Follow the money. Whether in sports, politics, or our daily lives that phrase is true almost without exception.
11 MLB teams currently have no idea about the future of their local TV money, which is the lifeblood of MLB franchises. The Angels are among them. Those 11 teams have combined to do next to nothing this off season with several of them actually trimming payroll.
That might be changing soon. At least for the Angels and the teams not named the Padres or Rangers.
There’s a lot we’re still learning, but this deal will impact MLB as well as the NHL and NBA. There’s a lot of information in that link. If you read one thing this week, make it that one.
Timing now becomes critical as Spring Training games are scheduled just 33 days from now. Obviously that money isn’t as big as regular season money, but those games are set for March 28th.
Even the optimist in me see this “watershed” agreement only covers the 2024 season. Pretty hard to hand out a multi year deal with only one year of guaranteed TV money.
A direct to consumer model is coming to MLB. ESPN is already exploring the possibility. Does this agreement with Amazon speed that up? We’ll see. This story IS the story in baseball right now and I think the next 12 months or so will really shape the economic model of the game for the foreseeable future.
As for on the field stuff:
Due to the slow off season there is still a quality team of free agents available.
Our former colleague Brent McGuire sees five free agent pitchers who could be sneaky good additions.
Salt Lake City added another former top prospect who hasn’t panned out in Hunter Dozier.
Mike Trout will continue climbing the Hall of Fame ladder next year. He’s been overshadowed by Ohtani and limited by injuries lately, but he’s still among the best to ever play the game.
The farm did get an influx of talent this week, including some names rated fairly highly by people who rate 16 year olds.
Think it is frustrating being an Angels fan right now? The Baltimore Orioles were the most exciting team in MLB last year and have no links to Diamond. Come on, do something.
The accomplishments of Dwight Gooden and Darryl Strawberry on the field were as amazing as their life stories are off it. The on field heroics will be honored by the Mets this season and the duo will have their numbers retired.
Strawberry’s redemption and now quest to help others is incredible. It is hard enough to turn your life around as a normal person. Doing so in the spotlight, walking into rooms where everybody knows about your darkest moments, must be tough.
Hall of Fame voting results will be released this afternoon. Who do you have making the cut?
Enjoy your weekend and link what I missed.
Robert Stephenson a halo-I don’t know who this guy is?
Opinions?
He could be good, but he might not be.
He could be Great, but could be Terrible!
He will help us win some games, he will help us lose some games.
(I wonder what TAME is up to these days)
Tame maybe here, maybe there. Shit Tame could be anywhere. If with DG, probably in Underwear.
if we signed him he must really suck.
Ahhhhh….Bellinger’s not getting his $200M asking price met……
At least I’m glad not from the Halos.
This Bills vs. Chiefs game is intense…
Jason Kelce shirtless and chugging beers in front of Taylor Swift is iconic tbh.
I’d prefer to see Kelce & Swift impaled by a rusty spear…. but I’m not bitter though.
No, you’re obviously completely levelheaded.
Nothing says “well adjusted” like wishing death by sucking chest wound + tetanus to people you don’t personally know…..
🎶 they say I did something bad, then why’s it feel so good? 🎶
Yes, the tetanus being the most dangerous of the two.
How about Swift sings the National Anthem, during the actual kick-off?
Half-time shows have been nothing but “normie vomit” for at least twenty years so sure, why not.
Springsteen and The Who can’t be 20 years ago, right? Right?!
You mean you don’t like a 2 decades long coming of age story where one party is always looking better than the other, you’re so misogynistic bannedinLA!!
Give me Olivia Rodrigo (for AT 40, seems self aware and fun) for a daddy/daughter day dance off.
Really good contest to decide who I’ll cheer against Baltimore.
I’m a Raider fan so I hope the Lions win out.
https://x.com/TheRealJPap58/status/1749164394812977450?s=20
Fuck Rendon. All my homies hate Rendon.
Wow. That’s quite an indictment by Papebon. Rarely see baseball players speak out about their brethren like this. I knew I disliked Rendon but this gives a lot more ammo.
I recall during his last year with the Nats leading into free agency, commentators reported that Rendon found the game boring and some wondered if he would retire early
If he hates baseball, its not far fetched that he would not work very hard to come back from injury.
Fuck this guy. Would do wonders for the team culture to cut him loose.
I’m going to hop on your and the other comments and see if I get flamed by Cowboy. For agreeing.
Did I miss some drama?
Umm… yes?
Well at least it didn’t involve me this time.
Small mercies.
Cant blame you for criticizing an idiot millionaire .
