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LA Angels Thursday News Crash:

February 23, 2023

A couple of Yankees underwent surgery this week. We already knew about the Frankie Montas shoulder surgery but catcher Ben Rortvedt needed a surgery because of an aneurysm that was affecting blood circulation in his hand and finger. Mike Soroka is injured yet again. This is the guy that tore his achilles tendon while walking across the field.

The Reds claimed Bennett Sousa off waivers from the White Sox. Meanwhile the White Sox signed Bryan Shaw to a minor league deal with an invite. The Brewers are signing Luke Voight to a minor league deal, also with an invite.

Lance McCullers Jr. won’t be ready to pitch for the Astros at the start of the season because of a “small muscle strain.”

Here is the hunk of metal they are vying for in the World Baseball Classic.

Photo credit: Rex Fregosi

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Super Member

Twebur

25 days ago

Ambidextrous Jurrangelo Cijntje for $800 Alex.
https://sports.yahoo.com/ambidextrous-pitcher-jurrangelo-cijntje-dominates-in-first-collegiate-start-170755893.html

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Jeff Joiner

25 days ago

Reply to Twebur

Was hoping to sneak that into Weekend Links unnoticed ha ha.

Kid was throwing gas.

Super Member

RexFregosi

25 days ago

Finally saw position players today at Tempe Diablo first workout of 2023 at main stadium – pitchers and catchers too.
Yesterday was cold and windy and I didn’t go up there. Tuesday not a whole lot going on but I did spot an old, fat Dominican.

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Eric_in_Portland

25 days ago

Reply to RexFregosi

looking at those photos makes me wish I could remember the routines I went through prior to the opening of the high school soccer season.

Super Member

RexFregosi

25 days ago

Reply to Eric_in_Portland

there are a lot of combinations that present itself in a game.

runner(s), base(s), and the ball is hit to an infielder – and then lots of players need practice

Trusted Member

Mikeal1st

25 days ago

Catching prospect Edgar Quero drawing attention at Angels’ camp – Los Angeles Times (latimes.com)

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Mia

25 days ago

Reply to Mikeal1st

Imagine a young duo of he and O’Hoppe. Just don’t trade one to the blue jays this time.

Super Member

RexFregosi

25 days ago

Reply to Mia

i see them playing catch to warm up to start camp each day and it makes me happy.

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Mia

25 days ago

Reply to RexFregosi

Let us know if they’re roommates or if one is known for stealing the other’s sunglasses. Haha.

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gitchogritchoffmypettis

25 days ago

Reply to Mia

There’s a chance that Quero doesn’t stick at C. He’s very young still, but he’s currently not a good catcher. No way to know now, but he could be a 3B/1B/OF by the time he gets to the MLB. Or he’ll just develop as a catcher.

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Mia

25 days ago

Reply to gitchogritchoffmypettis

You’re killing the vibe that I put very little thought into, sir. 😂

Super Member

RexFregosi

26 days ago

Workout was at main stadium today. Inf was Rendon/Urshela, Fletch/Soto, Rengifo/Stefanic, Walsh/Drury

Super Member

RexFregosi

25 days ago

Reply to RexFregosi

correction, at SS: Fletch/Drury, at 1B: Walsh, Lamb

Trusted Member

Angelz4ever

25 days ago

Reply to RexFregosi

Any Baldoquin siting?

Super Member

RexFregosi

25 days ago

Reply to Angelz4ever

its been 3 years

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Cowboy26

25 days ago

Reply to RexFregosi

Yep, definitely Too Soon.

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Cowboy26

25 days ago

Reply to RexFregosi

Interesting.

In 8 seasons at the major league level, Drury has played a total of 11 games and 61 innings at Shortstop. Not sure this is a good idea.

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Super Member

Charles Sutton

25 days ago

Reply to Cowboy26

Trying stuff out at exhibition games was how we learned that Justin Upton couldn’t play first base.

Trusted Member

Angelz4ever

25 days ago

Reply to Charles Sutton

Justin Upton already knew he couldn’t play first……or hit anymore either…..

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Jeff Joiner

25 days ago

Reply to Angelz4ever

I’ll always give the guy credit for showing up in great shape and trying anything the team asked of him, though.

Super Member

RexFregosi

25 days ago

Reply to Cowboy26

Fletcher is the SS. After all the noise this winter, its Fletch.
Rengifo is 2B.

Drury and Gio also are set. Lamb can play 1B/3B

At SLC, i’d give the ABs to Soto/Neto at SS.

and not sure there will be a place for Squid.

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Jeff Joiner

25 days ago

Reply to RexFregosi

Fletcher is the better glove. I’d imagine he gets most of the SS duties with Urshela and Rengifo filling in.

Trusted Member

VladimirTrout27

25 days ago

Reply to Jeff Joiner

Agreed. The offense should be there this year, and to prevent taking a step back defensively like last year, I’d prefer Fletch at SS, but be open to alternate at 2B and other spots from time to time that makes sense and keep the defense stable

Trusted Member

halofansince1978

26 days ago

Lameday is back…life is good!!

https://www.mlb.com/gameday/angels-vs-mariners/2023/02/25/719384/preview

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gitchogritchoffmypettis

26 days ago

If I needed more evidence that Arte is just letting the Platypus do his thing he’s actually spending on Brandon Guyer, mental strength and conditioning coach. That’s pretty dang “unArte”.

OK. Time to be wrong. I was pretty nego on Phil Nevin being the guy we got stuck with when we cut Joe Hype as manager. This was because, as both a player and a coach, he struck me as a blustery dick who had done nothing. “Some players say they love him” has never meant much to me.

