LA Angels Thursday News Crash: Detailed Look

Here is a detailed look at the seven players the Angels sent to the Arizona Fall League. 

Meanwhile, Matt Swanson is out as the Angels Scouting Director.  It is not yet known who will replace him. He still seemingly will have some role, but not that one.  Obviously, Perry Minasian has some big ideas concerning the future direction the Angels will take. Will he do anything about the training staff or the medical people? Maybe it’s something he should look into. Where there’s smoke there’s fire.

I guess Patrick Sandoval was a pleasant surprise. He represented the Angels in this list of surprises for 2021. Shohei Ohtani got a mention, but it was apparently not so surprising that he turned out to be good.

Non-Angels Links

Scott Boras rants about how we need to expand pitching rosters in the middle of the postseason.  It’s all about tired arms affecting performance by high end starters.  Strangely, there is no mention of whether poor performance has anything to do with the ban on sticky stuff. 

Will there be seven teams vying for the top five free agent shortstops?  Who will be the winners of the off season and who will be the losers?  Only time will tell. 

The Mets are still fiddling around looking for their next President of Baseball Operations.  Where does Sandy Alderson fit in all this?  Where does Bryn Alderson fit in all this?

I guess pitching is an inexact science.

That plane that crashed in Texas was on its way to Boston taking people to watch Game 4 of the ALCS. Everyone aboard survived but I guess they had a change of plans.

‘Tis the season to be fired. The Brewers just fired their hitting coach Andy Haines.

The Cubs Assistant General Manager, Randy Bush, voluntarily changed over to an advisor position so he could work remotely and spend more time with his family in Florida.

Photo credit: Rex Fregosi 

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FungoAle
Legend
3 years ago

Boras is absolutely correct on this one. It’s harming the game .Theo Epstein’s idea of shrinking pitching staffs would force teams to leave their starters in the game longer:

Twebur
Legend
3 years ago

Managing the bullpen on Tuesday, helping an elderly roided up Mall Santa Clause down the steps on Wednesday, Thursday starting at first base in a must win game 5 NLCS.
Albert did more to help the Doyers in 3 days then he did for us in 9.5 years.

https://twitter.com/michael_schlact/status/1451021293017513987?s=20

https://twitter.com/Jomboy_/status/1450611637266882569?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1450611637266882569%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fcrashingthepearlygates.com%2F2021%2F10%2F20%2Fla-angels-wednesday-news-crash-please-hold-2%2F

  1. Mookie Betts (R) RF
  2. Trea Turner (R) 2B
  3. Corey Seager (L) SS
  4. Will Smith (R) C
  5. AJ Pollock (R) LF
  6. Albert Pujols (R) 1B
  7. Chris Taylor (R) 3B
  8. Cody Bellinger (L) CF
  9. Joe Kelly (R) P
Eric_in_Portland
Legend
3 years ago
Reply to  Twebur

unfortunately, with Albert in the starting lineup, it means he won’t be hitting into a series ending double play, since they’ll pinch hit for him against a righty.

JackFrost
Super Member
3 years ago

I bet Albert is excited. This will be only his 2nd playoff start (he started Game 1 vs. the Braves, not sure if he started in the Giants series) in what, 7 years ?

JackFrost
Super Member
3 years ago
Reply to  Twebur

“helping an elderly roided up Mall Santa Claus down the steps..”

 😂 

Last edited 3 years ago by JackFrost
GrandpaBaseball
Legend
3 years ago

If Umpires had a smart Unioin Robo Umps would never be needed.

Cowboy26
Legend
3 years ago

Wait until the robo umps organize. We’re all doomed.

GrandpaBaseball
Legend
3 years ago

Not allowing hitters to remove themselves from the batting box and allowing for only 15 seconds between when the last pitch was released to the next pitch thrown will decrese game times to less than 2 1/2 hours or more.

DowningDude
Legend
3 years ago

Eliminate ball scratching too.

Twebur
Legend
3 years ago
Reply to  DowningDude

scuffing up your ball is against the rules..

steelgolf
Legend
3 years ago
Reply to  DowningDude

Whoa, whoa, whoa, are you trying to deprive the players of a true sport tradition?  😄 

GrandpaBaseball
Legend
3 years ago

There just plain and simply is not enough pitching to fill 30 teams will enough MLB level pitching.

Eric_in_Portland
Legend
3 years ago

Boras would be as bad a commissioner as Manfred.

Cowboy26
Legend
3 years ago

Other than JJ The list of prospects we are sending to the AFL this season seems pretty weak.

ihearhowie3.0
Super Member
3 years ago

Moar Turnover plz

2002heaven
Super Member
3 years ago

Yesterday’s Astro’s starter Framber Valdez, plus Jose Urquidy and Luis Garcia, all 3 signed for $430K in 2015 and 2016. at the ages of 19 and 20. Usual age is 16 or 17 as reported by Ken Rosenthal ( 2Pints……you listening? ). Jose Urquidy signed for just $10K!!! shit you can pay more for a used car than that!!!………. 😠  😡  😭 
Bye!!!

Last edited 3 years ago by 2002heaven
AnAngelsFan
Super Member
3 years ago
Reply to  2002heaven

Photo without caption or it didn’t happen.

