Really a scatterbrain week here. The World Series is on, but even then Shohei Ohtani was in the spotlight receiving a prestigious award. What he did last year was beyond incredible and left viewers amazed. We’ve seen every home run, now look at every stolen base by Ohtani.
The biggest team related news came off the field. Sadly, the Angels will be in the news all winter. Tyler Skaggs death has launched both criminal and civil proceedings. The criminal one is set to get underway in Fort Worth starting November 8th.
The civil suit is getting more interesting. Erick Kay, the defendant in the criminal case, and longtime Angels staffer Tim Mead have been dismissed as defendants in that case.
Mead’s possible knowledge of the opiate bros has been the subject of a lot of debate around here. For his part, Mead is issuing stern denials through his attorney.
Thankfully we have an experienced attorney on staff to help us navigate the ins and outs of this story. Charles Sutton is breaking down the recent developments and will keep breaking down the legalese into something we can understand.
And while the death of an athlete and multimillion dollar lawsuits make for high theater, in reality this is just baseball again emulating real life. I’ve personally known two friends to die from opiate overdoses and seen another close friend lose his 21 year old son to an imitation pill that was really fentanyl. This stuff is scary.
At the conclusion of the World Series, teams will issue Qualifying Offer’s of just over $18 million for one year to a handful of top notch free agents. Who is likely to get one? And what would the penalty be for the Angels, or any other team, to sign one?
One free agent the Angels won’t be in on is Albert Pujols. He enjoyed a bit of a career renaissance up north, finally accepting the role he wouldn’t here, and plans on playing again in 2022. I’m not going to hate on the guy. He loves the game and wants another year or two. As long as it isn’t here, great.
The World Series? Oh, yes, the white hatted Atlanta Braves are tied up 1-1 with the black hatted Astros in the 2021 World Series. Take a look at 5 key questions after the first two games.
Here’s a great, humorous look at The Haters Guide to the 2021 World Series. Warning, plenty of foul language in that one.
Morton is out for Atlanta, McCullers was already out for Houston. At this point, what do the rotations look like for the three game set this weekend?
One name likely to see some extended action is Braves prospect Tucker Davidson, who received a late night call he was headed to the Series.
I simply couldn’t do links this week without this:
And congratulation to friend of the site Taylor Blake Ward on his first published novel. I’ve already ordered one, and you can pick one up yourself here.
Have a great weekend and let’s go Braves!
Two Gold Glove candidates at 2nd and 1st. With 2 more candidates out for much of the year, Trout and Rendon. Maybe a future GG in Marsh…..would’a, should’a, could’a have a great defense if everyone can get on the field at the same time..
Don’t forget Juan “Hopefully Gone” Lagares…GG. Say it again Darron Sutton!
For a former GG he sure looked lost on a few plays in the outfield.
And yet we were one of MLB’s worst fielding teams………..
 😠 😠 😠 😠 💩 
Yes. And yet these two guys are up for a gold glove.
Sure, with the injuries and all of the replacement players. Put Trout and Rendon back in the lineup, and things look different, no?
Marsh all year, and Adell’s improvements also go a long way.
https://twitter.com/TaylorBlakeWard/status/1453798430631858198?s=20
Fake news. This player is from a barren Angels system that produces nothing of value. This is unpomsiple.
Gitcho why are you always such a buzz kill man?
I believe you fell in the Chasm of Sar.
The Chasm of Sar needs a t-shirt.
I guess both my chasms are not that Sarred?
I hope Albert takes note. Reason #20 Albert was on the pine.
https://twitter.com/TaylorBlakeWard/status/1453792297879932937?s=20
Fake news. This player is from a barren Angels system that produces nothing of value. This is unpomsiple.
Gitcho why are you always such a buzz kill man?
What are you talking about? There is always something in my head buzzing.
The Angels should sign Hanser Alberto who the Royals just waived for INF depth.
Alberto had the lowest-walk rate by any hitter with at least 250 plate appearances at 1.6 percent, drawing just four free passes all season. Feels to me like a Rengifo clone.
