat as a barely wildcard team I doubt they trade for anything major like a good starting pitcher.
You know, you don’t have to be either one. This is a forced or coerced, artificial duality.
Wow a non-binary Angel fan.
Just call me Zir.
They could trade Heaney and Bundy and that would barely register in our W/L record. Package then with a Knowles, Soto or Adams and maybe you get something better like some more young relievers? Position player prospect? Like catcher or UT IF?.
There’s a big pile of “maybe” in our system. Jackson, Knowles, Adams, the entire Trash Pandas pitching staff (seemingly), Vera, etc. Guys who have been hurt, like Paris. Sure, most of these guys won’t do much of anything, but a couple of them will most likely “climb the boards” once they get healthy and their learning “clicks”. So we may migrate towards the middle of the pack in farm rankings at some point.
I’d be okay with a Duffy trade, not sure what it would take though. Eaton is a decent defensive back up, I’ve seen people say it should have been done sooner, but he wasn’t a FA a month ago. In all it’s been a decent week for us, Ohtani and Walsh showing their stuff at the All star game, a draft full of pitchers including some I only just found out about and really like now! Let’s go Halos and get better this half!
See, what you’re not grasping is that if Arte actually cared about winning instead of just drawing 3 million fans per year he would have done what it takes to sign Eaton a month ago even though Eaton wasn’t available a month ago.
Haha fair point there
So much this
Arte’s poor “Care and Swag Q-Rating” being so low, had a direct reflection on our low “Desire to Win Meter” this year. Yet our “Winning with Grit” index it holding steady.
But, over all, how tangible are our intangibles and how many of our baseball people are baseball people?
Could’ve had Goodwin in May
Would have been a better option
When did you come up with the theory?
Is it an original idea,or did just make a 180° turn and decided that it was original?
Or did you forget the /s?
I don’t understand your question. So the answer is…. no? I do know none of my theories are original. I have a “Theory of the Day” desk calendar.
yes you do, you truly understand
maybe we could trade Eaton for Duffy.