I’m sure other high priced baseball players think the very same thing but they aren’t dumb enough to ever complain about it in public.
I’m not sure what “No bags” is complaining about. He hasn’t played more than 58 games since the end of the 2019 season.
Angels 2020 MVP!
Any of you boomers watch the Strickland – DDP fight last night?
Missed it. Split decision, aye?
The Stephenson signing makes zero sense unless they plan for him to be the closer.
I’m working off of the theory that you try and build your pen with the best arms available (either by trade or FA) and who actually closes will work it way out
Bingo is his Name-O
I think most forget that Estevez was NOT the opening day closer. He ultimately settled into the job after Quesadilla blew his elbow out.
Bring in electric arms and “figure it out”….
And we get Quijada back (in some form) around June/July, right?
I believe that’s the projection, yes. Assuming (I know, don’t assume) he’s back physically, I like the player. He has some fire on the mound.
If Justin Turner can still handle 3rd base, ink him to a contract Perry.
Been saying yessir
I’m OK with this as long as they don’t actually sign Turner and sign Brian Anderson or Gio Urshela instead.
looks like I agree with you, if Gio is recovered from his freak injury
So as long as they offer more money than the team JT signs with you’re ok with this?
is the differential really that significant?
They’re all getting one year deals. Turner is probably 10-12 million and Urshella is probably 8-10 million?
They’re both position. flexible. I think Turner is probably more productive in 24’ though he could also fall off a the proverbial cliff the second the ink is dry on the deal.
I think Gio will get a minimum 2-year deal, Turner will be on a 1-year.
Even more reason to scoop up Turner IMO.
Only if he grows the mane back out.
I would rather have Matt Chapman for 3 years. Provides some stability and gives the club time to draft and develop a 3rd basemen. It also allows Rengifo to be dedicated to backing up 2B and SS.
I’d certainly be happy with Chapman at 3rd, but Rengifo doesn’t seem to be able to handle 2nd and short very well.
That’s sort of Rengifo’s MO, He’s a solid bat but sometimes a bit of an adventure on defense. More about bad decision making than physical errors though.
This is a fair assessment and I’m a committed Rengifo Jihadist.
All that being said, he’s one of five best players on the roster IMO. Which of course speaks to the dearth of established roster talent overall.
Everyone will of course scoff with hyena like derision, but the club is expecting a bounce back from Rendon. I think it will be Urshella or Turner in the end as 3B/1B insurance.
Perry is expecting Rendon to be the comeback player of the year. 🙄 If you listen to Rendon, he doesn’t even want to play.
He can’t hit his way out of a paper bag. Hard pass.
Chapman considers himself a natural and wants the big money. He has injury issues in his past. I don’t think the Angels acting smartly can sign that kind of player (again).
He was a 4 win player last year. He would be the best player on the team after Trout. He’s been a 3 win offensive player each of the last 2 years. If he can’t hit his way out of a paper bag then what does that say about the entire Angel line up after Trout. If he costs too much or his personality is not a good fit then he’s not a good choice but he’s still a very good player and better than everyone on the Angels other than Trout.
My point was Chapman wants to be paid big money — but he tends to get hurt and the Angels aren’t the best fit. He’s a 3B — which we supposedly already have. He could ply some 1B but we supposedly have that too. The player is fine when healthy but this isn’t the fit for him.
I would too but NFW Borass allows that to happen
Unless Arte is writing Rendon (and his salary off) there is no way we are signing a potentially starting 3B.
I like Urshella, but I’m leaning towards Turner, though the latter is probably 3-4 more million per season. Not my cheddar anyway.
Yeah, down to Turner or Ushella, with Anderson and Longo coming in at 3rd and 4th. I used to be really high on Anderson, but his stats are on descent since COVID.
For pure offense, I have to go with Justin Turner. Get Bachman back and we’ll be in serious overdrive.
Let’s hope that Robert (Lewis) Stevenson ends up more like Treasure Island than Kidnapped
I was thinking another novel by RLS: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
From Sam Blum via The Athletic free weekly email…. The response from Sam to the first question provides a very interesting insight to the culture of the franchise….
Trout has not commented on Ohtani’s departure. How do you think Trout feels about him leaving, and do you think he is rethinking his no-trade clause? — Mika Y.
I too have noticed this, and was curious about his thought process behind not saying anything. It is worth noting that Trout’s social media output is pretty limited. That said, he did congratulate Ohtani on his MVP weeks before he signed with the Dodgers.
