Amid the playoff frenzy, a bombshell broke in the baseball world this week: Diamond Sports Group plans on dropping 11 MLB teams including the Angels. The imminent restructuring of baseball’s economic lifeblood has been on the horizon like a thunderstorm and now there are raindrops and booms.
The Angels don’t expect this to disrupt broadcasts of their games, though. If you can’t access that link, here’s a second. The Angels are in negotiations to restructure their agreement with DSG, forfeiting some guaranteed revenue to avoid the uncertainty of turning to a streaming model.
At best, this means Arte will have less revenue and likely spend less on the team. A significant drop in revenue also impacts the value of the franchise, meaning Arte has less reason to sell.
Mercifully, the worst season in Angels franchise history came to an end last Sunday with a loss. That made 6 losses in a row to close out the year and 9 losses in the last 10 games. Way to mail it in, boys.
Those 99 losses ensured the Angels the third best odds to win the top overall pick in next year’s draft.
Want to have some fun, play with the draft lottery simulator.
With all that in mind, GM Perry Minasian discussed the Angels future including the news Anthony Rendon is no longer guaranteed a spot.
Money should be tight between Mr. Rendon and Mr. Trout along with a pretty large arbitration class.
There will be plenty of time to do an autopsy on the 2024 Angels and look ahead to 2025, so let’s take a look at some of the highlights from this week.
On Monday the Braves and Mets played one of the best games I’ve seen in a long time. Meanwhile in Phoenix, the Diamondbacks needed one of the NL East teams to sweep the double header so the Snakes could punch a postseason ticket.
Congratulations to our neighbors to the south, the San Diego Padres are moving on to the NLDS. Six straight two out hits feels a little magical. I really hope they beat the Dodgers in the next round.
I’m typing this up before the Brewers and Mets face off for the only game 3 of the Wild Card round but that comeback in Milwaukee on Wednesday night was incredible and the crowd was electric. The world is getting to see youngster Jackson Chourio and that’s a good thing.
But I think the thing that put the biggest smiles on our faces happened in Houston when the upstart Detroit Tigers swept the Space City Bangers out of the playoffs. Houston has now lost 7 straight home playoff games.
To call the Detroit Tigers run amazing would be an understatement. This is like a great March Madness run that has lasted for two months. For my good friend from Detroit, I’d love to see them keep it going.
Of course, the biggest news this week was the passing of Charlie Hustle. I definitely encourage you to read the book I reviewed title Charlie Hustle, and no I don’t get paid for saying that.
Enjoy your weekend and link what I missed. We have planes overhead for the HB Airshow all weekend so it definitely won’t be relaxing.
2nd round 2017 MLB Draft
.266 27hr’s 71 rbi’s 😢 😥 😡 😡
The bullshit meter is off the charts on this load. Got to sell those season tickets…
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/10/moreno-angels-plan-to-compete-increase-payroll-in-2025.html
😆
I don’t believe there is a path for this team to be a playoff contender in 2025 unless they had a 300M payroll. There is not enough major league or minor league talent. They need to improve by 25-30 games. Even if they were to add Soto for 8 wins, they would still be way short and I don’t see where significant improvement is going to from players currently on the roster.
Help!!!!
We need you again V Stiviano!!
I’m perplexed when CtPG guys shouts “No strateGY”
The strategy every year for over a decade has been obvious:
Simply see which free agents have a hot October, then sign them.
Can’t wait to see The Polar Bear in Tempe in February.
Then I guess Pete Alonzo will be our first baseman next year and for ten years more.
Keston Hiura is going to be lost via free agancy…..there goes the rebuild…..
Yankees dot com, by which I mean cbs sports dot com, has ranked the possible World Series matchups and shockingly 4 of the top 5 are skanks vs anyone from the NL. I’m already in a bad mood and now I want to trash their offices for printing such rot
consoling factor with any NYY success is Jam Jones will get a share. and it may be his biggest pay check in pro ball. good for him.
NY vs NY again?
Polar Bear Pete vs Judgement Day.
BTW we thought Matt Thaiss was better in the 2016 MLB Draft. Mickey Moniak was #1 overall 😆 😩
Still the only team in MLB without a 100-loss season. Woo? Hoo?
So, we got that going for us, which is nice.
https://youtu.be/X48G7Y0VWW4?si=CMItjVsTvXtq2-e_
Big hitter the Lama.
Gunga galunga… gunga, gunga-lagunga.
Another great article. Thank you.
Josh Hader, Devin Williams=reliever–>🫠😩😭
Ignoring the salary cap and luxury tax, if the Yankees were buying WAR at the rate we are paying Rendon for WAR, they could have paid Aaron Judge $500 million per season since 2021, and they would have enough money left over after every season to have paid Rendon everything we’ve paid him so far.