Sure, OK. Accept for the fact that Alberto is solid defensively at three infield positions, has had at least some value above replacement each of the last three seasons, is fairly fast, and has an OPS+ something like 30 points higher than Rengifo…. who is also the guy having Alberto in the fold will preclude us having to use next year. I said he’d be solid depth. Solid. Depth.
How does he compare to Captain Mayfield ?
Here, I’ll just give us all some links to some B-Ref pages. We can all kick the tires on the Hanser Mobile….
Hanser
Rengifo
Mayfield
If I were gonna strike hard and strike first with no mercy, but keep back a bunch of money for pitching, I’d sign Alberto now and sign Jonathan Villar ASAP for a couple years and call my infield done for around 7-9M including Ward as depth at OF/3B/1B.
But wouldn’t he would block the plumber’s pipeline to the big leagues?
Um, sure. Maybe? Don’t really care. I’m sure if Stephanic goes to Tempe this March and shreds they’ll find a spot for him.
He hits better than. 200
Does he have grit and fire ( like Notre Dame FB coach Brian Kelly LOL!!! ).. He might still be berating that female reporter at that presser from a few yrs ago. We know most of the time grit and fire is just a nice way of saying a jack ass however. Keep in mind only successful star athletes and championship coaches are allowed to be AH’s ( Bill Belichick, MMA fighter Connor McGregor, Nick Saban, Greg Popavich ).
Well, he may be a “firecracker” or play “with a flare”, I’m not sure. He’s not white, so those are the terms they’d use for him if he has grit. Only small white guys with stubble can have grit.
CTPGs – where good moods go to die.
Desert Dogs today…
Pina 3 innings 4 hits, 1 ER, 1 K, 1 Walk, pitch/strike 46-29 ERA – 1.13
Crow 3 innings 0 hits, 0 ER, 5 K, 1 Walk, pitch/strike 49-31 ERA – 1.13
Second time in a row piggybacked solid 3 inning outings….identical era’s
It’s cool if they flourish there. This is probably a step up for them in the level of the competition they face.
A Desert Dog last night…..
https://twitter.com/JEspinoza1634/status/1453822877757702144?s=20
WTF is an arm barn?
It’s next to the tent we keep the birthing people in.
Please people don’t cave in and start using this ridiculous term. We empower the SJW’s (actually PETA is worse than the SJW’s) by submitting to these kinds of stupid demands.
Being against cruelty to animals is one thing, but attempting to remake the English language because it makes you feel important is another. For example, I am against certain uses of animals in experiments and testing etc but the use of the word “bullpen” doesn’t actually hurt cows lol…
btw Cowboy26 you should change your username.
It is disrespectful to cows.
But, just to be clear, it’s totally OK to shit all over boys. They are problematic and should be drugged at all times for all of our own safety.
I’m going to miss the Rally Monkey when Peta comes at us
Don’t give them any ideas !!!
Barn fire…….dumpster fire……tire fire, propane tanks strapped to our Blow Pen..
All Angels pitchers gonna’ burn and it all pretty much burns the same.
trAdition
here, here..
bullpen, disabled list, bullpen, disabled list, bullpen, disabled list, bullpen, disabled list bullpen, disabled list bullpen, disabled list bullpen, disabled list bullpen, disabled list bullpen, disabled list, bullpen, disabled list bullpen, disabled list, bullpen, disabled list ………………………………..
Nice. And I’m definitely looking for some multi inning relievers.
https://twitter.com/JeffFletcherOCR/status/1453778864702824473?s=20
He even just got traded between a couple of Dominican teams.
All right! Scott Blewitt (The perfect name for the Angels next closer). (Please don’t ban me. I couldn’t help myself.) https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2021/10/royals-outright-hanser-alberto-scott-blewett.html
Not my trade proposal but very interesting: https://www.baseballtradevalues.com/trades/trade-59757/
Angels get: Amir Garret, Sonny Gray
Reds get: Jo Adell, Arol Vera, Austin Warren
I think that is pretty fair. Obviously losing the upside of the bottom three but adding a legit arm for the rotation and bullpen.
I think Warren may be unproven but he was way better than Garrett was this year
Yeah. I like Warren. We need cost controlled bullpen guys.
