The article is dated April 2, 2022 so I don’t think this is an April Fools joke. Justin Upton is DFA as of Saturday. We know that the Angels will roll with Shohei Ohtani, Patrick Sandoval, Noah Syndergaard, Jose Suarez, Michael Lorenzen, and Reid Detmers as their six initial starters. I know everybody talks about the injury risk of this group, but actually the Mets seem to be doing the injured starters thing this year. Scherzer’s injury might not be that bad, but Jacob deGrom is out for the indefinite future.
Anyway, the CtPG commenters had a variety of interesting takes on the Justin Upton situation. For their part, the Angels said “Thank you” as they ushered him out the door.
The Braves selected the contract of our old friend Darren O’Day. Our other old friend, Wade LeBlanc just announced his retirement. Speaking of pitchers, those World Series odds must really be shifting for the White Sox. Lance Lynn left his final spring training start with knee soreness.
“Trash Can” Carlos Beltran now says it was wrong for the Astros to cheat.
Mitch Haniger and the Mariners came to a deal and avoided arbitration.
Rachel Balkovec, manager of the Yankees class A affiliate, was hit in the face with a batted ball on March 22. She’s back. She avoided a concussion but got a little swelling around the eye.
Trades
The Oakland Athletics traded Sean Manaea and Aaron Holiday to the Padres for Eruibiel Angeles and Adrian Martinez. Now they are being called a disgrace to sports and to baseball. The Mets traded Miguel Castro to the Yankees for Joely Rodriguez. The Mets had to pay a cool $500,000 to Rodriguez just to get his consent to the trade. The Yankees also got catcher Jose Trevino from the Rangers for Albert Abreu and Robert Ahlstrom.
Photo credit Rex Fregosi
https://www.reddit.com/r/angelsbaseball/comments/tw7ppq/jack_mayfield_makes_opening_day_roster_jose_rojas/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
Might be me but Mayfield seems like a clone to Duffy and vice versa. Slow, avenge to below average bat, 2nd and 3rd positions. Can play a little short. If Joe is going to play subpar defense at 2nd, put the Plumber there. He has best offensive upside.. Let’s see if he can rake.
I dunno. It might be me, but Captain Jack, while not having the best stats, seems to come through often in the clutch.
No Fletch….
https://twitter.com/GManzano24/status/1511110864408961025?s=20&t=AFkCLtjHsBr65P4Dci_Lyg
This is the worst take you’re gonna hear this year.
https://twitter.com/mlberrors/status/1511057280254496775?s=21&t=Sg2e9tptx7fkvf80ng3Ucw
He’s an idiot.
He also didn’t think Trout deserved to be #2.
I never gave him much credence. Now I give him none.
That’s actually Alanna Rizzo with the opinion there.
Oh, it would be good if I could read, but I was actually watching this morning and he said what I wrote.
Oh yeah he sucks, no doubt there.
then Mad Dog says “that’s another reason.”
He’s an ass hat of epic proportions and the embodiment of East Coast bias. I feel bad for giving him a click there.
Dude is a jackwagon of the first degree. I’m trying to be a kinder and gentler person, so I’ll leave it at that.
he looks like he has a drug problem. Perhaps I’m way off base.
For his sake I hope not, but it wouldn’t surprise me.
I think it’s just his sctick
More drugs and cheating
https://sports.yahoo.com/santana-rodr-guez-rond-n-203144371.html
Well, that might explain why no one was signing Rodriguez.
I’m shocked a bunch of guys from the DR did roids.
The sad thing is this taints the legacies of other hard working Dominicans like Papi, Manny, Cano, and so many others.
Where were the Angels generally predicted to finish before the start of the 2002 season? Does anyone remember?
The only thing I could find is linked below. It looks like middle to bottom of the AL West
http://www.espn.com/mlb/s/2002/1029/1452820.html
Thank you! This is what I suspected.
Technically we WERE in the middle of the AL West. With four teams, 2nd is in the middle.
Just goes to show you, no one can predict what will happen in a season.
I have a feeling that when rosters constrict to 26 Barria is moved to the rotation and Detmers serves as AAA depth.
Barria is out of options.
I hope not. They need to move on from that dude.
He is 25 this year. At this point DeGrom hadn’t pitched in the majors, and Robbie Ray had two years worse than anything Barria has put up.
