Here is an analysis of the career of Kyle Hendricks so far. The Angels just hired him for one year at $2.5 Million. The Angels had earlier made a whole bunch of roster moves, including releasing Kenny Rosenberg. Niko Kavadas was one of the top 4 performers during week 4 over in Arizona.
Here are all the free agents who either pitched at least 20 innings or had 50 plate appearances in 2024.
Photo credit: Rex Fregosi
Hendricks does not fill my championship capillaries enough. I think we should commit to building from the farm up by committing to some more big contracts to keep Trout’s huge payroll hit company once Rendon comes off the books. Snell? Flaherty? Bregman? Why not all three? But also, build the farm. And also stop signing stupid free agent deals. And after you sign a bunch of really stupid free agent deals that gain you almost no ground in the standings, remember that we need to extend guys like O’Hoppe and Neto soon. This will surely make us not a semi-500 team for the next ten years. It’s how long term winners are built as long as I never look up how long term winners were built…..
Now that a read all that, it sounds stupid. Wait. I’m not stupid. Arte is stupid. We hate Arte. Arte. The real problem.
You had me at Arte.
re: Soto
“Boras told reporters on Wednesday that Soto intends to prioritize signing with a team whose owner is committed to winning”
So no, we’re not getting him.
Good.
Dogs at Saguaros…LIVE!!
Finally, the political texts, phone calls, TV and radio commercials and Billboards ads have come to a screeching stop, our attention for a brief and lasting moments can be to hope that those that have lost their homes and processions and some pets to the latest “Mountain Fire” are all safe and don’t lose sight of the future and to rebuild with using all available resources that are available. My heart goes out to all affected by this fire.
GPB and GMB are thinking of you. 👃
I have friends in Somis that just lost everything but their lives to the Mountain Fire.
Trying to figure Arte Moreno out is tough at best. If all avenues that lead to saving money would mean that the savings would be spent on development and teaching and coaching and scouting, then the unintended silliness of finding one good over the hill player by signing 3 or 4 which would have an end result of accomplishing nothing really, would be a waste of time, effort and money.
Plus Jesse Winker…….we need playoff experienced tough guys RIGHT NOW!!!!!
💪 💪 💪
There is one reason to hang onto Rendon, so he can smack Winker again
Thank you for including the player’s name!!!!
I think that’s my friend Dylan from Jersey City…. he loves the Mets but can’t play baseball for shit. It’s weird that you are posting his photo here. Why? Why are you posting photos of random dudes on the internet?
I like the Hendricks signing. Odds are he is donezo, but it doesn’t hurt to let him eat innings for $2.5 mill. Importantly, the signing keeps Dana, Silseth, Aldegheri, etc in the minors where they belong to start the 2025 season.
Another way to look at this is from the watchtower, that is watching cheaper yuts and scrap pile guys to receive innings too. Hendricks is not an innings eater any longer and the Angels have a long history of trying their hand at this exact same idea and it seldom works if ever. Besides, this is a rebuild stage, not a home for the aged and we do not provide rockers. So unlike you and a lot of others I find this move a waste of time, but we shall see.
Take this with a grain of salt, but just sending it out as an FYI…
AngelsWin on their pod yesterday said there is rumblings that Arte is going to spend more than he is letting on, maybe even up to the tax threshold. Cited a couple “sources” (allegedly heard from AL executives)
Given the weakness of the FA class beyond Soto, it would be pure Arte to pull another Rendon-esque signing out of his ass and set the franchise back another decade.
i see what you’re saying, but I don’t think that’s the case. Arte (I hope) has learned, and I think Perry has his ear.
I could see Snell, Buehler, and Flaherty possible (two of the three). Guys that don’t have a QO attached
One thing I hope Perry has learned is to avoid guys with a QO attached
If Arte’s actually willing to spend, take on some contracts and listen to his GM rather than going rogue on the big risks and shiny objects, they can possibly compete.
Find a taker for Rendon or just release him. Get that roster spot freed.
Also, overall team health, esp w Trout is key.
Trout maybe, ACTUALLY DONE
so i guess iwuz right back at the old place in 2018
along with Avasail Garcia.
I think the solution is to sign Snell to a huge contract so he can be our next broken down 30+ million a year player. Flaherty would also be great. His back can go out and we can pay him 20M a year for a while.
Fk the kids.
That would be very Arte. Signing those three would be pure crap plan.
AW’s sources are the voices in their head lol.
Definitely a grain of salt, but this isn’t a bad class to maybe build some stability to help the rebuild.
Knowing Arte, this means one of Scherzer or Verlander; perhaps both.
On a 1-yr? Might not be horrible.
Agreed.
If I was to go over budget this year, I’d consider Flaherty. He’s not Burnes or Snell but he’s only 28 and a 5 or 6 year deal shouldn’t age too horribly. We have Anderson and Hendricks as veterans in the rotation but they are both gone after this year.
Or perhaps take Jordan Montgomery off the Snakes hands. That’s only a one year commitment and with a full spring training dude is likely to bounce back.
I didn’t post an IIWPM last year and probably won’t this year, either, but last year I mouthed off a lot about Montgomery, saying we should sign him. I think this is an even better year to get him since he’s coming off his poor 2024 so might be more affordable.
Come on folks. Arte’s goal is to put butts in the seat, not win a world series. If he wouldn’t spend over half a billion dollars on Ohtani, he won’t on Soto either. He might spend $150 to $200 million on Alonzo if crowds would come to see him hit a homerun.
nobody said he’s going after Soto
Christ. I hope not.
