LA Angels Thursday News Crash:

The Royals are finalizing a two year deal with Carlos Estevez. It looks like he will get $22 Million. The Reds got left-handed reliever Taylor Rogers from the Giants in a trade. They also re-signed Ian Gibault to a minor league deal and designated Owen White for assignment.

Max Scherzer held a workout for a bunch of teams. There is no indication that the Angels had anybody there.

Photo credit: Rex Fregosi

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Cowboy26
Legend
17 days ago

Welp now this dream is gone. https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/01/mariners-to-re-sign-jorge-polanco.html

I guess there’s alway Moncada

WallyChuckChili
Legend
18 days ago

Max for $15.5m.

I would have done that deal.

CAoldskoll
Trusted Member
17 days ago

Made sense. Only one year. Affordable even for us. Future HOF in an Angels uniform. So of course we didn’t get him. Then again maybe he wouldn’t consider coming here.

Angelz4ever
Super Member
18 days ago

I personally rank the Halos farm system at 29th overall. This is just to be contrary to Keith Law, for no particular reason or method I might add.

Mikeal1st
Trusted Member
18 days ago

For what it’s worth, Keith Law ranked the Angels last in farm systems through The Athletic. He actually had to note that he’s not biased as he has consistently ranked the Angels in the bottom five of farm systems for so long. It certainly doesn’t bode well for the future of the organization.

Fansince1971
Legend
18 days ago
Reply to  Mikeal1st

Right. We as fans can put our head in the sand and say “Keith Law is a biased idiot” or that journalists like Sam the Hat “are wrong and stoopid” but maybe we should listen to them even if what they say is not what we want to hear. I mean I think it’s pretty clear this is an awful baseball Organization. We can choose to ignore it or we can actually accept that the criticism is fair and accurate. I guess it all depends how one views their reality.

Mikeal1st
Trusted Member
18 days ago
Reply to  Fansince1971

Agreed, I want to be a fan… lot’s of memories at the park with my son and friends, the stadium and people are much better than the doyers, and I love the CTPG community, but do I want to be that guy in the outfield pounding a drum waiting for Wild Thing to come along? In the meantime, other teams are building things much like the Angels had 25 years ago when my attention swayed from the Reds I’d been watching since the 70’s. I don’t want to move on but I feel I’m in a bad relationship hoping for change when I see the farm system still sucks. Arte just doesn’t care about this relationship as much as I do.

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend
Reply to  Mikeal1st

You don’t have to move on. Just enjoy baseball man. If your favorite team sucks and doesn’t entertain you for a while it doesn’t mean you’ve “abandoned” them if you go watch another team a little more often. They’re not your kids, the Angels. And frankly, kids suck half the time too, which is why it’s not healthy for parents to sit there watching their every move all the time either.

Teams will flounder at some point, unless they can just flounder and buy their way out all the time. Go enjoy yourself with some other baseball AND follow the halos. It’s fine, and you’ll be happier. Eventually the Angels will start doing things that absorb your attention more naturally.

The whole reason I am actively engaged with so many other teams that I enjoy is because I grew up a huge fan of crappy Angels teams. And I DO INDEED HAVE FUN watching baseball, even when my favorite team by far sucks.

It also gives you perspective. For example, our farm isn’t good by any stretch. You know whose farms are? The Tigers and the Rays. I follow both. But the Rays are all about trying to figure out why none of their hitting prospects pan out all that well while Tigers fans have this huge long list of very good prospects that have been meh (other than Greene) while a guy like Keith or Carpenter does well. Especially on the pitching side, they have a lot of guys failing to launch. The Reds also have a bunch of prospects that have not lived up to the hopes…. but still might. And the Pirates. Jeebs. 200 pitching prospects but no one who can play outfield?

But I still enjoy keeping track of those teams…

Fansince1971
Legend
18 days ago

Great comment and perspective. Yes the game of baseball is beautiful and teams do fluctuate in terms of success and failure, which is one of the beautiful things about Baseball. The issue to me is that this last decade really should have been a glory time for the Halos with both Mike Trout, and Ohtani on the team for six years. The fact that it was such an abject failure makes the analysis a little different, I think. In other words, this does not feel like an ordinary fluctuation. It feels like a complete failure by an Organization and a need for a completely new approach.

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend
Reply to  Fansince1971

Here, I’ll put it the way my boss would…

Sounds like that may be a problem.
Is it our problem?
No? Is it something we can fix?
No? None of the people here can fix it?
No? Then why the fk are you bothering me?
You just wanted me to know?
OK. I know now. Get back to work.

Or in our case. The last decade should have been glorious but it wasn’t? OK. And?
They should do something different? OK. So nothing is different? Everything is working the same now as in 2020?

It sound like you just want what people around here always want. Arte to call you personally, schedule a press conference, and then announce to the world that he’s been wrong and you knew it all along. Then he signs away the team to “entity that involves you” and lights himself on fire.

Which isn’t gonna happen. Various shits being done differently right now. If the only thing that will make us see that is Arte not being around then fk it, we deserve to be miserable.

