Two series, two series losses. It is what we’ve come to expect from the 2024 Angels. The most newsworthy events of this week came from manager Ron Washington rather than the players.
On Sunday, Washington basically admitted what we already know: he’s looking at growth as a measure of progress. Ron thinks this Angels team is on the same path as his previous teams that started off losing but ended up perennial playoff teams.
Ok, so the team is rebuilding. We knew that. Then Tuesday happened. After a boneheaded decision to suicide squeeze against a pitcher who couldn’t find the strike zone, Ron Washington angrily threw Luis Guillorme under the bus.
Wash’s litany of excuses include the factually incorrect statements Cardinals reliever Jojo Romero was throwing strikes (had had thrown more balls than strikes in the inning, walking two) and that he was hoping for a 6-6 lead. That is not the first time he’s incorrectly stated a score in a postgame press conference.
In total the two statements add up to one real statement: “This isn’t my fault.” To be fair the roster and complete lack of depth are not his fault. But things like the sacrifice bunt and using Jose Suarez in close games are his fault. And he needs to own that.
Not a ton of highlights to consider for highlight of the week. I’m going with the obvious heart and soul of the team Logan O’Hoppe hitting a huge three run bomb in that infamous 7-6 loss on Tuesday.
O’Hoppe is clearly the Angels Heart and Hustle Award winner this season and I expect that to stick.
In the annual Best Off the Couch Signing Award balloting, Kevin Pillar has taken an early commanding lead.
And now the Angels head to the defending World Series Champion Texas Rangers home ballpark. This is their first AL West game. This is the latest an American League team has ever had its first division game.
If the Angels are looking for bullpen arms, and they should be, perhaps we let one go.
Speaking of roster depth and bullpen needs, we took a look back at the all pitching draft of 2021 to see if any help is on the horizon. Then went back a year to see how that draft has helped the franchise. I’ll go back a few more years over the next couple of weeks.
The Angels have made one roster move for depth. Friend of the site Davis Daniel was recalled and Amir Garrett DFA’d. Luis Rengifo is also expected to be activated against Texas. Miguel Sano is headed to Tempe to face some live hitting and could be back soon.
From around baseball:
Will Giancarlo Stanton deliver a Cooperstown speech? He certainly plays for the right team.
For the second straight year a pitcher was found cheating after throwing a no hitter. This time it was an Astro (shocker, right?) who had the stickiest substance an umpire has ever seen.
And in the most critical story to the sport, things are going south for Diamond Sports Group again as DSG fights with Comcast.
Speaking of broadcasters, MLB has added yet another streaming partner in Roku. The games will be free to watch but won’t include any Angels games this year. Second largest market in the nation and the new broadcast partner doesn’t want you on its stream. Great work, Arte.
And finally, in lieu of longform reading listen to my appearance on the Baseball PhD podcast. This was recorded a couple of weeks ago and I apologize for not posting it sooner. Note, there’s some political talk before my segment; a tangent on college protests about 20 minutes in. Feel free to skip minutes 20 to 31. My segment starts at 33 minutes in. I was interviewed prior to that segment being recorded and was unaware it existed until the podcast was released.
Have a great weekend and link what I missed. We have this weekend off but college baseball is coming down to the wire, Tyson Fury and Oleksander Uysk are fighting for the undisputed heavyweight crown, and the weather should be great. Enjoy.
oh boy
“05/17/24 Los Angeles Angels activated RHP Roansy Contreras.”
He’ll pitch tonight, newbies always get thrown into the fire.
On May 7th he pitched 2.1 innings vs the Angels and gave up 5 hits and 2 earned runs.
To the Fuckin Angels!
And we Traded for this guy?
Where the Hell is Mia!?
Just one or two cameo appearances in the postgame threads.
You rang?
Gulf got a new gig. https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/05/mlb-hires-nelson-cruz-in-special-advisor-role.html
Maybe MLB will add director of steroid detection to this new advisory role.
