Fay Vincent died at the age of 86 years old.
Mickey Moniak won his arbitration against the Angels.
Jack Flaherty went back to the Tigers. The Cubs signed Nicky Lopez to a minor league deal.
So now federal prosecutors say there is no evidence that Ippei Mizuhara has a gambling addiction.
Photo credit: Rex Fregosi
Signs with the Tigers, apparently the Tigers have way more money… 😡
Rays let go of a reliever with options who might be useful.Velo is low but his peripherals are solid.
Key here is he has options and our bullpen will need to cycle though guys.
We signed a reliever…Sam Ryan
https://www.si.com/mlb/angels/angels-news/angels-sign-former-blue-jays-reliever-in-free-agency-01jk6rdazwgt
BTW, I did some hopium and hope that the Halos at least sign a bona fide closer, but an Estevez reunion (Thankfully at that price) ain’t gonna happen. I don’t really like Jensen as an option either.
You don’t think that is Joyce?
An everyday closer throwing that hard shouldn’t throw back to back games IMHO
It would be insane not to pick up at least one RP that have closing experience . Even if this is a quasi pseudo kind of maybe sometimes but not nearly enough rebuild
Insane you say?
Welcome to Angels Baseball, the Arte Moreno version!
So, I just imagine Alonzo looking at the boxes in his 12-car garage (LOL) that contain all his Mets gear and loathing having to get it all unpacked.
Best umpire in the game is gone due to gambling violations.
That sucks. But needs to be done.
But they can’t do anything about the bad umpires!
What about bad scouts?
LOL
Robo-ump was caught? Wow!
Why would anyone be sharing a gambling account with their friends? That in itself just seems weird to me.
Agreed.
PPI (Prospect Promotion Incentive) rules are super convoluted, but after reading this article, I “think” the upshot is that Nolan and Logan could earn us an extra draft pick in 2026 if one or the other wins MVP this season.
https://www.mlb.com/angels/news/prospect-promotion-incentive-eligible-players-2025?t=mlb-draft-coverage
I’ll take that bet!
How about that extra PPI pick we will get when C Moore makes the team out of spring training and then wins ALROY?
The Angels are a lot like any other addiction. Convincing ourselves we do not have a problem and that it’s going to be different this time. And it’s a time suck and expensive and usually leads to depression. We all need a 12 step program.
Fay Vincent is one of the first commissioners I remember. He also seemed to be the last commissioner to understand baseball is about the fans and factor us into his decision making to some degree.
The steroid train was leaving the station when he was installed and I wonder how he would have handled the 90s.
I think like any other corporation/business, your big earners/top performers don’t get looked at critically. You know, like that senior partner that seems to never really be at the office, but he closes deals and retains/gains clientele. Don’t even get me started on what is tolerated from artists (Puffy, R. Kelly, Chevy Chase & many others) when they are making lots of people money.
I just watched an old Barry Bonds tell-all and he was far worse than we found out at the time. You know it was bad when Andy Van Slyke (I told you guys my AVS story) was fist fighting Bonds in the locker room and instead of breaking it up, several players joined in beating on Bonds.
As a recovering gambling addict it is pretty comical to read the majority of today’s comment lol 😂.
We need Angels’ baseball back ASAP
“Sex addiction” is by far the most comical to me. It seems any lack of self-control has so many nicknames to nice it up.
It has been proven that gambling addiction can change your brain chemistry. Just like drug addiction does.
Once those changes occur, getting back to normal is not possible. Same as with booze and drugs. At that point in time you have to manage the rest of your life with an altered brain.
Yes, one must engage in risky behaviors like drinking, gambling, and sex to go down this rabbit hole, but dismissing them as “lack of self control” is too harsh.
Hard to have empathy and understanding when it doesn’t personally affect you.
I’ve personally seen drug addicts and alcoholics ruin so many people’s lives by disregarding any and all assistance, counseling, medical & family intervention and destroy their families because they are selfish and don’t want to put in the work or they realize the hurt they are causing and instead of dealing with it, they cleave to what they know is destructive. I’ve seen the faces of those affected, one of them mine, and I hold the “Addict” accountable.
Yes, I know there are psychological and emotional things that feed into it, but I also worked with a Men’s Home and gamers will game. I didn’t mean to be harsh, but there are some pretty nefarious and terrible behaviors that defense lawyers argue are a “Disease.”
