LA Angels Wednesday News Crash: Waiting for Free Agency

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gitchogritchoffmypettis

1 month ago

Raid THE REDS! Sign me Austin Hays and Brent Sutter today!

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CAoldskoll

1 month ago

Total biased opinion, I sure wish we could get Imanaga and go all in for Murakami. It would bring a back Japanese fanfare and grab a share of all the extra revenue the Dodgers are making with their players. They would fill 2 holes and not block any of our prospect players. I love the live game, and this could re-energize the big A like it used to be before that guy went to the other side.

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Angelz4ever

1 month ago

Reply to CAoldskoll

That would be a very good plan, if someone coherent owned and ran this team.

I expect the usual token runs (“All-in” at a few high ticket FAs and they’ll end up signing for twice as much as the maximum that the Halos offered.

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CAoldskoll

1 month ago

Reply to Angelz4ever

Starting to hear that Metallica song ‘Sad but True’. Tune may replace ‘Calling all Angels’ during pre-game. Wouldn’t need that oldie highlight video, just put a portrait pic of Arte on the big screen while song is blasting.

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Jeff Joiner

1 month ago

Reply to CAoldskoll

Imanaga’s lack of fastball scares me.

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Angelz4ever

1 month ago

Chas McCormick would be a low-buy risk.

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Jeff Joiner

1 month ago

Reply to Angelz4ever

Agreed. Kid was a stud just two years ago. Injuries have crushed him.

But when the team that knows the most about him is willing to cut him loose, that is not a good sign.

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Angelz4ever

1 month ago

Reply to Jeff Joiner

…or that they want to upgrade-He is Arby eligible.

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gitchogritchoffmypettis

1 month ago

Reply to Angelz4ever

Yup. Saw the Astros cut him loose and I was like “We will take him”.

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Angelz4ever

1 month ago

Reply to gitchogritchoffmypettis

He’s arby eligible and the Asstros feel they have a cheaper alternative.

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smithy610

1 month ago

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6734048/2025/11/05/mike-trout-angels-mlb-career-stats/

“He was the best player out there, and he was so young and he had all the tools, the passion for the game. He was Mike Trout, and it kind of disappeared, which is sad,” said former Angels third-base coach Dino Ebel. “Not making the playoffs, not being in big moments, not in October … he kind of got left behind.”

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Angelz4ever

1 month ago

Reply to smithy610

St. Dino, the Truth Bringer.

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Fansince1971

1 month ago

Reply to smithy610

He was left in the road curled up in a ball.

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Angelz4ever

1 month ago

In some morbid thought, I hope that the court does find the Angels responsible for Skaggs, MLB makes Arte sell the team and the Skagg’s family gets $1 (Like the USFL did).

Everybody wins!!

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gitchogritchoffmypettis

1 month ago

Reply to Angelz4ever

Much like all people, MLB owners are NOT gonna make Arte do anything. They may tut tut a little. Probably not even that. But just about EVERYBODY takes it easy on anyone who has done anything they secretly know they may wind up doing someday. Just about every owner can envision a similar situation developing in their org. They are just gonna avoid eye contact with the topic as much as possible.

People only get outraged when it’s really safe to be outraged.

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Jeff Joiner

1 month ago

Reply to gitchogritchoffmypettis

Exactly. These owners know there are players on their teams taking this stuff and one day it might be them in the spotlight.

I used to think guys with huge walk years were taking PED’s but now I think it is likely pain pills.

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gitchogritchoffmypettis

1 month ago

Reply to Jeff Joiner

It’s just human nature. Most of us are pretty judgmental. But we are quiet about it most of the time because we also know that we may need folks to keep their mouths shut about our screw ups at some point down the line.

Which is why we LOVE it when someone screws up so badly that we can ALL get together and yell and scream and huff and waggle about the person who has done something that “should never” and “I can’t fathom” and what ever.

The people around me can lie some, steal some, cheat on a loved one every now and again, a chick to abort a kid I don’t want, maybe abandon their family to go find themselves or what ever. I’ll stay fairly open minded about that shit cause I know there’s an off chance that could be me. But drowning puppies that won’t make good fighting dogs? Feel the heat of my righteous rage.

The MLB owners are all in this same boat with pill popping players. They’ll find something else to get outraged about at some point. Gambling on baseball probably, since none of them will get caught doing that.

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2pints

1 month ago

Reply to gitchogritchoffmypettis

drowning puppies is legitimately worse than the other things you listed though.

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gitchogritchoffmypettis

1 month ago

Reply to 2pints

I know. That’s why I feel so safe being extra angry about it.