Let it be known, if you do PEDs you too could be hired to work in the office that oversees all of professional baseball.
…or make a lot of terrible movies (The Rock).
I don’t think Sean Connery or Nic Cage ever did PEDs.
Let’s not forget Bela Lugosi in Plan 9 From Outer Space.
(Not saying he wasn’t on anything.)
Does it work for gambling too? Asking for an Ippei, errr., I mean just curious.
Will he have access to Zoom in federal prison?
Brutal!!
https://www.si.com/mlb/angels/angels-news/angels-trade-for-lucas-giolito-looks-really-bad-less-than-a-year-later-01hy3wjz1y6p
I thought that trade looked awful the day it was made.
Has to be one of the top 10 all time worst Angel trades and it could get worse
I would hope it would be in the top 10 just because the Angels haven’t made all that many really bad trades. (a lot mediocre ones though) . But before everyone gets their panties in wad , probably should wait until either Quero or Bush actually display success above AA. I mean Quero is still young but hes repeating AA while only hitting .234 this year and by all reports his defense as a catcher is still mediocre. Bush is 24 also repeating AA and I believe this is the first year he hasn’t missed significant time with an injury so we will see.
Vernon Wells for Napoli and Juan Rivera.
And did I mention Vernon Wells?
But Shohei Ohtani is a once in 200 lifetimes talent that we needed to make happy, and whose mom we needed to keep satisfied, so that he would resign with us and we could pay him 70M a year. We had to make the play offs. In order to do that we needed to make moves so Shohei could see our moves. So moves were made. It was a no brainer. You just don’t let Shohei be sad ever. Never ever.
The saddest thing is, he was gone as soon as the NL got the DH.
Agreed. If the NL had the DH in 2017 he’d have already played 6 seasons in LA.
if only we gave him his own day he might have stayed. 🤮🤢
https://www.mlb.com/press-release/press-release-city-of-los-angeles-names-may-17-shohei-ohtani-day
Exactly.
https://youtu.be/8UVNT4wvIGY?si=5e6lEjDphWW_aUe7
Sadly he did resign.
That is painful to read.
It’s time to give Brett Kerry a taste. https://www.milb.com/gameday/bees-vs-rainiers/2024/05/16/751427/final/box
Are we sure it won’t be yet more rushing of our prospects and screwing them up?
he’s 25 not exactly rushing
Yes pretty sure it won’t be that.
Roansy Contreras was the “prize” when the Yankees acquired Jameson Taillon from the Pirates:
And he was officially a one-time MLB Top 100 prospect:
Another reclamation project for MLB’s Independent League team.
I really hate it when there’s no Angels box score in the morning.
LOL, “Love-hate”?
Off season is a real drag!!!
D@mn Thursday and Monday travel days!
Funny, but as awful as the Angels are, I hate off days.
We have other options too. And we may have found an opponent we could take series from. Made me remember to 100 different variations of baseball we made up as a kids….all based on the great game of baseball. Too bad my team has no chance of being good in the next
5 years.10 years.2024 Beep Baseball World Series..great idea, human body is pretty amazing, especially the ear with this.
https://youtu.be/s4TzSixKAxc?si=XId9uBfNrd50-xPa
Vairy cool…I like it!!
I sent this to my best Angel fan buddy and he ask, “Is Angel Hernandez the Commissioner?”
Can we at least beat up on our own division? Is it too much to ask?
Maybe that should’ve been an unasked question.
Go Angels!!
WTH is a Roansy?
.
More ping pong balls please, more ping pong balls
We are only 8 games out of 1st place.
Glass half full…Pathetic CtPG Loser Guy appreciates that.
If we win 15 in a row, we will be back in business!
If we win 15 in a row I will eat my shoes
I might be willing to eat a shoe.
I have a friend who is really good at making her own custom chocolates from molds and stuff… I’ll ask her to make a shoe-shaped one first before agreeing to this.
