I’ve had the pleasure of meeting quite a few of you and we’ve had different skin tones, nations of birth, upbringings, and backgrounds. But we all had the shared love of baseball.
In many ways, we have Martin Luther King, Jr. and his peers to thank for this community. Just as we can thank him for so many of our loved ones being in our lives.
MLK thanked Jackie Robinson for paving the way. The two were close friends and over the years their paths converged in many ways. There’s no separating the Civil Rights Movement and baseball. Which is yet another reason to love this great game.
Getting to modern day baseball, the biggest news out of Anaheim this week was the signing of Brett Phillips to be the fourth outfielder. Phillips is hoping a lot of hard work with the same swing guru Taylor Ward used last year will pay off.
Nice little interview with Phillips here:
Yes, Angels players are going to a dude with a full time job who teaches hitting on the side to get better. Speaks volumes about our coaching and development staffs, doesn’t it?
Brandon Drury says he was destined to be an Angel.
Phillips solidifies the outfield and as of now completes the position player roster.
Sam Blum took a look at what the Angels off season might mean for Jo Adell. I think it means he gets a year to prove himself in AAA.
Blum wasn’t alone. There was quite a bit of interest in the futures of both Adell and fellow first round pick Mickey Moniak.
While neither has lived up to their draft day promise, the duo of Adell and Moniak in Salt Lake gives us the most player position upside we’ve had there in eons.
Last year’s starting left fielder is ticketed for AAA? Yes, I took a look at the depth Perry has and hasn’t built with the Swiss Army Team.
On the topic of depth, both Griffin Canning and Chris Rodriguez are throwing from the mound. If healthy, Canning could play a big role for the team. He’s only 26 and the team is still looking for a sixth starter.
The same could be said of Rodriguez, who was really good out of the bullpen a couple of year back.
The good news is the team isn’t relying on either to contribute Opening Day or really any other day. If they do, great, if not, we have options.
One option I hope to see this year is Ben Joyce and I think we see him in Tempe. Watch this just because.
I’ll get an article out on the three headed monster of Joyce, Luke Murphy, and Eric Torres and how they tore through AA last year. Add them to the outfielders and suddenly AAA is looking good.
Speaking of Tempe, the Angels announced all the important Spring Training dates.
My favorite master schedule for Spring Training games can be found here.
From around the league:
Carlos Correa heading back to the Twin Cities wrapped up this off season’s craziest saga. Take a look at all the twists and turns along the way.
Trevor Bauer will need to find a new place to troll for women online after the Dodgers released him yesterday. I’m wondering if he’ll move into Aroldis Chapman or Roberto Osuna’s old locker.
Of note, the LAT is reporting the Dodgers decided to cut bait on Bauer after meeting with him. That might explain the long delay between his reinstatement and DFA. Perhaps they tried to work out a way for him to stay, but Bauer is Bauer and plays by his own rules.
The Dodgers brought in a shortstop I was high on bringing in last year in Miguel Rojas. Immediately following the trade news was the follow up that Rojas needs yet another wrist surgery.
Probably the most notable part of the trade is the Dodgers are now over the luxury tax again. FanGraphs looks at their budget dilemma and options.
Oakland brought over Japanese hurler Shintaro Fujinami on a one year deal. He wants to start although several sites peg him for bullpen duty. Either way, the A’s became a little more interesting now.
Baseball has really become a global game in my lifetime. And a lot of global talent will be on display at the World Baseball Classic.
Here’s a link for the reporting dates, workout dates, and exhibition games for the WBC teams.
All 47 WBC games will be broadcast across various Fox Sports platforms. What a time to be alive.
It is a bit of a tradition of my own making. The only fitting way to end MLK Day Links is to watch a video of his most famous speech.
Please link what I missed below and enjoy your three day weekend.
MLB Pipeline’s Top 50 International Prospects signings are interesting. I’ll just post the rankings of the guys signed.
Seattle: #2, #42
Oakland: #5, #40
Houston: #17, #21
Texas: #8
Anaheim: #50
We also signed a whole raft of players.
https://angelsnation.com/2022-23-international-signing-period-angels-sign-18-prospects-including-felix-morrobel/2023/01/16/
The more the merrier. You cannot win if you don’t play. Go Halos!