Plus, Barris is, in a sense, the only experienced depth piece for the rotation who is not injured if I understand correctly (assuming he is stashed in the bullpen). Whether Detmers is up or not, I don’t think we let go of Barria. We’ll probably reconsider after having seen Detmers for a while (at whatever level) and when Canning is nearing return.
Of course that dude was experienced. He was a CIA assassin.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/people/2017/03/22/gong-show-creator-chuck-barris-dies-87/99483048/
Don’t forget we drafted Gene Gene the Dancing Machine in the 15th round last year. Experienced starter and an expert in the deadly art of “Dance-offs”.
Just because he’s young and cost controlled doesn’t mean the angels need him pitching for them. What has he done over 4 years to show he isn’t just a mediocre relief guy?
He’s a cost controlled, league average pitcher. Last year he put up nearly 1 WAR in 56 innings of work. For his career, he has an ERA+ of 97 and for most of that time he would have still been in the minors with most clubs.
Tyler Anderson is 6 years older and getting paid $8 million per year by the Dodgers to hopefully be Jaime Barria.
the difference is Barria is young enough to have upside.
2 – 4 with a 4.61 era isn’t worth keeping around imo. He’s been a starter for 4 years now with a very up and down career.
If, by up and down, you mean shuttled off to Salt Lake after every start, then I guess.
Yes. But this is CtPG. If he doesn’t have a 0.09 WHIP right away he’s trash and must go.
As matthias states, Barria wouldn’t have been in the bigs with most other franchises. Same with Sandoval and Suarez.
These three are just now hitting what should be their primes. I think Barria has the lowest ceiling of the three but as the last starter he should be decent.
So Barria will be used in long relief or let go? Detmers should be active and starting.
Barria is the long man for a month. But once we have to drop two men from the MLB roster, Detmers is moved to AAA and Barria is moved to the rotation.
That way we have six legitimate starters plus one in AAA. Until injuries happen, anyway.
I think Barria matches pretty well with most teams #5, or in our case #6. Take him over most #5’s we’ve trotted out there in the last 10 years. More times than not he’ll keep us in games. Wouldn’t be surprised, if he ends up being a surprise………..with that said, I’m certain to have jinxed him, sorry Jamie.
Not sure I buy that comment about both Suarez & Sandoval. I think alot of teams would want them in their rotation. But probably wouldn’t have brought them up as early as the Angels did – especially Suarez
Wouldn’t have been in the bigs 3 years ago. I love having both of them now.
People who are down on them look at their overall stats but they were 21 and should have been in AA.
Now, at 25 and fully developed, most teams would want them.
What is this development thing you speak of? Those guys were bad in 2020, so obviously they’ll never be any good as ballplayers just like that Jo Adell guy.
Exactly. That 89 OPS+ from Trout his first taste of the bigs told me all I needed to know.
Same with that Ohtani guy. Clearly he only looked good in Japan because he was against worse competition. He looked terrible in spring training 2018 vs actual ball players.
Suarez 2019-2020 21 Games, ERA 7.99 WHIP 1.776
Suarez 2021 23 Games, ERA 3.75 WHIP 1.231
Sandoval 2019-2020 21 Games, ERA 5.33 WHIP 1.355
Sandoval 2021 17 Games, ERA 3.62 WHIP 1.207
Exactly. What development?
Pretty nice to see Thor and Rendon looking good as the season starts.
Hopefully Fletcher’s hip doesn’t linger much.
They are just tricking us. They are washed up, but used Cinema 4D to make it look like they were good.
Actually they used Cinema 4D “DeepFake Software” developed by Arte.
It’s high-tech shit and very expensive. It is why he appears to be so cheap.
It’s either DeepFake technology used to trick us. Or, pay high quality free agents to come here…… and feed our minor leaguers? You’d need to print your own money like the Doyers to afford all of that.
First, let me say I am not making any long term predictions. About the most I will do is make short-term predictions about a current series or one coming up… But I have to say that we have been pretty disrespected.
MLB.com has put out their start of season rankings and they have the Angels ranked 18th. Yes, that is right, 18th ! Now, I would certainly not put us in the top 5-6 teams at this point, but I also would not put us at 18. They have teams like the Phillies, Twins, Mariners and even the Tigers ranked ahead of us! The freaking Tigers.