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2pints

1 month ago

Reply to gitchogritchoffmypettis

so your point is that people get moderately angry about moderately bad things, but then get super angry about super bad things?

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gitchogritchoffmypettis

1 month ago

Reply to 2pints

My point is that people get super angry about things they feel safe getting super angry about. Guy sells your wife cocaine. It destroys your family. Lot’s of people angry. Guy fks your wife. It destroys your family. Far more people shrug it off because the off chance they may do the same thing some day exists.

Family still destroyed. The outcome is about equally “evil”. Hell, even the societal costs of divorce and drug use are similar.

But I can detach myself from one more than the other, so I feel far more comfortable railing against the drug dealing…. even if I am very unlikely to do either thing. I just can’t see myself dealing coke, but there is that 1 in 1000 chance that I might get involved with a married woman someday because I never know…. things happen…. the heart wants…. blah blah blah. So I’m a little less enthusiastic about hating a guy who ruins a family with sex instead of drugs.

MLB owners are in that boast with the Skaggs issue.

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Angelz4ever

1 month ago

Reply to gitchogritchoffmypettis

In the end, if Arte being found held responsible for Skagg’s death impacts another owner’s wallet, there will be Hell to pay and calls for him to sell the team.

It’s called pearl clutching, virtue signaling or moral grandstanding. I never said that they cared.

Example: See Big Papi’s “Disappointment” in A-Roid in that report verifying him as using steroids. He cared so much, until…

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cookmeister

1 month ago

Reply to Angelz4ever

You’re acting like Arte is on trial for murder

It’s a civil case. The Angels will have to pay something, I’m sure. Some will be covered by insurance.

All indications are that Arte had no idea, that it was upper management, if anyone, that had knowledge. Them being “responsible” for the death is a completely different factor, something Arte really has multiple degrees of separation from.

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Angelz4ever

1 month ago

Reply to cookmeister

I know the difference, when an owner is involved in a civil suit it reflects upon the league. I did say Arte, but I meant Arte’s org, the Angels.

I personally do not think the Halos are responsible, but civil court is on a preponderance of a doubt and it is in a California court, so you truly never know what will happen.

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Jeff Joiner

1 month ago

Reply to gitchogritchoffmypettis

Yeah, I don’t have many hard rules in life because I’ve made so many mistakes myself.

But I don’t have friends who cheat on their wives. If they’ll break that bond they’ll screw you over too. I’ve let a handful go over the years and it has always been the right move.

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ihearhowie3.0

1 month ago

Reply to gitchogritchoffmypettis

I dont think they would ever push him out.

I do think there *maaaaay* already be some sort of whisper campaign against the franchise to some degree though. Some members of the media are very hard on the Angels (for good cause) in a way that sometimes feels like its understood that the Angels’ constant parade of scandals needs a light shone on it and nothing sneaks by like it could for the Rockies or Marlins.

Because ultimately the reason Arte would sell is because of disgrace or not having fun anymore, not because he got forced to. The reporting on this Skaggs trial has been particularly gross with the Angels employees. The whole place really does need to be stripped and re-built culturally.

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2pints

1 month ago

Reply to ihearhowie3.0

not true, the franchise is great. Its all Sam Blum’s fault for only reporting on negative things he made up.

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gitchogritchoffmypettis

1 month ago

Reply to ihearhowie3.0

Some of it’s because the Angels org truly sucks. Some of it is because the Athletic/NY Times reporter who covers them is politically and socially the polar opposite of Arte and he hates the guy…. and is the type of hack that can’t snuff that and just do his job.

What the Angels have failed at is access control. They don’t allow hardly any access, so reporters have nothing to lose burning them like the angry little child minds that they are. Where as, if the team had developed a sort of “insider” relationship with a couple guys then reporters would be more inclined to try to cultivate that and, while they’d still hopefully report news, their angle would be less aggressively bitchy in it’s tone. Every negative detail wouldn’t get highlighted. Etc.

But the Angels blew that.

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ihearhowie3.0

1 month ago

Reply to gitchogritchoffmypettis

Blum is particularly motivated by it but it does seem like some other local SoCal reporters and guys like Rosenthal also have a consistent bent against the team.

Again – deservedly because the organization is run poorly not just on the field. But to me it does just look like maybe for the reason you suggest, the media doesn’t let anything slide by anymore. The benefit of the doubt ran out.

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ihearhowie3.0

1 month ago

Reply to ihearhowie3.0

Right on cue, after I hit send on this I see an article from Brittany Ghiroli about Mike Trout’s depressing irrelevance. Fair point to make but odd for a team this bad to get this much attention from National writers. The palace intrigue seems elevated for what is a meaningless franchise since Ohtani left.