Sorry I went into the deep end of the pool; I have a close family member whose smoking and drinking (And other past addictions) just caught up to him and he is now dying at a relatively young age.
Sorry guys, bad Monday and I shall STHU now.
When I said personally, I literally meant yourself — not close friends or family.
I don’t have any hard feelings about your pov. It’s completely understandable because you yourself don’t suffer from an addiction. That’s a good thing!
I got you boss!
Congrats on your recovery journey!
The Science behind our brains is amazingly limited and fascinating. Today they don’t fully understand how our brains function, and a lot of mystery remains (not to mention everyone is different-DNA). They will crack that nut someday, lots of these issues can and will be managed.
Another addictions that never gets openly discussed is Shopping. I personally had a close friend lose a marriage and destroyed financially due to a shopping addiction. Not to add to to the list of sad addictions. But most of these issues all fall under the same umbrella.
Yeah, about all we know (or think we know) is the brain loves dopamine.
How you can get your brain to produce said dopamine will vary and how much your brain craves more dopamine will vary.
Some things of course are stronger than others but any activity has the potential to create a reaction in your brain that generate a chemical and neurological reward.
Extremes play a huge roll. The brain scans of someone who is very religious light up in certain areas as opposed to someone with little belief…same goes for both political extremes. Question becomes, how much is your DNA / nature vs nurture or are you just having strong emotions about something that that time, and eventually fades in time.
Brain scans of die-hard Angel fans should be studied.
Cool P12, can I get your banking information?
Sure thing
user: Ippeifan#1!
password: JoAdellMVP2025!
Awesome, I just need your cellie for a sec, go check out the minibar….um…..my treat.
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Dammit P12, that’s my MySpace sign on info.
Say hi to Tom for me!
DUMPSTER ALERT!
The guy the Rays just cut to make room for Faedo is kinda interesting. Plays three IF spots. Has little pop, but .350+ OBP in minors and 80 steals in about 400 games.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=basabe000osl
I don’t like his name, so hard pass for me.
I heard he doesn’t like kittens.
A .293 OPS at AAA Durham last year does not light my fire.
Plus trying to find gems from Rays castoffs is not a highly successful undertaking.
So thats a no for me. I’d rather hope that Kyren finally outs it together.
Look guys. There is just no way that Ippei is not solely responsible for millions and millions of dollars being gambled away. It’s impossible. No reliable evidence will be found and no testimony to the fact will ever appear because no one important would benefit from it and a lot of important people need Ohtani out there making them cash.
Is Ohtani partially in the shit? Who knows? But what can be certain is that no one really wants to find out if he was.
The tin foil hat looks great on you, babes.
I made a tin foil fedora cause I heard the chicks dig those.
You know women so well, dude.
I’ve never seen an investigation that was started and stopped so suddenly than this one. high-priced lawyers and PR reps performed their job well.
well, I don’t mean to get too political but whatever happened to the second guy who was supposed to have been targeting Trump? On or near the golf course? I have heard zero since the first day. My point, I guess, is that maybe we don’t hear what’s going on or maybe various things get hushed up or dropped quickly.
NOT POLITICAL. I’m not even a big Trump guy. But the 2nd attempter? What about the guy in Penn? It was amazing that he got to where he was with a gun in the first place. Tries to shoot the next President. Has weird background that’s been scrubbed. Has apartment that looks unlived in with no silverware that has also been scrubbed clean. Body gets disposed of really fast, especially for a guy shot by law enforcement. Eh, nothing to see here. Nothing to mention on the news. No biggy. Couple weeks later, if that, dead story.
I am not a fan of ANY political figure getting shot, like em or not. That’s how a country becomes 80s Columbia. Or Russia. We need more than a shoulder shrug when this stuff happens and it looks as suss as this one did.
Every single response I tried to type to this went to areas we can’t go here.
So let’s end this subthread here, please.
Yes, besides Ippei’s phone records, impersonating Shohei on phone call(s), Ippei’s bank & credit card history, Ippei’s implication in an independent (Illegal betting operation) investigation, Ippei spending millions more than he earned, Ippei’s own admission and zero evidence of Shohei’s complicity, you’re right-Nothing to see here folks!
