LA Angels Tuesday News Crash: Free Baseball

Roku (free) will be streaming some Sunday games that were previously scheduled on Peacock. The only Angels game appears to be August 11, 2024.

Injuries

The Angels won’t have to face Steven Matz this series with the Cardinals. He remains on the shelf with a lower back strain. Willson Contreras is also out with a broken arm. The Athletics just put Paul Blackburn on the injured list with a stress reaction in the fifth metatarsal of his right foot. Their left-hander Ken Waldichuk will undergo elbow surgery. TJ Friedl has a thumb fracture. Cubs right-hander Adbert Alzolay has a forearm strain. Uh Oh!

Designees Etc.

The Orioles just designated outfielder Ryan McKenna for assignment. They recently claimed Corbin Martin off waivers from the Brewers. Not to be outdone, the Yankees straight up released outfielder Luis Gonzalez. David Peralta just opted out of a minor league deal with the Cubs. The Twins signed Caleb Baragar to a minor league deal.

Photo credit: Rex Fregosi

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LanaBanana
Super Member
4 months ago

Representing tonight in my CtPG shirt 418 Row H seat 12

Roy Hobbs
Super Member
4 months ago
Reply to  LanaBanana

You are courageous, and it could mean a win.

Eric_in_Portland
Legend
4 months ago

I generally think a hitter should hit at least .270 with an OBP of at least .330 to be considered an everyday player.

Not counting the newcomers who have too few at-bats for us to take their numbers seriously, here’s the list of 2024 Angels who meet the above criteria.

Luis Rengifo

which is pretty wild.

2GA2Join
Super Member
4 months ago

Yikes.

FungoAle
Legend
4 months ago

More beef for the Heef

Senator_John_Blutarsky
Legend
4 months ago

The oddest part of this story is that Rengifo is only here because Arte meddled in the work of the GM.

smithy610
Super Member
4 months ago

First day off for Neto.

The fact that Guillorme is the backup SS, IN MAY, is just awfully sad, you want to laugh and cry at the same time.

RexFregosi
Super Member
4 months ago

Phillies just became the first to 30 wins.

My guess is a month from today, we still will not have 30 wins.

*but i still love Wash, this is going to take time and a lot better ball players.

matthiasstephan
Super Member
4 months ago
Reply to  RexFregosi

I am just hoping we have 20 wins before 30 losses, and even that seems like a longshot.

Eric_in_Portland
Legend
4 months ago

we’d have to win 5 of our next 7. So yeah….

Brent
Super Member
4 months ago

They can definitely win 5 games over the next 7 series.

Eric_in_Portland
Legend
4 months ago
Reply to  Brent

😂

smithy610
Super Member
4 months ago
Reply to  RexFregosi

This team is not a manager away from the playoffs or even competitive baseball.

Unless Wash does something outrageous, I won’t be advocating for him to be fired, and I hope he doesn’t quit. No one can make a good burger out of spoiled meat.

Twebur
Legend
4 months ago
Reply to  smithy610

Not a manager away, not a GM away, not even a new owner away from the playoffs (and new owner is a must)

We probably need to replace about 15 roster spots with an influx of upgrades MLB talent.

With another influx of minor league talent.

Sadly that means moving on from Trout.
Any organization would be foolish to think he will ever maintain his health going forward. Ditto for Rendon obviously.

Will take years and years of a rebuild. Full of tanking and last place finishes. Kinda like we we’ve seen.

BannedInLA
Super Member
4 months ago

UFC 301 on June 1st.

Boxing is good of late as well.

Soriano has a decent shot to be our best starter by seasons end.

Looking forward to Trout’s return and assuming the full-time DH role ala Edgar Martinez or Big Poppy.

Oh, can the real Reid Detmers please standup?

Jeff Joiner
Editor
Legend
4 months ago

Team evaluation year current standings:

Studs: Adell, O’Hoppe, Schanuel for the last three weeks.
Decent role players: Neto, Moniak, Detmers, Sandoval.

Jury out: Soriano. He’s one of the above, just not sure which yet.

