Mike Trout simply brutalized the Mariners over the weekend. Meanwhile, Edgar Quero continues his hot hitting down in Inland Empire. The Trash Pandas won the first half of the season in their division. The good news just comes in bunches.
The Twins traded utility player Daniel Robertson to the Phillies for cash considerations. The Tigers designated right-hander Drew Hutchinson for assignment. This is because the major league teams can no longer carry more than 13 pitchers on the 26 man roster. Similarly, the Mariners designated Sergio Romo and Roenis Elias for assignment and the Rays designated Chris Mazza for assignment. The Red Sox designated James Norwood for assignment.
The Dodgers are interested in finding a right handed platoon bat for right field now that Mookie Betts is injured. Should we dangle Jo Adell out there? It looks like they want to do a deal on the cheap.
Manny Machado will be out for several weeks with a sprained ankle.
Here are some thrills and spills from the College World Series. Keep your eye on the ball. They are serving beer at travel ball games. What could go wrong? Heads up camera dude! Heads up pitcher dude!
Photo credit: Rex Fregosi
Mike Trout simply brutalized the Mariners over the weekend.
Great. How’d he do against the 24-win Royals last night with the worst ERA in the A.L.??? Zero just like the rest of the team…
Orlando Martinez Named Southern League Player of the Week
https://www.milb.com/rocket-city/news/orlando-martinez-june-19-player-of-the-week
Okay lets talk Ohtani, does anyone really know his value? Part of that answer will be revealed during the offseason when he is eligible for arbitration. His trade value will also be tied to this. Retaining him will be based off of his asking amount and his desire to stay. So if you are unable to extend him during the offseason then you have to trade him.
I bet we have muddier balls than most teams…..and our balls probably hang higher.
https://twitter.com/TheAthleticMLB/status/1539344304241618944?s=20&t=QgiT6Nly3ivDzz2gzpsZXg
MLB still can’t get the balls right because they are always fiddling around with their balls.
Yep, half the time them balls are just too schweddy
Mmm.. Balls.. Tell us about your Balls, Pete.
So does that mean we get to replay Fridays game because of sweaty balls
Look up next year’s Free Agent class, a couple or 3 really good player’s will resign before the bidding, Arenado coming here would be paying 2 3B 70 mil per yr. Go deeper into improving the team trading minor leaguers that are position players and you come up with very little unless you then start by trading away our future pitchers, not a wise move really now is it? This team is not balanced properly and needs to get very lucky this next off season. I would trade Ohtani and Walsh this July, sign Arenado in the off season moving Rendon over to first. I would draft for need at SS and Catcher.
Even if we make the Playoffs this season do you really think we will get past the Yankees? We would be embarrassed in the WS by Mets or Padres or worse yet, the Doyers. Sell high and bring back some very good and talented youth ready to bloom.
As for Trout, he may end up having something more in common than the HoF with Ernie Banks.
You can’t fix stupid, and well are owner fits a definition of stupid doing the same thing over and over.
PTP needs to become a trader Jack, and not a collector.
Where do I sign up for the “2022 world series embarrassment” option?
Yeah, that looks pretty appealing right about now ….
Yep. The narrative would need to change to “the Angels have wasted Mike Trout by him not winning a ring while with them”…
Worst part of that WS embarrassment is the ramp-up to it.
The playoff run, winning playoff series to get to the WS…..BORING.
.
But… but… our perfect record of WS won vs WS played in!
I’m in.
the thing about Banks…for much of his career only one team from his league qualified for “the playoffs” when it was simply the World Series. And then, with expansion, there were only two teams in the League Championship Series. To not make the playoffs, ever, when SIX!!! teams can get in…well, that’s pretty sad.
I have only one issue with throwing in the towel and selling off our players. I have zero confidence in this organization to get a decent return.
Kinda like getting a bonus at work and spending it on twizzlers, Monster drinks and scratcher tickets.
This clown organization would just mess it up.
Well, I think we got some decent returns on our players over the last handful of years. So I’m not necessarily pessimistic about that aspect.
Let me make this easy for you. Most teams that trade a major star don’t get a decent return. Even geniuses like Beane, etc.
It has been 5 games since we’ve scored on something other than a HR by Trout or Ward.
That’s a testament to how weak the bottom half of the lineup is right now. You just can’t win games like that.