All I’m saying is that, even if there was anything there, no one who matters wants to find it. What good is a dead golden goose? And it’s just massive gambling…. which the MLB loves now.
Sportsnaut reports that Boras used false information that the Yankees were interested in Alonzo to stoke interest (So shocked!), but in reality, the Yanks stated they hard passed early due to Boras. The story also alleges that Alonzo is unhappy with the sitch and will dump Boras after he signs a contract-That’s funny because, still Boras will collect his percentage until that contract ends.
BTW-I don’t feel bad at all for Boras, not at all.
#FREE_IPPEI
*With purchase of a second Ippei. Second Ippei must be of equal or greater value to the free Ippei.
My son and I were just discussing this last night at a Korean Barbecue restaurant. How it is looking like Boras overplayed his hand and there really isn’t another landing spot for Alonso except for with The Mets, at a lesser contract than what he was after, unless of course he wants to drop his asking price even further. If he doesn’t sign by the 2nd week of spring training then Boras probably will be fired.
I think Alonzo believed Boras’ rainbow & unicorn contract projections and is now finding out there is someone behind the curtain in his Oz.
IMHO the Halos should offer some two-year, one year exit option contract, when/if Alonzo declines, the Halos should immediately send a press release that they are officially out on Alonzo.
Frankly, as a FA, it is humiliating to have to return to your former team after so much water under the bridge. I will find it hilarious if the Mets sign a 1B and officially throw up their hands.
I think the Mariners are circling. Sniffing around. If the Mets move away they will offer some sort of two year option contract at less than 25 million a year and get some pop.
I imagine Alonzo rubbing the back of his head, with both hands, as he ponders having to return to the Mets.
Because all the best discussions and decisions take place at a Korean BBQ restaurant. Thanks for including that detail. Hope you guys had a great time. All of mine with my sons also take place at good eating establishments.
….or the Del Taco off the 91 in Corona. Tell them Hunter sent you, and they’ll add xtra cheese… for free.
They could have stopped at In N out at Green river.
Sounds like federal prosecutors in the Ippei case want their cake and want to eat it too! First, they are arguing that Ipppei stole the money and got deeper and deeper into gambling debt, therefore taking larger amounts of Shohei’s money, but then arguing that, nah, he doesn’t have a gambling problem, he is just a common theft suspect?
They are arguing against the defense positions which are seeking a downward departure from whatever sentence would otherwise be reasonable. Ippei likely just decided he want being paid enough for all he did and decided to take money, try to parlay it into riches for himself, and then put back what he had taken. But, like many, it didn’t work out as he planned.
Gambling is addictive. That does not mean you are an addict if you gamble.
Sustaining big losses while gambling can create a “I just need one good score to get even” type mentality. But again that doesn’t necessarily make one an addict.
So there could be some grey area here that the prosecution is trying to exploit to avoid the defense that Ippei had a disease and lacked the criminal interest necessary for a conviction of a higher crime.
Yeah, stealing to fuel a fentanyl addiction is terrible, but stealing for a gambling addiction, some people would say is not as bad.
IMHO addictions is NOT a disease (Props to Tommy Lasorda!), I’ve known quite a few and have several in all branches of my family.
The world in 2025, I just don’t understand.
Yes, but the reverse is also true. If he was just “borrowing” the money to make more money and then put back the principal but he starts losing badly, he becomes desperate. Then desperation is the issue — not addiction or gambling compulsion. The scenario I laid out happens often and can easily be what occurred.
Yes. Putting that into the context of criminal law:
The prosecution has to prove that Ippei had a criminal intent (mens rea) for crimes like theft. If Ippei is an addict- the defense can use that illness to argue that it was the illness that caused him to do the act rather than criminal intent. It’s a fine line that the prosecution has to walk to achieve the conviction. The defense will have experts who testify that Ippei has an illness and cannot control his actions. The prosecution will argue he is a thief.
Both sides may agree as to the taking of the money – the prosecution will call it theft with intent and the defense will call it the uncontrollable actions of his sickness – ie that he did not form the criminal intent.
Hmmmm, will Shohei be called as a witness or just provide a statement?
And use Ippei as his court interpreter.🙃
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Masterpiece quip Twebur
Allegedly he bought baseball cards and other hard goods with the purloined money. Even temporarily depriving someone of their property, via wire theft, is a crime. I agree the defense will try to muddy the waters, but many infamous people have tried that and failed.
