LA Angels Tuesday News Crash: Shohei The Closer.

If Shohei Ohtani plays in the World Baseball Classic, he might do it as a closer. Picture Shohei the closer of Japan’s team. Joe Maddon claims he didn’t try to vilify the Angels in his book.

The World Series broadcast schedule is here.

“They can’t bang on trashcans anymore.” (Bob Costas) In other commentary, Dexter Fowler says the Yankees fans gave up on their squad.

As we ramp up toward our “If I Were Perry” articles, we can window shop from this list of the free agents. I still haven’t found anybody’s salary predictions.

Nestor Cortes left game 4 of the ALCS with a groin injury. The Toronto Blue Jays signed their manager, John Schneider, to a three year extension. Terry Francona says he will return to the Guardians in 2023. Meanwhile, the Tigers and their Assistant GM David Chadd have come to a parting of the ways. The Orioles are adding Cody Asche to their major league coaching staff as the offensive strategy coach.

The Dodgers are making plans about how they will use Aaron Judge. I guess somebody is going to pay a bundle for that guy. I doubt if it will be the Angels, but they have surprised me before.

Photo credit: Rex Fregosi

73 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Biggiswrth
Trusted Member
1 year ago
gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend
Reply to  Biggiswrth

Too much work for Tootie Too.

Cowboy26
Legend
1 year ago
Reply to  Biggiswrth

Are you kidding? Toots ain’t going any where. He’s like a turd that wont flush.

2002heaven
Trusted Member
1 year ago

comment image
The Phillies got this guy the month after we hired Perry…..SO YES HE WAS AVAILABLE.
GOOD GAWD!!!! 😠  😠  😢 

Last edited 1 year ago by 2002heaven
gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend
Reply to  2002heaven

GOOD GAWD!!!!! How much I would have bloated all over the place for signing a GM that completely ravages orgs if he hadn’t lucked into a post season hot streak for us like he did for the Phils! I find good things that we don’t have and list them. I am a dickhead!

Not just the owner, also a client! Totally available! Not signed by Arte! Joc! Call me!

comment image

Fansince1971
Legend
1 year ago

Is Sy Sperling available to be POBO for the Angels?!

AnAngelsFan
Super Member
1 year ago
Reply to  2002heaven

He wasn’t available to the Angels. He pulled himself out of consideration claiming he had committed to an ownership group that was trying to get an expansion team in Nashville. The Phillies managed to convince him otherwise.

red floyd
Legend
1 year ago
Reply to  AnAngelsFan

Oh come on!! Allz playerz and gmz are ALWAYS AVAILABLEZ TO US, BUT weare 2EVILZ to SIGN THEM!!!!

[insert generic player photo here]

Last edited 1 year ago by red floyd
gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend
Reply to  red floyd

Not to mention he said that, then the MLB told the Nashville group it will be a long while before they get any thought from the MLB, then the Phillies approached him.

But when bitching about the Angels, never let the way things actually work get in your way.

WallyChuckChili
Legend
1 year ago

Just going to leave this right here.

https://fanbuzz.com/mlb/angels-curse/amp/

2002heaven
Trusted Member
1 year ago

comment image
The Overlook Hotel Main lobby was on Native American burial ground also.

BannedInLA
Super Member
1 year ago
Reply to  2002heaven

This hotel actually exists. It’s around Yosemite if I’m not mistaken.

Eric_in_Portland
Legend
1 year ago
Reply to  BannedInLA

the exterior that was used for the movie is near Portland, on Mt. Hood, Timberline Lodge

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend

All I know is luck is a combination of preparation and constipation! Every team has death and injury, but PTP ignored depth this year and I lay it squarely at his feet. In fact, the last couple of years he should have been prepared to lose 40% of his starting line up for most of the season. Is that too much to ask?

I haven’t figured out the complete connection yet, but all I know is Arte was alive in 1964. Coincidence? Dig a little deeper you Kool Aid drinkers! He has always been the Damian Thorn of Angels baseball. If he hadn’t killed Dick Wantz with his thoughts think of all the fun Angels fans would have had the last six decades! DICK WANTZ people!