It was pretty clear to me Thor was losing it the inning before he was removed. BTW, Thor’s inability to hold runners cost him not solo run for the lead Then, having a poor bullpen creates a Hobson’s choice for the manager. I actually feel for him. First Joe, then he will be sacrificed for the poor decision making above him.
Yeah, I thought that Phil should not have sent Thor out for the 8th.
Why not. The Angels were already losing 3-2. If Thor blows it, you bring in Barria and save your bullpen for next game, if Thor handles the 8th, you go straight to the closer.
If the Angels are winning 3-2 then you don’t send Thor back out, but since they were already losing, you give him the shot to hold it himself and spare the bullpen.
Thor should have been removed at the beginning of the 7th. He was lucky to still be tied 2-2 at that point. He had done a tightrope act to escape prior jams. Clearly he did not have his best stuff. He was living on borrowed time after the 6th. Phil Nevin should have been able to see that because we all could…
This loss is on Nevin. Thor pitched gallantly to get us to a 2-2 tie after 6 inning. The ball should have been given to the bullpen at that point. I don’t blame Thor for this game. The blame goes to Nevin for having terrible instincts and not seeing what was right in front of him..
Give me the Great ManMade Disasters picture, it’s about time for that to drop
Seems DG must be locked up for indecent exposure. One too many “pants optional” outings possibly
Even if Thor doesn’t lose his hammer in the 8th, that game is still a loss. You simply can’t win consistently with 5 below-average hitters in the lineup, especially when 4 of them are also replacement or sub-replacement level players.
No argument there, now where do we go? The roster was built on Hope and a Prayer and as per usual with the Angels, big injuries took place. Now do we sell or buy? It’s time to sell imho.
Sell
I would trade Ohtani but not until the off season. No reason to trade Trout at this point since he has 8 years left on his contract and I do believe this team will make the playoffs during that time given 3 WC spots. Trading Ohtani would fix some of the holes.
Trading Ohtani is taking the easy way out. More importantly, it is the wrong way. If you look at Ohtani as a pitcher first, would you trade one of your top 2 pitchers? Don’t think so. And I believe Shohei will recover and return to his dominant pitching form. You don’t trade top pitching.
Second, if you look at winning franchises they have something in common. What is it? Well, take a look at the Giants. What they and a few other teams (SF it is the best example) are able to do, is that they bring in discarded players and pieces and turn them into very productive players or in some cases stars. This has to do with knowledge, coaching, insight into what players still have gas in the tank, but most importantly it is culture.
The Giants have a winning culture that helps marginalized players to thrive, in many cases recovering a prior high level of performance or even to reach new heights.
For the Angels to improve it does not take trading Ohtani, (creating a huge new hole to fill a prior one is not good strategy), but rather to make 2-4 signings or acquisitions where average players become very good and/or good players become great. That is the best way for the Angels to take the next step. This has to do with having a great POBO who can recognize who to target and it takes the coaching staff to get that out of him.
Trading Ohtani will not give us that POBO and it will not turn our pumpkin coaches into Golden Chariots. In short, the answer is to put the right baseball minds in the important positions (Maddon was one, but alas he is now gone).
And yes, this does take us back to the spot most people thought we would end up : Arte. He is the blockage in our pipes that is preventing the waters of winning from flowing.
Alex Cobb sort of blows this year.
…. and Joc Pederson has been pretty darned good.
As has Rodon.
We first have to find out if Ohtani wants to stay with this team since he will be a free agent at the end of next season. Giving out another 300-400 million to one player isn’t going to make this team an instant playoff contender. Plus Moreno cannot just go with a 180 million dollar payroll every season and expect this team to win. Right now it will take closer to 230 million. This team has got to get smarter and stop just doing what it has done the last six or seven seasons.
Did you even read what I wrote, lol ???
Wonder if the Giants still have Balco or some other derivative helping them.
Asteroid or Y2K?
There’s nothing to sell that will make a difference in 1-2 years. Either Moreno goes way over the Luxury Tax threshold with multiple big free agent contracts/extensions or the team should do a tear down with a 3-5 year rebuild.
Either way, it’s starting to look like this will be the dark ages of Angels history where they had one of the greatest players of all times and couldn’t even make the playoffs due to bad signings, poor operations (bad scouting and medical staff/trainers), budget constraints that put spackle on 1-2 holes while leaving others unpatched, and injuries.