One of the more interesting subplots of Ohtani’s departure is the role he’s taken on in Los Angeles. He’s been actively meeting with and recruiting players they hoped to sign and extend. He’s taking on a proactive role in the roster building. That is not something we saw him do with the Angels. And, more importantly, the Angels don’t utilize Trout that way.
Trout is hugely popular among his peers and is the kind of superstar everyone wants to call a teammate. Why hasn’t he been more front and center? I plan to ask him in spring.
In the meantime, I think that observation and your question are somewhat connected. Trout is the all-time greatest Angels player ever. But that doesn’t necessarily make him a front-facing spokesman at all times. As for his no-trade clause, Angels GM Perry Minasian said he won’t be traded. So the point is moot. Whether Trout is confident in the Angels’ future is another question — one that only he knows the answer to.
What are the chances Rendon will play 130-plus solid games in 2024? I just have to believe he will get hit by a pitch or pull a muscle while making an error at third. Hopefully, he can stay healthy playing some significant DH. — Phil K.
You make a good point about the DH. It should help Trout. It should help Rendon. The one minuscule silver lining of Ohtani leaving is that added flexibility. All that said, it’s hard to envision Rendon playing 130 games. I could be wrong. But you have to take the track record into account — he simply has not stayed on the field for years now. Just last week, he went on a podcast and said the season was too many games. These types of comments are a silly look, considering he’s played 200 games total in four years with the Angels. He’s injury-prone. I think the Angels would also be silly to bank on him being productive when he is on the field. Rendon had a .678 OPS last season with a massive power dip and significant defensive issues. It was a small sample size, yes. The team, however, would be derelict in its duty if it didn’t have a strong insurance option for Rendon this season.
Given the current state of the Angels’ pitching, who is your eight-man bullpen going into the year? Please consider options, handedness and development to make it as real as possible. — Dominic S.
The eight I’d pick right now would be:
This would give the Angels two lefties (Kolarek and Suarez), two long men (Plesac and Suarez), a few flamethrowers (Estévez, Garcia and Joyce), and a side-armer (Cimber). Plesac, Soriano and Joyce all have options. And Kolarek can likely be passed through waivers, given his guaranteed contract. The other contenders would be Andrew Wantz, Jimmy Herget, Kenny Rosenberg, Kolton Ingram, Jack Kochanowicz, Kelvin Caceres, Davis Daniel, Victor Mederos and José Marte. The biggest wild card would be Sam Bachman. The Angels have talked about building him up as a starter, but he could still be a relief option.
Why does it have to hurt so much? — Esai L.
I give so much credit to Angels fans. Not just the ones that show up because of the fireworks or the bobbleheads, but the ones who truly give a hoot. The reason why I think it hurts so much isn’t simply the losing. It’s that feeling that so many fans express to me. They feel like they care more about winning than the team’s owner does. And it’s an empty feeling, knowing you can’t help but pour everything into this team without certainty the owner will reciprocate that devotion. Being a sports fan can be hard. The Angels make it harder than it needs to be.
Can’t we go after Trevor Bauer? — James B.
I don’t think the Angels are going to sign Bauer. I’m not going to get into the minutiae of Bauer’s entire situation, but I don’t think they’d want to risk the distraction or any potential frustration in the clubhouse. Could be wrong, but that’s my read on the situation.
If you had to convince a person who’s not already an Angels fan to follow the club in 2024, what reasons would you provide? — Jarek B.
I genuinely believe that Logan O’Hoppe is a potential superstar. This will be a massive year for him. If healthy, he’ll establish himself as one of the best catchers in the game.
Outside of that? I think Washington’s impact on the club will be interesting to watch. I’ll be curious to see if Trout can recapture what made him so great, or if he continues to struggle relative to his expectations. Lastly, the starting rotation fascinates me. Are Reid Detmers, Patrick Sandoval and Griffin Canning a legit core for a major-league rotation? This would be a great year to prove that.
How is it possible that some fans of the Angels get upset when you criticize ownership? — Gary R.
It’s not my place to tell anyone how to support their team. If they want to see the good in how Angels ownership operates, I encourage it because the whole experience of being a fan should be about that freedom. That said, I do think it’s important for fans to be informed with facts. All my opinions about ownership are based on facts and reporting that I’ve shared with the audience. The facts spell out why they’re failing, and there’s no denying it.
Estévez was downright unreliable after the All-Star break. His control was shaky and he served up way too many fat pitches. Does Angels’ management still see him as the designated closer? — Steven H.