Garrett has a live arm but failed to take a step up last year. He could be a guy to take a chance on but is a hot head.
Austin Warren is a perfect sell high guy to package in a deal. He’s undersized, not overwhelming stuff and things are not likely to go as smooth next year
I like Amir Garret. You’re right, if he cuts his walks down he can be a beast.
I’d also like to have Sonny Gray.
Not at that price.
Yeah, that trade’s steep. Thing is, computer brains aside, I think the Reds are going to get a pretty steep return for Gray.
Pull Vera out of that deal, rotate some other prospect and it is tempting. I think Vera “might” be on the cusp of emerging. Might be wrong.
Someones bound to.
As much as I know CTPG doesn’t wanna see this.
The Astros are ridiculously loaded and I seriously doubt the two year sanctions imposed by MLB for their 2017 WS cheating scandal is gonna slow them down much at all. They’ll have a whole new outfield by 2023 headlined by Kyle Tucker and a whole new starting rotation with Lance McCullers. 😠 😠 😩 
And some spending money. Greinke’s contract is over, if Verlander accepts the QO that’s a $15 million drop. Correa or another SS will soak up quite a bit but his salary is gone too.
They have some questions to fill in the rotation though, like we do. Grienke is gone. Does Verlander have anything left?
Then they have McCullers, Framber Valdez, and Urquidy. But question marks on Odorizzi, Josh James, Forest Whitley …
With a solid 3B, 2B, and 1B, but needing someone at SS – I think they look a lot like a healthy version of the Angels, tbh.
McCullers Jr, Valdez, Garcia, Urquidy……..that’s a whole new wicked 4 man group. I see them holding on to Correa and Bregman.
Bregman is under contract (12M next year, 30M in 23 and 24), Altuve also costs a ton.
Can they afford to also pay Correa? They let Springer walk, and Correa is going to want a contract like Bregman and Altuve (if not more, for playing SS). They have to consider Gurriel too.
Correa himself does not think they will sign him. He has said so. He was talking about his bWAR of 7.2 and implying that he expects to be paid accordingly (in short, he won’t be giving any hometown discount). He basically said that he wasn’t sure he’d stay.
I hope he not only leaves Houston but leaves the AL. Anything to weaken the Astros helps us potentially.
The Skanks will probably make a run at him.
That makes sense.
Don’t they have a ton of arbitration eligible players to deal with this year?
Plus a 2022 payroll of already (assuming those arb players) at 230M+?
Will they pony up the 30+M Correa will want (or any top SS)?
I’ve heard they will be interested Or Corey Seager. I think Story’s past year puts him a distant 3rd.
The word from miscellaneous Yankees writers has been that they will spend a bunch of money on somebody, but Seager is currently being mentioned as front runner. Interest in Story is waning. https://yanksgoyard.com/2021/10/28/yankees-rumors-nyy-souring-trevor-story/
Verlander back to Detroit is a possibility. Verlander is the type of pitcher the Angels need but I would not take the gamble.
Nor would I. Plus, I don’t like him. He does not have the “Angel” personality which is typically humble and self-effacing (like Trout, Ohtani ).
Considering the Angels primary need is bulk innings, I’d also avoid him.
As far as his attitude, I think the Angels could use one hard ass in the clubhouse. Verlander is a whiny butt, but the best teams always had that one really driven guy like Erstad, Lackey, even Weaver and Torii had some dog in them at times.
Agree that good team chemistry requires a “tough” guy in there somewhere. The difference for me is that Erstad and Weaver were not “dicks” and Verlander IS a dick. Lackey however you might also reasonably call a dick.
Torii was just a phenomenal cat; he was strong and determined but also chill, with a great sense of humor. He really combined all the traits of a great leader. We won’t find another like Torii (in my opinion).
So their outfield will be entirely new but also a player thats been in their OF for a couple years will be there? Makes sense.
Not to mention the implementation of a new cheating scheme .
Bring it on. This should only enlighten us to up our game which I believe we are incrementally trying to accomplish under the new regime.
I think we can count on McCullers being their GRich, but yeah, they still have plenty of talent. Their farm is somewhat trade depleted too, but still has enough talented guys in it to support the MLB roster changes. Asstros may not be as good as they have been, but they will be good.
