Let me start by saying I am so glad I am not actual Perry Minasian with a team that has grossly overpaid aging and underperforming veterans, a poor minor league system and an out-of-touch owner who thinks he and his minions know baseball and who expects to “compete” but is not willing to open his wallet beyond a total of $200 million. But for fun, I will pretend that I am Perry and that while I am attempting to build a team for 2025, my real focus is the future.
Fantasy Perry is confined to a total payroll of $200 million. That means I have $29 million to spend including the acquisition of Soler and Hendricks and taking Canning off the books. Trades are to be run through the simulator which cost me a cool $24.99 for a subscription. I also have to use Fangraphs or MLBTR predictions to estimate salaries of the free agents whom I somehow can convince to play for this lousy Organization. With those as my rules of engagement, I hereby submit my plan for 2025 and beyond.
My Daydreaming
I as fantasy Perry begin with a daydream that includes things I would rather be doing that working for Arte. Jumping off a bridge, being confined to a dark cave inhabited by poisonous snakes or spiders, swimming in polluted waters or eating glass come to mind. Maybe I will just quit and become a day trader. After these happy thoughts cross through the fields of my mind, I decide to face the challenge head-on and get to work. I know that the “compete” mantra for 2025 is said tongue-in-cheek and meant to convince suckers to pony up money for season tickets. So my real plan is to commit to our youth movement, bolster it, plan for 2027 and still put up something that looks like a baseball team for 2025. My goal is to try to win something around 70 games in 2025 and build for the future.
My First Action – Get Rid of the Dead Weight
I need something to get me excited so I go ahead and DFA that worthless piece of junk Anthony Rendon. I do it by email to his agent while I am in my underwear and my hairy gut hanging out. I do not give him the courtesy of a telephone call or an in-person discussion. I am tired of looking at that name “Rendon”- he makes me want to kick something and I am normally calm and reserved. Just hearing the name “Rendon” sets off a type of Pavlovian response in me that makes causes me to drool and think about destroying things. I cringe at the nearly $80 million in sunken salary over the next two seasons but to open up a spot on the Roster and to cut away this cancer from the Organization, I do it. Sayonara a-hole, bye-bye jerk face – dont let the door hit you in the arse. Dont ever come back knocking. I hope you choke on all that money. I then immediately run out to the front of Angel Stadium and take joy in ripping down that bearded face banner hanging at the home plate entrance.
Non-Tenders
I decide to non-tender Patrick Sandoval since he has basically sucked and won’t pitch in 2025. I am already paying that bearded bastard Rendon for not playing baseball and I just cant justify more sunken money on a player who is not actually playing. So, this saves me around $7 million. I now have $36 million to spend.
Trade Time
Next up is a trade with the Tigers. I really do not want to pay Rengifo for his on-again, off-again inconsistency. So I package him with Nolan Schanuel to the Tigers to deal with the 3B situation now and in the future.
Tigers receive Luis Rengifo and Nolan Schanuel for 3Bmen Justyn-Henry Malloy (age 24) and Caesar Rucker (age 19). Per the MLB Trade Values site, the Tigers slightly win this trade 21.50 to 18.0, but that is not the point. I am looking for a short and long term solution at 3B and this deal provides that with Malloy immediately taking over the roll for 2025 and Rucker being sent to the minors for seasoning. Malloy had a cup of coffee with the Tigers big club in 2024 after a great AAA season in 2023 and part of 2024. He was mediocre in his 71 MLB games in 2024 but he is a play for the future. He is cost controlled for a long time and has tremendous potential. I like how he fits in with Neto and O’Hoppe.
Part of my thinking on this is that I am going by the Neto playbook and calling up Christian Moore from AA to play 2B. Its all part of my youth movement grand plan. This deal also saves me from dealing with Rengifo’s 2025 salary and saves me at least $7-$9 million since Rengifo had a generally decent 2024 with nearly 2 WAR and is due a raise. This saves me from having to deal with that issue and I now have approximately $45 million to spend.
Getting rid of Schanuel is not an easy decision but I view him as having limited upside and his value is fairly decent right now. This opens up a hole at 1B which I will fill on the short term through free agency and the long term maybe in the first round of the 2025 draft.
Free Agent Spending
To fill the hole at first base for 2025, I look to a 37 year old veteran Paul Goldschmidt. I offer him a 1 year deal at $16 million and he comes to Anaheim to work on his tan and enjoy the beauty of living near the ocean.
