Welcome to my version of the “If I Were Perry Minasian” series. In order to rosterbate responsibly, we will use the following guidelines.
- Payroll is to be $210 Million so you have $38.4 Million to spend.
- No trading Ohtani
- No contracts longer than three years
- Use either MLBTR’s estimated free agent salaries or their counterparts at Fangraphs
- You can clear roster space by non-tendering players
- Run all trades through the trade simulator at Baseball Trade Values dot com
If I were Perry, I would want a year where I think I’ve got a shot. In order to make the ball club better, I need to use some of my better prospects to return some pieces that we might need now, but also to leave a bit of a window for mulitple years down the road.
My first thing when I look at this roster is, obviously the guys we have now didn’t (and haven’t) gotten it done. So let’s change things up a bit. We have a slight increase in payroll so let’s create something fun.
I’m also going to take what Perry has already done and use it for this piece. Here is how I would use all the current moves and finish up the offseason.
Trade
Angels trade: Taylor Ward, Luis Rengifo, and Zach Neto to the Miami Marlins for Jazz Chisholm Jr.
This is contrversial I know, but I’m trading away two players in Ward and Rengifo who will never be at a higher value for an All-Star caliber SS with mutilple years of control who is at the league minimum this year. Jazz holds down the middle infield and you are trading a big time prospect in Neto for him. It’s a lot on both sides. Miami is desperate for OF help, and they can plug Rengifo in Jazz place with Neto can take his time in the minors. I personally think this is win-win, with a slight risk for the Angels. But Jazz can be an MLB all-star and gives us a great bat from the left side.
Angels trade: Edgar Quero to the Tampa Bay Rays for Manuel Margot and Luis Patino
With the trade of Ward above we needed someone in the outfield. Margot is the most expensive player on the Rays roster, plays very good defense, and is under contract for 3 more years. He’s not too expensive this year at $7million and I think he is an upgrade to Ward. Patino is lost in AAA at the moment and he has MLB experience on the bump. I think he’s excellent depth for us and could fill in as our 6th starter if needed. The cost cutting Rays get a fantastic C prospect, and now open the door for their talented prospects to get Margot’s place, but more importantly, they open up future payroll to try and make a run at retaining Glasnow for the future.
Angels trade for Giovanny Urshela
Angels trade for Hunter Renfroe
Free Agents
Angels sign Tyler Anderson 3 years $39 Million
To me the last pieces that are missing is a change to bolster the bullpen. Here is my play:
Angels sign Carlos Estevez 3 years $21 million
This guy throws gas and wants to get away from Coors field. I think he has the highest upside of any of the relievers on the market. I was torn though and really thought hard about getting Chris Martin instead. Chris is a strike throwing machine and he pitches to contact, but I just worry about him getting the outs that we would need in a high leverage situation. Estevez gives us that edge with the velo.
Angels sign Chad Green 1year $3million
Green is coming off a bad year with the Yankees and was hurt towards the end. He’s been a closer/set up guy and knows how to handle leverage well. in 2021 he had a fantastic year, and I think he’s looking for a deal where he has a chance to be in the 7,8,9 role again for his next longer term contract in 2024. The Angels can show him a way to the top of the pen if he can perform as there isn’t really any established “closer” on this team.