Guys who have value but won’t be around when we’re good again: Ward, Anderson, Rengifo. They all need to be traded for prospects.

Guys who don’t belong on a competitive MLB team: everyone else.

Last edited 4 months ago by Jeff Joiner
cookmeister
Trusted Member
4 months ago
Reply to  Jeff Joiner

I don’t think Adell is a stud.
I hope I’m wrong, but I don’t see it

Twebur
Legend
4 months ago
Reply to  cookmeister

No one on this roster has a better chance than him. I say it’s 60/40 he will. The kid has made a big jump. Shocked if they give him much to hit going forward.

Free Ward from the 3-hole.

Last edited 4 months ago by Twebur
Roy Hobbs
Super Member
4 months ago
Reply to  cookmeister

Yes, I’ll reserve judgement until the end of the season but it’s a progress report for the first quarter. At this point, I’m sold on no one. Neto is an 80 OPS+ so he has a ways to go as a hitter. Right now he’s a cheap defensive specialist. Adell has the best numbers so far with a 131 OPS+ for 100 ABs, so we’ll see where he ends up. Schanuel was 4 for 31 for his last 9 games before last night and 9 for 39 for May. He has an OPS+ of 77 for the season. O’Hoppe has raised his BA and OBA this year but his SLG/AVG is 100 points lower than last year. He’s currently at a 98 OPS+. Detmers, Sandy, and Soriano, have all shown potential but are very inconsistent. Moniak is a 42 OPS+ for 93 ABs. There is nothing yet here to build on. Honestly, this is a team with all crappy young players except for O’hoppe and Adell, and Logan has not been great defensively, so he’s just cheap and 10% below average as a hitter. The pitcher’s are back of the rotation guys until they can achieve consistency. I like these guys and we’ll have to see where they’re at after the next 3/4s of the season. So far though, their individual performances as hitters have been abysmal except for Adell. This is not a great foundation of young talent to build on so far based on their performances.

BannedInLA
Super Member
4 months ago
Reply to  cookmeister

I’ll be satisfied with competent starter. Something in the neighborhood of Cole Calhoun in terms of production.

Anything more will be icing on the cake.

cookmeister
Trusted Member
4 months ago
Reply to  cookmeister

I’ll reply to myself instead of three different people lol… reasons I don’t see it with Adell:

  1. he can’t hit balls that are not in the lower third
  2. he struggles with velocity (anything over 93)
  3. his pitch recognition is not good
  4. he’s late on fastballs because his front foot is not down on time (hence #2)
Roy Hobbs
Super Member
4 months ago
Reply to  cookmeister

All good points and observations and they may catch up to him. Currently, he’s a 30% better hitter than the league average, which is very good. Even if those were all true, if he finished the season as a 130 OPS+ hitter, they don’t really matter. But, we have 3/4 of the season to go and we can see where he ends up. You have a very valid opinion and we’ll see how it plays out. I said I would have to wait until the end of the season. I am not confident either way with Adell right now. I like all reasonable view points as they hopefully, help make me a more knowledgeable person.

cookmeister
Trusted Member
4 months ago
Reply to  Roy Hobbs

ya, long season. I hope I’m wrong and he is a viable starter, I’m just not sold yet

steelgolf
Legend
4 months ago
Reply to  cookmeister

These are things that Make commented about years ago when I saw him in the low minors playing at the Lake Elsinore Storm stadium. I took photos and said n his stance was way too wide ( he has since narrowed it), and his swing depended too much n guessing right, as to the pitch that was coming. Otherwise, when he guessed wrong, he was flailing.

cookmeister
Trusted Member
4 months ago
Reply to  steelgolf

I love the adjustment he made in spring last season getting his foot down early (like ohtani did), but then ditched it for some reason

Mikeal1st
Trusted Member
4 months ago
Reply to  cookmeister

I say trade him along with anybody else you can and rebuild the farm system.

Roy Hobbs
Super Member
4 months ago
Reply to  Mikeal1st

I’ve reached the point where I would trade anyone for the right price but the only 2 position players I would wan’t to hang on to are Neto, and O’hoppe.