I kind of wondered when I saw we signed #50. Given that there are 30 teams, this didn’t sound very impressive. Again, on the surface it seems like our drafting is subpar.
What does this have to do with our drafting?
Excuse me, recruiting and signing.
Yes, seems lackluster. Always nice to get marquee prospects… then again, Quero never sniffed that Top 50 list, so maybe there’s something to be said for the “deep cuts” philosophy when it comes to these bonus pool situations.
Raft – that’s GOLD!
Did you see the signing bonus of some of these guys? Dipoto did another Baldoquin where he gave the #2 prospect & #47 prospect their entire signing pool . Jer Jer gave Mr #2 a $4.700,000 signing bonus which is even more than our entire pool amount. Of course it doesn’t hurt Seattle that they have an extra $1,000,000 in their signing pool for being part of the MLB team welfare program.
It’s riverboat gambling. Mostly risk – occasional reward.
Keynan Middleton signed a minor league contract with the White Sox. Good luck-
Man, if only this dude had found a fan base to cheer for him loud enough. Maybe then he’d be on a major league deal.
He probably STILL walks a ton of guys because fanbase.
So, the Chicago teams are combining to gain all the players I had in mind if the Angels had truly had a “Sell the team, do nothing during this off season” plan instead of what PTP has actually done.
I wanted Hanser Alberto, Jake Maresnik, Try Mancini and “bullpen arm” if we were just gonna be stuck with a 20M off season.
It’s nice we didn’t wind up just doing that and seeing what the youngsters can do.
We’ve already seen what our kids can do.
WE’VE ALREADY MOSTLY SEEN AND KNOW WHAT THEY CAN’T DO!!!!!!!
Kind of what happens when you take Matt Thaiss over Pete Alonzo, Beau Bichette, and that kid who was born in the Anaheim Stadium parking lot and won the 2020 AL Cy Young Award for the Cleveland Guardians.
💪 💪 💪 ……THE SMARTEST FAN EVUH!!! no 80% misguided fool here.
What?
I’m sorry. We are still waiting for your IIWPM. Till we see that your comments just read as “LOLBAH” followed by a bunch emojis…. kind of like how a mentally dribbly kid communicates.
Angels in agreement with shortstop Felix Morrobel, No. 50 on the Top 50 International Prospects list.
https://twitter.com/JeffFletcherOCR/status/1614788189121810432?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1614788189121810432%7Ctwgr%5E49a6174a823f2d2f11455840aff209f74e46a08a%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fbleacherreport.com%2Flos-angeles-angels
Rangers signed Vlads son Pablo
About half the league could sign a son of Vlad.
Dude has 9 kids. Pretty sure by 4 baby mamas.
Pretty NBA level stat line.
Man wore a glove for so many years in his playing career I guess he just couldn’t do it anymore haha
*only during game action
Seemed like a no glove kinda guy to me
I was thinking his outfield glove.
Just saying he doesn’t wear one when he’s up to Bat.
I knew what you meant, was just clarifying that even though he did bat gloveless, there was still part of his game where he used one.
Which may explain why he doesn’t have 20 kids.
Yeah, the man wasn’t really big on protection.
TBH, The Angels really did a horrible job providing him protection in the lineup later in his career.
I mean Juan Rivera ? Come on.
I thought GA was his protection?
And then later in his career, it wasn’t our responsibility.
not in 2009
He played for 4 teams.
Canada got one.
Now Texas.
I bet Baltimore gets one before the Angels pull the trigger.
Lol, Big Daddy Vladdy had a wide strike zone
He’s is 9 by 4…
A HOF doesn’t always guarantee a clone.
Carl Yastrzemski’s son is a Giant or is he? (for CB26, I don’t care wun way or the uther, I’ll let that misguided 80%er worry abwout meaningless garbage).
Is that his son? But even more important, will cloning Vlad be part of that IIWPM we are waiting for?