From July 25 through the remainder of the season, Estévez allowed 24 runs (18 earned) in 22 1/3 innings. The Angels rode him, and he probably got a little gassed.This has to be a factor in how the team operates this season. I expect he’ll be the closer, or at least the first option to get saves. However, I think Ben Joyce could be a wild card to land this role at some point. He has the stuff. But does he have the control and consistency?
Will Moreno be putting the team back on the market any time soon? — David C.
I got many versions of this same question. The answer is that I don’t know. I’m not sure how many would know this besides Moreno. When he put the team on the market the first time, barely anyone with the organization was given more than a day’s heads up. When he pulled it off the market, it was also sudden. What I will say is that Moreno is 77 years old. He has no succession plan to keep the team in his family. The Angels also do not have a land deal in place, with a lease set to expire in 2029 (it can be extended through 2038). These things will come to a head at some point. All of the off-field chaos and on-field struggles have highlighted his shortcomings as an owner. At some point, something has to give.
What do you think the Angels will do with Jo Adell? — Anonymous
This is an inflection point moment for Adell, and Mickey Moniak as well. Moniak had a productive 2023 season, which puts him in a very strong position to be a regular in 2024. Adell was good in Triple A last season but played just 17 games with the Angels. He continues to strike out in about 40 percent of his plate appearances. Both Adell and Moniak no longer have options. That means the team will have to make a potentially tough decision. If they add an outfielder before the start of the season, it’s hard to envision Adell staying on the team. But with his tools, at just 24 years old, it’s hard to give up on him.
As of right now, the outfield will consist of Trout, Taylor Ward, Moniak and Adell.
Do you think it’s time to move Trout to left field, and do you think Washington would be able to convince Trout to make the move? — Ryan E.
Yes, and I’m not sure. Trout is a very good defensive center fielder. But at this point, with his injuries and the length of his deal, this has to become a serious conversation at some point soon. Having him play a less laborious position helps everyone.
Which free agents are in play? — Christopher R.
The Angels have seriously considered signing top-tier free agents this offseason. Why haven’t those signings materialized yet? That, I’m not sure. Maybe players don’t want to sign here. Maybe the Angels’ budget is limited. The Angels are not transparent on this front. That said, I do expect the Angels roster will look different before this whole thing is said and done. The question is just how much are the Angels willing to spend.
Here are 10 free agents I think make sense for the team, along with their projected salary, per FanGraphs.
What is your projected number of wins? — Ursula D.
I’ll go with 73-89, as things stand. For a third straight year. The Angels always have a good enough team on paper to make you think they’ll have a shot. This team is no different. But there are reasons why they never live up to that potential, and until they prove me wrong, I’m not going to predict them to be successful.
The Angels seem to be in a limbo state between going young and holding onto/obtaining older, established players. If they are smart and go young and hold onto their prospects is there any chance they may compete for a playoff spot in the next couple of years? — Steve M.
The issue with the Angels is they never have a concrete plan. I always point out how they never share their plans. But really, they don’t have any. They might have short-term strategies, but never a long-term plan. Another issue with the Angels is that, yes, in theory, it makes some sense to go young. But they took all the wrong steps at the deadline last year. They’ve made no effort to build up young players this offseason.
Lastly, the Angels should be a big-market team. Someone was willing to spend $3 billion for this franchise when it was up for sale — a record. People see the big market potential in Anaheim. They just don’t operate that way.
Are there any prospects left in the system to look forward to bringing up? If so, who? — Andrew F.
Outfielder Nelson Rada and pitcher Caden Dana are the two most highly touted prospects, and for good reason. After that, the list is pretty thin.
What differences in play style should we expect under Washington? — Andrew F.
The one I’m most curious about is running. The Angels were not an aggressive baserunning team last year. They were last in the American League in stolen bases. Washington has pledged to change that mindset. But do they have the personnel to do that? It will be interesting to see.
Is Nolan Schanuel a lock to play first base on opening day? — Marvin W.
A lock? No. If the team makes an acquisition, it could change the equation. For right now, he’s penciled in there. The team could theoretically use Brandon Drury at first, Luis Rengifo at second, Zach Neto at short and Rendon at third base. The Angels should do whatever is best for Schanuel’s development. He seems like a well-rounded person who can handle the big leagues. But he also hasn’t had to deal with the ups and downs that much, as of yet.
I have a non-Angels question. What is the backstory behind your Twitter profile picture of you wearing that hat? I’ve always wondered for whatever reason. — Nicholas C.
Two of my closest friends got married in 2021. I officiated the wedding. It’s not a part of the story necessarily, but I’ll brag that I did not ruin their special day. Anyway, their wedding fell on the birthday of two other friends. So we celebrated their b-days and I wore that hat. Not that crazy, but there’s the story.
