Perry Minasian apparently has a hair trigger when it comes to veteran players in their final year. The news broke this morning that Justin Upton has been designated for assignment. It seems unlikely that anyone will pay him the $28 Million so he likely will become a free agent. It looks like the Angels will roll with Mike Trout, Jo Adell, Brandon Marsh, and Taylor Ward as their outfielders this season. Good Perry idea or bad Perry idea?
The linked article says, and I quote, “He’s also been working out at first base this spring.” I guess that all depends on what you mean by “working out.”
In a corresponding move, Ty Buttrey is back. I’m a fan of this part. If Buttrey can keep his head in the game he is a solid reliever. For now, he is on the 40 man roster and assigned to AAA.
In the word(s) of Curly Bill…Bye
I’m wondering if Perry is actually trying to do Upton a solid by letting him go now instead of into the season. If Perry felt it was inevitable and decided to not let the sunk cost alter how he wants to build the team, its probably in Upton’s benefit to join another team at the beginning of the season than a few weeks or months into it. Also puts him in a more desirable position to other teams after his recent hot spring, whereas if he got released during the season it would almost certainly come after he’d been struggling offensively.
This move really surprised me, but I think it was the right call given the lack of DH at bats available to anyone but Ohtani, and the much needed youth movement around Trout. I think Adell is going to surprise a lot of people this season.
I concur.
Also, the Ohtani rule partly sealed J-Up’s fate here (even if we may still have had better bats for that role).
I don’t, he can’t hit against better pitchers (TB, Dodgers, SEA, HOU).
Just a mistake ball hitter and Jurikson Profar (the sequel).
Eventually a team has to move on from a player when you have younger options that are ready. One example of this was in 1986 when Wally Joyner took over first base and Carew retired. I remember fans being really upset over this but it definitely worked out.
Carew didn’t retire he was released.
Either way he didn’t play another game after that, is all I remember. Just saying if it was time to play a young kid back in 1986 it certainly is time to play them in 2022. If we are to ever make another playoff appearance it certainly won’t be with old overpriced veterans.
Quick question for all you rules followers. Upton DFA means Angels have 10 days to trade followed by unconditional release, correct?
If so, is it correct he could still be traded w Angels presumably eating most of the contract?
He is not a free agent until after 10 days following the DFA, correct?
And presuming Free Agency, any deal he signs for 2022 comes off what the Angels owe him, correct?
It typically takes much less than 10 days to run a player through waivers. I believe there are different types of waivers some revocable but considering that J up’s 40 man spot was immediately taken by Buttrey I doubt J Up’s waivers were revocable or they wouldn’t have announced the Buttrey move. I can’t fathom any reason a team would would trade for J up now as he would have to waive his NTC and will be a minimum salary free agent by midweek free to sign with anyone.
here’s a reason: If a team pays a small price (a minor league prospect, say) it gets exclusivity. No other team is involved. Once Upton clears waivers this unspecified team would then be competing against all other teams.
I’m looking at it like this…He has a no trade clause but might, theoretically, think his preferred team would be the Nats and his second choice could be the Phillies, his third choice the Mariners. (hey, in theory…) If the Phillies wanted him they could make a proposal. If the Angels liked it they’d ask Upton if he’d go to Philadelphia and he might say yes. But if the Phils wait for Upton to clear waivers and then try to sign him and the Nats reach out, too, then the Phils would lose out simply because they didn’t make an offer to the Angels.
This was along the lines of my thinking
But in order for any trade to work the Angels then would have to send 98% of his salary to the recipient team, agree on some bag of used baseballs balls and get Upton to waive his NTC.
I’m just not sure thats even remotely possible.
yeh…they’d have to ask him politely. I’m imagining myself in that situation. The team’s just said “see ya” and then wants me to cooperate? Not sure how I’d feel.
Quite certain Perry kicked the tires on others teams interest in Upton. Is he worth a prospect even at $700K or whatever the price is?
It’s been determined that this guy has superior bat speed than Justin Upton.
💪 💪 💪 👈
Finally, a player I recognize.
But maybe he can pitch. I’ve always wondered why the Angels have never really had an Aussie born player.
Sloths are from Central and South America, of the order Xenarthra, related to armadillos and anteaters. This is your useless crap interlude for today.
Trent Durrington, Rich Thompson, Craig Shipley Aaron Whitefield drafted but didn’t play for the Angels.