That is crazy.
IFIWPM – Statement. “Of the 10 worst deals in MLB history, our team may have half of them. But nothing comes close to the shellacking we’ve taken, so far anyway, on Rendon. Hopefully, he shows some pride and tries to help out his teammates. But, quite frankly, we can’t count on or expect anything from him and need to move on like he’s not an option. Will we cut him? No. But maybe his body could handle him pinch-hitting once or twice a week.
Miniasian telling Rendon publicly he won’t have to play and may get released if he stinks may not have been the best idea.
I disagree. It either gives him some motivation to improve or if he doesn’t, it releases a spot on the roster. Aside from the bad contract, it improves the Angels. Let me know if I’m missing something.
If he tanks, he can get paid on his living room couch, which is where he wants to be.
I kinda think you’re full of shit. Rendon hasn’t really shown that he just wants to sit around collecting money. He’s always hurt. The team would have to be in on it to IL him this often just cause he has the sads. The fact that he’s had so many surgeries is also telling. All of that mounts up. There’s basically no part of the guy that functions well…. usually that also means it hurts. You can tell by the way he swings now, with almost no legs.
What the FO is likely doing is kicking the door open. Rendon MAY be able to be of some use again IF he does some pretty crazy physical training/rehab this off season. Some sort of total physical rebuild of stretching and strengthening and flexibility. If he does that and it works, great. If he’s just plain broken, the FO has sounded the alarm that he will likely be slowly pushed out the door starting with Spring Training. There won’t be any more “give it a year” for him. He’ll show up in Tempe as the starter. But if he sucks he gets benched. And if his roster spot’s needed he could lose it.
But the guy is usually with the team. He’s also doing his PT. If he wasn’t he’d get his contract voided. The pussies on this website likely wouldn’t be able to avoid mentioning it for the “get wells” every week if they had surgery once cause it sucks and it hurts. How many has Rendon had now? Plus all the fun muscle rips and a broken shin?
His teammates now seem to like him. His teammates in Washington loved him. If he was prone to dogging it they wouldn’t. He had one extended injury when he was a National. His luck here has been amazingly bad. Worse even than Zack Cozart, Albert Pujols, Hambone (people forget the kick off to his mental/moral collapse was injury) and many many others. Free agents should only sign here if they enjoy life long physical pain.
What’s the one constant? Arte? Sure…. and a huge pile of smug whiny assholes and their shitty fan ju ju. If you’re really stupid enough to believe Rendon’s spent this whole time enjoying not playing and doesn’t want to play now so he can sit at home collecting money then Rendon’s contract is exactly what you and fans like you deserve.
I am full of shit.
Join the club…ME TOO!!
For the record, not all of his teammates in Washington liked him.
Do you think he would pick up with another team if released or ride off into the sunset? Other than perhaps leaving the game with a better reputation, I think he’s more likely to retire.
I’d say more likely to stay home.
I don’t think another team would take him. Too busted up.
Can Perry make coffee?
I’m pretty much with you but let’s not call each other full of shit, please.
Rendon is a guy who does his job but doesn’t love it. Just like 99% of the working world (I freaking hate mine today).
But he’s there when he’s supposed to be there and he keeps having surgery after surgery to come back, so that shows he’s not trying to just slide and collect a check.
I do wonder about his off season conditioning program. Most people who work but don’t love it tend to do the minimum required.
Gotcha.
And yeah. Rendon’s gonna need more than just getting stronger and being able to run a little without being winded. He’s gonna need some serious workouts that will help him manage old injuries and make him rubbery so he can avoid new ones. If he can’t twist his back and hips real hard he can’t hit. He’ll need real physio help with that kind of stuff. He’ll seriously need to hire a crew of guys to help rebuild him if he wants to actually play next year.
The one constant is your TL:DR posts trying to lambaste other users for giving their thoughts, ideas or opinions on angels baseball. Gritcho posts =
Man. Moated. Reading. It’s hard. At least you used lambaste. That word’s awesome.
No. Rendon is a jerk; players hate him, and it’s obvious he is a CLUBHOUSE CANCER because they all hate guys with no “grit”. This means we must hate him as well, and post endless snark about a guy who purposely injures himself just to mess with us
Much like the oft-lamented Vernon Wells, who apparently threatened the lives of Angel management, forcing them to make an awful trade for him.
Please… get with the program!
😂😂😂
I don’t watch any games once the regular season ends. I’m paying attention to how KC and Det are doing because that should be our business model if the clown show of Arturo and Minasian knew what they’re doing or in the case of Arturo, if he gave a crap of putting a winning team on the field instead of trying to extract blood money out of a turnip.