That’s what I’m hoping too. I mean, logically you’d think that if you keep making big trades to push you over the edge each season your farm is going to suffer and it will eventually catch up with you. However, it seems some teams just have clever enough folks running the show that the lean years are few or even non-existent. Then there’s us…
Is this ‘whole new OF’ going to be any good? I think we would be complaining if, after Brantley’s contract expires after 2022, we were running with McCormick, Tucker, and Meyers (with Stubbs and maybe the last year of Siri’s contract after that)?
I still think I would prefer Trout, Adell and Marsh.
That’s if Trout doesn’t become injury riddled and like Upton..
I’m not a big Jo Adell fan like the rest of CTPG/old school HH.
There’s plenty of athletic guys in sports who can’t hit, score, or catch… Football, Baseball and Basketball. So glad Perry’s predecessor isn’t here anymore.. Reminds me of Ted McGinley in showbiz ( the guy who you saw on TV shows that died soon later……..Happy Days and Married With Children ). I wish the Astros or the Dodgers would hire him!!!
Trout will be moved to a corner to help limit injury. I think ultimately Marsh compares favorably with Tucker. That leaves Adell as the question mark, but the Astros also have one or two of those.
Marsh is more Johnny Damon with his batting stance and swing. Tucker has a lot more offensive power upside.
Really? You’d compare Marsh to Tucker? I don’t think Marsh has or will have anywhere near the power that Tucker has.
I also don’t see Marsh as a consistent .280-.290 hitter. I think he’s more like a .270 hitter.
Yeah, that’s a stretch on my part. Defensively I think Marsh will excel but with the bat Tucker will always outhit him. OBP will likely be close.
It’s going to be a tough year if the opening day line-up will be those 3 names. Willing to run with either Marsh or Adell as starters but not both.
We have Upton too, but I don’t see us signing another OF. Do you? Ward on the bench, likely.
I’m still thinking Upton is highly unlikely to finish his contract.
Because I suspect the same he is almost sure to have a .950 OPS. The only way I could be more sure he will do the opposite of what I expect is if he were a solid middle reliever this past year and then he signed with the Angels.
Agree, Vegas odds has Upton at -200 not making it past Memorial day.
I just believe, it’s risky to count on 2 unproven OFs rolled out at the same time when fighting for the postseason. It would be fine for a Cleveland and Baltimore franchise who have ownership not invested. Remember, we need to make and go far in the playoffs.
Upton is dead man walking.
If we had unlimited resources, sure. Sign another OF.
But given our current payroll and needs, I think rolling with Trout; Adell, Marsh, Upton and Ward is more likely. Am I wrong?
(SP, RP, SS, C are all higher priority).
Yes.
We should try to acquire another cheap proven power hitter ( Kyle Schwarber if the RS don’t keep him,) but they probably will, especially they can keep him for under $20M.. Say bye bye to Adell and Ward ( ugh!!! ). I like outfielders who can actually field. Upton OHH NoOOO!!! 😠 😠 💩  💩 
Are you really saying ‘cut’ (bye bye) to cost-controlled top prospect OF and rather spend 20M on guy who can’t field (I mean he was bad in LF for the Cubs, and they chose to walk away from his 25+% K rate)??
(and we have a DH, thank you very much)
catcher?
Rays will exercise the $7M option next year.
Put up fucking (October) names with your damn pictures.
I believe that is all time greatest back up dancer Kevin Federline… Fresno’s greatest.
Apparently some of CTPG think I get off on just posting player or FO mugshots. 🤔  🤔  👀 ………you would be so wrong on that assessment.
So it IS K Fed! I never really knew what he looks like, I just guessed cause I found out today he’s from Fresno.
Perhaps not do it, and show us all.
Ground Rule: Angels 2022 season cannot be an experimental year.
Well, we all agree on pitching (starters/bullpen) but I believe the OF should be the next priority. We’re headed into disappointment with those OFs you laid out as there is a lot of uncertainty. That conflicts with the ground rule. Trout goes down again and then what? Go find a competent OF that can hit LH/RH and defend. I’m good with either Marsh or Adell, not both. The other should be traded. No more Rojas, Ward, Eaton, Wong, Fowler, Rengifo, Jay, Largares and Schebler types.