So here is the total 40-man payroll. My total payroll is $209,550,094
| Outfielders | Infielders | Catchers | Starters | Bullpen |
| Trout | Rendon | Stassi | Ohtani | Herget |
| Renfroe | Urshela | O’Hoppe | Sandoval | Tepera |
| Margot | Fletcher | Anderson | Loup | |
| Moniak | Walsh | Detmers | Estevez | |
| Chisholm | Suarez | Green | ||
| Barria | Quijada | |||
| Rodriguez |
| Anthony Rendon | $38,571,428 |
| Mike Trout | $37,116,666 |
| Shohei Ohtani | $30,000,000 |
| Tyler Anderson | 13,000,000 |
| Hunter Renfroe | 12,200,000 |
| Giovanny Urshela | 9,200,000 |
| Aaron Loup | $7,500,000 |
| Max Stassi | $7,000,000 |
| Ryan Tepera | $7,000,000 |
| Manuel Margot | $7,000,000 |
| David Fletcher | $6,000,000 |
| Patrick Sandoval | 2,800,000 |
| Jared Walsh | 2,700,000 |
| Jamie Barria | 1,500,000 |
| Griffin Canning | 902,000 |
| Jazz Chisholm Jr. | 720,000 |
| Jordon Adell | 720,000 |
| Logan O’Hoppe | 720,000 |
| Reid Detmers | 720,000 |
| Jimmy Herget | 720,000 |
| Mickey Moniak | 720,000 |
| Jose Quijada | 720,000 |
| Chris Rodriguez | 720,000 |
| Jose Suarez | 720,000 |
| Andrew Wantz | 720,000 |
| Livan Soto | 720,000 |
| Michael Stefanic | 720,000 |
| Matt Thaiss | 720,000 |
| Andrew Velazquez | 720,000 |
| Zack Weiss | 720,000 |
| Austin Warren | 720,000 |
| Jose Soriano | 720,000 |
| Chase Silseth | 720,000 |
| Kenneth Rosenberg | 720,000 |
| Oliver Ortega | 720,000 |
| Jose Marte | 720,000 |
| Kolton Ingram | 720,000 |
| Carlos Estevez | 7,000,000 |
| Chad Green | 3,500,000 |
| Tucker Davidson | 720,000 |
| Total 40-man payroll | $209,550,094 |
Let’s get this done! Go Halos!
Apprecaite the breakout of the 40-man, very clear write-up. Enjoyed the read.
First off, nice spread sheet…. classy. I need to figure out how to put one of those into a post and not have it come out goop.
Buuuut I don’t like most of this. It’s not like these are stupid ideas, like trading for Joc Pederson (STILL WAITING FOR YOUR IIWPM TOOTIE). You ran into the problem I had but decided to try and jump the burning couch instead of walking away and typing out a fairly boring IIWPTP.
Jazz Chisholm. He seems good. But he’s really had one good year, shortened by injuries, to dream on. He put up 2.4 WAR in less than 250 ABs and that’s cool, but he’s also a meh shortstop they are talking about moving. He could get better at defense and be a 9WAR player. He could be extra good Rengifo. You’re giving up a lot in Ward and Neto to find out and you now need a RF and may still need a SS. We can replace Rengifo probably.
Manny Margot and Luis Patino? For Querro? Margot is an injury risk and is a near certainty to have a subpar OPS+… but we have him for 3 years. And Trout’s not gonna let him play CF. Patino is just gonna block rookies from coming up and being mediocre while they get their feet wet.
Estevez was barely above average last year and sucked otherwise. Doesn’t have a high K rate.
See, I tried a bunch of the same moves out, but ran into the same issue. If I traded what I have that has any value all I got back was risk and not all that much actual improvement. Ward and Rengifo are likely to have the same value as Jazz or more, and while I like Jazz, he may not solve much of anything for us, PLUS you had to surrender Neto etc etc etc.
These difficulties show us why so many moves that “don’t stir the needle” get made. It may also explain guys like AJ Preller, who built up a farm and pissed a lot of it away on guys like Clevinger and Adam Frazier but it could be because he refused to move value unless it was for clearly valuable MLB guys… not sure…. maybe….
I love this take too. Again, I wrote something that at least made you think, but I agree, the risk is there for the Halos more than any other team. The Jazz trade was the one that I targeted and needed to get someone to replace Ward. If I had a few more million to play with, I thought about taking a flyer on Bellinger as his defense and left handed bat would help, but he isn’t anywhere near Ward’s offensive production.
I”m also not sold on Estevez, I jsust fell in love with the Velo. I really think Martin would be a better fit there.
This article I also woudn’t do. At this point I”m fine with sticking with the team I have, and trying to find another outfielder in the budget to get Adell out of the lineup to work on him and build up the value again.
How about a Joey Gallo signing? His defense in all 3 outfield positions (and 1B for that matter) should be adequate as a backup and he still has good power and a high walk rate despite a career swing and miss rate that could rival a desert windmill turbine. And with the banning of the shift defense next year, he may be one of the many (like Walsh and even Ohtani) that could benefit immensely when they can unleash their pull swing once again.
I think we could pick him up for a $3.5 million one year prove it contract and he definitely has a lot to prove.
I think Gallo will be looking for a place with more playing time. Thus giving him the chance to regain some of his value again for his next contract. The Marlins could take a flyer on him, or someone with OF needs.
Very creative. I appreciate the time you put into this – thank you!
