LA Angels Tuesday News Crash: Line Drive Machine

Brandon Marsh has a good BABIP so far which is helped by the fact that he is a line drive machine. He also has excellent sprint speed. Let’s all look forward to when he can get back on the field and show off a little bit. The Angels need the good news.

Elliott Soto got a minor league deal with the Twins.

The fun week of labor negotiations that is before us apparently takes place at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter Florida. I guess it might as well. There is no spring training going on there. Monday’s meeting lasted for five hours and the ownership group is starting to move on their numbers a bit more. I’m sure the players are still not happy, but the ball is back in their court. Here is where everybody stands going into today’s meeting.

Somebody drove an SUV into Petco Park and did some doughnuts while the grounds crew was working to ready the park for the baseball season. They blocked the entrance he used so he couldn’t get back out. He’s been arrested for felony vandalism.

The Detroit Tigers are also having a minor league mini camp. I guess that might become a thing. The Angels aren’t doing it so far, although they have been working on little league fields.

This article seeks to place a value on the changes to the super two system currently being sought by the Players Association.

What could possibly go wrong with a watch-like thing players can wear to signal pitches?

Inside Edge is hiring a Pitcher Timings Intern.

Photo credit: Rex Fregosi

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2002heaven
Trusted Member
2 years ago

comment image?nii=t
comment image?resize=310%2C377
Angel’s 20 game winners and T-Rex both extinct.
 😡  😠  😢  💪  💪  👈 

Mia
Legend
Mia
2 years ago

Need a Ford commercial that starts with footage of OJ being chased in his bronco, and then it cuts to the clip in Petco, with the tagline:

Criminals choose Bronco.

Cowboy26
Legend
2 years ago

Wouldn’t you know it. I guess some reporter already got his hands on one of those Vandy watches.

https://twitter.com/bigdonkey47/status/1495521492360126464

Maybe the Angels could use some.

Last edited 2 years ago by Cowboy26
steelgolf
Super Member
2 years ago
Reply to  Cowboy26

CJ Wilson approved.

2002heaven
Trusted Member
2 years ago
Reply to  Cowboy26

Whut iftheycant?

Jeff Joiner
Editor
Legend
2 years ago

I really get the sense that this is the make or break it week. If they can figure it out this week they can save the start of the regular season and nobody misses any money.

However, if they don’t figure it out this week, money will be missed. Once money is missed the imperative to “win” and make the other side suffer for that loss is likely greater.

steelgolf
Super Member
2 years ago
Reply to  Jeff Joiner

As of now, I’m thinking that the ownership group is trying to stick it to the MLBPA with their offers. They cam in with, IMHO, a crazy low ball offer, and have not moved very much off of that. maybe they think they can get away with it since they pulled the Jedi Mind Trick on them last time. Manfred does not look good during this (big surprise), and these negotiations and offers should have started in the Coviddy 2020 season and finalized by November of 2021.

Jeff Joiner
Editor
Legend
2 years ago
Reply to  steelgolf

Owners definitely seem inflexible. Yesterday they gave back the minor league roster thing they just made up last proposal.

Really they need to throw a couple of bad owners to the wolves and cave on the floor and get the ball really rolling IMO.

cookmeister
Trusted Member
2 years ago
Reply to  Jeff Joiner

The owners are inflexible? lol the owners have moved off from many fronts and stuck to just a couple of “sticking points.” Heck, they even introduced a brand new pre-arb system giving young players more money.

The players took that system and STARTED it at $110, then went UP to $115.

The players have asked to for the moon and have given very little IMO (i mean really, what have they given up besides the 6 years service time?)

Jeff Joiner
Editor
Legend
2 years ago
Reply to  cookmeister

The owners did a much better job of throwing things up against the wall early in the process: arbitration based on WAR, age of free agents, etc.

But as far as actual proposals going back and forth the owners have refused to budge on arbitration clocks, salary floor, anything that is actually pertinent to getting the new CBA done.

I based the players for not talking for a long time. Now I see the owners as the ones who need to bend a bit. Give it a week and I might have a different take.

cookmeister
Trusted Member
2 years ago
Reply to  Jeff Joiner

Arbitration clocks- the new super 2 increase was a recent proposal by the MLBPA, i wouldn’t say the owners haven’t budged when it’s been what, a week?
salary floor- are you talking minimum salary for players or for teams? MLB hasn’t risen to the level of the MLBPA asking for individual salary, but they have made increases and a bump each year of service time. If you’re talking salary floor for teams, that was in the very first proposal for the owners months ago.