BS on the hat……just because you have a picture, doesn’t mean you use it.
I have a picture of me wearing a coonskin hat like Davy Crockett, holding a boat oar. I lost a bet involving the Lakers and Suns playoff series back in the day….
I don’t share it because I look like a jackass.
My Daddy always said that if you don’t realize you look like a jack ass you probably are one.
But How bad off does a person have to be to write in to ask StH for emotional and psychological advice?
One of the most telling statements of Arte’s reign of mediocrity:
Lastly, the Angels should be a big-market team. Someone was willing to spend $3 billion for this franchise when it was up for sale — a record. People see the big market potential in Anaheim. They just don’t operate that way.
So what defines a big market team ? A consist top ten payroll?
I don’t believe payroll defines what is a small, medium or large (“big”) market team.
The article below does as good a job as any in explaining baseball markets:
https://www.baseball-almanac.com/articles/baseball_markets.shtml
But the Angels have been crying the non large market blues for years. I remember Jackie Autry lamenting about Gene was going bankrupt by over spending for free agents or rumors floating around that the Angels could actually be part of a contraction plan. hell Disney was getting revenue sharing when we won the World Series.
This is a game this franchise has been playing for decades. But maybe if you continue to act like a small market team ( although Arte would deny this because of his asinine big free agent signings) you start believing thats what you are?
San Francisco pulls that same crap too, although being in a crime-ridden hellscape is not much of a draw for players to sign with them, according to current player Logan Webb.
But…..we are the Los Angeles Angels…LA isn’t a small market.
Hard to refute his comments on Rendon, so appropriate to me. Anthony is a disaster. He should come off the bench and Angels need to find a capable replacement.
Also, roster speed is STILL an issue. He’s right about that too. Perry has failed here to embrace the new rules.
Lastly, agree with him on Logan. I’ve stated in CtPG, hoping he becomes the leader if not already.
If I’m Arte, I will take Tim Anderson for one year and $8 million. I’ll sign that deal tomorrow. I would think about JD Martinez on a fair deal with the idea of him having 60 percent of the DH ABs plus play first and OF occasionally. I don’t want Turner at $12 million and most of the other options aren’t worth it with Stephenson in the mix. Moore could be worth it but $7 million is steeper than I would hope.
If the Angels sign Duvall and Anderson (or JT in lieu of Anderson) that would fill up their bench preventing them from signing anyone else unless they traded Adell Ward or Rengifo . As much as I like JD Martinez, having a primary DH is a mistake with this team
Maybe — but they need a real hitter who makes contact and drives in runs. There aren’t really others available. The other guys out there are big swing and miss guys. Turner might qualify if you think he has another year left (I don’t) and can play the field effectively for half a season or more and not get hurt (I don’t think this either). A real, professional hitter in the middle of the lineup would clearly help.
JT only played like 50 innings there last year and his recent years defensive ratings have been very poor. If I knew Gio was healthy Id prefer him since his defensive rankings at 3rd last year were actually quite good and he can definitely hit. I think people are selling Duvall short here. even though hes a marginal .300 OPS guy he consistently hits with runners on base. With Trout, Ward & Rendon healthy along with Schanuel and even Rengifo (especially against LHP’s) we will also need players that will cash in on opportunities-something that we have really sucked at the last few years.
I know JT isn’t a good defender but he can hit. Duvall is a swing and miss guy. We have enough of those. But we will see.
Agree, no full-tilme DH and that is what Martinez is. One benefit of Ohtani walking is that the Angels have flexibility now to load manage our temper mental players. If JT still has the skills to handle the hot corner, I like him on a 1-yr deal but don’t like him as a DH only, like JD.
Adding Moore to a short term contract could make the bullpen the best the Angels have had in a long time. I have little hope for our SP rotation and our lineup – but perhaps something to build around in the next couple years?
New pitching coach and what I’m assuming is an updated pitching philosophy….we might see some improvement and consistency. Hopefully we also have improvement with management of the pitching staff as a whole, I don’t think anyone in that dugout last year had a feel for our staff. I guess we’ll find out real soon if it’s PTP and his Laptop that’s the problem.
Phil Nevin had, and still has, no business managing a professional baseball team.
Alex Tamin and his reliever schedule decoder was doing the work. This is not on Phil. But there are other real gripes about Phil. But Perry and Tamin were the ones determining availability.