How desperate was Pablo to sign with the Angels? Was he, like his brother Vlad, just camping under the hats begging our FO to take him at a discount since, even if we hadn’t signed Baldo, we didn’t have the pool money to sign him? Is there YouTube footage of him crying into his now unused Angels hat?
NO! The Angels don’t sign international players! We won’t even send scouts east of the Mississippi. These are lies. ALL LIES!
Cheep and Eevill
#50 out of the top 50? Perry, you stud. Time to nickname Felix, Hawaii.
All these international signings seem promising. Seems like a fair few more than past years.
If teams are really really serious about winning, then hire a proven winner when they’re available (like us with Theo Epstein for example and not a winner’s chauffeur…….Perry Minasian).
Chargers and Angels, take note!!!…… 💪 💪 💪 💪
So the Angels should hire Sean Payton the football coach because he’s a winner?
Got it.
We still need a 3rd base coach…
He’s a (very good, not great) HC. Maybe not worth giving up a 1st round pick for him. A lot of bad playoff losses. Drew Brees and the Saints GM will have helped him get that reported $20mil a year contract.
Angel’s baseball operations? LOL!!!!
They look like they are full of excited patience. Like the are just waiting for someone with lots of thinkings and speakings to create some kind of written plan for them to follow. A light. A beacon Your IIWPM.
Look at that poor chimp. Just transfixed, waiting for you to show how you are actually more cogent than he is. Help him Tootie. Help him.
His resume in football looks alot like Sosh’s in Baseball
(like us with Theo Epstein for example and not a winner’s chauffeur…….Perry Minasian).
Chargers and Angels, take note!!!…
Didn’t realize Theo Epstein was a NFL Executive..gott ittt! 🤑 🤓 🙃
Duhhhh…….80%er stupidly again? Tony LaRussa was hired as a advisor LOL!!!
Will this be part of your IIWPM? It’s a three day weekend, were you just waiting for some free time so you could really flesh out all your “thinking poofs”.
Can’t wait to see it. We’re all gonna see how you aren’t totally full of clown gas. It’s gonna rule.
Happy Roberto BAldoquin day everybody!
Angel’s scouting department? LOL!!!
Here, for the intl scout in you….
Donde esta su IIWPM? Eres un desverganzado monton de mierda troll?
No puedo esperar para verlo!
Charger’ing
believe.wav – Vin Scully saying “I can’t believe it!”
trAdition?
Turn the page
Buttercup
They should have never left San Diego
They Chargers should go back to San Diego and take the Clippers with them.
Would love for the Chargers to come back down here w/o the Spanos’s
Not sure you’ll ever get your wish but at least theres hope. https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/chargers-owner-dean-spanos-sued-by-sister-for-financially-ruinous-business-family-rebuts-false-charges/
That would be great.
The Clippers of football, that coach has 48-hrs before a piano lands on him.
48 hours? I’d Kiffin him at the airport terminal if I owned the team.
He is so bad, I feel bad for the guy.
They will wait until Monday. Sean Payton would be good for Justin Herbert but Spanos cannot handle strong coaches.
Unless Payton is hired, keep Staley but Lombardi shouldn’t be back. No points in the 2nd half was a thing pretty much all season.
I’ve got to think that the Spanos goofs would even screw up a Sean Payton hire despite the fact the coach REALLY wants to be there. They’ll have to give up at least a first rounder for him, give him personnel control and pay him top dollar so does that really sound like something any Spanos would ever do?
Ain’t any worse than our team has done since 2009
Worst farm system since 2010!!!
Gde tvoy IIWPM? Ti bessovestnaya kucha troll’skogo derma? Chdoby uvidet eto suka!
The 2002 World serious was a sentury uhgo………get over your haughtiness already. The Cleeveland Brauns wun the 1964 NFL Champyunship and 1948 Werld Seriess. BYE!!!!!
I know. People on this site that use that long ago World Series victory for their handle are totally lame.
I have never been happier to not be a Chargers fan anymore than I am tonight.
My cardiologist is also probably pretty stoked about that 😂
Nate Kaeding is tapping you on the shoulder reminding you of darker days
vietnamflashbacks.gif
Not a Charger fan but hey, they made the playoffs…..