2GA2Join
Super Member
4 months ago
Reply to  Roy Hobbs

Yep, I agree. I assume you meant you would want to hang onto them.

Eric_in_Portland
Legend
4 months ago
Reply to  Mikeal1st

maybe if you were running the show but Perry would be in charge, hamstringed by Arte’s stinginess.

FungoAle
Legend
4 months ago
Reply to  Jeff Joiner

My buck and a quarter take:

Studs: Adell, O’Hoppe, Schanuel <Sorianio> for the last three weeks.
Decent role players: Neto, Moniak, Detmers, Sandoval.

Guys who have value but won’t be around when we’re good again: Ward, Anderson, Rengifo <Canning (he’s an arm), Drury, Emilio, Garcia, Moore, Moniak>. They all need to be traded for prospects.

Twebur
Legend
4 months ago
Reply to  Jeff Joiner

Guys who have value but won’t be around when we’re good again in 2044: Ward, Anderson, Rengifo. They all need to be traded for prospects.

By then, none of these Studs, Decents and Jury’s Out guys will be playing baseball anymore and many of us will be dead.

Because trAdition tell us so.

And Artificial Intelligence (AI) Arte will probably still own the team 😀

Mikeal1st
Trusted Member
4 months ago

Did I read that right? Peacock wanted to pay only $10 Million to broadcast games as opposed to $30 Million for 18 games. $30 Million sounds kind of cheap to me or am I just out of touch with broadcast rights?

fyasko51
Trusted Member
4 months ago

Maybe this season is a blessing in disguise. Hitting rock bottom early in the season should be a wake up call to Arte. Getting shitted on by every news and social media outlet, dwindling attendance, pathetic rosters. The season was pretty much over late April. I do think that Arte cared more about making money than winning and as a business man, he should know when to cut a sinking business.

2GA2Join
Super Member
4 months ago
Reply to  fyasko51

Let’s hope so.

Angelz4ever
Super Member
4 months ago
Reply to  fyasko51

Going 0-162 won’t wake up Myopic Arte. I’m losing hope….everything’s fading to black….

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend
Reply to  fyasko51

Yes. Everyone needs some rock bottom. Advocating for a new owner is like shaking your fist at rain clouds, and since I’m not an idiot or a small child I don’t do it. But plenty of crap ownership groups have hit rock bottom and changed.

So even if Arte holds on, rock bottom could be great. Ditch some shitty players. Ditch signing free agents. Ditch Carpino. Ditch half our shitty fan base. Ditch the uniforms. Ditch desperately trying to be “LA’s Team”. Ditch the Rally Monkey. Ditch Roger Lodge. Add stuff like pitch tunnels and steroids. Scout internationally a lot so we get good players up at age 21 instead of 24. Steroids.

Win.

OG’s Pizza sucks.

TrojanBoiler
Trusted Member
4 months ago

But you are talking about owners that most likely care about winning. I am not sure Arte does at all.

I guess maybe if the team gets so bad that the attendance starts to die he might change, but change for the wrong reasons is rarely change for the better.

Unfortunately the LA/OC area is full of transplants that want to come out and see their home team when they are visiting the Angels. Arte gets to be insulated from his poor team management.

halofansince1978
Super Member
4 months ago

I see we get their ace Sonny Gray tonight…Oh Boy!!

James
Trusted Member
4 months ago

Losing ohtani to FA and with a fragile Trout and Rendone it’s hard to see any hope for the playoffs any time soon. The bullpen consistently blows leads. Washington is saying what every coach has to say because that’s what they do. It’s B.S. and we aren’t fooled. Hopefully football season gets here quick as watching this team is not much fun. Looking for hope but not really seeing a whole lot to be positive about.

Jeff Joiner
Editor
Legend
4 months ago
Reply to  James

College baseball is heading to the postseason and boxing is on a ridiculous hot streak right now so I’m entertained.