It’s on Phil because he continued to rely on the decoder’s decision’s. If Phil didn’t have a choice because PTP told him to trust / go with the decoder ring, then PTP
shouldwill be gone.Just hoping this next group of guru’s has a plan and can implement it. Some flexibility and the ability to make the inevitable slumps last days/weeks and not months/year.
Free the Decoder Ring!
Can’t imagine Perry envisioned rebuilding the bullpen through free agency the third season after his all pitching draft.
Losing Bush definitely didn’t help but Bachman, Perry, and others were supposed to be basically MLB ready.
Still plenty of talent out there to fill in other holes.
It’s about perspective tho right? 19 players were drafted and signed. Statistically speaking, how many of those 19 are likely to become productive MLB players? 2-3? Maybeee 4?
Silseth is already a promising young SP. Bachman’s floor looks like an electric reliever, with dwindling hope he sticks as a SP.
I always appreciate the optimism but the floor for Bachman is probably lower than electric reliever. He has injury and control issues that can diminish that electric upside.
You are on the money there because the kid is definitely injury-prone.
One of Nevin’s best tricks last season was blowing Bachman’s shoulder out for no reason.
100 percent correct with injury and control problems. Bachman has been a disappointment, no sugar coating it.
Luke Murphy is the enigma from that class. Lights out closer in the SEC. Got off to a good start in AA. Completely unraveled last year.
Our crack coaching?
A possible explanation for his brutal 1st half could be attributed to baseball’s pre-tacked ball experiment in AA? idk.
Sounds like we need a JJ interview with Mr. Murphy to discover the truth! Here’s hoping Murphy gets back on track and contributes to the big club sooner rather than later.
Ooh. I’ll try.
And Torres too?
Will do.
I’ve reached out directly to Murphy a few times.
I have a contact in the Trash Pandas. I’ll hit him up.
I thought that too. But both Murphy and Torres had horrific numbers even after they stopped using the Pretacked ball or moved up to AAA where they have exclusively used the MLB ball. The walks and HBP’s have been bananas for them across all levels.
I think the organization still has both of these pitchers in their plan or they wouldn’t have sent them to the Arizona Fall league this past year. ( Where Murphy got lit up but Torres escaped constant trouble) In the case of Torres despite ugly ugly numbers in AAA being Left handed will probably get him a longer leash than Murphy .
Bachman was a terrible miss especially when Andrew Painter was sitting right there. The worries about Bachman are the same as now, at least Painter was a bigger upside lottery ticket.
Bachman had serious reliever risk and Turk also reported it here the days leading up to the draft. Also had an injury issue. But Perry, proving he knows little, drafted him.
Signing Moore to a one-year deal seems like a good move. Chapman not so much as he is a problem in the club house and his skills are slip-sliding’ away.
Agreed on both fronts.
With ya on Moore and Chapman’s clubhouse rep. However, Chapman is coming off a productive 2023 season, so not sure how accurate it is to say his skills as “slip-sliding away”
While Chapman is still a strikeout machine, he can also include being a BB issued machine too. He no longer is looked to for 9th inning saves. ’24 will be his 36 years old season and with his WHIP numbers being higher since 2021 his best days maybe considered to be behind him. Recently he has played for the Yankees who couldn’t wait for his contract to expire, he then signed late in off season in ’23 with the power juggernaut Royals who midseason were smart to jettison him in a midseason trade with the Rangers who did not offer him a contract, even on the cheap, for ’24. Currently a free agent who will reportedly sign with any team that will sign him as he is just mot high on any teams wish list.
As he ages his control is “slip sliding away” and as they say, you can look it up. 🙂
Chapman had a larger WAR than Hader last year. Adrolis still pretty damn filthy. 58 innings pitched and over 100 strikeouts. If he could be acquired on a 1-year around $10M or less, you have to consider it.
Fungo, ask yourself why no one wants him? He is still a K machine no doubt. He does not like coming in mid inning as he only likes to start an inning. He complains about how he is used. And WAR, especially with pitching metris is not an exact science by any means, so using WAR for pitchers is not as effective for comparison.
If we were to include him on the 40 man and after ST on the 26 man roster I agree with you that he would be a valuable addition, but his control and peripheral baggage is what is at issue with teams wanting to sign him.
Both of us can agree that team chemistry is very important and what Chapman brings to a team may not be worth the strikeout rate.
He has some baggage, gun play, domestic issues but unsure he has teammate problems. I could be wrong. I’m not strongly advocating for him, he does get himself into trouble with walks, but he still misses bats at a high frequency. I would not object given a simple 1-year and deadline material.