Just to completely embarrass themselves on a national stage.
Absolute peak Chargers.
Kind of like 2014 Angels!
I dont think the 2014 Angels really ever had a lead against the Royals. If they did probably wasn’t more than 15 minutes.
I was talking about the ‘completely embarrass themselves on a National stage’ part.
98 wins and swept by the Royals – you’re right I don’t think they ever had a lead.
But collectively I think the world forgot about the Angels 2014 upset in about 15 minutes after it happened. Conversely the 1986 collapse has never been forgotten and shaped so many careers and legacies. Seared into my memory banks for over 36 years now, I am certainly not the only one with many feeling even a greater impact. In Al Michaels HOF induction he claimed Game 5 was his baseball announcing signature moment, It was certainly also led to Hendu’s myth, not to mention the Donnie Moore Tragedy.
Time will tell where Charger collapse ends up in sports history but it is definitely on a much higher plane than the Angels last playoff appearance.
Very interesting. I personally don’t think you can compare the ‘86 Angels playoff collapse to the ‘23 Chargers collapse. The Angels were playing at home and were 1 strike and then, later, one sacrifice fly from their first WS.
Last night for the Chargers ultimately was just a wildcard loss in a season where they were unlikely to win the next game.
The historical context was way more magnified in the ‘86 game.
Really? the third largest comeback in NFL playoff history was just another wildcard loss.
I’m sure thats exactly what Chargers fans are thinking right now.
what was the 2nd largest comeback? If you can’t remember it then I think, logically, only SD…I mean LAC fans will remember the game in 10 years.
Just ask Colts and Chief Fans they’ll tell you.
funny, I don’t remember the 1986 thing at all, except for being up 5-2 starting the 9th, getting the first out, the sux getting a runner on and Baylor hitting a 2 run homer, then Witt getting the next batter before Mauch brought in Lucas to face Gedman. That’s about all I remember.
I was at that game. Being a fatalist, I was convinced they would lose and they did. My worst baseball memory.
That was my Father. Who was questioning all of the fans invading the aisles for the ensuing rush onto the field that never happened. I was more just sitting there in shock that we were on the cusp of going to the World Series than thinking about a collapse (despite ’82). I took on more of a fatalist role in 2002 ( especially after you tack on the ’95 collapse) But I certainly couldn’t really blame any rational Angel fan for a defeatist belief system either yesterday or today.
If we just lean a little harder into it we can become the Browns of baseball. We can do it guys! Bad JuJu, it’s WHAT WE DO!
Bingo.
The way they played in the second half, someone forgot to tell the Chargers that.
Closest thing to 1986 ALCS I’ve experienced. 😡 🤬🤕
Salt Lake might be good this year.
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2023/01/angels-sign-taylor-jones-to-minor-league-deal.html
Right now depending upon What the Angels do with Ky Bush (I still think he’ll start in AA) I show a AAA rotation of:
Silseth
CRod
Canning
Valdez
Daniel
Diaz
Rosenberg
Kalish
And a AAA bullpen of:
Ingram
Marte
Garza
Warren
Reyes
Torres
Murphy
Joyce (fingers crossed)
Devenski
Webb
Holder
Of course this list assumes Weiss & Wantz make the Big League team and not someone above or the Angels don’t pick up any new bodies within the next couple of months.
But all in all thats at a fair amount of depth at the AAA level.
👎 👎 💩 💩
Again with the detailed and insightful analysis. Are you going to put up your own plan at some point? Ever? Or are you not capable?
Here, you have to strip it down to what he understands maybe….
You. IIWPM 😀 . YES? 👍 . NO? 💩 💪 👈
Jones, AAA ceiling
Perhaps but I think there’s value in developing guys on winning teams.
The bullpen guys get used to pitching important innings.
Adell and Moniak get chances to come through in the clutch.
Maybe Neto too.
And if they have success together, maybe that helps them transition to MLB better.
Nothing wrong with the signing but his prospect status has waned. There’s not much there. AAA filler but might get a cup of coffee Dylan Thomas-esque invite for weekend in Anaheim. He’ll be forgotten in a year.