Put that in your Didgeridoo and smoke it…I’m missing someone?
So you’re saying we’re due, Mate?
Rich “Chopper” Thompson
Now where are we posting the gnashing the teeth comments about Manea going to Padres?
https://sports.yahoo.com/mlb-rumors-athletics-trade-sean-151118361.html
Well, I would rather him be on the Padres and face a diminished A’s lineup.
We could still get Montas, in theory.
I will miss the one month a season he hit the cover off the ball. As for the other months…
Well, we’ll always have the memory of him dropping that first fly ball hit to him as an Angel.
Good luck to the kids. Here’s hoping them playing every day pats dividends.
What a very predictable move from last season when it was brought up. I am sure no one of us is surprised and we all wish JUp good luck. The math problems are easy, there is room for player’s that can man more than one position on the Angels roster and Justin is not a 1B. Heck not even a LF really. So only 4 OF’ers needed and JUp made 5. 5-1=4, Problemed solved. 28 million less 700K equals a lot of money ($27.3 mil.) and the Upton family will pay their bills just fine.
The team has plenty of options for OF’ers if needed. Ward will be fine. Walsh will do better this season too, he’s too good to not hit both RHP & LHP.
PTP has proven that he is willing to change this team into a winner imho. I hope he drafts all pitchers again if that’s what he plans. I am in line with giving Marsh and Adell and Ward the keys to the OF as their time has arrived.
I was not sold on Upton helping us, but as a DH he may work out, just it’s time for us to get to the Playoffs and then the World Series And Win Baby, Just Win.
Do we really have alot of outfield options? What if Marsh & Adell continue to suffer through growing pains at the major league level? Adell finished last season on the IL and Marsh has a checkered past of injuries in the minor leagues.
Now our outfield backup options consist of “Wrong way” Ward, Jose Rojas who struggles with his defense and Tyler Wade who has very limited experience in the outfield. I recognize J Up’s defense was bad, but we don’t really have an established option this year yet, like Goose was last year, that provides some semblance of stability if the projected starters fail.
Well I agree that this looked to many that we misfired and see the kids as an answer are mistaken. JUp had a great Spring and I feared that Ward was odd man out while still wanting JUp gone. But in truth JUp is not a 30 HR-100 RBI man any longer, the SB days are gone, the glove is gone, extra bases are gone. He has value at 700K with 7 or 8 teams as a DH where we are already maned.
What’s a SB?
The increasingly rare event when a player advances from one base to another without someone batting the ball?
And despite what Jeff Mathis thinks that doesn’t include first base . Ok got it.
I thought it stood for Salad Bar and GPa was insinuating J Up was carrying some extra baggage. Lately.
I love that gif of him firing the ball to first and the look of disbelief on Soths face.
Stolen base
Agree 100% with last statement. Just like Pujols, he plays a position where we already have better options. Spring training aside, everyone seems to be remembering as a much better hitter than I remember last couple years. I don’t think Adell and Marsh have that large a hill to climb to surpass him. Worked out alright for us last year with Walsh and I think it will again this year.
We can’t have pieces ready to replace – at the same level – everyone who goes down with injury.
(Goose did not come in as a given, even last year, he was a 2B on a minor league contract who we didn’t call up until May).
We have OF in AAA that could come in, there are still FA OF vets that could be picked up mid-season – and both of those options include people likely to hit as well as J-Up’s .208 BA from last year (with better D).
I guess my concern is that we really don’t have any viable outfielders at AAA. Mardell’s graduation has left the cupboard bare at SLC and it would appear our current organizational solution is to backfill the reinforcements with pieces parts (out of position/utility players) and cast offs from other organizations like Dillon Thomas & Magneuris Sierra. We are now long way aways to Jordan Adams and other young organizational talent’s current development contributing at major league level if needed.
PTP “decision tree” is starting to fill out. We don’t have a real back up outfielder ready to go, on the 28 man roster or in the minors, agree 100%.
Probably not a lot of teams in MLB that have are in that situation…Maybe another move in coming. If Ward is that guy……..wow.
With that said, love MarDell and Fatty out there every day.
We have Orlando Martinez (our #15 prospect), Brennan Lund and Tori Hunter Jr. – in addition to the FA signings (Sierra, Thomas, Cabbage) in AAA.
This isn’t the same situation as needing to play Rojas, Gosselin, Walsh and everyone else we could think of in the OF in the past few years (and that was due to a ton of injuries).