Actually, two of the greatest. Don’t forget Ohtani, who is a unicorn. If Arturo want to turn it around while Trout is in his close to prime, he must pay up to the cap, or even more, like Doyers and Yanks. We are not the Rays with a loaded minor league system.
Yep. Right now the Angels are built like a Wizard’s tower – nothing but a spiral staircase leading to one-room at the top.
If Moreno wants to win, he can either spend on free agents to turn the tower into the Space Needle with a star in every position at the top, or he can spend on scouting, development and operations to build a pyramid with lots of depth.
Unfortunately, Moreno doesn’t like the idea of going over the cap or of spending on non-marketable assets like operations that don’t provide an immediate return, which is why the Angels have been a revolving door of hope and disappointment for a decade.
Option two requires years to execute and a smarter/better infrastructure to pull it off. It will not include prime Mike Trout.
Yep.
Time for Moreno to sell either the whole franchise or as part of a partnership. We need someone with baseball smarts in this organization.
I thought you said it was time yesterday? and last week? and what about the week before? But then last month I kind of remember you saying it was time for Arte to cash out. I’m so confused.
The guy is a horrible baseball owner. I will keep pressing the sale of the franchise until it actually happens.
You realize none of us can sell the team for him right? You are pressing the sale to no one. It’s like me pressing you to get Putin to divest his “friends shares” of Gazprom.
I think it’s time for Putin’s associates to get out of Gazprom.
….. nope. Didn’t work.
I called Arte on my Oligarch Phone and told him you keep saying that. He said “Who?” then he said to tell you to f*** off.
Yup. I mentioned this back in early may. Joe sat starters before an off day. The lineup had velasquez, wade, duffy, suzuki, and I think mayfield. The angels went on to lose the game of course.
Trent Rush – Cuda
Rendon – Marine Layer
That one f***ing game – You
That wasn’t the only game he trotted out that pitiful lineup though.
Trade thought.
Dodgers get Adell and Ohtani
Angels get Lux (2B or SS), Urias (SP), Miller.(RHP – total stud prospect), Pages (SP) and Papiot (SP).
Comes out about even per the Simulator. Remove Papiot and it’s nearly exactly even.
I think while I would hate to lose Ohtani, that this would be a doable trade for both sides. Lux doesn’t thrill me at all as he like Adell has failed to live up to his promise. On the other hand, it might be the trade that lights Adell and Lux up, a win-win deal.
Right – and Pages is an OF prospect who basically replaces Adell in the system but has a much higher floor.
But Lux is a Looxer.
Ooops Pages is actually a stud OF prospect
And he is a GREAT FIT for the Halos. After a loss we can Turn the Pages
Haha! Love it!
Find a trade with the Giants or the Padres. I can’t handle Ohtani being remembered for his stellar career and multiple WS rings with the Dodgers because the Angels traded him for prospects that still weren’t enough to get Trout to the playoffs (not knocking your choices, just facing reality that prospects don’t always work out and even when they do, injuries to other positions leave the Angels floundering).
Urias and Lux aren’t prospects and the other guys are right there. But I get your point
Not the point. The Angels are in bad shape and might not reach the playoffs with Trout no matter what is done at this point. I’m in for an effort to change that, but not by trading Ohtani to the Dodgers or an AL West team. It’s gotta be elsewhere.
Okay –
Padres get Ohtani, Adell and Rengifo
Angels get Cronenworth (SS), Gore (SP) and Hassell (OF – stud prospect).
Slight overpay by Pads but they get the reigning MVP to go with their already loaded team. By the way their farm system is a wow!
It’s a shame we didn’t cash in primo value Adell when we had the chance
And when pray tell was that primo value chance ?
Two seasons ago
During the COVID season when he had zero minor league at bats and his limited major league debut resulted in a slash line of .161/.212/.261 and garnered 55 strikeouts in 132 Major League PA’s? Right.
The brief period when he was the #1 prospect on some lists…. you know, the period of time when we all would have shit ourselves and then lit our own pants on fire if we traded him.
Kind of like that proposed trade for Brandon Wood long ago….
This
You know, back when geniuses like me were writing articles about trading him for one of the stud pitchers in Detroit’s system.