James
Trusted Member
4 months ago
Reply to  Jeff Joiner

Calling Usyk over Fury btw 👍🏻

FungoAle
Legend
4 months ago
Reply to  James

Old time playoff hockey, constant action

Twebur
Legend
4 months ago

The GM Hippocratic Oath

“I swear by Apollo the Roster Builder, and Aesculapius Scouting Department, likewise Hygeia and Panacea, and call all the gods and goddesses to witness, that I will observe and keep this underwritten oath, to the utmost of my power and judgment. I will reverence my master who taught me the art.”

What ever happened to, First, do no harm. Has he forgot this or never learned it?

steelgolf
Legend
4 months ago
Reply to  Twebur

Oh shit, his oath has him swearing by Atlas, which is why this team keeps rolling that same rock up a hill only to have it roll back down season after season.

Jim Atkins
Super Member
4 months ago
Reply to  steelgolf

Sisyphus. Atlas was the guy that held up the Earth.

Twebur
Legend
4 months ago
Reply to  Jim Atkins

And Atlas contracted and died from syphilis while traveling the earth.

steelgolf
Legend
4 months ago
Reply to  Twebur

So, are you saying that the Angels injuries are because they all have syphilis?

steelgolf
Legend
4 months ago
Reply to  Jim Atkins

Damn, you’re right. Hard to remember my Jr. High mythology.

Jim Atkins
Super Member
4 months ago
Reply to  steelgolf

Of course I’m right. I’m not just handsome, I’m also brilliant. And modest.

Roy Hobbs
Super Member
4 months ago

We’re so bad we’re tanking while trying not to. We’re a quarter of the way through the season and the honeymoon is over for me with Wash. I see no evidence of change and I’m not even convinced the team would be any worse with Nevin. Looking forward to the intern who replaces Perry next year.

Twebur
Legend
4 months ago
Reply to  Roy Hobbs

Record wise with Nevin, you’re probably right, no difference. But I do think Wash is/will have a positive influence on the kids and I do see some positive change. Neto alone it might be worth it. Wash has a spine and conviction, might be worth keeping him around for a few years for the stability. This is truly the worst run team in MLB, no manger can fix that.

Put me down with a thumbs up for Wash. I don’t think we could do any better at manager during a complete collapse/rebuilding of this franchise (if that has even really started yet).

Free Rengifo, Sano, Trout, Rendon, Silseth, Drury, (Ward, even though he plays everyday) from baseball hospice.

halofansince1978
Super Member
4 months ago
Reply to  Twebur

Agree…Wash will never let the inmates run the asylum.

Jeff Joiner
Editor
Legend
4 months ago
Reply to  Twebur

Agreed and I think Wash’s comments on Sunday were telling. He said he is measuring his success this season on growth. He acknowledged the losing record but said he’s looking for growth.

That sounds to me like a manager who was brought in to make the young guys better. Not one trying to win a division.

Roy Hobbs
Super Member
4 months ago
Reply to  Jeff Joiner

I agree but so far I have not seen the growth. We still have 3/4 of the season left.

2GA2Join
Super Member
4 months ago
Reply to  Roy Hobbs

Don’t you think Adell has grown?

He entered this season as the guy who never performed enough to stick in the majors and we were thinking of releasing.
Now later on in this comment section someone said he’s the only hitter doing well on the team.

Roy Hobbs
Super Member
4 months ago
Reply to  2GA2Join

Adell has made great progress this year, I have no idea if it’s related in any way to Wash. Certainly not based on anything either Wash or Adell has said. And I already did say he’s the only young player who is currently performing. No one else has made any significant visible progress based on current results. We still have 3/4 of the season left so we have to wait and see. I want them to grow and do well, but so far that has not happened.

Roy Hobbs
Super Member
4 months ago
Reply to  2GA2Join

I’ll amend my comment. The one other player who has improved over last year was Rendon, and I do believe Wash deserves credit for that.

BannedInLA
Super Member
4 months ago
Reply to  Twebur

Lest we forget, Phil had Shohei and a productive Moore & Estevez (more or less).

FungoAle
Legend
4 months ago
Reply to  BannedInLA

…and we were still a huge gap away from a playoff spot. Assume we still had them performing up to snuff, + Wash +15 WAR, team is still under .500.