Fansince1971
Legend
18 days ago

Difficult to disagree with any of that. We are certainly powerless, but it does inform my decision on spending money on tickets and various other ways that a fan would support an organization. Honestly, it’s leading more to apathy than anything else.

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend
Reply to  Fansince1971

Hell yeah. You no likey you no buy baby. I haven’t bought anything from MLB since the strike.

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend
Reply to  Fansince1971

Or I can realize that ALL of these guys are wrong a lot of the time, prospects are fickle as the South Wind, and everyone’s guessing. Meanwhile I need about six guys to work out from our current crop of guys with no significant MLB time and this can happen, even from a weak farm.

Lastly, I can realize that “being aware” of something like this doesn’t change the fact that it is the situation I am stuck with as a fan. There isn’t anything I can do about it if our farm is the worst in history OR if Law is biased. So why give a fk?

I think that, if a fan puts out any effort to actually look at MiLB systems around the sport, it can easily be seen we have been pretty bad for a while. I think it is also fairly easy to see that, if you were aware of how bad off we were say three years ago, we are better off. Especially if you factor in “prospects” we acquire like Neto, Schanuel and O’Hoppe. But we’re still far from a system like the Pirates.

Otherwise all you can do is hope they keep making moves that make the farm produce players we need and some trade fodder, while looking at the guys we do have and enjoying following them if we feel like it.

But just because the toilet’s got a bunch of shit in it and I can’t flush it doesn’t mean I have to climb into that toilet and start screaming. That’s what the stupid people do.

Fansince1971
Legend
18 days ago

I agree with you generally. My perspective is that even if the pundits are 60% wrong, it still points to the fact that this Org and its ceaseless “compete” narrative is counrterproductive. The folks in control need to accept that things have been run poorly and the focus has been wrong to start moving forward. It feels like the Org is somewhat blind to the underlying festering issues and therefore has been doomed to repeat the past failures.

So – while the so called pundits can be wrong, they also can be right. Even the middle ground points to organizational change.

And yet Arte and his merry band of marketing fools still have not really committed to a rebuild and a focus on the minor leagues. Granted it may seem like they are moving in that direction 20%. But given the sad state of the Org they need to go all-in on the rebuild.

That is why I am so against signing Alonso. It’s not just the player, it is what such a signing represents- ie the same ole song and dance.

Last edited 18 days ago by Fansince1971
gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend
Reply to  Fansince1971

So you’re basically allowing the fact that a marketing team keeps saying that the team they have to market plans to “compete” what ever that means? Just like EVERY OTHER TEAM’S SALES GUYS? While it’s pretty obvious that the Angels have recognized that they have too many holes to fill via FA and have moved over towards starting building up a prospect pool.

The last 2 off seasons have been very different than even the winters where we were trying to build around Ohtani and hope for Trout/Rendon with guys like Drury. What they have shifted to may totally fail, but they have shifted.

And no one goes “all in on a rebuild” anymore the way you seem to want to see so that you feel what ever you want to feel. I read an article about it last week… wish I could remember where. But there are literally a dozen teams “rebuilding while being competitive” out there. Mostly because they get stuck with inescapable huge contracts and the MLBPA will grievance them to death. But the “sit still” rebuild has left a lot of FAs out in the cold.

So no. You will likely not get the closure you need when Arte and Perry come out and say they are rebuilding. But they are obviously controlling future costs and increasing the number of young players they focus on. Which is what I had hoped for.

I’ll be unhappy they’ve signed Alonso if they sign Alonso. Hell, maybe I’ll even be happy if it turns out he signs for 20M a year and Nolan is a passable LF. But nothing has happened, so why would I feel more than nothing?

Also. Puppies are still cute and Sydney Sweeney is still hot and pizza tastes great.

Last edited 18 days ago by gitchogritchoffmypettis
grichmanpoorman
Trusted Member
17 days ago
Reply to  Fansince1971

Aw bless your heart, ’71. You found an Angels-hating pundit who can validate your relentless pessimism, skepticism and cucky look-how-bad-we-suck-ism. Keith Law is definitely well-connected and entertaining to read. He’s also a bit of a tool… e.g. getting all testy when people ask why he wouldn’t rank Roki on his Top 100 list… and not giving the Angels credit for drafting two first rounders who basically became overnight MLB regulars. Paul Crews might be a better long-term prospect than Nolan Schanuel… but who’s going into 2025 with more career WAR? Should the Halos have let Shanny rake in AAA in 2024, you know, so he could make some Top 100 lists?

Doesn’t take a genius to see the Halos scuffled bigtime during the Ohtani years. Some of that was bad org mgmt, some just foul luck. Takes a little more discernment to see they’ve made some adroit moves recently. So jump on the team man and come on in for the big win.

Last edited 17 days ago by grichmanpoorman
Fansince1971
Legend
17 days ago

What is “cucky”?