This is going to come down to really two issues: tax threshold, and bonus pool $$ for pre arb players. I understand the players want to raise the threshold because it would lead to increased salaries, but they can’t complain about competitive balance and teams being “cheap” because that would absolutely widen the gap.
The pool money for pre arb players is a BRAND NEW idea (that the owners proposed, not the mlbpa by the way), and the players have only increased that number, that doesn’t smell like compromise.

Last edited 2 years ago by cookmeister
Cowboy26
Legend
2 years ago
Reply to  cookmeister

Better make that 3 issues. The players want expansion of the super twos to minimize service time manipulation.

cookmeister
Trusted Member
2 years ago
Reply to  Cowboy26

for sure, I didn’t specify there but I would lump that in with Pre-arb issues

Jeff Joiner
Editor
Legend
2 years ago
Reply to  cookmeister

I’ve long been advocating a salary floor for teams. It is ridiculous that a handful of owners pocket revenue sharing funds (tabbed “competitive balance” funds) each year. Make Nutting and the other cheapskates spend that money on payroll.

There you go, $250 million or so per year going to players rather than owners. Big market clubs unaffected as it is money they already pay into the fund.

Players win, big market clubs are level, a handful of owners lose.

You are right, the ask for a higher CBT while calling for competitive balance is a joke.

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend
Reply to  Jeff Joiner

I’m pretty much with you:

Salary Floor: All Comp Bal funds MUST be paid to players and a team must meet a salary floor of XXXX. I don’t think even most owners will have a problem with this.

Arb Eligibility: 80% of 2 year players is too much. Maybe give the MLBPA 35%?

Arb Bonus Pool: I’d actually prefer they set a WAR number for various positions and if a player hits that he gets 500K or something. Owners are guaranteed they are paying the extra money to players who provided extra value. It can be 10 players or 100… it just depends on how many arb players perform. Otherwise, set it at 30-40M per year. The MLBPA can’t expect the owners to give them 20 times more than the initial offer.

Make first 8 draft picks a lottery: The lottery will be fun and get press. It only hurts teams that tank too much (that should be hitting a salary floor anyway). If we’re worried about teams building a farm, let them put a percentage of Comp Balance money into international signings if they qualify for the lottery. But other than total crap owners, I can’t think of a single org that will get victimized by this year after year (if there is salary floor).

Lux Tax: Just let the owners have the tax they want as long as it goes up some every year. Why should the MLBPA be OK with this? We’ve seen it with our own team. The Lux Tax is a paper tiger. Plenty of teams will go over it for a short period, only about 3 will do it all the time. Most teams, like the Angels, have their payroll dictated by profits. They have a range they stay in, threshold or no. The only thing the MLBPA really loses is the ability for 5 more players to sign big deals with the Yankees, Dodgers and what ever two teams are “all in” for the next three years (Phillies, Cubs, Gianst, etc).

I think most owners, and the MLBPA, would be OK with just savaging the worst offenders when it comes to cheap ownership. The MLBPA get’s plenty out of this, the MLB gets better competition, which they will need to compete for home screens in the future in addition to butts in seats on Tuesdays in Baltimore.

I bet you could plop a compromise like this out there this week and it would likely pass with some other side issues addressed and maybe some tweeks.

2002heaven
Trusted Member
2 years ago
Reply to  Jeff Joiner

Especially with pitching and player development and not spend thrift with 30 yr old power hitters and 10cents on pitching.

Cowboy26
Legend
2 years ago
Reply to  cookmeister

If you look at the last 2 major work stoppages(1981 strike & 1994 Strike/1995 Lockout) The issues that precipitated these events were initiated by the Owners ( free agent compensation for teams in ’81 and a salary Cap/Tax in ’94-’95)

I would think the owners would gladly accept status quo going forward where as, the players are asking for radical changes to a system that has been in place for 26 years without great conflict.(establishing a new Large compensation pool for non arbitration players, major increase in the amount of arbitration eligible players with super 2 status, and 30% increase in minimum salaries and a 30% increase in the CBT threshold)

Considering that there are no court cases or NLRB rulings that the players can use at their disposal, The players will be hard pressed to see any significant movement by the owners and it maybe beneficial on their part to target incremental changes ( ie a small salary pool for pre arbs, the elimination of free agent signing compensation, anti tanking lottery and anti service time manipulation penalties ) in a shorter contract term than trying reinventing the entire compensation system for the younger ball players.

cookmeister
Trusted Member
2 years ago
Reply to  Cowboy26

exactly my point, well said.

pick one or two of you points that you want to target, and set parameters that will help down the line. Have a couple nice side dishes that next CBA can make into a full blown meal. Don’t just ask for the buffet right off the bat or there won’t be anywhere to go but down.