I would look at any FA veteran we add with an eye towards value at the trade deadline. What could he yield in terms of prospects and/or draft picks? Of course, this season’s performance will dictate this but I think someone who has had a strong past track record could increase our haul e.g. Moore, Chapman, etc.
Perry has the most screwed up job in the major leagues, working for Arte as the guy in charge is funny stuff. Arte has to approve every little detail on every move.
11 million dollars a year for 3 years for a player with a streak of four solid months of pitching for the Rays, who seem to make pretty closr to every pitcher that goes into their system a great player. Estevez came from the mile high city and was supposed to be the next Edk but got lost listening to Angels coaching, I guess.
This signing does not get my attention radar to even halfway spike. If he has a decent season it will be kool, but I will be surprised if in ST he is still lights out.
Life is full of choices. Perry knew what he signed up for.
It’s actually a great job.
You get experience as a GM.
If you win you’re a genius.
If you lose, ownership sucks so it’s not really on you.
Eppler and Dipoto had no problems finding jobs. The fact Reagins did shows you just how horrible of a hire that was.
But do you think Eppler will have any problems finding his next job?
Here’s my concern about Stephenson (and it sort of echoes a comment Cowboy made below), and it is this: Robert “Louis” Stephenson has no track record to speak of. He has essentially one half a season of good to great pitching in his entire career.
That’s it. And the key to that is the fact it came with the Rays. I tend to attribute that to Rays culture and coaching more than anything else. I mean, he sucked with the Pirates over 18 games last year (not a tiny sample) with a 5.33 FIP and then he went to Tampa Bay and magically started missing bats. Either he suddenly “found” a buried brilliance, or he benefitted from the Rays milieu and some good luck. What is more likely?
Moar likely? trÅdition obvi
I don’t know what Kyle Snyder and his pitching coordinators are doing, but it’s working in Tampa. They seem to be putting out a factory, not only growing their own talent, but in finding guys and fixing them. Hopefully last year wasn’t an outlier, but a former #1 that found his formula.
Another large FIX job was Jake Diekman. Let loose by the Chi-Sox after a horrible 2-months and becomes lights out with the Rays last year. Check out the splits.
Everyone concerned after the Anderson fallout last year. Hopefully not the same, Tampa is not known to have a ‘cheat lab’ like Dodgers who turn washed guys into allstars like Anderson and Heaney by offering mystery substances. Now let’s go after some decent starters who would actually sign with us ; Bauer and Urias. Again I’m pushing to be the bad guy team rather than pathetic post-Ohtani losers MLB players and fans are making us out to be.
“offering mystery substances”, source?
Speculation. Bauer and Cole have used legendary sudstance to increase spin rate. Bauer has even been open to substance use. To think he did not take it to Dodgers is the question. Cheat lab was not made up by me, from MLB blogger who noticed how many lousy players go to Dodgers and suddenly are good. Many refuse it believe BS about winning culture and their coaches make them better. Hope you can see attachment. I respect your baseball wisdom and understand if you think LA is legit. I know I don’t, just ask Tyler Anderson lol.
I’m not sure I know everyone’s face on that post but Tyler Anderson still ticks me off that Perry fell for giving up a comp pick. But, I thinking winning organizations out players in an environment to do well. Does not always work but good pitching a be contagious.
Envy. If the Dodgers do something well, then it HAS to be cheating.
How many pitchers have we had lately who improved after coming here? I honestly couldn’t think of any for some years. Could it be that we were prone to signing/acquiring fool’s gold? Could it be that our coaching is toxic? :/
Last 7 years? Let see I came up with :
Yusmeiro Petit
Blake Parker
Jose Alvarez
Parker Bidwell
Bud Norris
David Hernandez
J C Rameriz
Felix Pena
Nick Tropeano
Noe Rameriz
Hansel Robles
Alex Cobb
Noah Syndergaard
Jose Quijada
Jimmy Herget ( even with last years suckfest)
Now granted many to those players were from 2017 & 2018 seasons during the Scioscia regime with Nagy as pitching coach and crazy Scott Radinsky as BP coach.
This is why I believe that the new PC Red Barry will have as much or more in influence on this team this year as our new manager.
Wow even Sam the Hat likes this move.
https://twitter.com/SamBlum3/status/1748552494702264434
Now you know it wont end well.
Sam liking anything the Angels did is clearly a sign indicating the apocalypse is near……
Sam the Hat. LOL
Perry FINALLY came to his senses and decided to build a ‘pen full of ⛽️ ⛽️ ⛽️ .
average FB velo:
Ben Joyce 100.9
Jose Soriano 98.8
Carlos Estevez 97.1
Luis Garcia 97.0
Robert Stephenson 96.8
Bring in Chapman next?