Jeff Joiner
Editor
Legend
18 days ago
Reply to  Mikeal1st

In doing my rebuild series a handful of things are evident to anybody who looks at the farm:

  1. It severely lacks position player depth and upside. Christian Moore will probably be good, Nelson Rada might be Denard Span, and that’s about it on the AA or above levels.
  2. It lacks a front of the rotation type starter

However there are some good things:

  1. There’s a plethora of arms that are likely middle to back of a rotation caliber
  2. There are some really interesting bullpen arms
  3. There are guys who look like multiple inning arms

Yes, our farm is well below most organizations but it is improving and different organizations need different things out of their farms. For the Angels, we could blow $35 million per year on a front of the rotation arm if we have 4 other guys who are cost controlled.

And if the team lands the second and 46th overall picks this July and supplements that talent with trades of Rengifo, Ward, Anderson, and maybe others the talent level will rise.

Roy Hobbs
Super Member
18 days ago
Reply to  Jeff Joiner

This is a fairly accurate assessment in my opinion. Somewhat bleak but with potential to improve. They are clearly treading water until Rendon goes off the books. We’ll have to suffer through 2025 and 2026 but 2027 may be very interesting.

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend
Reply to  Roy Hobbs

Likely a pipe dream, but if say O’Hoppe, Schanuel, Adell, Silent C and Detmers get solid/better we may be a 500ish team in 2025. Keep adding young talent to that and we get even better + it makes sense to add FAs.

2027 is likely “the year we see something” but it could be being over 500 or it could be contention.

Jeff Joiner
Editor
Legend
17 days ago

I honestly think the narrative around camp in 2026 could be “the Angels have an interesting collection of young arms” with some “team on the rise” type talk.

Yes, improvements by the guys you listed above will be key to that, but so will getting Silent C and some of the bullpen guys listed in my rebuild piece some MLB time.

Angelz4ever
Super Member
18 days ago

An SI story links/proposes Kimbrel to the Halos.

I dunno about that guy.

Senator_John_Blutarsky
Legend
Reply to  Angelz4ever

Forget ability or prior performance, first and foremost Perry needs inexpensive guys. The wheels fell off for Kimbrel last season, which means he’s cheap

It sounds like a “match made in heaven”.

Kevin
Member
18 days ago

Humorous, but also true. The last time Perry spent litigants market value on a reliever was Stephenson. That didn’t exactly add to Perry’s resume or credibility when selling moves to Arte. He also came up years back with Tepera and Loup. No wonder it’s a hard sell.

steelgolf
Legend
18 days ago
Reply to  Angelz4ever

Perry, just say no. Lazy SI reporter:”Hmmmm, Kimberly is still looking for a job, big name, formerly really good, now barely mediocre, hmmm, what team would be dumb enough to sign him? I got it, The Angels!”

Cowboy26
Legend
18 days ago
Reply to  steelgolf

But what does it matter if we do sign Bo? Arte has the money to spend and I don’t want Joyce’s arm to fall off by June . Veteran closing experience is huge and until/if Stephenson returns we’re going to be burning through a lot of rookie inexperienced arms I would rather they some experienced vets to work with

Senator_John_Blutarsky
Legend
Reply to  Cowboy26

Here’s the problem with Kimbrel:

comment image

Cowboy26
Legend
18 days ago

Nothing a little Metamucil cant solve

grichmanpoorman
Trusted Member
18 days ago
Reply to  steelgolf

SI definitely hitting below the Mendoza Line with its “x-to-Angels” free agent stories.

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend
Reply to  steelgolf

There is an admittedly less angry teenage girl reason to believe that’s what SI is doing. Baseball’s got an issue this year and it is that a pile of teams that used to spend a fair amount aren’t doing it now. The Angels. The Giants. The Padres. The Cardinals. The Braves. The Rangers.Hell, even the Phillies, Red Sox and Astros are keeping it kind of tight.

So they are left guessing which of the teams that used to buy talent will finally buy some talent.

Last edited 18 days ago by gitchogritchoffmypettis
Cowboy26
Legend
18 days ago
Reply to  Angelz4ever

Kenley Jansen maybe more realistic

Born_in_59
Trusted Member
18 days ago
Reply to  Angelz4ever

I was going to ask why not Kyle Finnegan and then saw his second half split last season. Yikes!

ihearhowie3.0
Super Member
18 days ago
Reply to  Angelz4ever

Seems like the type of thing we should be doing. If he’s good, hes a trade chip in July. If he’s not, oh well, the rest of the team probably not great anyway in 2025.

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend
Reply to  ihearhowie3.0

We’re gonna get some guy that fits this mold. We actually SHOULD get some guy that fits this mold. A guy we sign to either trade or maroon.

Born_in_59
Trusted Member
18 days ago

Looks like the supply of relief pitchers is dwindling. Is Perry waiting for prices to drop, because I don’t think they are. That said, $11M a year for Estevez seems like an overpay, but he may be what the Royals need.

Kevin
Member
18 days ago
Reply to  Born_in_59

Angels paid $6.5 million a year two years back for a 30 year old they thought could adapt and close for them. Estevez did that. Nice signing.

Now Halos have Joyce. Paying $11 million a year for a guy that’s two years older and likely won’t close doesn’t sound like a market Angels should be in. Good luck to him with the Royals.

Maybe Garcia comes back along with another hurler or two or they find another $6-8 million guy that can be a quality set up man? We will see.

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