Catcher is not a higher priority, what is wrong with Stassi? Sure, I would love JT Realmuto or Posey but Stassi’s contract makes him solid. Go find a cheap Suzuki replacement, done.
For SS, I don’t believe the Angels will be involved, or should be, with the top SS FA class. Galvis type is fine. Need a glove more than a bat.
Well, get ready to hate life cause PTP will probably ignore your ground rule. Between the pitching staff, SS, OF and bench depth we need to fill about 10-12 roster spots. Some of those are going to be experiments.
Which is OK. Your emotions aside, this team wasn’t “on the cusp” or anything, it’s not actually a make or break, play offs or bust season. I’m sure they will try to make the post season, don’t get me wrong. But they aren’t in a spot where we can ban all experiments because they are just two or three pieces away from the World Series.
We’ll need some experiments to work… say Thaiss at back up C/1B, Marsh working in CF, and a couple young pen arms from the farm. And the OF will likely be Upton/Marsh/Trout/Adell and OTHER unless there’s a trade. But if we solidify SS cheaply and get a better pitching staff out of all that then fine.
Perry’s manager has already called him out, “we cannot go on like this.” Plus, he’s got Trout and Shohei dumping on the team, “tired of losing.”. Baseball is a sport where you can go worst to first in a flash. I don’t think we are that far off as you portray. Aggressive approach does work.
Shoulda/woulda/coulda…imagine of Perry had signed a Tepera, Gravemen, Melancon, Stanek or a Steckenrider vs. Claudio, Cishek, Hoyt, and Sleggers? And a DeScalfani or Wood vs Quintana? An $8M Rosario instead of Fowler?
Serious, with a Villar or a Galvis at short, Stassi manning the bulk of the catching duties, the ONLY experiment is OF. Marsh and Adell has uncertainty and I just don’t like it. Upton is history.
And yet, we could also finish around .500 with an improved minor league system, or not even that, and nothing dramatic will happen at all. We won’t lose any important players for 2023. Maddon…. eh? He can STFU and learn to manager pitchers, or leave. I guess Upton may go. Nothin broken if nothings made. It would just be cool if we were, you know, good next year. It would also be cool if we were just much better too. Or even just better over all… I’ll take that.
With health I bet we’ll be pretty good but the only drama and expectation surrounding next year will come from a few fans on the internet.
Oh, and East Coasthole writer who wants Ohtani to sign with the Yankees in 2024.
Every year is an experimental year.
There is no replacement for Trout. Trying to plan for one is dumb. Sure, find a 5th or 6th OF, but they can’t be on a 25 or 27 man roster (not if one wants a back up IF and a bullpen). Numbers aren’t there. There is no replacement Trout that will play in Salt Lake.
Do you think with Trout and Upton (and their contracts) and Marsh and Adell, that we are signing another OF? Where would they play? How many OF does one carry on a roster?
We have two top OF prospects, and after less than half a season each, you want to trade one of them? Why? Who does that?
Nothing is ‘wrong’ with Stassi. Stassi can’t catch 150+ games. I would rather pay a bit more for a better second C than try to second guess the OF. Hence my priority.
Galvis or Villar might do at SS. They will still cost money, and hence are priorities (higher than trying to replace Adell and Marsh). Pitching is higher priority. Money is limited. Rengifo is the back up plan here, imo. (whether one likes it or not).
I have no idea what you are talking about with this comment:
What are those ‘types’? One’s back up OF (Lagares, Schebler, Ward), players with season ending injuries (Fowler), 5th, 6th, or 7th options at positions that were befallen with injuries (Wong, Rojas)? Show me other teams that don’t try out aging veterans as back up options in times of need (and cut them when they don’t work out – Jay; Eaton) and then we can talk.
I do think it would be a good idea, if possible, to sign an experienced OF who has been waived or let go in FA that we can bring to ST to compete with Adelle/Marsh and be put in SLC if both young men take the bit and earn their spots.