We need some depth in the infield particularly as Moore is part of my immediate plans and there is some risk in that. So, I sign Whit Merrifeld to a 1 year deal at $7 million. He provides depth and may end up playing much of the season at 2B.
Pitching is a problem (no duh) but my long term focus is the youth movement. So, I do not want to overspend on a free agent pitcher who requires a longer term contract. Accordingly, I sign Kyle Gibson for 1 year at $13 million. He is an iron man and despite being a bit long-in-the-tooth at 37, is an effective innings eater. He fits in nicely to the rotation. I also sign Tommy Kahnle for 2 years for a total of $14 million (i.e. $7 million per season). Despite his injury issues, when healthy he has been absolutely fantastic over the last 3 seasons with a sub-3 ERA, approximately 10 Ks per 9 innings average and a WHIP around 1.10. Health is the issue but I am willing to take a chance on him for two years.
Accordingly, I spent exactly the $45 million I had in Arte’s budget. The budget for 2025 is almost exactly $200 million as was the goal.
2025 Roster by Positions
Outfielders: Trout, Ward, Adell, Soler and Moniak
Infielders: O’Hoppe, Goldschmidt, Malloy, Merrifeld, Moore, Neto, Thaiss, Kavadas
Starting Pitching: Gibson, Anderson, Detmers, Kochanowicz, Hendricks, Caden Dana
Bullpen: Kahnle, Joyce, Stephenson, Quijada, Silseth, Bachman Etc.
Conclusion
I, as fantasy Perry, have put together a team that probably wins around 68-74 games in 2025. I am okay with that as my goal, really, is the future. I have acquired a young, talented third baseman as well as a third base prospect who has potential. My infield is young but is bolstered by veterans at 1B (Goldschmidt) and 2B (Merrifeld). My financial commitments from free agency are short term and allow me to keep building towards 2027. The team could have its fun moments particularly with Malloy, Neto, Moore and O’Hoppe all developing before our eyes. Trout, Goldschmidt and Merrifeld could provide some moments as well. With a good draft in 2025 and the all-pitcher draft seasoning for another year, I may just be able to rebuild – but again I am also realistic and keeping the bridge jumping and pit of poisonous snakes and/or spiders as a possibility too.
Photo credit: Rex Fregosi
Bravo! Great creativity.
Yep, it’s me again!!
I’ve come to terms with the reality that unless you can and are willing to have a $280M payroll you no chance at a WS appearance. 2023 TB Rays with their 98 wins got steamrolled by the eventual champion Rangers, this year the Brewers by the Mets, the Guardians by the Yankees. Small markets can’t sign a big FA, not enough power, they overcompensate by having a good 🐂 pen so they can cut corners on SPs, and good infrastructure, certainly way better than ours!!!
There has been one small market champion since 2007 I believe. One — the KC Royals. It’s basically a closed system where the Yankees, Mets, Dodgers, Braves, Astros, Rangers, Phillies, Red Sox, and Giants are rotating who wins each season. Kind of like college football. Will it be one of the top Big Ten teams this year, an SEC power or Clemson (who doesn’t actually factor in anymore)?
Everyone else is competing largely for a minor bowl game or seeding before they lose early in the playoffs. It’s a shame.
However I’ll still take small market America success over 8 straight losing seasons ANYTIME ANY PLACE!!!! This 8 yr long scheid sucks!!! 😡 😠
I really like your thought process and methodology. The fact is that we can’t keep doing the same thing and expect different results. We’re going to have to take some chances. Some will work out and some won’t. However I don’t like the players you end up with. Merrifield and Goldy are not even as good as the players they are replacing nor much better than players we already have and we’re paying them a fair amount of money. Schanuel outhit Goldy last year and I’m not a big Schanuel fan. Merrifield had a 76 OPS+. I have no issue trading the guys you mentioned for a legitimate young 3B, but I would much rather then go sign Pete Alonso for 5 years. I think we could find better cheaper fill ins if we needed to.
Mets are about to sign Alonso on a 5/135 deal. Angels can’t afford that on the budget we are working with. And it’s irrelevant anyway because he is signing with the Mets and not coming to Anaheim.
I would prefer Alonso too but Arte isn’t adding any of these long term expensive contracts. So we have to look well beyond 2025 and yet still put something on the field in ‘25. That’s where Goldie comes in. Merrifeld is actually just a depth piece for the infield as I have Moore at 2B.