I went with Manning, who got injured at just the recommendation he’d become an Angel. He’s back and looking good now, but yeah trading a top 5 prospect in baseball is tough to do.
In response to all the proposals above… I do think that it is ok to let the trade simulator give us a little more of the value…. because I think that any team getting Ohtani should chip in a little more than the computer simulator suggests. He is the biggest draw in baseball.
Which is why Arte will try to resign him.
This is waaaaaay off.
You do not, I repeat DO NOT trade an MVP future Hall of Fame player in his prime for one good but not great player and two prospects. Even if those prospects are good ones they are still prospects.
You need to get several good productive MLB players or two stars coming back for Ohtani. Minimum.
Look – if you can convince a team to give way more than the Simulator- go for it. I’m working with the only tool we have as fans to determine value.
I don’t give a shit about the Simulator. The Simulator is simply a form of computer that is programmed by guess what? Yeah, a person
And that person has biases and leanings and such. Therefore the end product is going to be biased, just like everything.
The Simulator is not God, and frankly I think it is wrong alot of the time. Prospects are over-valued relative to currently productive players.
Ohtani will be a YANKEE, ASTRO, OR RED SOX next year.
Wants to win, hit and make at least $28M a year.
where’s the bot? Oh we’re playing a losing team again but we’re still not good enough to sweep these teams. You are what your record says you are ( Bill Parcells quote).
Simulator’s nice and all, but in real life I bet we get half to two-thirds of that…. and probably not from the Dodgers. If Freidman’s as smart as we all think he is he’s not signing up to pay Ohtani that huge contract.
Yep. Simulator is not reality for sure.
We need more than those guys. The Angels aren’t going to trade Ohtani to the Dodgers. After all of the bad publicity the last few years I cannot see that happening.
The suggested Padres trade would improve the Angels immensely.
 🙄 
Unless they’ve decided to tank the season, Perry must make some moves to improve the lineup. They simply cannot rely on 2-3 hitters to carry this team. Running out a lineup of Mendozas day after day is a guarantee to fail.
What do you suggest he do and at the same time not tear out the youth we have that is the future? Adell will not bring in a haul, losing Marsh who still in the cost control with potential area does not make sense either. Who on the roster will you recommend be traded and that bring back someone better? Squid? Wade? Rengifo? We right now have no one to plug in to a hole that is better than either what we have or better than what he replaces. Our farm is still weak, one draft will not in itself turn the team around. I share your frustrations as all here do. But there at this time is just no way to plug all the holes. Even if we become sellers next month, we will not get much in return that will turn this sinking ship around. Losing Rendone, Fletch and watching Adell not get better hurt. We never had young prospects in the system to replace them. Losing Ward, and Trout go down with injuries was brutal. We don’t have replacements for them like the better teams have. But suggestions are always enjoyable and fun to read.
This is a large reasons why I still like the Rendon signing despite how bad it has turned out. The Angels simply can’t get quality veterans to fill a position of need without overpaying. Case in point, the Angels started the season with a Utill Infielder playing SS because they didn’t overpay for Story/Correa.
Rendon looked like he would be a quality 3B for a few years that would allow the Angels to focus immediate development on other positions and they had to overpay to get him. Sadly, neither Rendon nor the other development has worked out.
Do not mistake Fletcher as a utility player, as he has shown in the past that he can field 2B with anybody and he should be a .280 career hitter. While he is capable to play anywhere on the field his value to the team is at 2B. 2B has been a black hole since Kennedy.
I really think that is what Fletcher is, a very good utility player. That’s not a knock, he’s the sort of guy every team needs to fill that utility role. You might can make a case for him as an everyday 2B, but he’s not a starting SS.
Fletcher has led the team in Hits 3x, finished 2nd in R/S 2x, led in hitting Average once, led in doubles 3x, and you think he is utility?
Yes.
Yes, because what we’ve seen from him lately (before injury) isn’t even close to those past performances. I’m open to the idea that his struggles at the plate have been injury related. I actually hope that’s the case, and hope he can comeback from injury and return to the payer he was.
I didn’t mean Fletcher. I forgot he started at SS. Amend that to started the season with their 2B playing SS and a util player at 2B.
Grandpa, BTW Howie Kendrick would like to have a word with you.