Hopefully the players see this and it makes them angry. MLB Opening Day Power Rankings for 2022
I think we’ve seen some things to be excited about as Angels fans, and I also believe that our team could possibly make some noise this season. Having said that, I don’t really have an issue with being ranked basically in the middle of the pack to start the season. Seems about right for a team that has underperformed over the past few seasons.
Agree about the underperforming, but to me at least we are better than the Twins and the Phillies. And we are certainly better than the Mariners, and especially the Tigers. I understand that you have to prove it on the field, but what did those teams I mentioned really prove themselves that put them ahead of us? On paper we are much better than the Mariners and Tigers, and as stated I would also put ahead of the Twins and Phillies.
Some of the ranking influences are left over from last season. They will change drastically once the games matter.
I’ve heard a couple of TV guys picking the Phillies to win their division…..
It’s the same for most teams: stay healthy, anything’s possible.
Well, not totally. The Pirates can stay healthy and they’re still not going anywhere. The same can be said for the A’s, the Orioles, the Rangers, the Reds, and a bunch of other teams.
Well, another year of not being able to watch the games live. It seems that with more and more people getting rid of cable and going to streaming/online viewing, it would behoove teams to have an a la carte streaming app for their games at like $10 a month or something, but the only way you can get the Angels games (legally) is $89.99 a month. I don’t think so.
MLB TV makes it so difficult to watch them here in TX. I’m 3 hours away from Arlington and 4 hours away from Houston so we don’t typically get their games on TV , but I still can’t watch the Angels play the Rangers or The Asholes no matter if it’s a road game or home game.
Mlbtv is $25/month and they block out the local team. Here is the Dbacks so no big loss.
Two things are funny though
I have YOutubeTV and it doesn’t have the Dback games channel so really no way to watch local team on TV. MLB is stupid. NHL is same way. Blocked out on nhltv (ESPN+) and not part of local TV package- local teams arent getting exposure.
Also being the local team, mlbtv blacks out the Dback spring training games. But yeah there are a least 4 other baseball games being played here locally from other Mlbtv games and they aren’t blocked out.
Whole thing is archaic.
That stuff is old news, my current complaint is Mlbtv platform experience is worse this year. Biggest issue to me is I can’t navigate directly to the start of any half-inning now. That was a handy feature and it’s been removed.
Living in Sacramento I am blacked out when they play the A’s and Giants but if you qualify mlb.tv does offer student and veteran discounts. I took a single team (Angels) with veterans discount and paid $72.49 for the year.
The only good thing about having Tmobile is I get mlbtv for free every season.
That is cool but with my senior rate at Verizon the only way to get anything free is to pay a full rate plan at a much higher price
Buffstreams.io
Every game of mlb you can watch through here. Use an ad blocker and you can mirror it to your tv.
I use sportsurge.net. works like a charm
how to you use it without it trying to mess with chrome?
Yesterday’s game was the best this Spring and was fun watching us take down the cross-town rivals with almost all the regulars starting. Rendone has returned to Mr. Rendon, Shohei launched a HR that the Dodgers talked about back up the Five. Walsh made a stretch at first that would have split a mere mortal. But, the best was Thor pitching and did he ever pitch, he was in full control.
Can’t wait for tonight’s game up at Chavez Latrine and besting those Boys in Blue.
deGrom seems to be considered the Best Pitcher in MLB as Trouty was considered the Best Player in the game, but if you can’t show up for work every day and be depended upon then just maybe you are no longer the Best and others will pass you by. Injuries are no fun, but even the best can get them, but most avoid them.
Beltran, Cora, Altuve, Springer, Correa and the rest are guilty as charged. They all should have been disciplined but no one thinks that was appropriate. It was good enough for Shoeless Joe and all the other White Sox found guilty of cheating. Pistol Pete out for life too. But not steroid users or sign stealers. I never disliked a sports figure more than Barry Bonds, but if known cheaters are in the Hall then the system of being elected in is wrong or they all should be let in. Do you believe only Houston along with maybe Boston were the only teams cheating? Manfred choose poorly, he seems to have developed a pattern for this.
With J-Up gone, I’m really looking forward to…
Dudes in their underwear scrubbing floors with toothbrushes? 🤔
I figured he was just channeling he-who-must-not-be-named-on-this-site.
You never heard of Spring Cleaning?
Yes, don’t fall into the sar-chasm: I know you are referring to Bubba Gump (Adell and Marsh) 😉