LA Angels Monday News Crash: Dana Don’t

Caden Dana was the first American League reliever in the futures game. He struck out one and gave up two hits including a homer. Jo Adell may not hit much, but when he hits it goes out.

In the draft, the Angels went with #13 ranked second baseman Christian Moore out of Tennessee. In the second round they selected pitcher Chris Cortez out of Texas A&M.

Former MLB Third baseman Sean Burroughs who died at 43 a couple of weeks ago, suffered a cardiac arrest brought on by fentanyl intoxication.

What the Hell? Dustin May is out for the season with a torn esophagus. What was he eating? The Marlins just lost an outfielder to a fractured ankle, but they are probably not buyers. Carlos Correa has plantar fasciitis. Couldn’t happen to a nicer guy.

The Twins just DFA’d right hander Caleb Boushley. The Brewers just did the same to Dallas Keuchel.

Photo credit: Rex Fregosi

90 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Turk's Teeth
Editor
Super Member
4 months ago

So many better names on the board when the Angels selected Gordon: Gage Ziehl, Michael Massey, Tyson Neighbors. All gone now.

smithy610
Super Member
4 months ago

Round 4, Pick 110

Austin Gordon – RHP

Eric_in_Portland
Legend
4 months ago
Reply to  smithy610

I don’t like this much. I need to know more about him probably

Turk's Teeth
Editor
Super Member
4 months ago
Reply to  smithy610

Well off-the-board selection. Ranked #363 by BA.

Mostly a reliever, with an uneven track record. Had a lot of trouble keeping the ball in the park.

This feels like last year, where the limits of the Angels very small and not geographically distributed scouting dept showed in later rounds. Like when they selected Chris Chalk last year.

Last edited 4 months ago by Turk's Teeth
smithy610
Super Member
4 months ago
Reply to  Turk's Teeth

They couldn’t wait for this guy until the much later rounds???

Turk's Teeth
Editor
Super Member
4 months ago
Reply to  smithy610

He feels like a Day 3 selection to me. Wasted pick.

smithy610
Super Member
4 months ago

Tears or Jordan at 110! C’mon!!

Eric_in_Portland
Legend
4 months ago

interesting to see guys drafted now who are ranked 236th or whatever, or not ranked at all. That’s what scouts are for.

2002heaven
Super Member
4 months ago

More reliever type guys, unbelievable.
Remember what I said, excuse me, Einstein said about the definition of insanity.

Cowboy26
Legend
4 months ago
Reply to  2002heaven

So Whats a starter type guy IYO Toots?

2002heaven
Super Member
4 months ago
Reply to  Cowboy26

Reid Detmers

Cowboy26
Legend
4 months ago
Reply to  2002heaven

And How’s that working out for us?

Eric_in_Portland
Legend
4 months ago
Reply to  2002heaven

maybe you’re a numbskull. 19 games pitched, all as a starter.

Turk's Teeth
Editor
Super Member
4 months ago
Reply to  2002heaven

Prager is a clear starter profile, who only falls to long reliever / swing if he fails at that. With strengthening he could be a very durable lefty.

Cowboy26
Legend
4 months ago
Reply to  Turk's Teeth

Andrew Heaney type?

Turk's Teeth
Editor
Super Member
4 months ago
Reply to  Cowboy26

Could be – a bit of a funky command lefty at the moment, but as we’ve seen with Detmers, there are a lot of programs that can improve velocity after drafting.

Angelstan
Trusted Member
4 months ago
Reply to  Turk's Teeth

That’s what Sandoval was also.

smithy610
Super Member
4 months ago

Does William Schmidt have signability issues?? Why is he still undrafted???

Eric_in_Portland
Legend
4 months ago
Reply to  smithy610

LSU commit I think.

smithy610
Super Member
4 months ago

Thank you both!!

Turk's Teeth
Editor
Super Member
4 months ago
Reply to  smithy610

He removed himself from the draft the morning-of, along with a handful of other prep pitchers.

Angelz4ever
Super Member
4 months ago

So far, the 2024 draft for the Halos is the Chris and Ryan show?