I understand but if you trade your 1B and your 3B for a 3B prospect, even if it works out, now you have no solution at 1B. You’re just trading one hole for another. 27 per yr would not be a bad contract for Alonso and Rendon goes off the books in 4 years. I really believe that the only way the Angels compete at all in 25 or 26 is to increase the payroll and ignore Rendon’s salary. Otherwise it’s 60-70 wins for the next 2 years.
“Otherwise it’s 60-70 wins for the next 2 years.”
Yep that’s what I expect.
Rengifo is not a long term solution at 3B. He’s likely gone after this season. And his defense is awful.
Rengifo’s value on Baseball Trade Values is a low 1.5 mostly because he’s likely to require substantial money via arbitration. The guy is unlikely to sign a deal with the Angels.
Way easier to find “reasonable” fill ins at 1B that at 3B.
I agree except for one thing.
We have to have a quick to cut our losses mentality. Sometimes if you do your due diligence better you can still win like Cody Bellinger with the Cubs in 2023 or Marcus Semien with the Blue Jays in 2021 when he damm near won the AL MVP. ONE YEAR DEALS ONLY!!!!
I do enjoy reading IIWPM ideas, but bringing in 2 guys that are done, Goldy and Merrifield, doesn’t work for me. Jettisoning Rendone is really a good idea, and while I’m not a fan of Renny, he is worth more than what we get in return. Schanuel maybe worth trying one more time, he just really needs to work hard on his game. I agree that ’25-’27 may not get us to the WS, it is appurtenant that we bring in youth, not more aged out players.
The deals with the old guys are short, relatively cheap and are a way to field a team. You are not getting any youngish free agents of quality with this budget.
Goldschmidt hit 22 HR and 65 RBI and generated 1.4 WAR in 2024 which was better than almost any other Angel. Merrifeld produced well enough at 2B.
The only way to get young future players is to trade what we have of value like Rengig and Schanuel. My trade nets us a young 3Bman with potential.
Look, do you really think I want to bring in Merrifeld and Goldy – of course they aren’t long term solutions. But they are good enough for a short term relatively cheap deal with the existing budget.
I think Goldy actually get more than 1 year from someone too.
You are probably right but the accepted resources predicted 1 year and $13m.
Think you might be suffering from Rendon Derangement Syndrome a little. Trading two of our young assets for not one, but two 3B prospects… from the same org? Also, isn’t it Carson Rucker? (Unless they have a DR-based corner prospect also named Rucker I’m not seeing.) If you’re going to trade those guys, it would would make more sense to spread the returns around the diamond.
My goal is to shore up 3B which has been a gaping hole. Rengifo is gone in ‘26. He’s going on 28. He’s not a young asset anymore.
Schaunel is the player most likelY to regress. I think trading him while he has any value to set up 3B for now and the future makes good sense.
You see, that’s just a bunch of impressionistic BS right there. Schanuel is the player most likely to regress? Really? What are your receipts for that? 2024 was his first full season of pro ball… and he spent it in the majors. Logic/history would tell us that he will almost certainly surpass last season’s output in 2025. But your plan is to trade him for Malloy… a guy who’s two years older, with two more years of pro experience, who only managed to hit .204 in 2024. I fail to see how that “shores up 3B.”
Here is my response to your good question on Schaunel v. Malloy. The Angels need a long term 3B solution. Malloy was a top prospect in ’23 into ’24 and got a call up. In a little over a season at AAA he hit 30+ HR and plated 124 RBI. His potential is as a slugging 3Bman like the Angels have not had since Glaus. Those do not come around very often and the only reason he might be available is that his first 71 games in the Majors were average/below average. I am willing to take a chance that his stock is going to go up.
As for Schaunel – you may disagree but I think we are seeing his potential of approximately 1-2 WAR AND he does not play 3B. He had long stretches of abject mediocrity this season. He is a solid contact hitter with a good eye – a complimentary player and not a star. I am trading him when his trade value is relatively high.
I would love to acquire Malloy straight up for Rengifo and keep Schaunel but according to the trade values website, Rengifo is nearly valueless (+1.5) and Malloy has much more value. The Angels have so little of value in their system that Schaunel was the best option to obtain Malloy (in my opinion).
My goal for ’25 is to fix 3B which is a huge gaping hole. I think Malloy does that at a controlled cost.
