In order to rosterbate reasonably, we’ll use the salaries in either the MLBTR prediction piece or the FanGraphs prediction piece. “Trades are a lot of fun. Use the baseballtradevalues.com simulator and make sure they are realistic.” OK. So be it.
$212.2 minus $144.2 equals a cool $68 million to spend.
I’m tired of getting rid of supposedly unsatisfactory players only to acquire other players who prove to be unsatisfactory. This will be a minimalist off season for me. A lot of what sucked about the Angels in 2023 stemmed from freak accidents. I don’t want to let that get into my head. Besides, the Rendon and to a lesser extent Trout trade values are so comically low it is not realistic to trade them. On the other hand, complaining that we need pitching is not compatible with trading away pitching. I know I talk about trading Suarez below. I’m not entirely sure if what he does can be called pitching, though.
The Free Agents
Of course I would check in on Yoshinobu Yamamoto for nine years at $225 Million yields an AAV of $25 Million.
While I am shopping, I’ll take a shot at Blake Snell for seven years at $200 Million ($28.6 Million AAV). I used the MLBTR projections.
Por que no los dos? In theory, it looks like I can get two good pitchers for the money I would have to pay for Shohei Ohtani.
The Obligatory Trades
What do the Angels have an abundance of that I can bear to trade? Very young outfielders is the answer. I’m looking at you Orlando Martinez, Nelson Rada, Joe Redfield, David Calabrese, Alberto Rios, Jorge Ruiz, and Jadiel Sanchez.
Perhaps I’ll see if I can pry Bowden Francis away from the Blue Jays for either Jadiel Sanchez or Jorge Ruiz. (Rada would be an overpay.) The Trade Simulator says Francis is a starting pitcher, but he projects as a relief pitcher and that is how he has been used. He is pre-arb and still has his rookie status intact.
I need to get rid of Jose Suarez to make some room. The Angels tendered him a contract for some reason. As of the present day, I either need to trade him or run him through waivers and lose him somehow like Barria. Maybe I’ll just try this trade somebody else worked up on the trade simulator. It seems mildly lopsided.
I think I have about $13 Million in wiggle room left in case spring training shows me that any of Jo Adell, Anthony Rendon, or Taylor Ward have absolutely nothing left. When it comes to the Angels, we apparently need a back up plan for the back up plan. Photo credit: Rex Fregosi
As great as Shohei is, if the Angels were to essentially replace him with Yamamoto & Snell, that would be a net upgrade IMO.
I think that it would be a sorrowful, but decent consolation prize.
I’m no fan of Snell, a five inning lefty is not what we need in our lefty-heavy rotation. I think Yamamoto would be enough, and use the Blake money elswhere.
As much as I would love to sign Yamamoto his transition to a 5 man rotation will be difficult for him as well as the other 4 pitchers currently in our rotation that I don’t believe have ever consistently pitched on 4 days of rest.
If we landed Yamamoto, I’d prefer to retain the 5+ man starting rotation and utilize Anderson/Silseth as the “swingers”.
Given off days in the schedule, we won’t always need to use the “swinger” anyway.
I understand. I just figured if the guy can put up 6 bWAR he can pitch with a prehensile tail for all I care.
But how does he get his uniform on ?
His pants are like a snap back cap with a hole above the snaps in the back. Gives room for the tail to help balance him.
Interesting. A two headed monster of Yamamoto and Snell would push everyone back.
Yamamoto, Snell, Detmers, Sandoval, Anderson with Canning, Silseth, and Davis in AAA would be the most pitching depth the Angels have had in forever.
You add a bullpen piece and infield bench piece with that $13 million and we could have a decent team.
Adam Kolarek? LH RP
WDF is this guy?
The Loup replacement?
Well, I asked for a link then we signed someone…..
Two big FA additions at the top are totally doable. There aren’t a lot of things the Angels “have to have”
So rotation is:
Yamamoto
Snell
Sandoval
Detmers
????
Who did you DFA to make room for the additions?
It looked like there are 38 guys on the 40 man so three major league additions meant somebody had to go (Suarez).
There are some optionable guys so the Active Roster can be managed that way. (More likely Stefanic rather than Canning, in case Yamamoto needs six man rotation)
Anderson is still around for the rotation. (The devil we know rather than the devil we don’t).
Actually with the Kolarek signing the 40 man is at 39. But there are a slew of potential DFA’s
We’d e foolish to DFA Canning (WTF?) But other candidates (if they are not traded) are :
Herget
Suarez
Rosenberg
Soto
Ingram
There are even others if we get desperate . I know the Angels are carrying Warren & Quijada even though they will be on the 60 Day IL for most of the year but if we signed 6 new All Stars Im sure they will gladly dump them.
Come on media, who we linked to right now?
Inquiring minds want to know!
Shohei Ohtani and Robert Stephenson.
There’s only about five MLB team not “linked” to Ohtani…. 😂
I was very similar to this, but I had Sonny Gray and Stroman instead of Snell. Then I had O’Hoppe and Sandoval to the Brewers for William Contreras and Trevor Megill and pick up close to $4 million in cap to give more flexibility. Was working on figuring out a move for the $4 million.
I wanted Nola instead of Yamamoto because of contract length and durability, but that ship has sailed.
I like Nola, a lot. His frame is big, broad shouldered and is very durable. His ability to take the ball on his turn is second to none in the game right now. a great No.2 after Wheeler.
So does POBO Dave.
Huge mistake on the trade front Charles. Massive. You didn’t pick up a bullpen catcher. Maybe just an oversight. And I’m on the page of starting pitching too.
This is the end of the IIWPM unless somebody else breaks down and writes one.
This is the most Monday post ever. I’m sad now…..
I’m putting one together. I really was planning on waiting until Shohei makes his decision.
I think he and Yamamoto are having a staredown.
I honestly don’t think hardly any teams are waiting to see what Ohtani does since his decision barely effects something like 5 teams off season plans. Really more like 3.
Guess who DIDN’T write one…. I’ll give you 2002 guesses.
We all can hardly wait to see it…
Actually, I may not be able to get to try an IIWPM till June at the rate I’m moving through my swamp of design work…. plus, how do I do a post that says “Don’t sign anything cool/expensive.”?