Angelz4ever
Super Member
4 months ago

Seattle drafted an ambidextrous pitcher. I guess the other one (Oakland) didn’t pan out.

red floyd
Legend
4 months ago
Reply to  Angelz4ever

I always wanted a pitcher that could breathe underwater…

comment image

smithy610
Super Member
4 months ago

Ah, there goes Sirota to the Reds

smithy610
Super Member
4 months ago

Prager is MLB Pipeline’s #61 Prospect:

Scouting grades: Fastball: 55 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 60 | Control: 60 | Overall: 50

Prager was one of the more projectable left-handers in the 2021 Texas high school crop, but he was also the valedictorian of his high school class and set on attending Texas A&M, so he went undrafted. He cracked the Aggies’ weekend rotation as a freshman but blew out his elbow, had Tommy John surgery in October 2022 and redshirted last year. He emerged as the ace of the College World Series runners-up this spring and should factor into the second or third round.

While Prager hasn’t added any velocity since high school, working at 90 mph and peaking at 93 with his fastball, it has been unhittable because it comes out of a high release height with a ton of carry and he commands it so well. His low-80s slider plays well off his up-in-the-zone heater, darting under bats with two-plane depth. His low-80s changeup has similar action and elicits more empty swings and chases than his other offerings.

Prager doesn’t light up radar guns but he keeps hitters off balance as well as any pitcher in the college ranks. His near-over-the-top delivery provides plenty of deception, and his ability to mix and command all three of his pitches also helps them play up. He’s a high-floor mid-rotation starter and some scouts think he has more upside and velocity left in his tank.

Last edited 4 months ago by smithy610
Roy Hobbs
Super Member
4 months ago
Reply to  smithy610

What would we do with someone who has command?  🙂 

Angelz4ever
Super Member
4 months ago
Reply to  Roy Hobbs

Teach his instincts to be insubordinate?

Turk's Teeth
Editor
Super Member
4 months ago
Reply to  smithy610

He was good value at either #74 or #81.

Maybe a strengthening program gets his velocity to 92-95, which would work fine for lefty.

smithy610
Super Member
4 months ago

Next pick at 110

smithy610
Super Member
4 months ago

Round 3, Pick 81:

Ryan Prager – LHP

Turk's Teeth
Editor
Super Member
4 months ago
Reply to  smithy610

Ace of Texas A&M – success in a good program against good competition. Mid-rotation upside. Solid pick.

Cowboy26
Legend
4 months ago
Reply to  Turk's Teeth

Good competition like Like Dallas Baptist University ?

Last edited 4 months ago by Cowboy26
Turk's Teeth
Editor
Super Member
4 months ago

I like the Prager pick, among the remaining options on the board. Wish they could’ve grabbed Drew Beam yesterday.

Turk's Teeth
Editor
Super Member
4 months ago

KC immediately picked my top round 3 target: Drew Beam. And others scooped the two best catchers on the board: Messina and Bazzell.

Turk's Teeth
Editor
Super Member
4 months ago

Anybody putting up a new draft thread?

Eric_in_Portland
Legend
4 months ago

checking in here, the daily thread, and also the draft thread to see where we pick up from yesterday

max
Trusted Member
max
4 months ago

That D May injury sounds like something that should’ve happened to a Los Angeles Angel not a Los Angeles Dodger. Somebody somewhere f’d up.

Last edited 4 months ago by max
RexFregosi
Super Member
4 months ago

Moore isn’t Tennessee, lol about a Connecticut prep school; he’s from Brooklyn and will go hard (but he may take some getting used to)
https://youtu.be/UaRUjzzVnxc?si=ak86TCSWuHvjibiS

Twebur
Legend
4 months ago
Reply to  RexFregosi

He gives us street cred and street grit.
I like it!

smithy610
Super Member
4 months ago

I assume Moore will easily slot at the #1 prospect once rankings are re-done after the draft.

I hope we get a pitcher who will be projectable to be an SP in the majors for the next pick.

Jeff Joiner
Editor
Legend
4 months ago
Reply to  smithy610

He has a 55 grade at MLB so he’s on top, tied with Caden Dana at the top.

74th pick Ryan Johnson has a 50 and slides in behind those two with Caden Dana.

So we now have 4 guys who start with a 5. Hopefully with a few trades we can add to that number.

YOUknowulovetheIE
Super Member
4 months ago

The home run derby should be fri night with the all star game sat night, every year. Whoever decided on Monday and Tuesday this year needs fired.

Twebur
Legend
4 months ago

Not a bad idea. The weekend schedule would give it a ratings boost I would think. With the draft every year being part of the event…. Restart the schedule on Monday. But the Monday Tuesday schedule goes back decades or from the beginning of the very 1st ASG.

YOUknowulovetheIE
Super Member
4 months ago
Reply to  Twebur

Have them play up until Wed night, off thur, HR derby fri, all star game on sat, draft Sunday, let them off until tue, baseball back at it wed night.