And just like that, the Cactus League is wrapping up. Jose Soriano starts today against the White Sox and then the Angels face the A’s tomorrow. Normally the big names get to head home a day or two early so tomorrow’s lineup will probably look pretty weak.
What has gone right for the Halos out in the desert? For starters, Aaron Hicks.
And while it is too early to tell if this is Jo Adell’s breakout year or just a good Cactus League run, he is trending in the right direction. The home runs are getting all the love, but he’s hit the ball the other way in key spots this week and been great on the basepaths.
With those two playing well and Mike Trout, Taylor Ward, and Mickey Moniak already in the fold, how will manager Ron Washington manage the crowded outfield? Considering one of Trout or Hicks will DH most days, I’d imagine one of Adell or Moniak sits each day. Probably not a real head scratcher.
FanGraphs pegs the Angels for the fourth highest WAR in center field this year. I’ll actually take the over on their projection.
The mainstay in center, Mike Trout, is having a bad Spring but is pushing Arte Moreno to add more to the roster.
The fact Michael Lorenzen signed a one year deal with only $4.5 million in base salary is a great indication Arte is done spending this year.
While I understand letting the kids play, a simple addition of Clevinger or Lorenzen would’ve still given the kids plenty of playing time while improving the team.
You know who else is quietly having a good spring? Tyler Anderson.
Nobody had a worse week than the duo of Shohei Ohtani and his interpreter Ippei. I, for one, am not buying any of it. Even in LA County $4.5 million in theft would warrant criminal charges. No bookie gives an interpreter a huge line of credit. Nobody gives their interpreter bank access. And banks require extra identification for wire transfers, especially $500,000 ones. (I work in home loans and real estate and deal with this security all the time).
Add in the fact Ohtani’s spokesperson has gone from saying Ohtani helped his friend and covered his debt to Ohtani knowing nothing about it, and the stink gets worse. Ippei might deserve to star in the reboot of a TV show.
Fellow Japanese star Yoshinobu Yamamoto got off to a disappointing start for the Dodgers as well.
I’m so hoping the Dodgers implode and embarrass themselves again.
In the time flies category, it has been a full year since this epic moment for baseball.
Hopefully this makes up for last week’s links being so short. Full disclosure, I was in Phoenix with my dad watching Spring Training games and didn’t bring my wireless mouse. It was a great trip, just the two of us.
Please have a great weekend and link what I missed. We have farm ball baseball and March Madness on top.
Who are you rooting for? Who takes it all on your bracket?