BannedInLA
Super Member
4 months ago
Reply to  FungoAle

You’re probably correct, but I was jumping in on the Phil vs. 15 WAR Wash question.

Phil had Shohei, which skews the comparison.

Roy Hobbs
Super Member
4 months ago
Reply to  BannedInLA

Valid point. I hear players and staff say things are different, but I don’t see the players doing anything any different. 25% of the way thru, they’re still doing the same things they did last year. I want to see change, and so far, I don’t see it. I agree my comparison was a bit overstated, Wash is greater than Phil but his results are not much better. And you’re right, He had Ohtani.

BannedInLA
Super Member
4 months ago
Reply to  Roy Hobbs

Good stuff. TBH, I was never as down on Phil as most and I’m not necessarily as high on Wash as some. Frankly, the “15 WAR” stuff was always tongue in cheek for me.

I stated multiple times last year that baseball managers don’t move the needle much IMO. Are some better than others, of course, but in the end, you gotta’ have the horses and our stable is looking a bit bare.

Roy Hobbs
Super Member
4 months ago
Reply to  Twebur

Agreed, valid points, but based on hope as opposed to visible results. I wasn’t really complaining about what he says he’s trying to do, just that he’s been unsuccessful so far, which may not be his fault.

BannedInLA
Super Member
4 months ago
Reply to  Roy Hobbs

We didn’t realize that ‘15 WAR Wash’ meant that we’d only win 15 games this year.

Hard to imagine that he & Perry are here next year.

2024 is simply 2025 Spring Training. At least that’s how I’m choosing to view it.

MarineLayer
Super Member
4 months ago

That photo of the “brain trust” is so depressing. Where’s the meat? In terms of Minasian, not anywhere near the brain.

clover_black
Super Member
4 months ago
Reply to  MarineLayer

somebody took a video of carpino watching a hockey game in his suite last night.

YOUknowulovetheIE
Trusted Member
4 months ago

Hahaha, just read the box score since I’m not watching any games until suarez is gone.

It’s fucking crazy the angels have zero people to bring up over that sorry piece of shit.

Senator_John_Blutarsky
Legend
4 months ago

20 pitchers were drafted in 2021…..

FungoAle
Legend
4 months ago

There should be 10-12 of those arm still in the organization

Jeff Joiner
Editor
Legend
4 months ago
Reply to  FungoAle

You’ve inspired a research piece. I’ll write a full article on this.

The top 4 picks aren’t contributing at all.

Sam Bachman – injured
Ky Bush – traded for Giolito but crushing it in AA for another team.
Landon Marceaux – – injured, out all season. Has a 5.50 ERA in AA.
Luke Murphy (my draft crush) – 5.73 ERA/1.27 WHIP in AA for the 3rd year

Brett Kerry is looking good in AAA this year, sporting a nifty 0.85 WHIP and 2.56 ERA across 31 innings.

Chase Silseth, the 11th pick, is the most accomplished of the group.

FungoAle
Legend
4 months ago
Reply to  Jeff Joiner

I know we had one guy not sign and one guy retired…then Perry started the 2023 Trade Deadline lotto machine.

2GA2Join
Super Member
4 months ago
Reply to  Jeff Joiner

I blame Arte for the first 2, not Perry. (Or at least I’m willing to say Perry deserves more chances)

I think Arte was pushing our GM to draft quick-to-majors pitching to quickly and *cheaply* get some more pitching around Ohtani pronto for his last hurrah hoping we’d make the playoffs, without Arte having to spend money on free agent pitching.
Ditto for Arte’s crazy push to go “all-in” last summer and trade away Ky Bush. That wasn’t Perry.

I’m willing to believe that if Perry was left alone to formulate his own long term plan as a GM that maybe he doesn’t draft Bachman with that pick, and he probably doesn’t even draft 20 pitchers, but instead goes more of the “best player available” route. But we’ll see.

FungoAle
Legend
4 months ago
Reply to  2GA2Join

Perry was “all over” Bachman, that is his boy. Scouted him personally with a jug gun. Perry whiffed.