Likely. I’d just like AAA this year to resemble AA last year and compete for a title
I suspect Jones will primarily platoon at AAA with Trey Cabbage at first base this year.
Cabbage was on track to provide depth at first or the corner outfield spots before a base running collision ended his season in AA last May.
Yeah. I am actually a little curious to see if Trey Cabbage can do something cool this season. He seems to have developed somewhat into a “professional hitter” and I’d like to see if he can pull it off at the MLB at some point. He’s got a 1 WAR name.
I’m more intrigued by this than the Phillips signing
Austin Warren made it through waivers and is back in AAA.
Not losing talent is a good thing.
To bad on Ortega
Yep
Amen.
Ok here’s a summary of where we are at:
Hunter Renfroe $11.9 Million vs Angels $11.25 Million
Gio Urshela $10.0 Million vs Angels $8.4 Million
Luis Rengifo $2.3 Million vs Angels $2.0 Million
If the Angels are really trying to stay below the CBT threshold ( With Arte and the Angel’s typical disinformation campaign-who knows ?) that means that based upon Arb results they have anywhere between $11.5 million to $14.0 million to spend on additional players’ payroll without incurring any penalties this year.
Those all seem close enough to resolve. Especially Rengifo.
Urshela might be a challenge. Pretty sure MLBTR pegged him at $9.1 million.
Perhaps Arte and Co spend $5-7 million more then let the new owners decide to cross the threshold or not at the trade deadline.
Shohei in an instagram post said he just left Japan 🧐 and just got to LA where he posts a picture of the city from the sky that includes Chavez Ravine.
Is Japan WBC training somewhere? Is he coming over to sign that $500M contract?
One month til P&Cs report.
Uh oh. The Dodgers stadium is within view of LAX from 30,000 ft up. Also in that photo, most likely, is the headquarters of the Church of Scientology.
Significant?
NFL playoffs have arrived, good morning to all. Miami in playoffs using a third string QB because of injury. Brady in his career is 7-0 against the Cowboys with that game being played in Tampa Bay. Ravens without Lamar Jackson in their game. Jacksonville made the playoffs! That’s akin to saying in baseball that Miami made the playoffs. This is when football is fun, during the playoffs. The second season. MLB is trying hard to have a second season in their game. but after 162 games it really should be only one Wild Card team in each league imho. Hey, it is what it is.
Weather moving into the mountains that includes Rain, Snow, Ice and stupid. Visitors don’t know how to drive in bad weather in SoCal, just go slow and easy. Shovels are ready with silicone or Pam, gloves are dry and I’m ready. I hope winter keeps going through March, we need the moisture, lake still down about 17 feet.
Something amazing to point out, the Big A is hosting an event that brings in Big Truck racing over mountains of dirt and yet the field always looks awesome by opening day. How do they do that? It must that huge loaders (tractors) to move that dirt around to build the track and same to remove the dirt. If they get a lot of rain what a mess to clean up.
Have a Great Saturday my friends. 😀 🏈 🏀 ⚾ 🏂 ⛷ 🏄 ⛳ We got it all baby.
Arbitration with 3 players
The Braves have signed Ty Tice.
His name is worth +1 WAR alone.
‘Wanna tie me up with one of your ties, Ty?”
Regarding our remaining pitching needs, we can quote the great philosopher Fozzy D. Bear, “Wacha, Wacha, Wacha!”
(Dad joke ray now powered down)
TrAdition will turn him into “walka walka walka” 😉
weren’t some of you talking about the Fangraphs Steamer projections the other day? I just looked. They’re out of whack! Trout with a .256 batting average, an .880 OPS? Not likely.
Uh oh. Positivity.
I am calling it. Adell will have a breakout year! Phillips will be DFA’d.
Hope you’re right. Might have to do a gut feeling thread.
Like I said in another thread, Rengifo is the guy on my radar. It was only a month or so he was hot last year, but he was on fire. He’s also only 26. He’s my breakout candidate this year.