Sure – I agree that the defense will likely fail. I was just discussing the Prosecution burden of proof and the likely defense.
True but you are doing liability. I think Ippei is mainly arguing sentencing. We will see though.
This is an interesting argument. Myself, I’m not a gambler, last time I was in Las Vegas, I was there a little over 3 days and maybe spent 45 minutes gambling.
Who’s a worse owner: Arte or Vivek (Sac Kings)?
Put me down for “Evil Punxsutawney Arte”
Browns owner Jimmy “Jack the Rebate” Haslam gets a vote too.
I got (Ex-Clippers owner) Donald Sterling.
+1 for the Haslams . Giving a known sexual predator a guaranteed $320m contract. And he is the worst qb in the league by far.
As someone so cogently said, “you can’t fix stupid!”.
NFL=National Felons League
Nutting in Pittsburgh is the worst. If you want the ultimate “they have so much money to waste why not buy me a championship?” wank, become a Guardians fan. The Dolans have almost 5 Billion that they won’t just lose a chunk of paying huge player contracts.
Chaka Kahn… the Jaguars owner. He’s pretty bad. That guy who owns the Carolina Panthers is pretty bad as well. Both are worse than the Browns. How are the New York NFL and NBA teams always so lame with all those resources?
Probably less than 10’ish great owners in the NFL, probably less than 10’ish horrible owners….. everyone else is all muddled together, fighting for average.
Just like any other business or organization in life. Most great owners surround themselves with the few great front office people. With the same ratio of the few great, the few horrible, and then the rest of them.
Really the only thing that can alter a horrible owners fate is getting lucky.
The Buss’s
Dr. Buss rocked, his offspring…..not so much.
#BRONNYWASTEDPICK
I would’ve signed Flaherty to the contract he got.
Arte is financially tapped out. All that’s coming now is the annual dumpster dive for RP’s.
Same as it ever was.
I’m OK doing nothing. We all hate the times we did something and regretted it (Wells, Hamilton, Kazmir, Pujols, Rendon) and we actually had a shot to compete then.
I dont know if Flaherty or Alonso or anyone is transforming this team and therefore worth the budget strain when we may *actually* be good in a few years.
I think the Alonso deal at the numbers being floated would’ve been a stupid deal, the type Arte has done often before.
I agree, maybe a one year prove it contract, but even those don’t get proven when they play for us.
I think the fact that Arte was fighting over $500k to Moniak would support your “tapped out” theory. In baseball ownership terms, fighting over $500k is like our spending 2 hours on the phone to try and avoid a $10 cable bill surcharge fee.
What’s the difference with Rengifo? $100k ?
This is Moniak’s first trip through arbitration and if he stays on the Angels this sets a platform for his next two salaries, so that $500k is a minimum of $1.5 million and likely double that IF Moniak stays an Angel until free agency.
I doubt they are thinking that far ahead with this player. I personally believe it’s about whatever budget Arte has set. Perry likely now has $500k less to spend now from whatever that budget is.
It reminds me of a story of time when I met Kuhl at a Newport Beach bar. Pujols had just been signed and I was congratulating him. He told me something like he now had to find more operational and marketing dollars to pay for it.
That provides an insight into Arte. It’s all about revenue (understandable as a businessman) and with his golden goose gone, a poor farm system, television revenue in jeopardy (and likely far lower this season) and the Rendon and Trout albatrosses, I’m pretty certain the payroll is not going up from here. The opportunities for revenue are significantly reduced so even a $500k expenditure is being monitored on the balance sheets.
Pujols played for the Angels?
He “played” for the Halos.
More like he played the Halos
Teams definitely think that far ahead. That’s why we see differences in filing numbers that seem small.
That $200k to a first year guy adds $500k to his second year and $800k to this third year.
We see $200k teams and players see a million.
Ah, but would Flaherty have signed that contract here?
Not a chance. It’s completely moot.
I agree. Just saying that the Tigers were able to consummate a good deal, I would’ve preferred this over the Kikuchi deal, which they did do.
But what if we locked him in a room with the Rally Monkey until he agreed?
Ha! That rally monkey is a deal closer for sure!