2GA2Join
Super Member
4 months ago
Reply to  FungoAle

Well, to be fair he whiffed mainly with injury not necessarily with talent (yet). It is hard to find a GM that can pick/sign all players who won’t get any random injuries.

Angelz4ever
Super Member
4 months ago

Shakespeare couldn’t have written a worst tragedy than the Angels 2024 season so far.

Last edited 4 months ago by Angelz4ever
Pineapple12
Super Member
4 months ago

A couple losses away from officially joining Team Tank.
🏳🏳🏳🏳🏳🏳

Also, who the fuck (May) are Luis Guillorme and Niko Goodrum ??????? 😂😂😂

Angelz4ever
Super Member
4 months ago
Reply to  Pineapple12

They sound like two failed lounge lizard comics.

“Seriously folks……(Crickets)…..”

clover_black
Super Member
4 months ago
Reply to  Pineapple12

mark trumbo looking elite @ 3rd compared to goodrum (if that even is his real name)

Senator_John_Blutarsky
Legend
4 months ago
Reply to  clover_black

Jack Howell > Goldrum
Rene Gonzalez > Goldrum
Spike Owen > Goldrum
George Arias > Goldrum
Dave Hollins > Goldrum
Maicer Izturis > GoldrumDallas McPherson > Goldrum
Brandon Wood = Goldrum
Alberto Callaspo > GoldrumYunel Escobar > GoldrumLuis Valbuena > GoldrumJack Mayfield > Goldrum
Cardboard cutout of Troy Glaus > Goldrum
No one playing 3rd base > Goldrum

BannedInLA
Super Member
4 months ago

Rengifo will be our everyday 3rd baseman in a few days.

Angelz4ever
Super Member
4 months ago
Reply to  BannedInLA

For the next few seasons also…..too soon?

BannedInLA
Super Member
4 months ago
Reply to  Angelz4ever

He might be gone come the T.D. but until then, he’s our best option at the Hot Corner and that includes Sano.

Roy Hobbs
Super Member
4 months ago

Now you’re going to make us all sick!

max
Trusted Member
max
4 months ago
Reply to  clover_black

more like redrum?

GrandpaBaseball
Legend
4 months ago

Arte just got a bill for the 3 scouts that will work for the team, and their flea bag motel stays, and he is telling Perry to get rid of them for not sleeping in their cars. For those of you that would like to lay all the team’s problems on Perry, there is no one that can do better as the Angels GM. Not a one is capable of coming into this situation and being successful.

Biggest obstacle is Arte and we can all agree on that. Then the best that money can buy in the Carp and Capt. Kool. The temporary secretary hire that PTP has loses calls as she pushes the hold button, damn those land lines. And the fact that the smartest coach on the team is in the broadcast booth, hey, at least they go on the with the team on road games but there is no Terry to by a round.

smithy610
Super Member
4 months ago

The Angels are run like they have the most expensive CEO in the world, and pay him market value, then surround him with bunch of interns and first-year graduates because they’re too cheap to pay everyone else.

Ippei was earning 80K as an interpreter while with the Angels. For practically having the same job with the Doyers, he was getting paid 300K instead.

If you’re a PT or nutritionist, or whatever sidelines job on a baseball team – do you go to the Angels where you’d probably get an under-market salary, or you go somewhere else where you get paid a lot, plus extra benefits. And who do you think will do a better job between the two?

A lot of fans tend to blame the players for not staying healthy. Fair enough. But it shouldn’t also be some kind of mysterious phenomenon why the Angels are always on top of injured players’ lists every single season – calves, knees, hamstrings, etc. If you have only interns or people coming out of college to do these important jobs, as compared to getting the best and/or experienced people in their respective fields, then it’s not a surprise these players will be dropping like flies in a long season. In short, garbage in, garbage out.

Angelz4ever
Super Member
4 months ago
Reply to  smithy610

No, Ippei’s take home pay was a lot more than $80K….LOL

Angelz4ever
Super Member
4 months ago

Just like the radio announcers, maybe Arte wants them to phone conference as they scout?

smithy610
Super Member
4 months ago

Update on Rendon from Wash:

Anthony Rendon attended the series against the Royals and is making progress according to Washington.