I look forward to this every offseason!
Yes. The Jazz gamble is at least creative and exciting. I like to picture a player that electric in a nice, new, redesigned for a post 1998 era Angels uniform.
I really don’t get these trades.
1. You’re trading a a borderline all star outfielder, a poor man’s Jazz Chisholm & a possible future starting shortstop for Jazz Chisholm.
2.Trade a 19 yr catcher league MVP for a outfielder with sub 700 ops over 7 years in the league and a depth pitcher.
These seem like all you did was go out & over pay for “names”. When looking at past performance or whole season performance, these moves don’t seem move the MLB needle very much while needlessly depleting the farm.
I like the moves to shore up the bullpen, easily tradable down the road if internal cheap option emerge
I guess the definition of win is subjective. My opinion is that as long as the team is playing meaningful games in September and the farm continues improve, Perry will be fine. With that in mind, when I look at the numbers, I don’t feel the trades you made move the needle enough especially to sacrifice the future of the team.
YES! 2 move the needles!
Well, at least your moves are thought out, etc. I just don’t like those thoughts. Especially the idea of getting rid of Querro so we can be saved from Adell for a season…. unless he succeeds in AAA…. then we have a very expensive 4th OF for 2 more years.
You’d have to be pretty damn poor to remotely consider Rengifo to be anything like Chisholm.
How do you figure?
Both are contact hitters with marginal walk rates & some power. Chisholm project for 20-40 point higher ops and only a year younger. What am I missing?
The fact that he is still pre-arb and won’t cost as much as Reginfo, plus has more years of better production. Was Rengifo a flash in the pan?
I have more faith in Rengifo becoming a solid contributor than Chisholm becoming a plus player.
I’d say the chances of Rengifo becoming a reliable and consistent contributor are significantly less than Chisholm’s chances of being a plus player.
One can always say that but what are you basing it on?
Here’s a number of reasons that Rengifo will never be All that Jazz:
Therefore the only chance Rengifo has to favorably compare to Chisholm would be if there is somehow he can overcome his LHB deficiencies. But after 810 major league plate appearances its looking pretty bleak.
Those are some valid points but I do not believe Chisholm will maintain an ISO% of 282 especially after back & knee surgery. Without the power/speed he loses a big part of his offensive profile,
Rengifo still seems closer to becoming league average than Chisolm becoming a plus player.
Hey Ducky Jr.’s Dinger, you bring up a very good point about injuries. This can always be a big factor in derailing someones career.
I think there is a place for Rengifo on this team but we still need a better defensive shortstop that can al least contribute at the plate. Squid has the defensive chops but will probably never hit enough to be anything than a bench warmer.
I am not an advocate of trading for Chisholm. the cost IMO is way too high , but I definitely would target his teammate Joey Wendle. His defense is elite and as a left handed bat he could platoon very nicely with Rengifo and Fletcher.
Jeff already discussed this earlier but I think Wendle would be great pick up even with the acquisition of Gio. The Trade simulator has his Median Trade Value pegged at only 2.6 but he’s Arb 3 with a projected salary of $5.4 Million. Hes old (almost 33) but would come a hell alot cheaper than Chisholm if Arte can stretch his payroll even more as I suspect he will.
BTW where were you on August 29, 1986?
I can tell you that I was at Angel Stadium and one of around 1500 fans who stayed and watched the unbelievable comeback against the Tigers.
Awesome. I had tickets that night but it was my sisters wedding rehearsal dinner so I gave them away to my Cousin who was in town for the wedding from Chicago. He was among tyour fellow 1,500 faithful to witness history and still talks about it to this day. Even though he is a life long Sox fan it also turned him into an Angel fan from then on (except in 2005 of course)
I agree with most of what you just stated. l can see the merits of going after Wendel if the price was right. I’m probably higher on Soto than I should be and think Neto will be forcing his way up by September.
I was not, I was listening to it on the radio. This was the moment my 9 year old self went from being a passive MLB fan to an Angels fan and all the fun that followed.
All of this!!
I really enjoy these IIWPMs. I couldn’t write one myself because I don’t pay enough attention to other teams, so I appreciate those of you who do it for me. My question is wouldn’t trading for Jazz basically be assuming Rendon is going to get hurt again? Or maybe Fletcher? There’s no room in the lineup for all of Urshela, Rendon, Fletcher, and Chisolm.
