We watched yet another amazing season from an Angels player. Shohei Ohtani won his second MVP. He is the first player in MLB history to win two unanimous MVP awards.
This MVP is on top of the Silver Slugger Ohtani was awarded last week. The man’s trophy room is getting full. Soon so will his bank account.
As of now Ohtani is a free agent and he turned down his qualifying offer. Where he’ll land and for how much will be the story of the off season.
We’ve now witnessed 3 MVP years from Trout and 2 from Ohtani with nary a playoff appearance in any of those seasons. Will the Angels look to take a step back and build something sustainable? Nah.
Perry Minasian says the Angels will be aggressive this off season and try to build a winner. Ron Washington doubled down saying he’s here to run the West down.
In equally expected news, Ronald Acuna Jr won the NL MVP. Acuna had an incredible year and was the best player on the best regular season team in baseball.
There’s not a ton happening on the player front yet and I can see Ohtani’s decision keeping the free agent market on hold for a while. Add in the fact it is a really bad market and links might be scarce around here for a while. Unless there are trades, and I love trades.
But there is plenty of MLB news,
Also as expected, MLB owners unanimously approved the relocation of the Oakland A’s to Las Vegas. I’m looking forward to a road trip to Vegas for an Angels game and a fight but do have serious doubts about their ability to create and grow a hometown fanbase in a city so full of transplants.
Then again, I can always make a much shorter trip to Chavez Ravine and watch a baseball game and tons of fights for the cost of only one ticket, not two.
The A’s moved because they could not reach a stadium deal with Oakland. Meanwhile, the Milwaukee Brewers (a team that spends its revenue sharing funds on payroll) did work out a deal for stadium renovations.
I’ve been told by folks who have visited Milwaukee during the summer it is fun. I definitely want to catch a game there.
Now that free agency is set to kick off in earnest, tell me below who you really want the Angels to sign. Yamamoto is it for me.
Enjoy your weekend and link what I missed. We are hoping to get our last game of the year in Sunday depending on the weather. Spending time playing baseball with my son is priceless and I’m so thankful for this year. There are a couple of other kids who really put smiles on my face too and I appreciate the fact I was able to play a minor role in their childhoods.
With a 13-year contract the Phils & Harper are discussing an extension? Wow!!
he’s a FA. Why not?
💪 💪
But remember he turned down an opportunity to go to the Doyers at the trade deadline so he may no like the LA scene man
According to Rosenthal at the Athletic, Rodriguez wanted financial and contractual enhancements to join the Dodgers (or as he has it, the strong NL West) going into his free agency. Clearly he didn’t want to potentially take a hit to his FA value (like Giolito did).
I don’t know what that says about him moving forward – savvy business man?, not confident enough to compete?, just really happy in Detroit? – but he could be a target for us. My big concern is buying high (and paying that premium), which hasn’t worked out well for us (Rendon. Freese, etc.).
Although your point is well taken, Freese is not a good example. He was acquired via trade after an underwhelming 2013 (0.4 WAR) and put up two credible seasons with the Angels (1.7, 2.9 WAR). Indeed, he was missed when he left.
I’m gonna put out a IIWP post this time!!! I’ll seeyah in Nashville.
BYE!!!!! 💪 💪 💪
Do you have Tandy calculator or enough new holes in your socks to properly add up all them payroll numbers /
LOL, oh my Tandy.
The Chili Davis reunion will have to wait:
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2023/11/angels-hire-johnny-washington-jerry-narron-to-coaching-staff.html
I guess Claudell, U L, Booker T. or George weren’t available?
Or Freddy “boom boom” Washington
I understand that Juan Epstein has a note from his mother saying he’s available.
Up your nose with a rubber hose
buttercupped again. I’m prepared to read “Angels likely to sign Nola” and then days later instead of Nola it’s Severino
Stop that right now. You keep bringing that scenario up you’ll probably wish it into existence.
😂
Prob Stroman
Nola is staying with the Phillies: 7/172.
In 2023 he was 12-9 with nearly a 4.50 ERA.
Ohtani will get more than $550m
NoLa4U?
