Welcome back to the real CtPG folks. Sorry about whatever happened earlier but whatever it was wiped out the original Weekend Links.
So here goes version 2.0….
The sun is out, the calendar says “February” and there’s that sense of peace knowing baseball is right around the corner. This is the penultimate Weekend Links before Rex blesses us with pictures from camp.
Mike Trout is already taking hacks and ramping up for the WBC and 2023 season.
I love that sound.
Getting paid nicely this week was Shohei Ohtani who inked a massive new deal with New Balance.
The fact the maker of epic dad shoes is based in bahstun is leading to speculation he’ll join the Roid Sux next year.
But Ohtani is the sport’s endorsement king. He gets money from everywhere.
Over in Japan there’s a snow sculpture that doesn’t really look like him at a big festival.
No pitcher in baseball was more successful on first pitches than Jaime Barria. Who knew? The fact his first pitch was rarely a fastball is interesting and could pave the way for future pitchers.
From around the league, the biggest story that isn’t getting much coverage is the impending bankruptcy of Diamond Sports. This could absolutely rock the baseball world.
You see, Diamond owns Bally which owns the local TV rights to over a third of the league, including our Angels. Local TV money is the economic lifeline of MLB franchises.
If only there was a successful business model the MLB could learn from and adopt.
There’s not a lot of news because there’s not a lot of deals being made. The free agent pool is pretty much done but here’s a look at the best remaining players and where they should sign.
In case you are wondering, the Angels are in on about everyone left. Would any of them make a huge difference? Just Chafin. Could we use some more talent? Always.
I will say the Elvis Andrus chatter, which is minimal, is interesting. Perhaps a one year deal for Elvis and a trade of another infielder could happen? Say Rengifo for an arm?
Yahoo found 17 guys poised for breakout years in 2023 and one is an Angel. Let me know who you guessed before reading the article. I have a feeling there are a few names we think might fit. Which is a good thing.
Enjoy your weekend and link what I missed.