“He’s walking up and down the steps now so that’s progress,” Washington said. “He’s able to ride the bike. The hamstring is fickle, very fickle.”

steelgolf
Legend
4 months ago
Reply to  smithy610

We will see him on the field at the end of August or early September after he has a “setback” in his rehab. The Angels need to understand that every season will have Rendone and Trout missing a significant amount of time, and adjust accordingly. Now Sano going down too is what really screwed them…. well that and the infamous blow pen.

smithy610
Super Member
4 months ago
Reply to  steelgolf

But see, Sano should not have been counted on as a dependable 3B backup, like Urshela was last season (until he himself went down on a freak injury). The guy was out of baseball for a year, and had to lose 60 lbs in order to get to playing shape. I understand he was signed for his bat, and the plan was to DH him most of the time. But if Perry also expected Sano to be his everyday 3B once the inevitable Rendon injury, then that’s just shitty planning on his part.

MarineLayer
Super Member
4 months ago
Reply to  smithy610

I actually like Sano. Is there an update on his injury or has his status been changed to out for the year.

smithy610
Super Member
4 months ago
Reply to  MarineLayer

I like Sano too, as a DH, not an everyday 3B player.

He’s been taking groundballs and doing drills with Luis pre-game, but no timetable to return yet. Like Wash said, he has a big…body.

BannedInLA
Super Member
4 months ago
Reply to  smithy610

Not really enamored with his 35% K rate.

Trout should be our full-time DH when he returns.

Senator_John_Blutarsky
Legend
4 months ago
Reply to  smithy610

“The desire to perform for his $245m salary is fickle, very fickle”

steelgolf
Legend
4 months ago

😆😆😆😆😆😆

smithy610
Super Member
4 months ago

Sam Blum
@SamBlum3
·
8h
Here’s an exchange tonight with Ron Washington.

Context: Just days ago he said the Angels were in “win-now” mode, and that “we’re still looking to get to the playoffs.” He shot down any idea of a rebuild.

IMG_1383.png
steelgolf
Legend
4 months ago
Reply to  smithy610

🤣

Senator_John_Blutarsky
Legend
4 months ago
Reply to  smithy610

Hopium is an addictive substance

Fansince1971
Legend
4 months ago
Reply to  smithy610

Well, if true, ole Wash may want to start polishing up his resume.

smithy610
Super Member
4 months ago
Reply to  Fansince1971

Unless he quits, I don’t see Wash getting fired for this shitshow. It’s not like he joined a team that has WS aspirations and he has them way underperforming. This is what most expected anyway? So I’m not sure where the surprise is.

MarineLayer
Super Member
4 months ago
Reply to  Fansince1971

I think he should book a room in the retirement community.

Roy Hobbs
Super Member
4 months ago
Reply to  smithy610

It certainly does depend on how you look at it. I’ll have to give him the benefit of the doubt that he isn’t serious. If he is he’s delusional.

2GA2Join
Super Member
4 months ago
Reply to  Roy Hobbs

I don’t think he is delusional. I think any manager is going to say positive stuff to the media. Isn’t that what any manager would and should do?

Do any of us on this site honestly think either a manager or even a GM will get in front of media and throw his team under the bus full on? Say “yeah, this team is filled with under-performers, and they suck, and this season is a train wreck, and I have no idea when this team will ever reach the playoffs again.”

If Wash or Perry ever actually came out and said this, would it appease half of the people here and make them happy? (Those that feel that Wash and Perry constantly “lie” or “mislead” about competing)

What I’m hoping is that behind closed doors, that Wash is a better manager than we’ve had for a while. That he is holding people accountable and making them work hard to make the team better. It doesn’t help that we have half a team of waiver claims right now.

smithy610
Super Member
4 months ago
Reply to  2GA2Join

I’m not expecting Wash to say anything negative publicly about his team as well. And he’s right, there’s a lot of first-year players on the team, and they have a lot of growing up to do.

It would be fun though if he tells Sam, “I’m a manager, Sam. Not a magician.”