I want the depth all day with this team. It protects Rendon if he needs a day. Gives Walsh notice that he better put up or shut up, and allows guys rest throughout the week. There already isn’t room on this team for the middle infielders that we currently have.
I like the way you incorporate Perrys recent moves into your IIWPM. But, While the major league talent would improve, these trades would definitely put us back down to the bottom on the all the major team prospect talent lists. Also it is typically less likely that a new GM will trade his recent top draft picks so quickly after drafting them while trading his predecessor’s picks is typically in vogue. So while a Quero trade is possible it would take a bold move on Perry’s part to trade his latest prize of Zach Neto
Also a couple 40 man nitpicks. Luis Patino is already on Tampa Bay’s 40 man so he would have to remain on our 40 man or risk losing him . So another corresponding move is needed. Also you left Davis Daniel off of your 40 man ( unless this was intentional) so 2 Peeps will have to be jettisoned. Its not like we don’t have some prime candidates ( Weiss, Davidson, Thaiss or Quijada are out of options while Stefanic, Rosenberg, Ortega & Marte are borderline suckage)
As you will see with my IIWPM version tomorrow, I am all for trading prospects with value. I remember a few years back I wrote one of these where I suggested trading Adell whose trade value was at its absolute peak. Many on this site were very negative about my suggestion claiming he was a can’t miss prospect. Adell was ranked in the top five at the time.
My point then, as it is now, is that these prospects, even top ones, have a very low chance of ever working out, much less, becoming high-quality, MLB players. With few exceptions, if you can get something real for them, you do it.
Prospects are like stocks. Many of them zoom up in value on the ‘potential’. Once that potential is no longer hyped and the reality of the player is known, the demand disappears, and usually their value does too.
Is this George Allen?
Looking forward to reading your version.
Wow ’71 you seem a little defensive leading up to your much ballyhooed IIWPM debut. I can’t wait for tomorrow.
But in all seriousness, I actually respect anyone investing the time necessary to put forth their own IIWPM take. However I will not be submitting my own for 2 basic reasons:
It’s called IF I WERE PERRY … not LET’S PARRY
Who’s Parry? Can he Pitch?
1980 AL ROY Joe Charboneau who’s 67 now. Fell off the earth after 1980
Well, that would certainly be an unprecedented move. Looking forward to your contribution to the IIWPM series!!!
So he’s available? Do you believe he’d sign with us for heavily incentive-based multi-year contract?
What Toots is really saying is in1987 he exclusively predicted that Charboneau, despite being a ROTY awardee, would be out of baseball by 1984.
Not sure what that has to do with this IIWPM edition.
Dusn’t have to and if I broke the rules I wouldn’t be here still. Hater Hater Hater…….poor you!!!!
LTBU…? Wikipedia and The Athletic are still there——-> 😆 🤑
Hey Toots. How’s that Mad Cow treatment coming? 
🐄
It doesn’t seem like its working very well 😜😜😜
Just reminiscing, is that OK or is this 80%er Nashin just being angri elephant diarrhea again. Hey wun uv theese dayz you gawd forsakin souls will bee rite abawt sumthing and gett to see wun of our player’s propose to his fiancé on the field after winning the World Series. AZ is over there———>>>>>>> go over there and wait for A*te to join you or watch Moneyball over and over again.
💪 💪 💪 💪
CAN’T
WAIT
TO SEE
YOUR
IIWPTP
I suspect that we will still be waiting come WS time next fall.
I have to be honest and say that trading Quero wasn’t in my intial plan, but the more I sat there and saw that Adell was starting in LF with no one to really push him, the more I wanted change. Adell isn’t Perry’s guy, and we already saw that he got rid of Marsh in a hot min.
I’m also with you with prospects. We sit here all day and shit on how bad our development has been. So let’s trade out question marks for guys who have proven they can play in the league.
Trades also require talent for talent. I think each of the proposed trades are plausable on paper for both teams listed. Not saying they would happen, but they are good offers.
I’m more inlclined to say this MLB team needs to win now, but the roster is also set up for a 2-3 year window with payroll staying pretty stable.
See, you were thinking. There’s your problem. Don’t think. Works for me every time because I don’t even know if it’s not working.
Totally got me on the 40-man. I didn’t fully proof that set up and yes I would need to make some moves. DFA Davidson for sure and Weiss would make sense here.