Keep those sacks full of sad people. Ju Ju aint no thing.

Mikeal1st
Trusted Member
1 year ago

Gulp… 7 out of 32?!?!?!

Mikeal1st
Trusted Member
1 year ago

This just in, Ohtani considering pitching and catching in the World Baseball Classic.
Classic? How can it be classic when it just started recently?

Maddon: Not to vilify the Angels but I just wrote this book about how they wanted me to take Trout out of the lineup and they should never do that.

Surprise! MFYFans suck… SO Dexter Fowler thinks it’s a good idea to call them out. This is a strategy that always works in the Bronx.
I went over to Pinstripe Alley to see how MFYFans took the loss. Man, those people are angry!!!!
I’d never sign with the Yankees or Raiders just because of their fans.

Who’s your Daddy! (Love Pedro!)

Think we’ll get any real free agents worth caring about this year? I don’t think anybody really wants a big name (Judge) or reclamation projects again.

I hate the Yankees in part because they outspent everybody for so long. I love that the Doyers are beating them at that game, so…. I secretly hope they sign Judge.

Remember when Bryce was considered as good as Trout by some… I’m glad to see him doing well in the post season. Without delving into his career stats better, I think, If I had a vote, I think I’d be just about ready to put him in the HoF.

How much more turnover or how much longer, do we hate the Trashtros before we can say that was a completely different team that cheated?
I just added Trashtros to my computers dictionary. This sentence was put in just so I can get that red squiggly line and add “Asstros”.

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend
Reply to  Mikeal1st

Joe Maddon is a punk bitch who can’t even own his snitching.

Yankees fans are a mass example of what happens when you Anderson Cooper your way through life and just have massive piles of success bought for you. You don’t handle adversity well, even if you’re from New York and have the unicorn magic toughness that’s supposed to provide you.

I’d take Jamison Taillon or Trey Mancini off the FA market… also MOAR PIDJIN!

I hope the Dodgers sign typhus with an extra helping of rectal bleeding…. and they give it to their fans.

I’ve never disliked Harper and he’s always been good, just not as good as Trout. He probably needs another three or four really good years to be a HOFer, but he’s what? 30?

I have never hated the Astros. The teams they “screwed over” were likely all cheating one way or another too, the post season teams they “screwed” were full asshole and were known to be cheating, and our team was a useless landfill fire the whole time. Envy is disgusting and pathetic, as are plenty of Angels fans, and no one ever comes out and says they’re jealous, it always has to get dressed up as moral outrage. I want to beat the Astros into the ground, but I don’t care about 2017 at all, even if it’s not all new players.

I still want the Phillies to win the WS because I dislike the Astros for kicking my teams ass all the time.

Mikeal1st
Trusted Member
1 year ago

Your positivity is astounding.

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend
Reply to  Mikeal1st

They call me sunshine.

2002heaven
Trusted Member
1 year ago

I can say the same about somebody else but Charles Sutton already said no no.

BannedInLA
Super Member
1 year ago
Reply to  Mikeal1st

Raider fans are more loyal (myopic) and tolerate far more BS than Yankees fans.

Fansince1971
Legend
1 year ago

No thank you to Judge.

As for ‘if I were Perry’ – how can that series proceed when there is no insight into the budget given the pending sale? I doubt anyone has insight as to how much or little Arte will approve in terms of payroll as that really is best left to new ownership.

Biggiswrth
Trusted Member
1 year ago
Reply to  Charles Sutton

I used $195 on my first draft. What so you on that number? The ground rules will be tough, but we should have something to keep us reigned in.

Fansince1971
Legend
1 year ago
Reply to  Biggiswrth

My guess is that Arte will commit to the lowest ‘possible’ number while still giving the appearance of caring about on-field performance. So I would guess somewhere around $180m.