Roy Hobbs
Super Member
4 months ago
Reply to  smithy610

I’m tired of the excuses, just be honest. You don’t have to throw anyone under the bus.

smithy610
Super Member
4 months ago
Reply to  Roy Hobbs

But what are his excuses though?

He’s working with first-year players – that’s a fact.

He’s also working with a lot of scrubs – that’s a fact.

I don’t think Wash will ever say “this isn’t a team that will win a lot of games this season.” Part of his job as a manager is to find the positive spin even on the shittiest situations.

And I think on the overall play, Wash has copped and admitted to mistakes – defensive miscues, baserunning misadventures, etc – and talked about getting them ready to play better and needing to improve, and that a lot of that is on him and his coaches.

I think he’s a good manager. Some of his decisions and strategies are suspect, but there is no perfect manager. I think of this similar to a chef working with stale ingredients – no matter if you’re a James Beard chef, you can’t make a good burger if your meat already stinks, if your lettuce is brown and not green, etc.

This team is not a manager away from the WS, let alone the playoffs. So might as well have a manager who’s willing to work with kids. So far Wash seems to be that, IMO.

Last edited 4 months ago by smithy610
2GA2Join
Super Member
4 months ago
Reply to  smithy610

And beyond all of that, there is also that I really don’t want us to hit the reset button yet again and get a new GM and a new manager again. I think the organization takes a negative hit every time that happens, and we don’t need more of that right now.

steelgolf
Legend
4 months ago
Reply to  2GA2Join

I’m fine pushing the button on a new manager. But then I’m not a fan of the Washington hiring and still hate the hire.

Roy Hobbs
Super Member
4 months ago
Reply to  smithy610

Serious question. Who are these so called “1st year players” we talk about. They all played last year. Neto still has rookie status because of his injury, and Schanuel only played a month so he’s a rookie. That’s it. There are some other younger players but they’ve all played for at least a year and most have played for several years. They have just never been full time starters. Do we have young players, yes, but as team we are not on the younger side.

You mentioned scrubs. The honest answer is that we have a lot of crappy players both young and old and it has nothing to do with youth. The players just aren’t very good. I am not anti Walsh, but he has garbage, young and old to work with and he came in with his eyes open. He could say “I came there to help build something, and it’s going to to take time”. He should say “We’re not a very good baseball team right now, we’re inconsistent, we make too many mistakes, We take too many good pitches, we swing at too many bad pitches, and we don’t hit with men on base.” and put the onus on the players to step up. The first step towards progress is for the players to own their performance instead of excusing it.

It’s not about young players, it’s about crappy young players. Now, I like them and I would like to see them develop. I see potential, but until it’s actually realized, they are not very good. Maybe by the end of the season things will be different, but it’s not because they are young, it’s because they’re not very good.

I agree with the conclusion you reached which is that the ingredients are bad and, as has been mentioned by others, this is the culmination of many bad organizational decisions.

2GA2Join
Super Member
4 months ago
Reply to  Roy Hobbs

I know this isn’t the main point of your post, but if I’m thinking who are the young/green players, I’d say Shanny, Neto, O’Hoppe, Soriano, Silseth. You could even say that Adell and Moniak are pretty new, since they’ve barely played that many MLB games even though they’ve bounced around a few years. Joyce and Bachman would have brought down the average too if they weren’t both toast this year.

Roy Hobbs
Super Member
4 months ago
Reply to  2GA2Join

Agreed, and I’ll concede for the sake of argument with all of them. I guess my point is that I don’t believe that thier youth is what is keeping the team from success. A number of those guys should not be in the major leagues right now either because they are not ready or not good enough and most should not be starting. The real reason is because right now they aren’t very good. They may become good some day, and I hope they do, but right now they’re not. The reason they are playing right now is because the organization does not have enough major league ready players to fill the roster.

Roy Hobbs
Super Member
4 months ago
Reply to  2GA2Join

Keep hoping.

halofansince1978
Super Member
5 months ago

They put up an 8 in the 7th…YIKES!!!

steelgolf
Legend
4 months ago

No lead is safe for The Angels.