Yes we lose on the prospect front. My take was more that Perry is playing for a job this year and a new owner will eventually look at the overall status of the team, but the intial look will come at the MLB level. If the Angels are winning (and I think this MLB team can) he looks really good as a GM and can hipfully negotiate his way to multple years here to continue growing.
It takes value to get value and none of these trades are one year deals. Perry has no connection to Rengifo and Ward, and again I take the position of buy low sell high. Jazz stock is pretty low right now and Ward/Rengifo has never been higher.
I also like the Margot trade as he’s availavle for three more years, giving us the chance to re-work Adell in the minors. If he breaks through, great, and if he busts, then he doesn’t do it on the MLB roster.
I like the trade for Chisholm Jr. He’s a stud and shores up the infield for years to come. I think Ward may have peaked this last year so I am very okay getting top value for him. Same for Rengifo.
The only areas where I think this hypothetical team is weak is one of the corner outfield spots and maybe starting pitching. But this is a team that, if healthy, could definitely compete. Nice work!
Thanks! They are going to have holes somewhere, unless Arte gives us another 20 mil to play with. I’m more ok with the outfield now that Adell is in the minors. He also get’s sent a message here that its time to put up or shut up.
There are some trade pieces still on this team, and pitchers in the minors could also get spots in the bullpen as the year drags on.
Who’s our SS?
Zach Nieto isn’t gonna be our SS on opening day. SS is way more important than 2B or 1B. Rosario gives us a 2 yr option at SS till Nieto is ready. CB26 is busy hating on Jedi and the Astros as if Luhnow, Hinch, and Cora are still wearing dark blue and orange.
I like these moves. Even with Urshella and Renfroe, we lack someone who can reliably play shortstop or can sub for (or even replace) Trout in CF. Adding Chisholm and Margot would address these. (Skeptical that Miami would deal him, BUT Ward and, even more so, Rengifo are quite valuable now and adding Neto should more than tip the scale, I’d guess)
I do think one thing that is missing is trading Adell for a change of scenery candidate with an upside, either someone who can pitch or play middle infield preferably the latter). I am not convinced that Rendon will last the entire season and one more super utility type who can play 2b, 3b, and 1b who bats RH would be nice. (Esp given Walsh’s platoon issues even if he’s back healthy).
Re trading Adell – problem is his trade value is basically zero right now. Better to keep him, send him back to the minors and hope he appears to figure things out and then trade him.
This is also why it is sometimes better to trade top prospects while they are hyped and have high trade value (see Neto and Quero). There was a time where Adell was the top prospect in baseball and had a trade value over 50 on the simulator. Today he’s worth 1.9.
The implicit assumption is that there will be an opportunity to build up Adell’s value with the Angels. Normally, I’d agree with not trading players when their value is down, but I don’t think we have much room there.
Over the past two seasons (and the Covid season), Adell has shown very little improvement. In fact, he seemed much worse than in 2021 when the last season began–in every dimension. I guess he still has one more option year so keeping him in the minors and hope he figures something out–at least to become a useful trade bait is a possibility, but I’m not sure if he’ll gain much value given what we have already seen, at least not with us.
Unfortunately, I agree completely! But I think if he gets send to AAA he’s got a better chance of producing and thereby creating the impression that maybe he has figured it out. He will never return to the hype from a few years back but his value could go up to 6 or so which would make him more tradable for something other than a bag of balls.
If we can get another outfielder to allow us some depth to stash him in AAA, I belive this should be the course we take. He becomes our best trade chip at the deadline if we need antoher piece for a playoff run, or if we are out of it, then he get’s one more chance at the end of the year to prove that he is a quality MLB player
Yah I think Miami makes the trade as the value matches what they have and their MLB club get’s better as they have little to no OF. It’s also still on the cheap for them to address other needs.
I’m a business guy and I stand by buy low sell high. I”m selling Rengifo and Ward at an all time high. (They are also getting expensive and running out of Arb time).
Adell is the opposite of that. He’s never been lower. But the Margot move puts him back in the minors and hopfully lights a fire under him. He needs to rebuild value and can then help the MLB team or be traded for something better. He’s a good canidate to be a trade deadline piece thay could net us something for the playoff push. (SP?)
Interesting. You seem to have formed a competent MLB roster. Not sure what the future holds as to minor leaguers as you have traded many of them. But it was a fun read.