Marcotor
Trusted Member
2 years ago
Reply to  cookmeister

Thanks for checking in here Mr. Moreno

GrandpaBaseball
Legend
2 years ago
Reply to  Jeff Joiner

Both sides are just being nonresponsive to each other. Both sides feel entitled. Both sides are in for a rude awakening with the real fans not showing up for a few years.

Fans look and see guys playing a game making 42 million a year and they struggle to pay for cable TV and internet. Those of us that really love the game know that our grand kids are no longer as interested in the game as their parents were and their parents were before them. With prices rising fast MLB is banking on raising prices and it won’t work for the average family paying for utilities, rent or mortage, food and cable. Price of automobiles through the roof, ditto for fuel and insurance. Do the math and you can see some hard times coming.

Those with incomes of 500,000 dollars or more may not feel it, but a family making 50,000 dollars a year will.

I side with neither side in this un-necessary course of greed.

It’s time to settle and see things as they really are. Just Play Ball.

Jeff Joiner
Editor
Legend
2 years ago

A criminal in a white bronco you say?

Sounds familiar.

red floyd
Legend
2 years ago
Reply to  Jeff Joiner

I recall that after the infamous freeway chase, the police put out an APB for John Elway… they were looking for a slow white Bronco.

FungoAle
Super Member
2 years ago
Reply to  red floyd

Interrupted the NBA Finals TV coverage

Jeff Joiner
Editor
Legend
2 years ago
Reply to  FungoAle

ESPN did a pretty cool 30 for 30 about that day. OJ news dominated the kickoff of the World Cup, the NBA Finals, a major golf tournament…really all streams of media at that time.

I was in Puerto Vallarta on my high school graduation trip. We were watching OJ drive south thinking he was joining us in Mexico. And as luck would have it, there was a picture of OJ with who we assume was the bar owner sitting behind the bar.

Designerguy
Super Member
2 years ago
Reply to  Jeff Joiner

I’ve met OJ Simpson twice. Once on a golf course (dude was full of himself), and prior to that I was in college at a student conference in Denver.

Simpson was one of the broadcasters on MNF at the time, and after the game, he shows up in the hotel bar and tries to hit on every coed. He seemed offended when several of them told him to f-off.

Jeff Joiner
Editor
Legend
2 years ago
Reply to  Designerguy

that’s the second OJ hitting on every girl at a bar story I’ve heard. Another is from a co worker who ran into him at a hotel bar. OJ didn’t take kindly to being asked to leave a woman alone.

Designerguy
Super Member
2 years ago
Reply to  Jeff Joiner

There’s this nugget from his illustrious film career

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1ksvI9EsBw

Jeff Joiner
Editor
Legend
2 years ago
Reply to  Designerguy

I think my favorite line in the whole series:

OJ: drugs
Drebin: Nurse, get this man some drugs.
OJ: No, heroin Frank
Brebin: You might have to give me a couple of days on that one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v664Yaqjw0g

WallyChuckChili
Legend
2 years ago
Reply to  Designerguy

I’ve Chilled with OJ multiple times. Had Champagne with OJ. When partying a little harder it was Vodka with OJ. Sometimes OJ and I did Tequila and Grenadine.

Designerguy
Super Member
2 years ago
Reply to  Cowboy26

The Dude does not abide, man.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1WJqKWqUHQ

Cowboy26
Legend
2 years ago
Reply to  Designerguy

Ha The Dude never liked OJ.Everyone knows it never goes well with White Russians

Designerguy
Super Member
2 years ago
Reply to  Cowboy26

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halofansince1978
Super Member
2 years ago
Reply to  red floyd

You’ll be here all week…tip your waiter.

Fansince1971
Legend
2 years ago

Might be nice if the meetings took place on Earth rather than Jupiter.

Mikeal1st
Trusted Member
2 years ago

I like Marsh and Adel but between the two, so far, Marsh is the one I wouldn’t trade.

WallyChuckChili
Legend
2 years ago

Felony Vandalism!

Of course if you make doughnuts, the cops are going to show up.

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend

Gold.

red floyd
Legend
2 years ago

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