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gitchogritchoffmypettis

1 month ago

Reply to ihearhowie3.0

Mike Trout’s irrelevant, over all these years, because he has either been injured or just sucked ass in August and September most of his career. He was also on a milk carton the one time he made the play offs.

Buy him all the Ohtanis you want. He’d still be irrelevant. Other than the massive drag anchor of a contract he has of course.

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gitchogritchoffmypettis

1 month ago

Reply to ihearhowie3.0

Yup. The Angels haven’t cultivated ANY kind of relationship with the sports media. So the sports media has no reason to not just piss on them. Blum just happens to be extra pissy because he’s a pissy guy. But none of the writers are likely to feel like cutting the team much slack.

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Jeff Joiner

1 month ago

Reply to gitchogritchoffmypettis

The Angels have actually established an adversarial relationship with the press.

You have to give them questions in advance. Anything they consider to be potentially negative and they won’t allow the interview.

Perry basically called Kikuchi and Sam liars minutes before posting an AC tech job just a week ago.

The press box sucks and is far away from the action on the field.

Arte expects the press to be an extension of his PR firm.

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2pints

1 month ago

Reply to Jeff Joiner

yeah, I always roll my eyes at people complaining about Sam Blum, or other negative reporting on the franchise. This franchise is a complete and total mess, and the press about it should reflect that. Roger Lodge is there to help you feel better about the franchise, if that’s your kink.

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RexFregosi

1 month ago

Reply to 2pints

i get the reporting – it’s like shooting fish in a barrel.

But it’s obvious he goes above and beyond to piss on the franchise so he’ll whine and whine about any little thing he can. I prefer sports journalists, not muck rakers with an agenda.

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2pints

1 month ago

Reply to RexFregosi

it kinda seems like the franchise has gone above and beyond to create a chasm between them and their reporters, so you get what you give sometimes.

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toad2065

1 month ago

Reply to gitchogritchoffmypettis

But I am outraged, Gitch! I am outraged every time some junkie dies and his/her family or hangers-on rush to demand “justice”. In these cases, “justice” turns out to mean special treatment. If the “victim” happens to be a “celebrity”, all of a sudden it becomes important to find and punish somebody for helping the junkie do what junkies always want to do – use drugs. I am truly sorry for Skaggs

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toad2065

1 month ago

Reply to toad2065

but he is solely responsible for his own bad choices.

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Angelz4ever

1 month ago

Reply to toad2065

Word!!

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ihearhowie3.0

1 month ago

Reply to toad2065

It doesnt need to be a choose sides thing. I 100% think Skaggs was responsible for his own death but have been really put off by how the Angels have chosen to handle the trial and what has come out of it. Both things can be true – Skaggs responsible and Angels lacking in competence and even integrity at seemingly every level of operation.

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gitchogritchoffmypettis

1 month ago

Reply to toad2065

That’s my point. I feel pretty safe being outraged because I am pretty sure I will never be a drug dealer, I won’t employ any drug dealers, and I won’t be suing anyone for employing a guy who sold someone I love/get money from the drugs that kill them.

I feel less safe railing against all the fat asses in America that give themselves diabetes and then need the govt to fund their treatment because…. I own a mirror.

MLB owners are all not sure they don’t have a Skaggs or a Kay in their house somewhere. So they are likely to be pretty mum about this issue.

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cookmeister

1 month ago

Reply to Angelz4ever

ya, the MLB isn’t going to make him do anything

Hoping someone is responsible for someone else’s death just because you don’t like them and your fav team is struggling is weird behavior.

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Fansince1971

1 month ago

Reply to Angelz4ever

Dude – let’s get real here. MLB is not going to force anyone to do anything and if the Skagg family wins (i.e. determines the Org had knowledge and should be held responsible for Kay’s actions) it will be a huge verdict.

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Angelz4ever

1 month ago

I think the 800 pound dead gorilla in the room is Arte probably not making a big splash until Rendone’s contract expires. Devil be d@mned that decision dooms the team to not improve in 2026.

Any visions of Sugar plums dancing in our heads (Bichette, Tucker, Schwarber, Alonzo, top tier RPs & SPs) are like a fart in windstorm.

BTW, bring back the professor for another year as the #4/5 starter and resign Jansen. These things make too much sense, so……

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gitchogritchoffmypettis

1 month ago

Reply to Angelz4ever

I actually think they will bring Hendricks back if he doesn’t retire. I have no idea why we want to piss away money on Jansen.