Still needs to learn how to hit from the left side
I know sandoval had a break out season last season, but I think he gets even better this season. 16+ wins this year if he stays healthy
16+ wins this year if he
stays healthyever gets provided with any run support.So convert him to a closer then.
Not every so called good SP will play for the 1927 Yankees (BTW Sandy Alcantara had a winning record with a bad Miami team, so I don’t wanna hear it). He has good hard stuff (of course since we didn’t draft him, the Harris Co TX puppy eaters did otherwise we would’ve taken a guy like Austin Warren who throws 55mph). That way he’ll be asked to protect a lead when called upon.
Why?
Well, Phillips being DFA’ed this season is a given, but hopefully early in the year, not in September.
I don’t think this is too far fetched. If either Jo or the Mick just go bonkers at SLC there’s nothing preventing them from getting some ABs in the MLB. Especially if someone gets hurt (looking at you Trout). If they have finally figured it out, then said player would stay.
I teach US History and felt my most important point to get across is to stop prejudice as it leads to genocide too often… and I’ve always been proud to be a fan of people associated with MLB for breaking prejudicial boundaries. I appreciate you noting the significance of Robinson and MLK, like you have, and your choice of articles. I think I’ll use one in my class.
Thanks. I was hoping not to sound like a broken record as I always cite MLK weekend and his connection to Jackie.
90% of the people in my life don’t look like me, my wife is from another country, my son is mixed…MLK weekend really hits home for me.
One Civil Rights figure I think is vastly overlooked is Joe Louis. He was before both of them. And all of America rooted for Joe Louis against Max Schmelling. Boxing was king of sports back then.
Gotta keep playing that record. Next genocide could be anybody.
I actually teach about the Louis/Schmelling fight in class as well as Owens… I guess I have to get Robinson in there. We skip over the 40’s for the most part because the big story is WWII which is reviewed in World History in detail.
Nice!
So many people miss Louis. And the few who do cover the fight mistakenly say Schmelling was a Nazi when in fact he hid his Jewish trainer during the war.
The two became good friends in the 50s. Really great story all around.
I love the WBC. I just wish it were scheduled further back in the winter. Even if it means that “Northern” cities can’t really host because of weather (without a dome). The focus is “the World” so if most of the tourney takes place in domes, Southern Europe, Japanese/Korean domes, South/Central America and warm weather US cities that’s OK. It would be really cool if they tried to do a couple “exposition games” in places like Africa, South East Asia, the Middle East etc too.
Like, imagine if teams reported for training/expos the 2nd week of January and games started on something like Jan 12. We can make the “training” period take place in a few more spots so all that super hard “training” can take place in cities like Sydney, JoBurg, Jakarta and Dubai and give it a couple extra days for travel. Train two teams in each city and have them play an exposition. Then go play the tourney, with the final happening around Feb. 20. Sure, football is happening, but mostly die hards watch the beginning of the tourney in the US anyway and the focus isn’t the US, it’s other countries. Players can report to their teams March 1 and “get with the program”. Teams can rest them at the start of ST as needed. We all get entertained during those sad dead weeks between football and ST. Win Win Win.
It won’t be a big deal, but it could be a small asset that Drury is obviously stoked to be here and it’s a good sign that Phillips already has an Angels shirt and alternate color way dickwing Angels hat ready to go so fast after being signed. A little esprit de core can’t hurt.
The Astros should just sign Bauer and become Drago.
Patrick Sandoval, Jared Walsh and Taylor Ward. That could be a real bargain for our stupid GM and his team that can’t develop anything at less than 9M this year. If Detmers, Suarez, Rengifo, Fletcher etc are fairly good things look even more bleak.
Jeremy Reed was bulls tits, but even if we get solid hitting coaches players will still be going to gurus for more directed help. I asked an ex-player about this once. He said these personal trainers, if they and your hitting coach are any good, sort of collaborate. That a team’s hitting coach spends a ton of time just getting info on your performance, upcoming pitchers, etc for 12 players. They work with hitters on their swing/approach too, but if a hitter wants 2 or 3 hours a day of that it will take a “guru”. And then there’s the off season….
Cutch going back to the Burg warms my heart a little.