Ballys app has turned into FanDuel app. On some devices app has changed out on others, app still says Ballys but routes to FanDuel
Grandpa mentioned yesterday that attendance doesn’t necessarily translate to wins, and he’s spot on. The Angels are a clear example, and so were the Dodgers back in the McCourt era. It does seem to translate to money, though, which, with good management, should mean more wins. The Guggenheim Dodgers, the Yankees, and even the Astros show us that formula works. The Angels? They’re still missing that solid management piece, especially with a struggling farm system.
Not sure how I feel about the Kendrick signing yet, but it’s not bad—$2.5 million is a pretty low risk for the chance of decent reward and gets us a veteran known for being smart on the field. Hopefully, it also means a valuable coach presence. A veteran’s knowledge for that price sounds like Arte’s latest trip to The Ranch Restaurant and Saloon: decent taste but still a little stingy. Speaking of which, my ex broke up with me after I suggested splitting costs on an upcoming trip. Guess I was trying to be a bit more like Arte.
Also saw that Mookie might be moving back to the infield. Wonder if this means the Dodgers are going to be in on Soto?
Sox won yesterday…our guys did good.
https://www.mlb.com/gameday/solar-sox-vs-rafters/2024/11/06/787580/final/box
Next game verses Scorpions today 5:30.
https://www.mlb.com/gameday/solar-sox-vs-rafters/2024/11/06/787580/final/box
After that Monday 11/11…All Star Break.
Hunter Harding had a Hold
EIEIO
So, Arte signs Soto and Alonzo and acquires two frontline starters……..then my alarm clock goes off…….D@MMIT!!!!!
I know, even then……
And we still only win 70 games next season.
TrAdition.
70?
The hopium is high with this one.
I’ll take the under. And speaking of that….
I’d rather have Burnes & Snell for the cost of Soto and Adames manning 3rd-base vs Alonzo.
My 100% biggest fear for the Angels is that they actually try to do something impactful. I have zero confidence that they suddenly become savvy buyers and make a great free agent signing or pull off a one sided trade in their favor. It’s much more likely that the only free agents they will be able to sign are due to a massive overpay or an overly long contract.
I would much prefer to see them invest in their minor league development staff and prospects.
So damn true, I’m perfectly willing for another year of player development. FA class is rather limited. No more 3-year contracts for middle relievers, please.
I want to be proved wrong so I’m going to say that we’re done acquiring anyone of significance. We might sign a starting pitcher but not likely an everyday position player unless it’s someone to cover 2B until Moore is ready. We’re just waiting around to win the lottery without buying a ticket.
We paid with 90-some-odd losses and paid good, imho.
Current infield would be Rendon (ha), Neto, Rengifo, Schanuel across the diamond. I wouldn’t be too shocked if Kavadas or Noda unseats Schaneul, but Nolan has the very inside track.
We definitely need a couple of infielders.
Rendon will not be the starting 3B. Rengifo will be at 3B if he is not traded.
We know they want Moore to play 2B when he is ready. So 2B is a stopgap until then. It could be Rengifo if Rendon is at 3B for a while. It could be Kingery if Rengifo is at 3B. Or they could fill in with the usual AAA guys, if they don’t sign a legitimate other player.
I’m fine with all of the above as I’d like them to spend their money on pitching. If they fail to do that, the moaning can begin.
This is where signing the Padres Kim is a great idea. He’s looking for playing time and a bounceback year and is really versatile.
He’d start the year at second and spell Neto for the occasional day at SS. Rengifo can man third and also float around on the off chance Rendon is healthy.
Come trade deadline time, move one or both of them for prospects and let Moore get his feet wet.
Kim is a starter and is best at short, move Neto to 2nd?
I’m warming to Turk’s idea of Jorge Polanco. He’s looking for a bounce back year and likely a one year deal.
I prefer Polanco than Moncada
Hendricks and Kingery don’t signal much. Unless the Halos are saving their money for a decent pitcher or two. I’m not talking about Lorenzen, Gibson, or the like. And I don’t want Flaherty. We will see.
I disagree, it signals, “Better than nothing” effort.
Strap in-hunker down-hold on- there’s on Hendricks on board. Wasted Days and Wasted Nights……….. 🙄 🍀
Driving South
https://youtu.be/x42e27qGJ9Q?si=s9p9LsW_kyhNox-X
“Jogging” George Hendrick
Freddy Fender!
Best moustache ever!
Niko looks like a man playing against boys in the AFL.
Samy Natera is getting some love from Baseball America today as one to watch – LHP from Mexico 🇲🇽
A 6-4, 225 Lefty getting some attention…….and an Angel minor leaguer?
New traAitions?
Say it ain’t so T!
Shhh. I have lot of stuff on Samy in tomorrow’s links.
…and a boy playing against men in the MLB.
We seem to collect players like that.
I see what you did there….
Arte, show the baseball world who is the boss and sign Juan Soto 😋
If Arte did sign Soto, I’d put the over/under on when he gets injured for the season at 30.5.
Minutes or hours?
Arte’s at Del Taco with the 2 year, $24M contract and the “you have 30 minutes to decide” ultimatum.
Arte: “Not the Del Scorcho, mild please.”
The only Soto Arte is gonna sign is our old retired catcher Geovany Soto.
Livan Soto?
Elliot Soto?
Hernando de Soto?
…and go ahead and sign Pete Alonzo to drive home the point.
Halo Power Baby!!!
More like Halo Blackout