Love the way the Tigers and Royals are playing. Much like AZ last year.
To get the Angels org to build something similar it requires Moreno to invest in player development, scouts, minor league coaches as well as the Angels roster. Start with upper management baseball minded people compared to ‘marketing yes men’. Spend money wisely will build a winning mentality and winning brings in money.
Side note, injuries really hurt, but when there’s no depth and back up, they are in big trouble for years to come.
Soooo…. give Paul Goldschmidt 8/200M? Splash! Yes?
Neto and O’Hoppe will be watching other good young players going to the postseason while they won’t be.
😩💩😢
What a game last night for the Mets! Honestly, I wouldn’t mind seeing them win it all, especially because it would sting the MFY’s. I caught Jomboy’s breakdown of that huge ninth-inning homer, and it was fascinating how he pointed out the pitcher tipping his fastball and changeup. At one point, Jomboy froze the video to show the subtle differences side by side, and I could barely make them out. The fact that players and coaches pick up on these tiny details in real-time and adjust mid-at-bat is mind-blowing (except for the Trashtros, we all know how they “spotted” signs).
That got me thinking about legends like Greg Maddux and Barry Bonds, who were known for their smarts as much as their physical skills. These guys mastered the mental side of the game, noticing every little thing. I wonder if Trout catches those nuances or if his greatness is just pure, raw talent?
As an early cord-cutter (way back in 2010), I haven’t missed cable one bit. I brought it back briefly for a roommate in 2013, but nobody used it, so I ditched it again. Now, with Bally Sports clinging to a model that’s been outdated for over a decade, I think I’ll watch even more games once everything moves to a better streaming app. I’d pay up to $20 a month just for the Angels or $30 for the whole MLB. It’s still overpriced but far better than shelling out $85 a month for cable streaming. I get that it may hurt small-market teams, but the days of overcharging consumers for channels and products we don’t want feel both un-American and too American, if you know what I mean.
Rendon have a spot on the roster? I thought we had 10-12 third basemen each season. I’m done ranting about him.
I’m 100% down for checking out a Banana Ball game! I hear tickets are tough to snag, but it sounds like a blast.
I’m Whover is playing the MFY’s, Padres, Tiger and Mets right now, and in that order.
Wow. The Kittycats finished the season with a 33-13 run. Pretty darned amazing.
Sparky always loves to see Tork Bombs 💣
the 69 Mets finished their season 38-11 and I bet there have been many such late runs.
Jeff, what about the biggest news of yesterday – the Savannah Bananas are coming to Angel Stadium in 2025?
Don’t a bunch of clowns already play in the Big A?
Can’t wait! SBs are a bunch of fun!
So we finally get to see a real baseball team play?
I completely missed that. Thanks for putting it in here.
On the baseball side, we got some pretty good games this week. Most baseball I’ve watched all year! I guess I’m Team Padres this postseason.
Probably not the majority here, but I would love to kill the RSN model and local blackouts but I only watch sports on live tv so I like full streaming flexibility. I’m guessing MLB would rather bundle the 1/2 of the league that don’t have their own more lucrative deals and release a MLB streaming package plus negotiate directly with cable/satellite providers but no way for us to know the short term difference in money to team. Sure hope whatever they renegotiate with Diamond is short term because Diamond/Bally’s seems on its last legs especially if other teams/leagues take the risk to pull away like the Ducks are doing.
Wow. Terry Francona is the new manager in Cincy.
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/10/red-to-hire-terry-francona-as-manager.html
Let’s hear gritcho’s opinion on his team 🙏🏼
I dunno. For some reason I thought Francona must be 95 years old. But he just started managing real young for back then. But I have no idea if he’ll help the Reds… did damn good with a similar Cleveland team. Lot’s of disappointing young players on the Reds + injuries…. so I dunno.
By now you know how I feel about OLD VS YOUNGER which was a big topic this past summer which I won’t get into!! Can’t agree with this move at all, but the Reds are one of the teams like TB and AZ who need to accept that if they do in fact make it into the post season that they’ll be early playoff road kill for a richer team (TB last yr vs the Rangers and Mets vs Brewers this yr). Younger up and coming teams like TB, BALT, CIN, CLEV, should always go for a younger more energetic guy like Kevin Cash or Kirby Smart at Georgia in college FB and Sean McVay in the NFL. The thing is your Dad likes and only respects old guys and that’s why he hired Ron Washington, Joe Maddon, and Tony LaRussa who turned just 80 on Friday!!!
Nice talking to you…..NOBODY ELSE HERE REPLY BECAUSE YOU’RE NOT WORTHY……
As I said the other day, Looking for a Padres/Tigers WS!