But that guy will almost certainly not be “up to snuff” or what ever wank the wankers wank about AAAA depth pieces we hope not to use.
But……but……but!!!
Those green and gold guys up north always find reasonable cheap competent OF”s. WHY CAN’T WE DO THE SAME? 😠 😠
Experimental year, every year? Whew, we’re not on the same page. Man, I want to win.
Those OF “types” are the ones we had to start the year with. The problem got amplified with Trout went out. Talking competent depth. We had no RF to begin the year, shaky in LF. Trout went and we got fucked.
Look at the Braves, deadline deals; Duvall, Rosario and Soler. These guys are a tad bit better than the guys I outlined, could you agree on that?
Captain Hindsight? Is that you? Cause I don’t think anyone but those players moms were all that excited about them last November. Of course they were better…. and next year it will turn out that Elvis Andrus is good again…. or some other guy. Maybe even a guy on our team.
if you think you have to plan for a Trout injury – then yes, everything is a gamble.
We started with Upton, Trout and Fowler. What do you mean we had no RF? Could you predict the injury there? Did you?
Also, Fowler was meant to be a placeholder until we could call up Marsh or Adell (one of whom was also injured part of the year).
Sure, if we hadn’t had those injuries, at that time, we might have been in a position to buy at the trade deadline – but we didn’t. Good for Atlanta that they had just a few fewer injuries, bought just the right guys at the right time, and had some of the (Eddie Rosario) take off in the playoffs. It could not have been predicted, they won the experiment.
Another nugget to fortify my point that OF should be the priority after pitching: Fangraphs lists the Angel OF as the second worst in productivity in MLB for the 2021 season. Only Seattle sucked more but sadly, Astros No.1.After watching all year long, it sure felt second to last.
Now…it is pretty clear to me, Trout will move the needle but he will need help. If we go into next year with Trout flanked by the two unproven near-rookies (Adell and Marsh), there is risk. It will take one proven player acquisition to be in the starting lineup along with one of the near-rookies. Upton is garbage at this point; can’t field or hit well.
Yes. The outfield we had for most of the year was really weak last season. Can you really not see that that group of players we had to send out all the time last year was a total negative anomaly? And that, if the same issues arise again having signed Jorge Soler (whose inability to field would have had you shitting yourself every night) isn’t gonna save us? Or are you just desperate to make your point?
Look, beg your computer screen to agree with you all you want, but if you want all the pitching you have also been railing for you are probably not getting a risk free outfielder in addition to a SS. We’re gonna need some luck, or experimentation gone right, at some point if we are going to compete for the play offs.
With unlimited money, sure go buy an OF and set Adell or Marsh back a bit (let them stew in AAA).
But we don’t have unlimited resources. Even with that (see Yankees, Dodgers) it still doesn’t always work.
We need pitching. Then, after that, we need pitching. After that, relief pitching, and some more relief, and a bit more after that. If you have a dollar left after that, shop the waiver wire for a desperate vet OF and bring him to camp (which I am sure they will).
This is the bullet we will likely bite in order to spend on pitching, and as bullets go, it’s not the worst. Also, if the injury curse doesn’t leave us needing to replace 5 position starters and some bench depth all the time it’s way more feasible to pick up an OF mid season. Also, I think there will be passable depth OF waived by other teams.
So yeah, if I were GM, and I don’t live in a fantasy universe where I just cut Justin Upton because he makes me mad/sad and then spend 20M on Schwarber to play DH in the OF, this is where I take my gamble and stand pat.
I’d also be pushing Adams/Knowles into early training this winter as hard as I can down on the farm.
Angels hired a new scouting director. Brewers guy. I like that!
https://www.mlb.com/news/angels-hire-tim-mcilvaine-as-scouting-director
Now comes the age old question, do you hire a scouting director, but don’t hire scouts? My guess is that they hire some scouts, maybe even steal some from the Cardinals and Brewers…. but I never under estimate the power of people to not do what I would do.
Honestly, if I track back and look at all the guys Perry has brought on I like it a lot. We won’t know if it works or not for years, but it’s still a trajectory I like. My hope is that Perry uses his Braves Brain and, after having had a long look at all the athletes from the Eppler era, he gets some development people on the farm to polish a few diamonds as well as building the farm his own way going forward. But PTP has hired himself a pretty solid brain trust over the past year plus.