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend
Reply to  Fansince1971

Ah yes. Let the “pre-IIWPM theoretical budget squirming” begin. Cause who’s to say? Sure, our payrolls tend to land around the same ranking every year for decades now. But THIS year it NEEDS to be 340 million because THIS YEAR is MUST WEEN!

Also, if you don’t just let me turn in a list of top free agents I want signed I have to look players up, come up with trades…. it’s hard.

Actually, that would be a fun exercise… the Pre Team Sale Tear Down IIWPM. You have to get the payroll below 100M and have to be stuck with either Trout or Rendon, you can’t just salary dump them both in weak trades. THAT would be interesting to try…. see who can get the most WAR out of 100M this season…. see what prospects we can get out of the trade simulator….

I can’t wait to see The Joker’s IIWPM this off season…. will his acquisition of Joc Pederson include a bed big enough for Joc, who ever Joc needs to platoon with and Tootie to play “silverware drawer” in? This off season I’m sure we’ll see.

Fansince1971
Legend
1 year ago

I love the fantasy ‘get the payroll down’ exercise this year WAY better than a bunch of articles about signing free agents that will NEVER happen while a sale is pending.

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend
Reply to  Fansince1971

It would have to be totally speculative as far as what prospects we could get in trade. We could try and get some young MLB guys too. But the trade simulator has a lot of kids on it. It would take a ton of research and explanation as to why you chose the prospects you traded for but yeah it could be cool.

You’d kind of have to form a philosophy based on the guys we have on the farm now or under cost control for a few years and then trade a pile of guys (or extend a guy like Sandy) and explain how they build into your long term plan.

Find some way to compare our farm now to post tear down, etc.

It would be a slog, only about 4 people would probably sit through it since no De Gromm plus MUST WIN SEASON OHTANI. But a hell of a IIWPTP.

Fansince1971
Legend
1 year ago

I think I’m going to call mine:

“Get The Payroll Down!”

As if the order were being issued from Oz (aka Arte) from behind the curtain.

PedroCerrano
Super Member
1 year ago

For this team FA signings are like buying new curtains for your tenement in the hood. This team has bigger issues that need to be addressed before anything that is meaningful changes. The organizational culture is and has been awful for more than a decade.

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend
Reply to  PedroCerrano

The one constant has been the fans. We need to find a way to get rid of most of them and I think Arte’s been doing it.

Mikeal1st
Trusted Member
1 year ago

HAH!

2002heaven
Trusted Member
1 year ago

comment image
It could’ve been us, but noooo we chose Alex Anthopolous’s concierge instead. But by now we all should know who the real GM/POBO is, just ask Billy Eppler, Joc Pederson, and Ross Stripling and no I don’t a damm billboard Thank You!!!

Last edited 1 year ago by 2002heaven
halofansince1978
Super Member
1 year ago
Reply to  2002heaven

Define us, because you don’t belong here and it’s been made clear we don’t want you here.

2002heaven
Trusted Member
1 year ago

You lost souls need me here very very badly.
But from time to time I’ll toe the line (Yes I think Patrick Sandoval is the second best pitcher in MLB behind Ohtani and not Gerritt Cole or Kyle Wright, and yes David Fletcher or Andrew Velazquez are the two most awesomest bestest SS in MLB history even though we have 7 straight losing seasons that say otherwise.). 80%er Troll Hater Nation has just been pacified………

Last edited 1 year ago by 2002heaven
2pints
Trusted Member
1 year ago
Reply to  2002heaven

We lost souls need you here about as much as the Halos needed to sign Josh Hamilton. Go troll somewhere else, your shtick is soooo f’n tired and worn out here its kind of amazing you show up every day to same the exact same thing over and over again.

Be honest with us, coming here to troll is the highlight of your day, ever day. What a sad existence you live.