Relative to Fletcher, A utility player can still be an Allstar and potential gold glover. Look at Chone Figgins or Ben Zobrist for examples. The problem with Fletcher is his bat which had gotten to the point that all he was doing was playing pepper with the shallow right fielder. Thats why I am extremely hopeful that this was just a detrimental by product of his sports hernia.
Conceded that Howie was good, and I have the beginnings of memory loss. 😀 
Memory loss for the average Angel fan is a good thing.
From what I’ve read about analysis of his defense, he is a passable (average or slightly below) fielder for SS, and a good 2B. (Which is why I was shaking my head privately at all the calls to make Fletch our main SS and sign a 2B.) We need strong defense (see 2021).
But even more recently I’ve read various analysis of Fletch’s offense and it isn’t as strong as it was a few years back. I remember back when it seemed he always got a hit, lots of them clutch, and lots of these crazy over the head hits that made him look like a master. But that ebbed a lot, and he shows very little power. So I can kind of understand how people might classify him as more of a utility guy.
If he can come back to his peak form at 2B, I’m happy to change my view and celebrate.
The angels should do more david freese type of deals. Maybe sign dudes a little older, but to contracts with less years attached to them. I hope arte and co finally learn their lesson with rendon.
This is not a bad idea as long as we understand that half of those guys will wash out.
No. I could totally tell back in 2019 that Rendon would be hurt all the time, that he has no grit or fire, that he just wants to collect a pay check, and that nobody likes him and he’ll drag the team down.
See, you could tell by the way he led his team to a World Series title, all his teammates said they loved him, the incredibly god stats, how he was lauded for being so cool and even keeled, and his injury record that only had one short season years before we signed him. It was all a ploy to trick us, but I wasn’t fooled because I’m a real baseball man.
Don’t forget how he fooled us by passing on “that Hollywood stuff” that had us all steamy and moist while knob-slobbing one another, because it is written (somewhere in the book of “Bro”, I think after the backward fitted cap requirement) you MUST hate the Dodgers to be an Angel fan.
You must hate the Dodgers if your an Angels fan. Sure, there are Angels fans that also like the Dodgers. I believe the term for them is Cuck.
Honestly, and I know this will not be popular, but I almost think they should go all in on the youth movement. I’m not convinced that they have what’s needed to make trades that would actually put this team in a place to make the playoffs and have a chance to win at least a round. I would consider trading Ohtani, and dare I say Trout (I shudder at the idea of Trout playing or another team), for some good arms and young batting talent. As I said below, I’m pretty confident that I would be a horrible MLB GM.
The plan has to depend on the time frame. If Moreno is willing to wast Trout and wait 3-4 years, then Minasian should move Walsh, Stassi, Ohtani, Ward, and then Trout, who would gladly waive the no-trade clause at that point to chase a ring.
If Moreno refuses to suffer several years of poor ticket sales and wants the team to win in 1-2 years, then there is nobody to move. At that point you draft college players, sign overpaid vets, and cross your fingers that prospects get better.
They’ve done the fingers crossed thing for way too long. I don’t agree that you have to trade Ward and Walsh.
Walsh is arb eligible next season. If you don’t trade him now he’ll be a free agent just when the Angels are ready to contend and you lose him for nothing.
The Angels could keep Ward, but this is his career year. He’ll never be as good again, his value is at his peak right now, and he’ll be ~32 when the Angels are ready to contend.
In fact, if the Angels really want to compete next year, trading Ward + Stassi would be the move to make. Ultimately that would be another Hope and Prayer roster with Trout + Marsh + Adell + Rendon + trade/FA SS + Fletcher + Stefanic (Util) + Walsh + Ohtani + FA C + multiple free agent SP.
Sadly, I have to agree with a lot of this, even though I don’t want to.
Ward is perfect to trade this year.
See, not to pick on you specifically, but this is a general CtPG problem….
PLAYOFFs. Now sure, I actually think we could possibly make the playoffs based on schedules and the generally average teams ahead of us.
But people around here keep steepling their fingers and talking about making 2026 decisions based on the 2022 playoffs.
People, this was a 72 win team last year. You realize that an 82 win team will be a 10 GAME improvement right? but will likely not make the playoffs. Still that will generally be seen, by most FOs, as a solid job by our FO. Something to build on, try for 90 wins the next season, etc.