Only if he can hear you cheer.
I was locked in a room with a Rally Monkey once… I don’t want to talk about it.
We said we’d never tell anyone about that spring break in Thailand.
They told you it was Thailand… it was Bunkie, LA.
I’m assuming there is a joke here that is going over my head, yeah?
I’ve been saying for years and years, since Arte totally failed to sign Wheeler and Morton because he’s so cheap, all he needs is a half dozen guys who look like Danny Trejo to go out to all these “family first” free agents whose wives don’t want to move to California and explain how their families health actually hinges on them living in the OC.
LOL @ Trejo reference
I could the thems use Vinnie and Guido… Of course, I needs to be paid for their time…
All you need is for Flaherty to want to sign that contract with us instead of the Tigers. So simple.
“[Moniak’s] coming off a down showing in 2024 that saw him slash just .219/.266/.380 across a career-high 418 plate appearances.”
Remarkable that this ears you a pay raise to $2m. At a normal job you would probably be fired.
And for those of you pointing to his production in 2023 there is this pearl:
“Moniak’s production [in 2023] came in spite of a sky-high 35% strikeout rate and was aided by a similarly bloated .397 average on balls in play. He walked in only 2.8% of his plate appearances and posted the highest swing percentage of any player in MLB (min. 300 plate appearances) but the fifth-worst contact rate. Sure enough, his output at the plate came crashing down in 2024.”
He feels like a placeholder until more money comes off the payroll.
I think he is worth keeping around to see if he continues developing. He actually improved his plate discipline across the board last year but suffered from bad luck and a dip in power, which really impacted his numbers. My point is that his game is still evolving and I don’t think he’s done developing yet as a player.
The good:
Chase rate dropped from 48% to 39%
Strikeout rate dropped from 35% to 27%
Contact rate increased from 64% to 73%
Walk rate increased from 3% to 5%
The bad:
BABIP dropped from .397 to .272 (league average is .300)
Hard hit rate dropped from 39% to 35%
Moniak’s slash line will always be BABIP driven and he was due for regression last season.
That said, his BABIP was below average last year so he’s kind of due for a slight increase.
2023 he had a wRC+ of 114
2024 he had a wRC+ of 79
If the math averages out this year, he should be about 95-100 which is nice for a rotational outfielder with good defense.
By going to hearing, Moniak is in an interesting situation. Players who settle prior to arbitration are guaranteed their annual salary. Players who go to arbitration and get a hearing, can be cut in spring training with 30 or 45 days severance depending on the contract. $2 million for Moniak is high (I doubt he gets that on the open market). I’d don’t know that the angels would cut him, but the option is there.
Rule 1. Who would you replace Moniak with?
I think, on a team in a “normal” situation, Moniak going to arb and winning maybe would lead to a cut in camp. I think that if Rada, for example, was where we hope he is at the end of this year, Moniak would be in trouble. Or if Kavadas could play OF.
But Moniak has points in his favor. Look at what teams are paying a guy who can simply run fast and cover CF. It’s not much more than what Moniak’s getting. Mick’s been with the team for a while and my be a dude in the dugout or something. What’s most important is that the team is in the position to gamble on players and Moniak is still young and cheap. If the stats that Trojan Boiler laid out above can be cultivated Moniak, even with a high K rate, becomes the young Joc Pederson that some of us dream of…. but he can play defense and is gonna be arb controlled for a couple years.
It’s the type of gamble the team is in a position to take right now, but going through the arb process allows them some flexibility if they need it. If they can get a guy who can cover all three OF spots with a .700+ OPS and ten steals a year for 2 million dollars tyhat’s a win. And it’s not all that far off for him if he strikes out just a little less and has a normal BABIPaloomba.
So far this is unconfirmed guys, but I believe we have signed absolutely no top free agents so far.
9 Days!!
Keep the “nothing” coming baby! More and more nothing till we start the season with nothing! You can do it PTP!
See what the kids can do this year. No adults in the kiddie pool.
Keep hanging around the dumpsters and the road kill, save the bigger moves for 2026-27….. All of Arte’s hand-picked GMs learn the ways of the vulture.
Perry is built for this.
https://x.com/Rainmaker1973/status/1885982485646897223
New Mascot?
Turkey Vulture. Stay with the red…. And add Turkey