I would eat one of my lucky red tennis shoes.
With or without toe jam?
From Fletcher’s article yesterday about where things stood, I’m kinda surprised the offense is actually in the middle of the pack in the league. On the eye test, they look worse.
I know they weren’t exactly lighting the league on fire when they went down, but imagine if both Trout and Rendon didn’t get injured. The offense could possibly be closer to top 10 in some categories.
The pitching on the bottom of the league is more of a surprise. I really thought Reid, Sandy and Griffin would take huge improvements, especially after most of the pitchers touting the more normal 5-day rotation should be better than what they had in previous years to accommodate someone. And Enright was a consensus improvement over Wise. Tyler being the staff ace is a nice surprise though.
The bullpen is the biggest letdown, and to think this is where Perry spent practically the entire offseason working and got the most players on.
Kevin Pillar, Jo Adell and Mike Trout would be unstoppable
Suarez, Guillorme and Calhoun are unstoppable at the buffet.
“ imagine if both Trout and Rendon didn’t get injured”
I honestly can’t.
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 I definitely couldn’t imagine Rendone not being injured for a significant amount of time.
John Lennon, if he was alive, couldn’t imagine a healthy Rendone.
I laughed.
LOL, fair enough
Except that the guys who replaced them have performed better.
I think you answered your own question. Perry was involved with the bullpen. His eye is a little bizarre at times. Moore having struggles here and there is a mulligan. That signing made sense. The rest? The submariner has been ok and probably has peaked in terms of what he will do. Garcia hasn’t sucked. The rest have been who we thought they were. Eppler did better with Watson and Cishek from waivers years back.
Can we blame Perry if he doesn’t have any scouts?
Sure we can.
Not if Arte fired them all.
What are scouts?
As though many of you have bagged on Washington, ask yourself this, “How long do you think you would have lasted with this roster playing MiLB baseball in the Bigs” until you lost it?
Washington more than any of the 3 prior managers before him understands defense. After Neto who is our best fielder? Take your pick. This team gives away at least an average of 4 outs every inning between errors, balls not stopped by infielders on infield plays. And the bone headed plays. Add in the issued walks by the pitchers and it spells trouble. This I lay out on the team of Morono and PTP. PTP is just a puppet like the 4 GM’s before him, just that 2 of them bailed out of being an errand boy for a bad owner. Stoneman and Jedi flew the coop and Reagins, Eppler and now Perry are tiring to work magic with fingers crossed along with spit, string and glue. Washington is a manager of the nineties and 2000’s that had different sets of kids, today they (The players) believe that they are entitled and know more than the coaching staff. Frustration must be building up in Washington.
When a team is in a slump or even worse just can’t hit, then plays like squeeze plays are just what an old school dude would come up with. Not much of that type of baseball is seen in current times. In the 50’s and 60’s if Walter Alston gave a coach to signal for a bunt and the pitch was off the plate, you still put the bat on the ball. If you didn’t and remember managers didn’t have post-game explanations to the press, Walter was known to put player up against a wall with their feet kicking as he read you the riot act.
Using the bunt, maybe it is still an art form that most players fear having to attempt, is another way to manufacture runs by moving player into scoring position or running full tilt boogie down the line and scoring even with bases loaded.
Washington is also an aggressive manager expecting everyone advance 1st to 3rd, 2nd to home, stealing bases, hitting behind the runner, hitting the cut of man and that is baseball. As for the 6-6 comment, that was slip up, a foo Fah is all. Calling out a player is not something new to the game, remember Leo or Stankey or Martin or Weaver? And those of you who wanted to hear an apology, phooey, none was needed as the individual will do better next time and the team will know what is expected of them. Go Angels.