2002heaven
Super Member
3 years ago
Reply to  AnAngelsFan

Wouldn’t cooperate hence the bold letters and emojis…..
But you didnt comment on my comment, why not? Back at the old place ( Halos Heaven ) they complained about that Roberto Baldoquin guy having ate up all our international pool money. Now we’re stuck hating the Big H for having a hell of a outstanding starting rotation for the next 5 yrs ( McCullers plus these 3 guys ) 😠  😫 . I feel like we’re Missouri, Kentucky and Tennessee football fans hating Alabama and Nick Saban.

Cowboy26
Legend
3 years ago
Reply to  2002heaven

Who’s we?

2002heaven
Super Member
3 years ago
Reply to  Cowboy26

I don’t have $10K to spend on a good pitching prospect 😜 
this comment you made sucks—-> 💩  💩  💩  👎 

Last edited 3 years ago by 2002heaven
AnAngelsFan
Super Member
3 years ago
Reply to  2002heaven

I didn’t comment because I didn’t have enough time for more than a good-natured jest.

For what its worth, I agree Houston does a better job of scouting prospects than the Angels. I think other teams also do a better job of developing their pitchers and keeping their pitchers healthy. A lot of our recent woes definitely extend from Arte’s failure to invest more in scouting and development.

h27kim
Trusted Member
3 years ago
Reply to  2002heaven

Clearly, we should have kept Jesse Chavez, Braves’ Game 4 starter…(NB: Chavez had ERA of 5.35 the year he pitched with Angels)

Simba
Trusted Member
3 years ago
Reply to  h27kim

He was actually on the Angels spring training roster this year and given his release.

DowningDude
Legend
3 years ago
Reply to  Simba

Dumb Dodgers also let him go at one point.

Last edited 3 years ago by DowningDude
2002heaven
Super Member
3 years ago
Reply to  Simba

I’ve never commented on Jesse Chavez because he’s a well traveled journeyman. Just a middle relief guy too.

DowningDude
Legend
3 years ago
Reply to  2002heaven

Hot damn! Where do I collect my winnings? 😂😂😂😂😂
comment image

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend
Reply to  DowningDude

You collect right here baby! You win a big ol’ bucket of stupid.

Senator_John_Blutarsky
Legend
Reply to  DowningDude

Maybe he’ll give you four poop emojis? I believe that indicates “brilliance” in Azerbaijan

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend
Reply to  2002heaven

Yes Hubert (I’ve decided that’s probably your name). Those are some baseball players that are good this year and are not on any other team but the Astros. Very good. You did the internet like a big boy. 🍪 

2002heaven
Super Member
3 years ago

comment image
Dammit we missed on him too!!! 😆  😠  💪 

Twebur
Legend
3 years ago
Reply to  2002heaven

comment image

DowningDude
Legend
3 years ago
Reply to  2002heaven

He has a sibling named Busted

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend
Reply to  DowningDude

If they sign up Busta Rhymes to be our scouting director I am gonna double my love for PTP.

2002heaven
Super Member
3 years ago

Rev Halo Fan’s LCS Gamethread has a stop sniffing glue reference on the masthead image…..whaddyya know about it? 🤔 

DowningDude
Legend
3 years ago
Reply to  2002heaven

We know you never stopped sniffing 😍👍

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend
Reply to  2002heaven

Dunno. I think the science tells us that, much like eating paint chips or having a mom who always drank while you were inside her, sniffing glue can make it so you fixate on a single topic and bring it up whether it makes sense in a conversation or not. You just dither on pointlessly, using kids grammar and pictures instead of words, about the same thing over and over. Like a 4 year old that likes dinosaurs, or me after a gallon of Popov and grape soda.

Senator_John_Blutarsky
Legend
Reply to  2002heaven

comment image&ct=g

Senator_John_Blutarsky
Legend
Reply to  2002heaven

comment image&ct=g

2002heaven
Super Member
3 years ago

comment image
Quit making trades for guys like Patrick Naughton

red floyd
Legend
3 years ago
Reply to  2002heaven

comment image

Senator_John_Blutarsky
Legend
Reply to  2002heaven

Do you seriously believe some team was going to unload a pitcher with real talent for a journeyman outfielder?

Your hatred of the Angels Baseball Operations staff knows no bounds.

2002heaven
Super Member
3 years ago

I don’t expect the Astros to nail everything. Mark Appel can attest to that. ( #1 overall pick in the 2012 MLB Draft ). That’s why I believe that if you absolutely scout the hell out of a small group of players ( 3 or 2 maybe ) and try to leave no stone unturned then you’ll usually come out on top. The Cleveland Browns and Donald Sterling’s LA Clippers were notorious for not doing their due diligence and homework. Seven straight or not next season? Unless Arte is willing to have a $250M or more payroll next year then I say yes that seven straight will happen.

cookmeister
Trusted Member
3 years ago
Reply to  2002heaven

Dang, Halos didn’t sign three guys that all other teams didn’t sign either. What a shame.

2002heaven
Super Member
3 years ago
Reply to  cookmeister

comment image
Unfortunately they do have him 😠  😭