But he seems to be meshing with PTP well. He’s allowed control of things to spread away from him as evidenced by Wise/Hezel/Axelrod handling the pitching and Thames/Plantier handling hitting… both of these cases probably involve a lot of the hated “input from the FO”. On top of all that you have “Perry’s guy” as bench coach in Ray Montgomery. The obvious move, if this was just a PTP power play was to make Montgomery manager this year. But nope. Nevin got the vote of confidence AND Montgomery is still there and apparently Nevin’s not gonna act all butt hurt about that.

I’ve wanted this FO>Field Manager>Coaches>Players work flow for our team for years. I had no clue Phil Nevin would be the manager who seems to NOT be all prickly about it but instead is embracing it.

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Cowboy26

26 days ago

Reply to gitchogritchoffmypettis

Nevin is Perry’s guy. he forced him on Soggy Joe in the first place as. backup plan when Maddon failed. Why would the power move now be to hire Montgomery?

I’ve read all of the Soggy Joe books and life manifestos I could find . It’s a schtick that has worked well for him and the average MLB player. I don’t blame Arte for that hire as Joe was the homegrown Angels coach from the 70’s and had a great track record especially in getting the most out of mediocre prospects and journeymen. However, I just think Joe got lazy and tired like most guys ultimately do in that position.

The question really is what kind of manager is Nevin? Do the players like him? Does he flip out under pressure like the many times he did as a player?

Some of the players from the past speak very highly of him including Brandon Drury but I think there a great deal of uncertainty how he will manage in the long run especially if the Angels are actually contenders this year.(Or maybe it doesn’t really matter as long as he follows the front office supplied analytics)

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gitchogritchoffmypettis

25 days ago

Reply to Cowboy26

“Nevin is Perry’s guy. he forced him on Soggy Joe in the first place as. backup plan when Maddon failed.”

Um. Yeah. Source? I mean, that could be said of any of the coaches if it can be said of Nevin? Why was Nevin supposed to be especially “Perry”? And if Nevin was “forced” then we are now believing Maddon, Arte’s dude and the guy so many of us were begging for for so long (and consequently some of us feel a pathetic need to defend now) was so cloutless that he had his staff hired for him?

Montgomery, on the other hand, worked in the FO for Perry before going down to the dugout. Thus he seems to be pretty connected to the Platypus. If anyone was forced on Joe it was Ray and if PTP wanted a puppet it would have been him.

I still have no clue how Nevin will play out as a manager. That’s why I didn’t type out anything about his awesome in game skills and steel nerves. Though he did seem better with the bullpen than Maddon for half a season. But I expected him to just be total crap and try to bulldoze his way into a highway. He has been surprisingly even handed with players and willing to allow “meddling” from others. That’s a welcome development.

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Cowboy26

25 days ago

Reply to gitchogritchoffmypettis

Um. Yeah. Source?

Seriously? You’ve forgotten already? Perry hired Phil Nevin to be the 3B coach season after firing Joe’s buddy from the Cubs Brian Butterfield (along with other Joe buddies such as Jose Molina & Bruce Hines) I doubt Joe was even consulted that much after getting to build his entire staff under Billy.

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gitchogritchoffmypettis

25 days ago

Reply to Cowboy26

Still, source? Yeah. I know a guy was fired and another guy was hired. I just don’t see how that makes a guy PTP’s guy or how we are supposed to know how much input Joe had on the choice.

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Cowboy26

25 days ago

Reply to gitchogritchoffmypettis

Well then Shazam! how fortunate we all have been that, some how, by nothing short of a miracle, Phil Nevin was coincidently added to the coaching staff right before ST last year so that he could take over as manager after a whopping 56 games.
Angel GMs have been so fortunate the last few years. it was yet another miraculous event when Billy hired Brad Ausmus as a “special advisor” to the GM in 2018 so BBB could be there to take the helm when Scioscia finally had enough.

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gitchogritchoffmypettis

25 days ago

Reply to Cowboy26

BB = Montgomery… guy from FO goes down to dugout…..

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Cowboy26

25 days ago

Reply to gitchogritchoffmypettis

BB does not remotely equal Montgomery . Ausmus had 4 years of major league managerial experience. Montgomery once managed a fantasy team.

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Jeff Joiner

25 days ago

Reply to gitchogritchoffmypettis

Agreed. Nevin comes off as a dick and as former jock I figured he’d have the “players vs. nerds” mentality of most former jocks.

But he’s been pretty open to new ideas. Herget doesn’t look like anybody’s definition of a closer, but Nevin put him in the role and it worked.

Maybe it is Spring optimism, but I’m warming to him.

Trusted Member

VladimirTrout27

25 days ago

Reply to Jeff Joiner

I think him being old school but willing to be different to help keep his job and not be like Scioscia and Maddon. His lineups last year were god awful and not because of the players but they made very little sense, and the times when he filled those lineups its like he was guessing or gave up. That’s where I wonder if he’s calling the shots and or knows what he’s doing and or willing to fight for better outcomes. TBD

Super Member

ihearhowie3.0

25 days ago

Reply to gitchogritchoffmypettis

The biggest thing was Rendon saying the biggest difference is that Nevin holds them accountable.

Maddon saying very early on that he didn’t view it as his job to light a fire under guys was a major red flag. It’s why the losing streak got as weird as it did IMO…guys were probably waiting for something cathartic and Joe just kept showing up acting like nothing was wrong.

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Cowboy26

25 days ago

Reply to ihearhowie3.0

Well I guess thats a good thing but I’m not sure who he held accountable for their 46-60 record with Nevin at the helm

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gitchogritchoffmypettis

25 days ago

Reply to Cowboy26

Delicate Steve. That’s who.

My answer to the losing streak and the games there after is the same as it’s always been. The players. They didn’t do their jobs and they lost. I don’t give a shit if Patton was their manager, if they’re gonna collectively puss out then they will lose many games. Same is the case this year, with all the teams.