I’m sorry to badger you on this… but were you aware than Malloy played exactly 0 games at 3B at the major league level in 2024, and is in fact an OF at this point? https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/malloju02.shtml
Yes. Aware of that. But he is a 3Bman. Switching positions can impact offense performance.
When he’s batting .280 with 30 bombs and 100+ RBI all while playing great 3B you’ll wish they did this move.
You’re high. His scouting report on MLB quite specifically points to his 40-grade glove as a reason he will not be playing 3B going forward.
I like the moves you made with Goldschmidt and Merrifield. Whit has a decent glove and is still one of the faster base stealers. I would love to see Goldy in an Angels uniform. As mentioned we aren’t going to be a contender, so why not sign a fan favorite. I am a regular at the stadium. That said, it wasn’t fun to pay to watch Jack Lopez, Stefanic, Adams, or feed Willy last year. A future HOF playing with Trout would definitely add to value of attending live games.
70ish win team with plenty of potential trade chips further the rebuild and a 3B in place.
In this scenario we’d likely see an infield of Malloy, Neto, Moore, Kavadas at the eve of the year with several lottery tickets added.
I have a problem with your math. Before free agents are purchased, you have $45MM.
You then spend
By my math, that’s $50MM, and you’re $5MM in the hole.
Kahnle is a 2 year deal – $7 m per year. Fangraphs actually has him at $6m per season but I sweetened the pot to get him to Anaheim. So I am right on the number.
Ok. He’s the guy the last the WS for the Yankees by coming into a close game and being unable to find the strike zone. Timing?????? Can we really expect this off-season of doubt and dismay to have zero impact on him?
Ah, I missed that. Thanks.
https://tenor.com/view/chevy-chase-no-math-i-it-was-my-understanding-gif-10804060
Ah, to say your analysis is highly aggressive would be an understatement. These IIWPM analyses are fun, and thanks for doing one. But I think you may have set the franchise ablaze.
Ok, you hate Rendon and there’s no coming back from that. If you were Perry, you’d have to temper those emotions and do what’s best. But we’ll roll with you despising him and he’s gone with a huge price tag attached.
I’m unsure if you can non-tender Sandoval when he’s injured. Someone who knows more about the unique specifics has to answer. I posed this question in response to another IIWPM which called for the same.
Trading Schanuel and Rengifo is basically the equivalent or taking the dog out to the woods and shooting it. Those guys are part of any hope the Angels have for 2025 and likely 2026. Ditching them means the Halos need to start over and are 4-5 years away.
Bringing in Goldsmith and Merrifeld might be good for checkers on a cold night around the fire, but what’s the point? Neither have a future. It’s unclear if they will have a present in 2025. You might just as well save the money, play kids, and pray. Same with Gibson — although with other moves he might be serviceable.
Anyway, instead of 2-3 old guys for a team that’s going to lose anyway, shouldn’t you just spend money on relief pitching starters, or other guys with future upside? I raise it as a thought at least.
Again, I enjoy all of these and it’s intriguing to see the disparity and range of options. Thanks for sharing. Let’s hope something positive happens no matter what.
Thi team is going nowhere in ‘25 and ‘26. You are right – I am setting it ablaze and watching the flames dance. The deals you mention are 1 year and 2 year deals to field a team within my economic parameters but not to win now. We filled the 3B hole and will continue to try and fill holes over the next few seasons.
There are no youngish free agents that would help the team long term within my budget.
The situation is exactly this dire in Anaheim.
Here’s the thing. If the team’s going noweher for a year why am I in a hurry to just drop and PAY Rendon? Sure, if we had a top 50 prospect at 3B waiting in the wings, but we don’t. I want to trade for 3B prospects too, but they’d start at AA probably. What GM is pissing away 30+ million without at least giving Rendon a shot before he does it?
I get it but think it’s time to move on (obviously). It’s like a bad marriage type thing. Sometimes divorce is expensive but can be super worth it to move on. And with this scenario the Angels get a 3Bman and a 3Bman prospect. So no need for Rendon.
Internet says you can DFA an injured player in MLB so whether you call it non- tender or DFA – I’m done with Sandoval saving his ‘25 money.
Good for you on the DFA if you can save the salary. This is the first move to make if you can do so. Sandoval doesn’t fit into any plans anymore.
I like this for the most part. I think Perry would be wise to maintain a sense of fatalistic humor as you have. Even if he’s successful in jump starting a culture change he isn’t likely to see it fulfilled.