2002heaven
Trusted Member
1 year ago
Reply to  2pints

You’re just mad that GPD hasn’t died yet.
If the new owner turns us into what the Astros are currently then go to
Pirate’s SB Nation Buc’s Hangout and be miserable with them because you and other 80%ers belong there. I will not say that our farm system is way better than 80%ers wanna believe……..MIKE TROUT and then?……………..WTF happened after him?

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend
Reply to  2002heaven

I’ve never seen someone with your language skills want to communicate via writing as much as you seem to.

Have you ever seen the MTV video for that Faith No More song Epic? It reminds me of the suffocating fish at the end of the video during the piano refrain…. bug eyed, weak, stupid, sad.

Just flopping around gasping “This player not an Angels…. oligarch… jer jer… 80%erz…. Joc Pederson deep inside my heart…. I am an edgelord… not clown, The Joker…. I call out… bullshit…. Jorge Soler… PTP isn’t smarter than me is…. Clevinger…. Farhan? Red Lobster?…. you need me……………. emoji”

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend
Reply to  2002heaven

So much edging! More The Joker than Jared was ever. 80% owned! Emoji time!

comment image

halofansince1978
Super Member
1 year ago
Reply to  2002heaven

Won’t be 100% until you’re gone…bet my house payment it happens.

Because you’re stupid and you will go too far resulting in BANNED!!

I have seen it too many times on car guy sites…just a matter of time.

2002heaven
Trusted Member
1 year ago

I violate the community guidelines way less than other vitriolic members do including on this thread!!! Why can’t I say that our farm system sucks and our GM does as well? We haven’t had a very good player come up through our system since #27. This with more money coming off the 2011 Fox Sports West Cable TV deal too no less. Only the Detroit Tigers has been nearly as bad and at least they were in the WS 10 yrs ago.

DowningDude
Legend
1 year ago
Reply to  2002heaven

Because you’ve said it like 1000000 times over and over again.

halofansince1978
Super Member
1 year ago
Reply to  2002heaven

When it happens you will be lurking and I will remind you of this day.

Fansince1971
Legend
1 year ago
Reply to  2002heaven

I don’t know why I am engaging but I’ll spell it out for you.

EVERY SINGLE POST from you is the same or a version of the same. It’s usually a bunch of pictures of players the Angels didn’t draft or sign, photos of baseball personnel that should have been hired, bitching about Arte, bitching about GMs (other than Dipoto) followed by strong arm emojis and ‘BYE!’ Over and over and over again.

If you can’t see or acknowledge that, then you are likely the Joker or Rain Man (Wopner!) or someone else with serious emotional problems. It might be worthwhile to seek professional help if you can’t see the issue.

This site is actually pretty patient and most give respect to a well stated position even if they disagree. But saying the same thing over and over and over and over is beyond anyone’s patience level.

PedroCerrano
Super Member
1 year ago
Reply to  2002heaven
2002heaven
Trusted Member
1 year ago
Reply to  PedroCerrano

get lost flea…….
 👎 

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend
Reply to  2002heaven

comment image?v=1651598978

2002heaven
Trusted Member
1 year ago

comment image?v=1666279350
Cool as a MF’er
 💪  💪  💪 

Last edited 1 year ago by 2002heaven
gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend
Reply to  2002heaven

Soooo… not a clown, a douche?

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend
Reply to  2002heaven

and no I don’t a damn grammar

Stay edging never also stop
comment image

Last edited 1 year ago by gitchogritchoffmypettis
Angelstan
Trusted Member
1 year ago

Plenty of talent available on the free agent market via the list linked above. I favor a proven hitter that can fill the hole at 1B depending on how Walsh heals and/or be an option in LF (or Walsh could play LF). The team needs someone that can work the count, make regular contact, and ideally hit some HRs too. Nothing overly expensive. But someone in the Josh Bell, Mancini, Drury level albeit not all of those guys fit positionally. Decent vets like Benitendi could work if the price is right and he can stay healthy.