Like I said we have a huge void in our AAA outfield depth .
What team has that many OF on their team (that you would count as depth)?
I would also add that both Fletcher and Walsh could play OF as well.
Add them to the list of 5 or 6 other guys that aren’t outfielders by trade and or not very good with the leather………….calling for Gold Glove!!!
Well, Lagares, Maybin, Goodwin, Jay, Gardner, Marisnick, Desmond, Dyson are all still FA – so if everyone goes down – we could always sign one of them (if you don’t like any of our 6 AAA OF).
I Believe Maybin retired but I think all of those guys you mention would be more productive alternatives than all of our AAA-1/2A guys we have now .
Maybe with the season starting some of those guys would agree to go to Salt lake for insurance purposes.
We could get Lagares… I hear he won a Gold Glove.
like Perry, I appreciate Upton as a person. I hope he does great in the NL. I also like that his last game for us was special. Better to go out with a 2 HR, 6 RBI game than a DP.
It’s Mardell time. Like Kingfish and G.A., before them let’s hope they have many great years together for Angel nation.
[cue Bubba Gump picture]
Cued.
https://twitter.com/TaylorBlakeWard/status/1510007352648364035/photo/1
With the new DH – he’s going to be picked up fast. He was swinging it well and could easily have a bounceback year. Regardless, I like the message behind this move, “Our guys are ready!” Let’s roll.
Wow, just after I advocated for a JUP leadoff.
How this will end up is hard to see, but there certainly is a positive side of this move.(Go Adell, Marsh)
And suffice it to say that Arte IS serious and DOES care about winning now.(despite his cheapness lol)
Yeah approving the DFA of Pujols last season and Upton this season for a combined $58 million to not contribute at all to our ball club is pretty remarkable. Upton was an Eppler mistake so I respect Arte for giving Perry the green light to DFA him.
Arte obviously has a budget set and the team had too many holes to fill. Perry went with the strategy to focus on the bullpen and hope that the starting pitching is average to above average at best. The offense is as good as any even with the black hole up the middle of the infield. But this does position ourselves nicely to add some significant talent at the trade deadline. So far I like what Perry has done and our farm is starting to make serious noise around the league.
This is great. Enoy the cash Justin.
I am excited about an outfield of Adell, Trout and Marsh. I am excited about Rojas and Stefanic (he needs to make the team). Plus Wade seems like a nice player. With what seems like a much improved bullpen and a decent starting rotation, this is the best that I have felt about an Angels team since 2015.
I’ll say this. PTP has got real guts, at least. I do worry that he might do (reasonably) well like the old Albert for another team on “our” dime (I guess it’s Arte’s money and not actually ours, I guess).
Second reaction:
Upton will get signed by someone and soon, too: Cleveland and SD are potentially obvious destinations off the top, given their OF deficiencies (and that Upton will be dirt cheap with some upside). I don’t think he’ll be any “good,” but he’ll be a pretty decent spare piece at league minimum. The thing is whether we have such deep OF depth (given the risks inherent with young players in Adell and Marsh) that we can spare a $28 million piece, but I guess Upton isn’t much of an OF any more and the only extra OF I’d like is someone who can really play defense anyways.
I have this odd feeling of a reunion with the D’Backs
o Los Tigres
Caberra lives there still.
That caught name off guard. Not what I expected to see this morning.
But, anyway its been fun watching all the Spring Training day games on my iPad while I work my day job the last 2 weeks. It’s harder for me during the season to watch the night games because my Archie Bunker chair is soooo comfortable and I end up snoring away after a couple of innings. The seventh inning stretch means something entirely different for me than most of you – “wow what did I miss?” Looking forward to the season 😀
Cutting Upton now brings stability to the line-up. Maddon obviously didn’t want another season of should I or should I not play Pujols (or in this case, Upton). His DFA ensures continuity and hopefully positive results.
80th!
Put me in the in favor column. I just don’t think he was going to materially alter our season outcome as a part time player especially as hot and cold as he runs. Would rather roll with the player.
Reading between the lines, there must be some personality issues at play here. It’s a pretty remarkable DFA.
According to Jeff Fletcher’s informal poll the Upton DFA section is split right down the middle.
https://twitter.com/JeffFletcherOCR/status/1510312162668941315
So that makes this issue perfect for massive CTPG fist waving and gnashing of teeth