🍎 s & 🍊 s
Yes, not comparable as players but the overall market starts to be defined.
But torii @ 1st makes up for it
For those going to games next season, Orangewood is being widened from the river bed, by the 57, to State College Blvd. Roughly 12’ each direction, half of the new sidewalks and infrastructure are already in.
So we can get out of Dodge that much faster?
Yep.
If anyone is interested, nov. 17 – 19 is “angel insider” spring training tickets for Tempe Diablo.
Back in the day they would offer a pretty good discount on pricing, but now it just looks like they make certain seats available for the cool price of $50 (not including fees).
So is this real or part of the JeDi mind tricks?
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2023/11/report-mariners-not-expected-to-sign-shohei-ohtani.html
It’s all about saying the right things to get the fans excited then Ohtani’s agents deliver the reality that you’ll be allocating 30% of the payroll to one player for 10 years.
There’s only two or three franchises that can realistically do that….and Seattle ain’t one of them.
allocating 30% of the payroll to 1 player is chapter 4 in The Angel Way.
This would be awesome. Get them to take Rendon too by throwing in Sandoval. Funny thing is I believe it would have very little impact on the number of games we win next year.
Let the wailing and teeth gnashing begin! https://twitter.com/Jared_Tims/status/1725747765425348968
😂😂😂😂
Approved, that would be such a good Angel move at this time with the franchise
Yes, and the world is flat and chocolate is angel dung.
This would make me pretty stoked. It would be a full rebuild other than being stuck with a couple more years of Anthony Rendon. Sure, bitch boyz will say something like “we can’t develop a polaroid” and then give the Doyers credit for any traded for prospects that do pan out, but man I’d love a team with an average age in the mid-twenties and a payroll around 120 million to build from. Add three or four high level prospects to the kids we already have up. Maybe trade Ward and a couple guys for a couple more…. team rookie… I’ll watch that.
I agree. The Dodgers actually have good pieces that can help us. I don’t think that it will be Trout that is the OF we will be sending them though.
Sure, why not. We can cement the Angels as a branch of the Dodgers farm system.
For the record, although Arte loves his gold doubloons – he hates the Dodgers owning the LA market more. Remember, he’s the guy who torpedoed sending Rengifo to the Dodgers.
If Trout were to be traded to the Dodgers, the price would clearly need to reflect Arte fleecing them at a level that would make Tampa Bay blush.
Curious where Jared Tims is getting his information. I don’t believe the Trout piece.
As much as we like to talk about how big the Dodgers pockets are their Front Office is actually very disciplined and prudent when it comes to handing out big contracts or taking on huge ones for that matter…. They are very selective who they pay. They chose Freeman, and apparently chose wisely. Same for Betts.
And plus, I don’t think there are many years on Freeman’s deal — unlike Trout. .
They don’t like taking on heavily back-loaded deals, which Trout has. I just don’t see that for a variety of reasons. And IF they did in fact go after and get Trout (which I doubt) then they wouldn’t also pay Shohei. The Dodgers are not the free and easy spenders that alot of people think they are ..
Hector Gomez
We can only dream.
https://twitter.com/SamBlum3/status/1725597779895165028
Narron was also Hambone’s accountability partner when he was a coach with the Rangers. Maybe Narron will have that same role for Ron Washington.
Probably has had that role.
Well then let’s hope he’s a better coach than an accountability partner.
Good, Jerry is a great guy.
He is also an Angel alumnus. He played here from 1983-1986.
Yes
Sicario survives!
Farewell to Jose Marte…
I guess Perry did something.
I see lots of action on the MLBTR, but nothing that mentions the Angels.
Come on Perry, do something.
Of course, if it is something rash that we don’t like, we’ll complain about it later.
But just do something.
🙂
The Platypus not doing anything means Arte’s not doing anything.
This is ultimately a good thing.
Ohhh, and complain they will. It will be epic fun.
Perry being quiet is good, don’t want him rushing out and signing sub-par pitching talent as we’ve already seen happen thrice. I say it is a long shot Angels sign any of the Yamamoto, Snell, Montgomery, Nola variety. I think that is just perfect.
