Good morning Angels fans, how are you this morning? Have some links.
Angels News
The Angels won last night somehow despite blowing it. Just apparently the Guardians blew it harder.
Detmers looks to be better next year, which would be good obviously. Bigger numbers is better, well, usually.
As Spring Training is wrapping up soon, the herd thins as a plethora of players left for the minors. Keep an eye on some of them, however, they may be back up sooner than later.
So, who will be on the roster? While we don’t know 100% yet, we are getting closer.
Around Baseball
WBC quarterfinals begin, well, one of them. Groups A and B are set with Australia vs Cuba on right now. In Pool D DR vs PR are in a win or go home, and the US needs a win to stay alive in Pool C.
Speaking of pool B, Japan is undefeated and Ohtani has won the MVP. Of Pool B that is.
Diamond Sports AKA Bally Sports are officially filing for Bankruptcy protection. Please speculate wildly down below.
Used to the new baseball rules? Too bad, more may be on the way as the minors experiment even more.
Former Angel Jose Quintana is out until June. Meanwhile, current Angel Jose Quijada cannot keep his jersey on.
Anything I missed? Post below for upvotes!
Sounds like we’re not one of the Ballys networks that will get set free into streaming heaven.
Was looking forward to cutting the cord. I guess I’ll wait a few more months
That sucks ass.
The Angels will be among the 14 teams that MLB will probably end up doing.
I want zero black outs and I want the wellspring of happy fans and money to be so convincing that the MLB offices just realize “Fk it. Wjy are we doing black outs online like it’s 1987? Hell, why do black outs at all?”
Having three large bullpen contracts, Loup, Tepera, and now Estevez is now causing us some more roster construction problems. We have some guys with no options left like Tucker Davidson, and Barria, so we can’t have Ben Joyce on the roster without losing one of them. I wonder if Minasian would DFA Loup or Tepera if they continue to suck. I think I’d rather they go be Dennis Eckersley on another team if past is prologue. I’m guessing Barria is a goner, Davidson will be a sixth starter, and Silseth and/or Canning will be sent down.
I think the obvious answer is signing a single player to a 55M per yaer contract for five times as long as those contracts that are the real problem will last.
We will have the greatest Angels season ever and not one inning of it will televised 😁
Nevin and staff have some tough calls to make as the Srinf roster cuts are getting a lot tougher. The infield and pitching cuts are really tough calls to make. But the biggest call will be at catcher.
https://youtu.be/PnSccAokV3c
I think O’Hoppe needs to be on the roster, and Stassi isn’t going anywhere. That makes the tough decision what to do with Thaiss since he’s out of options. My solution is to remove or demote Phillips, and carry three catchers. Then it’s mix and match with infielders who will play on days when our starters are not.
Thaiss can play 1st base as well.
This would be easier if Thaiss hit right handed. He could platoon some with Walsh, fill in at catcher some, DH a little….
Thaiss appears to be good enough to be a back up catcher and fill in the corner infield. Let it play out, he’s out of options as you said, no need to rush O’Hoppe. Looks like he could use some more time in the minors, sure wouldn’t hurt.
I would actually like to have O’Hoppe starting, especially since he’s being paired with Ohtani. Ward moves to center and we band aid corner. Can Renfroe handle it. He’s better than you’d think.
The man has “paired” with Ohtani for what? Four innings? Stassi doesn’t bug me all that much so why make a desperation move? Start Stassi, give Thaiss some early ABs and see if he can generate some value, let O’Hoppe get many ABs in AAA. If Thaiss sucks DFA him. If O’Hoppe hits .700 promote him. If Stassit sucks while either of these players is good, make Stassi the back up.
There isn’t any need to chop of an option that could be even a small plus if we don’t NEED to and we don’t need to. Even if all that comes of it is Thaiss plays a little for eight weeks and gets traded for a meh OF prospect as O’Hoppe comes up, cool.
The Angels Spring squad is entertaining, and they don’t have their best out, although neither do the other teams, but if we can win the ugly games, (see yesterday’s game box) with minor leaguers, how can our farm be rated so dang low. Can such a lowly rated bunch of minor league duds have a winning Spring record and continue to win and still be looked at as disappointing?
We have pitchers and catchers with promise coming along, SS’s coming along, and we are rated 29th or 30th, one site rated us 26th. While I agree that we are not the Dodgers or the Braves with our system, can’t we at least be seen as top 20? Ben Joyce is going to be lights out, either out of the Pen or as a starter. Fun ST watching the yut this year.
Just remember ST means zero. Plenty of examples of Angels having great Springs and laying eggs once the season starts. And other examples of players having a terrible Spring training and coming out of the gate hot. One really doesn’t correlate with the other.
all valid points, feels like we’ve won many Spring Training titles. it’s all about the health of the team. The reason for optimism is the lineup may have the depth it needs when/if injuries pile up. We felt pretty good going into that final week of May last year and then our lack of depth was exposed. Here’s to our health!
I’d throw Ohtani, Sandy, and Detmers up against any other teams starting 3 in a a playoff series.
As long as MLB steps in with a serviceable product, I don’t think anyone will be sad to see Sinclair/Bally whatever seek a hasty exit.
It’s been a shit product from day one.
I like our top eight starters better than any other team’s depth of starters.
Bally/Diamond/Sinclair, no matter the handle, paid way to much, never made the product better, and was a bad idea from the gate. MLB, I don’t know how the product will improve with them in charge. MLB has screwed up their site really bad, they embrace ‘Roid user’s to mush, but then they allowed ‘Roid use for years, so what did we expect.
I do hope Terry can return next season as TV’s Spring Training voice though.
Hard agree.
I’m stoked about the starting rotation depth pieces this spring. Any of Davidson, Canning, Silseth could be a perfectly fine 6th starter – and that all three look good is just icing on the cake. If someone gets in a funk, call up the next guy.
That said, I’m really pulling for Canning. He showed flashes of brilliance when healthy in the past, and his pedigree is such that he was expected to be a rotation anchor when drafted.
Davidson is out of options, so I fear he’s the guy going to get the first crack at the spot, and while I don’t hate that – I’d prefer another righty in Canning/Silseth.
Also, haven’t even discussed Barria – who could be that guy too.
Kind of nice to see this embarrassment of riches in the rotation after years of struggling to put together a competent starting 5.
Lastly, if/when Shohei leaves via free agency we know that we have arms to cover his starts who aren’t awful…
Le sigh. Hope they resign him…
I like our starters too. I think we’ll at least be a top 10 rotation, maybe top 5. Not sure we are top to bottom as solid as teams like the Mets (even with injuries), Blue Jays, Astros, Indians, Brewers, Mariners, Braves and dark horses like the Rangers and Phillies. And then there’s the Dodgers weird black magic and drugs program.
But yeah, I still think we’re gonna join that pile of teams at some level.
The Doyer drug program is black magic…a hell-broth of snake ribs, eye of newt, bat tongue, owl beak, beetle wings and lizard anus…brought to a boil and taken sublingually. Or bake into your favorite brownie recipe.