I’m down.
You’ve been pounding the table for Chapman and I’m sold. I finally see the vision.
It would be an old bullpen but effective. And if everything goes to shit again, we would have a number of potential pieces to trade for some kids at the deadline.
Thanks for cleaning that up Twebs . I didnt know what I was thinking there
The point is that these veteran pieces help in the short term & long term (after they’re flipped).
It also allows us to bring along Joyce/Bachman in low leverage to start and build em’ up from there.
Does anyone know when Jose Quijada is expected back? Perhaps June or July?
Barry Enright is quite possibly the most important person currently employed by this organization.
Hyperbole? Maybe, but also not. Our pitching staff has the talent to succeed, and they will need to be coached up to fully realize their potential.
What is his WAR rating? Lulz
Like Washington he also adds 15 WAR in 2024
73 wins – Ohtani’s 10 WAR =
63 wins + Wash’s 15 WAR + Barry’s 15 WAR =
93 wins !!!!!!
Agreed. We’ve seen guys come here and immediately implode (Anderson) or simply stall in their development (Detmers, Sandoval) and that was just last year.
It would be great if Arte invested in a little more video help for Enright.
Wouldn’t it be cheaper to sign the Tampa pitching coaches?
I think Joyce can be good but I’m not sure you can count on him yet. At Tennessee he hadn’t pitched like more than once a week and he already had elbow problems last year in a little work. He definitely needs to perhaps dial it down to 98-100 and build some stamina and a secondary pitch. I’d rather fill his slot with a lefty and let Joyce spend a year in AA or AAA as the closer or set up man. I’d also have two long relievers like Plesac and downgrade Anderson to stick with a 5-man rotation.
Dont we need Anderson right now just to fill out a 5 man rotation?
Also this puts the 40 man roster at 41 . Who’s the odd man out?
Ingram would be my offer
…or The plumber
Gonna miss the Jack Stephan youtubes…
I forgot about him. hes my top choice too. But because we’re so bereft with bullpen Lefties he may survive.
Ingram’s epic collapse in KC was the inflection point that changed the entire season. I cannot and will not forget that debacle smh.
The go-to secondary pitch will be a critical success factor for Joyce. He needs to complete the transition from a thrower to a pitcher. I’m hoping Washington will make that development a priority.
Please don’t be another Loup, Stephenson.
Looks good on paper, some of you will tell me not to worry, but oh boy do I know our team. Hopefully he avoids the curse.
We shall see.
That is the correct barometer, The Loup-stick.
I’m just gonna hate him cause Arte/Perry signed him. Then I’m gonna shit fit every time he sucks. It’s gonna make me feel manly as fk. Then, after I’ve heaped enough bad juju on him he’ll get hurt. Then I can bitch about that. It’s gonna rule. Then I can complain about how the owner and org are the joke.
You should get in on this ground floor opportunity yourself.
https://www.ranker.com/list/funny-dark-humor-comedians/patrick-alexander
Loup had a more consistent track record before signing here.
But Loup never showed the type of stuff Stephenson has shown.
We’ll see.
Robert Stephenson from June 15th, 2023 —
44.7 K% (1st in MLB)
40.7 K-BB% (1st)
0.65 WHIP (1st)
1.82 xFIP (1st)
31.6 SwStr% (1st)
49.6% chase rate (1st)
that’s called the “anti-Loup/Tepera”
Aaron Loup the entire 2021 season just before we signed him
56 games 0.95 ERA .935 WHIP 0.2 HR/9
Respectfully, Loup didn’t put up anything close to that K% or chase rate. Their is a clear difference in their ability to miss bats.
But Stephenson only did it for 42 games in Tampa last year . You take that those 4 months out of his career stats and hes Mike Mayers.
Yeah, that’s a good point. Gotta hope Perry got this one right.
Stephenson’s shit is better than both Loup’s and Tepera’s so that gives me hope.
I guess the going rate for a great 4 months is a 3 year / $33m contract + option year.
BTW – a 45% strikeout rate is unsustainable.
What could possibly go wrong…but I’m sure Stephenson will continue the last 4 months of the 2023 season for the next 36+ months.
So true,. I’d never sign a guy with the “upside arrow” pointing Down vs Up. This is why I liked Pleasac, a guy who had some success but had maturity episodes. Zach’s arrow can only be Up. At $1M, who cares.
He’s has a kind of Dr.Jeckle/Mr. Hyde vibe, career-wise