A decent pitcher in the mid tier that can stay healthy and fill the role of a 4-5 starter would be nice also. There are several names that could do so, including Syndergaard again. Not at $21 million but maybe half of that.

steelgolf
Super Member
1 year ago
Reply to  Angelstan

I think they should have put both Trevor Bauer and Robinson Cano’s name in parentheses. Technically, yeah they are available. No team is touching either one.

red floyd
Legend
1 year ago
Reply to  steelgolf

No team is touching either one

Vernon Wells says hello.

Biggiswrth
Trusted Member
1 year ago
Reply to  red floyd

Only if Perry dines at Del Taco late at night

steelgolf
Super Member
1 year ago
Reply to  red floyd

Ouch, that is kicking a wound that will never heal.

red floyd
Legend
1 year ago
Reply to  steelgolf

IKR? I mean he was Mr. Untradeable… until Arte came along.

h27kim
Trusted Member
1 year ago
Reply to  Angelstan

The trouble is less the amount of talent available on the market and more evaluating what we need. Going over where we are position by position, it looks to me that we need everything and very little because we have a lot of pieces with tons of bith upside and risk everywhere.

C: One of more obvious needs but only for short term. Stasi is both expensive and not good either offensively or defensively. But with O’Hoppe hopefully ready soonish, we only need a one year solution at best and the market is thin. So, a cheapish glove first backup?

1b. A near full timer or a strict RH masher who can hopefully also play corners? Where is Walsh in the grand scheme of things? Kinda wish Ward didn’t become a full time OF b/c he’d fit that role perfectly, IMHO.

Rest of IF: we have, in the ideal world, 3 people for 3 spots: Rendon, Fletcher, and Rengifo. But will any of them be able to play, and if so, consistently? I’m not convinced we can count on any more than 2 of them being available (or playing consistently.), and possibly, none of them with good chance How many IF’s, at what price, do we need?

OF. Can Trout keep playing CF? Should he? Is Ward for real in RF? What is Ward really capable of, really? Do we need just an expensive insurance for LF or bite the bullet and try to get a real LF? How much insurance do we need for CF?

SP. In principle, Shohei and some very interesting young arms, although still need a depth piece or two. But Shohei’s two way-ness and the youth of the rest scream for more “insurance” of higher caliber.

RP: A lot of interesting but flawed arms. But are more “expensive” arms any less flawed? I think Loup, Tepera, and even Iglesias showed last year “no.”.

smithy610
Super Member
1 year ago
Reply to  h27kim

I still believe Walsh and Rendon can have solid bounce back years. For Walsh, I still think he can be an everyday player, but I would prefer the team sign a RH batter to platoon with him until he can prove he can play everyday. Plus with the shift removed, that may help Jared too.

Biggiswrth
Trusted Member
1 year ago
Reply to  h27kim

This post wants me to start working on the If I were Perry series. I’ve got some interesting thoughts on all this and can’t wait for the dialogue (minus 2002)

I love this board. Thanks everyone for your posts and thoughts.

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend
Reply to  h27kim

Really, if a VPOGMingPOBOOP is thinking proactively it looks like this….

Useful: Walsh, Rengifo, Fletcher, Trout, Rendon, Ward, Sandoval, Detmers, Barria, Suarez, Herget, Ohtani, Wantz.

Potential you probably won’t ditch: O’Hoppe, Adell, Tepera, Loup. Maybe Soto, though he has options.

Worries: Health. MOAR PIDJIN. Left Field. Catcher.

So…. sign a depth starter (right handed). Sign versatility and maybe pay a premium for it. Mancini. Diaz from the Astros maybe if the poodies at CtPG can handle them. Try to get slightly above average production from coverage at 1B/LF and the left side of the IF. Try to find an old steady hand for the pen to mix with young arms that will come up.

I actually think Stassi can bounce back and Stassi/O’Hoppe/Wallach isn’t a horrible depth chart if the rest of the bench is stronger.

Really, you don’t have to sign guys for the starting 9. You need to sign a whole new and improved bench and then some arms.