Our GM is likely not looking to make moves based on “prime Trout” or anything else other than “add wins. then add wins. and add wins.” I’m sure the playoffs are a brass ring that they are all gonna take a crack at this year if we still have a solid shot in July. This is not a season where they will decide to blow it up or tear it down though.
If they were to go crazy and trade Ohtani it would likely be a signability decision more than a move toward a youth project. And Trout. Trout’s pretty untradeable, as is Rendon.
I can’t wrap my head around the idea that what I’m seeing from this lineup is an improvement. Records (results based analysis) are often misleading.
I looked up a bunch of possibly available 3B and made a FanPost Friday. Or I tried to and probably screwed up submitting it.
But yeah, honestly it’s hard to find an option that’s better than Jack Duffy. Unless you really want to over invest cause we’ll still have Rendon. Short stop’s even worse. 2B Fletcher’s coming back.
So. What will likely happen is a trade for a guy that makes us all say “meh”, or, if you’re a silly git whose hair is always on fire complain like someone just stabbed you.
We could get lucky. If we landed a good utility players it would be great down the line. Or if we traded for an MLB ready SS prospect who is NOT projected to hit well (because those prospects are all going to cost us a ton) but he comes up and is OK offensively, freeing up Squid to be a utility guy.
But pretty much all of the truly good moves we can make will involve acquiring someone who “doesn’t move the needle” who then turns out to move the needle.
I’ll go see if I can find it. It’s buried under half a season of pre-written gamethreads. It won’t post until a masthead person finds it and puts a picture on it.
There. I also found one by HoustonHaloFan that is a little older that got buried. I need to look it over to see if it is still up to date and topical.
Sorry guys!
No prob. I just assumed I screwed something up.
Looking at Trade Simulator
Adell trade value has fallen to 6! He was over 50 last year.
Ohtani trade value near 100
Rendon is at -144 😂
I guess getting a top prospect for our stellar third baseman is out of the question then,  😀 
The handling of Adell only makes sense if there’s some sort of personality issue involved. I’m not saying Adell is a bad guy, actually I’ve liked pretty much all I’ve heard about him, but that’s the only thing that makes sense to me.
As much as I hate it, Ohtani should probably be dealt because I doubt he has any real plans to stick around this team any longer than he has to, and I don’t blame him.
Rendon is already sunk cost and our only hope, as fleeting s it might me, is that he can put together a coule solid seasons, starting in 23.
Just my three cents. I’m positive that I would make a horrible MLB GM.
Good to see that your 3 cents has adjusted for inflation
I’m a charitable guy.
I hope you’re happy Frost…you jinxed it.
I called it. I did not jinx it. Big difference.
You jinxed it by predicting a win dude.
But hey, it sure is good to be playing such a bad team so we can “beat up” on them.
You called nothing. You only continued you march toward the title of most negative person here. Unless of course you went back and did what GYGOMP said you do.
Hey ’78 ( which was the birth year of the “Yes We Can” slogan BTW) that’s a pretty bold statement saying JF is the most negative person here. There are plenty of viable candidates here that would challenge Sir Frosty for that title.
Maybe we should have a challenge bracket?
You might be right 26. Count me in on a challenge bracket.
I remember “Yes We Can.” Fregosi brought us in 2nd in 78..
If I recall correctly, the first time I witnessed the Yes we Can chant at the Big A was during a late summer double header sweep against the KC Royals. 2 goofs walked around the stadium dressed up in togas and foil halos carrying a Yes We Can banner and encouraging everyone to start the chant.
This is the first time I had seen the masses collectively cheer for the Angels as a team ( and not just individual players like Ryan etc.) and thought it was fantastic and then to top it off with the AL West division win the following year, I thought we were on our way to finally being a perennial competitor
I remember those guys in the togas!!!!
I think they also would bring a toilet seat to some of those Royals rivalry games to demonstrate the Royal Flush.
CTPG should do a “where are they now “feature” on those guys.
Tootytoo wins hands down.
Maybe a committee of Negative Nancy’s?
Or a Negative Nancy Board of Directors.
#NancyNation
We have a Wiener!!!
Nope, we need the Nattering Nabobs of Negativism.
Yeswecan used to be a member back at the old stomping grounds