He’s being aggressive! 🙂
It’s all arbitration/40 man moves. We don’t have a lot going on in that area.
Run down the West hey, kind of like chase down the wins. Either way we will not have a winning record and will waste another year not rebuilding. Dumb Arte…… 🙃
No choice to rebuild when you no longer have trade fodder. Maybe someone can distract Arte from the next new shiny thing that appears. Now rumblings of Tyler Anderson being traded-That’s gonna get us a haul of young talent for sure (Facetious tone used).
Although, I gotta say, we do need another DHish type player, since it seems the other won’t be here next season.
Remember how many people around here were like “WE GOTTA GO FOR IT! NOTHING ELSE WILL KILL THE SWELLING! GOT> TUH> GOH> FORIT!”
I do.
He did it in Texas, maybe he can do it, or start doing it, in Anaheim……of Los Angeles…
Yeah….
We’re not gonna lose Shohei and improve next year. That’s just not gonna happen.
Unless a miracle happens and Trout plays 162 and a full season of Neto, O’Hoppe, and Schanuel just light the world on fire. Don’t bet on that.
Mia, you forgot the surprising resurgence……some would say resurrection of the one and only Rendon!
After he learns to habla ingles.
What’s the over/under on games played and are you willing to wager on it?
55 games is the benchmark.
I’ll take the over (assuming he’s a Full Spring Training participant) for $20
Oh, don’t make me laugh.
Oh right, Washington is gonna sit him down, give him some of that old man wisdom, a pat on the back, and he’s gonna be 2019 Rendon again.
Totally.
😂
It was meant as a joke. Rendon is the same thing Cashman said about Stanton.
Please don’t take my comment as anything other than wildly sarcastic.
Thought the tone came across.
So don’t put you in the CtPG sunshine pumpers contingent?
I resemble that remark.
What the hell had happened to this place ? In the past, We rarely had to shine the light on the Chasm of Sar but now it seems like we have to Illuminate the whole damn path .
These are dark days, dark days indeed, which require the chasm of Sar, to be constantly illuminated, so we can protect those who may fall into it, and rescue those that do.
You’d think at this point people would know i’m hardly ever being serious.
We can’t be happy at this point, so serious we can avoid….
4 WAR season from El Tecolote.
I would have gone with “El Timador” but El Tecolote certainly gives us the old college try.
Hmmm, Trouty still leads Shohei in MVP’s on this sad sack team. Too bad we never got to the playoffs but for 3 games during all those trophies piling up. I find some solace in knowing I not alone in Angels fandomland, you know next to Fantasyland. 😵
Well, my Rams and Lakers suck and my Kings are TBD. At least I can look forward to my 2024 Angels…….or maybe the Olympics?
Hope springs eternal-Go Halos!!
Funny, so many complaints about Washington, but no one can name off other available coaches the Halos could have inked as 2024 manager. Of course, you have to factor those that were interested.
How about former University Head Coaches?
The key in my question was those that were interested. I still say I’d rather have Showalter, but the jaded Halo faithful would trash him or anyone brought in for that matter.
Like Bobby Winkles?
Besides being dead, he could’ve been a contender…..
Would that really make a difference?
One could speculate.
Be interesting to see what aggressive actually turns out to be. That’s pretty strong language. Is it like trying really hard?
Same as every year.
Yes, indeed, I seem to remember a similar language every single year.
we’ll sign some solid pieces in the off-season, of the Nava, Renfroe variety.
Aggressive for this team would mean trading Neto and O’Hoppe for Giancarlo Stanton and taking on all of his salary. A real Vernone Wells part deux.
“Aggressive” just means “I’m not allowed to say rebuild”. I’m sure he’ll sign some players cause he has to. I’m also sure, if some player that makes sense now AND in 2026 they’ll be willing to pay for that. But I have doubts about a 250M payroll of slicky new super stars next year.
I can’t but think a few interested teams wish Ohtani’s MVP could’ve been announced at a later date. It’s not like they don’t know what Ohtani brings, it’s just one more addition to his perceived value.
Change of subject:
For all those on the “Washington sucks” band wagon, I pose the following question:
Who should’ve (From those available and/or interviewed) been the Halos manager?