I just find no excuse for Ron Baseball Jesus Washington’s call for the suicide then complete lack of accountability post game and ‘it’s wasn’t me’ shaggy impersonation. It’s fine to call out the current generation for whatever misgivings they may have but they were raised by the previous generation(s). My 6 and 4 year old know to not play the blame game so for a supposed “leader” of the ball club (in his 70s) to do just that is atrocious. Thats ok to say, maybe even take it a step further and call him senile or dope brained, just as it’s ok to say they dont make em like they used to speak ill of the youngsters. It can work both ways. Im going to find it very difficult to purchase anymore tickets this season… between Arte, Perry, Washington, and the scrubs we have playing it might not even be worth the bargain bin $2/seat games. The stink of this organization on every level permeates throughout baseball and just isn’t defendable at this point.
Day 3 hostage situation ? Oh the horror
3rd day in a row the same topic has been brought up. Having an opinion on it is fine, in fact it’s encouraged.
I think you mean the 3 GMs before him GPa. I don’t think Stoneman was a puppet
Good hearing your voice on that podcast Jeff. Well spoken, I like the part about petulant Arte and good to have that on record!! There’s some site decorum subjects covered before you appear after the 30 minute mark so listener beware. Too bad Trout and Sano (2 topics you discussed) have since been hurt. And Detmers is doing the exact opposite of ace material since you gave him his flowers. Nonetheless, an enjoyable listen and I hope most commenters/lurkers of the site check it out. Also, seeing Trout stick around for Saturday night fireworks and playing with his son after a brutal defeat (CtPG meet up game) is another example of how much he loves the game. I’d like nothing more than for him to retire with the Angels and have at least another playoff appearance or two (with a playoff win!) under his belt.
Thanks. I had only heard my segment when I posted the link. I’ve added a note.
that got way off topic and kinda crazy there.
I’m fine with that topic being discussed but we can barely talk baseball around here without someone being butt hurt. Hope you do more of those!
I don’t see this team making the playoffs this year or next year. Way too many holes in the pitching departments to fill in one offseason ( hint: no more stupid bullpen signings of the Luis Garcias of this game, and jettison the Suarez, then address the rotation). And I just don’t see Giancarlo Stanton as a hall of famer.
Playoffs?!
There’s way too many holes period. Remember – Jeff Goldblum is our starting 3rd baseman.
Even if our best, currently unranked in the “MLB top 100” prospects become above average (RC+) MLB players, we’re not sniffing the playoffs before the end of Trout’s contract. Arte would need to do the unthinkable and build a starting pitching staff through free agents to open the window of being competitive.
Hopium aside, people need to get real about how far this franchise is from competing year-after-year for the playoffs. We can all sit around here and post “happy talk” to feel good about ourselves while bashing those who are calling bullshit, but it’s just not credible to think this team is in the same zip code of being competitive.
I agree on Stanton he is not a HOFer in my opinion although his Career HRs and 137 adjusted OPS+ are better than others already in the Hall, most of whom do not belong in my opinion. He’s 34 and needs another 89 HRs for 500 and his OPS will drop the more he plays. Also he has accumulated only 44 WAR so a hard no from me.
Fun fact, 15 years ago, when the Angels were exploring a trade for then 25 year old Miguel Cabrera, he was described by Bill James as the definition of a future HOF. Cabrera has a Career OPS+ of 140 and 67 WAR at 41 years old. Mike Trout at 32, even with Covid and all the injuries the last 5 years, is already at 86 War with a 173 OPS+. Under the circumstances, it’s easy to forget just how good he was for 10 years before the injuries hit. I’m hoping he can have a healthy 2-3 more years and maybe even be his former self for one of those. Using OPS+, Mike Trout is still the 2nd greatest RH hitter of all time behind Rogers Hornsby and the 8th greatest hitter all-time. The only people ahead of him are Ruth, Williams, Bonds, Gehrig, Hornsby and 2 players from the Negro Leagues. Pretty crazy.
Based on game attendance for 2 MLB teams, Los Angeles is the #1 market. Kool.
Good Friday morning, get ready for the weekend showdown with those Rangers, GO ANGELS!