Hiring a scouting director kind of implies having scouts, but you never know what this FO will do. Really never understood why they laid off probably the cheapest employees in the organization during the first part of the pandemic. Penny wise, pound foolish.
You had me at Brewers. 💪👌💪💪💪💪💪💪👌😀. – 2002
Why so many flexing bicep emojis?
This guy has 16 years experience in scouting. I’d imagine he has connections and kind hire some scout. Hopefully Arte gives him the budget to do so.
And I highly doubt a guy in his position moves jobs if he’s not going to get set up to succeed.
Yep. I know. I just figured I’d drop the turd idea that Arte’s gonna hire all these dev guys but no scouts before someone else does it…. but with less style, zazz and grammar.
You hire both and fire both
Eppler’s people need to follow him out the door..
here’s a worrying thought. From the article at ESPN, “McIlvaine replaces Matt Swanson, who was dismissed last week after overseeing the Angels’ past five drafts.”
But I thought our last draft, all pitchers, was a milestone that’s going to turn us around. Now it’s not? I mean, the guy who was in charge has been “dismissed”? Not reassigned. Dismissed. Yikes.
Why are you worried? Swanson doesn’t draft alone in a bubble. I’m sure PTP was in on the choices. PTP probably also ordered up the draft strategy. Swanson has been reassigned, which was probably the plan all along, but rather than bust him out last winter while the scouting department was already a shambles Perry worked with the guys who were already in the mix. Now Perry’s had a year to see what’s what and he’s bringing in his guys. But I doubt he went into last years draft asking Swanson what the plan was.
Bob Melvin to the Padres. Great move for them. Possibly a tear down coming in Oakland.
this was the biggest story yesterday. Melvin was worth tons to a BIG rival – he is one of the better managers by far in baseball right now.
He’s one of the main reasons the A’s were winning 80-90 games the last few years instead of 70-80 games.
And I am VERY happy he’s gone!!!
Nope I think the A’s were better than that.
They’re a small market team that’s built to win during the regular season….TB, MILW. MLB field skippers aren’t worth more than $2M a yr anymore. I wouldn’t care if we had Brad Ausmas making $300K a yr again as long we had Jeff Luhnow or somebody like him as our GM.
Huge move. Melvin is one of the best.
Story broke as I was taking my wife out for the evening so I wasn’t able to link it.
Get your priorities in order, Jeff.  😉 
 😂 
Thanks.
They have a crunch with their arb contracts – Chapman, Manaea, Olson, Bassitt – all needing a raise. Would love to swing something to pinch Manaea or Bassitt – even if it meant taking on a contract like Andrus or Piscotty in exchange (sending one of Rengifo/Mayfield/Gosselin and maybe Barria)?
Piscotty wants to stay in Oakland, even for a reduced salary.
Ok. I was just looking at numbers, and thinking the A’s are trying to reduce salary. Maybe the Andrus/Bassitt for Rengifo/Barria is a better deal (and it checks out with the trade simulator, for what that is worth).
Although he is just a bench player now since the A’s trade deadline moves. He wanted to be in Oakland for his mom, who has since passed from ALS. His family is from Pleasanton. I don’t know how much he has left in the tank though.
I would’ve gladly had him in our outfield this summer which was a disaster defensively.
A’s would need to be intoxicated to make a deal around Barria or Rengifo.
The deal would be to shed more expensive contracts and get something in return. Andrus/Bassitt is likely 25M next year.
But would Barria/Rengifo count as “something” other than warm bodies?
I bet the A’s, and their cavernous park, make Barria into a passable back end starter.
Trade simulator checks out. Would Rengifo be worse than Andrus at SS?
Barria has the stuff to be an MLB starter, but needs consistent starts. He has shown us his stuff, when playing consistently, since 2018. Yet, he is out of options and on the Angels down in the depth chart – meaning either waivers, or deciding he is our 6th starter.
If they trade Bassitt or Manaea (or both, because of costs) then Barria could be the back end of their rotation (and likely do well).