Problem: If you trade Ohtani you need a new ace. You don’t need a new DH. You can sign or trade for slightly better 1B/LF help and rotate that guy, Rendon, Adell, Trout through the DH spot.

But, if you are cutting Ohtani’s salary, do you want to then pay 80% of that money to a new ace? If we’re in a rebuild, try to get a ton of prospects for him. If we are not in a rebuild, find out what a team will take for their ace and trade Ohtani to get that, then trade for an ace.

All in all there are far more hopeless situations. If we ever have a fairly healthy season we will probably be pretty good accept hurr durrr nurrr healthar all fawlt.

As if, if our GM was just ready to replace Fletcher, Rendon, Walsh and Trout with (Enter Names) we’d have totes wonz.

Mikeal1st
Trusted Member
1 year ago

“Really, you don’t have to sign guys for the starting 9. You need to sign a whole new and improved bench and then some arms.”

Second time I’ve agreed with you today.

h27kim
Trusted Member
1 year ago

This is a lot more colorful way of restating the gist of my post. ;).

The core of the team CAN be very strong, but everyone is deeply flawed in some way and we just know that we need strong depth pieces and substitutes for the inevitable mishaps.

That and a few obvious holes that everyone knows about.

Angelstan
Trusted Member
1 year ago
Reply to  h27kim

Answer:

Catchers are Stassi and O’Hoppe in 2023 until proven otherwise.

1B is a question unless Walsh comes back strong. Need a capable replacement option. Like I said before Mancini or a guy like that.

IF Fletcher, Rengifo, Soto, Rendon. Easy.

CF Trout for at least one more year.

RF Ward.

Backup OF: Adell? The guy from the Phillies?

This isn’t that hard. Need some added pitching as noted above.

BannedInLA
Super Member
1 year ago
Reply to  Angelstan

I’m not a true believer in Walsh, so I’d like to see us go after Bell, but if he’s cost prohibitive, I’m comfortable with Abreu on a 2 year flyer.

I like Benitendi in LF as we simply can’t assume that Adell is going to progress
into a solid starter.

I like our starters as well as the emerging depth in the minors.

We do need to go heavy on bullpen additions.

smithy610
Super Member
1 year ago
Reply to  BannedInLA

Abreu would be less cost prohibitive than Bell???

BannedInLA
Super Member
1 year ago
Reply to  smithy610

I think so. Bell is 30 has more power at this stage.

Abreu is 36 and his HR numbers are going south accordingly. However, he still works counts and hits for average. Me? I miss .300 hitters and we sorely need one. Lastly, Abreu is a career American leaguer and Bell isn’t, which gives me pause.

Last edited 1 year ago by BannedInLA
gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend
Reply to  smithy610

Neither of those make any sense. They will cost enough that they have to play every day…. so our cheap Walsh does what? Both those guys will need DH at bats too.

Mikeal1st
Trusted Member
1 year ago

I agree, I don’t want to see big signings, I want to see support for the big guys when they’re out.

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend
Reply to  Mikeal1st

The big problem…. guys who are “support” are either unproven or have recently struggled. It’s the nature of their situation. So getting these depth/support guys is even riskier than signing Loup. Could work out great, but even though I want Mancini for 1B/OF/DH it doesn’t mean next year’s not the year he can’t catch up to a fastball anymore.

BannedInLA
Super Member
1 year ago

My concern with Walsh is not limited to what happened last season, but also that he faded badly the 2nd half of 2021.

It seems to me that it’s more likely that he’s a -WAR player than the first half of 2021 All-Star.

We need proven production at 1B, particularly when LF, C, SS and 3B are question marks.

Last edited 1 year ago by BannedInLA
2GA2Join
Super Member
1 year ago
Reply to  BannedInLA

I think this team needs upgrades at a lot of positions. I’m not even sure I should bother to get into it, because it looks like everything about this team is “on hold” until the new owner comes. We could be in for a very rough season next year. Hopefully not, but we’ll see.

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend
Reply to  Angelstan

I’m witchooo bruh