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2pints

1 month ago

Reply to gitchogritchoffmypettis

isn’t he close to achieving a milestone? I see Jansen bobbles and banners in our future. Arte is a marketing genius.

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gitchogritchoffmypettis

1 month ago

Reply to 2pints

Oh yeah. Sure, he’s close to be close to the guy that is close to being the all time saves leader. Give him 12M.

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2pints

1 month ago

Reply to gitchogritchoffmypettis

Marketing 101, chap

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Fansince1971

1 month ago

Reply to Angelz4ever

Arte is not going to spend money period given the reality of the expiring television deal and the looming work stoppage. You should not expect him to suddenly spend generously at any point going forward (such as after the Rendone deal). The economics of the team are completely different now with television revenue disappearing. Small market here we come.

Last edited 1 month ago by Fansince1971

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Angelz4ever

1 month ago

Reply to Fansince1971

Shirley you’re kidding, I do not expect him to spend real amounts of money. The work stoppage (IMHO) won’t influence any owners signing stratagem. If there is a lockout, or a strike, the players don’t get paid.

If Arte spends absolutely no real money on the team, he may face heat from MLB.

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gitchogritchoffmypettis

1 month ago

Reply to Angelz4ever

Owners will want to see if they can get a salary cap before they start spending like there isn’t a salary cap again… well, like 25 of the owners.

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Angelz4ever

1 month ago

Reply to gitchogritchoffmypettis

There won’t be a salary cap in MLB. The owners may be greedy but they aren’t stupid. There won’t be a salary cap without a protracted and bloody fight and possibly a lost season.

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gitchogritchoffmypettis

1 month ago

Reply to Angelz4ever

I’ll take a lost season if it gets me a salary cap.

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Eric_in_Portland

1 month ago

Reply to gitchogritchoffmypettis

I don’t see how there can be a salary cap since many players have existing long term deals and those deferred contracts that go into the 2040s might already exceed such a cap. It would take months? Years? to work out the details

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milehigh

1 month ago

Reply to Angelz4ever

Arte would need to be the A’s level of no spending to get heat from MLB. The payroll isn’t anywhere near that bad, yet. The owners, in my imho, are not going to give anyone heat for non-spending in the next three years.

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gitchogritchoffmypettis

1 month ago

Reply to milehigh

Yah. Also, look at it this way. You want Arte to sell? Right?

When you look at buying a business, even if you know that the business will eventually make you a ton of money no matter what, which of these do you want?

A business with it’s largest source of revenue in flux and really high operating costs that are extremely wasteful but also can’t really be cut off the books for several years?

Or a business with a fairly clear, even if it may be smaller than you want, projected revenue stream and a fairly blank slate when it comes to long term expenses that you will be stuck with when you buy the business and start trying to scale it? Or hell, you just intend to let it sit and appreciate.

Is there any point at which you say “I’d like to piss away 210M on a shitty payroll for a shitty team”? Even if you want to buy the team just to sit on it till it’s worth six billion, would you rather do that with or without an extra 200+ million dollars in wasted spending obligations?

I think Arte could totally sell the team soon, but I am also concerned that most business men with the brains to make the money to buy the team are also smart enough to know that the team’s way more attractive if the payroll is a lot smaller. A million dollars is…. a million dollars.

Putting “New Unicorn Owner” on the hook to pay Zach Gallen and Cody Bellinger a combined 65M a year for the next few years in addition to Trout and anyone else doesn’t really help convince smart business fella to buy the team. A clean sheets a lot more attractive than “good pieces” on a crap roster.

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red floyd

1 month ago

Reply to gitchogritchoffmypettis

To paraphrase the late Senator Everett Dirksen, “A million here, a million there… soon you’re talking real money”.

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Biggiswrth

1 month ago

As we are waiting for FA to begin, do we have an idea on the total budget that Arte is going to allow for this year? My maths and guess is around $210 million, but with one year for the GM and manager, will they ask and be able to get all the way to the lux cap this year? Thoughts?
Plus we need to start laying out the ground rules for IIWPM this year.

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Senator_John_Blutarsky

1 month ago

Reply to Biggiswrth

Arte’s budget math likely goes like this:

2025 budget * actual annualized inflation rate as of 11/1/2025 – awarded amount paid to Skaggs heirs

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Angelz4ever

1 month ago

Reply to Senator_John_Blutarsky

I just see Arte delusional thinking that the youth will all go magically studdly in 2026, and therefore make investing in FAs an unneeded thing.

I also feel Rada is going to be rushed up and probably ruined. Signing a FA OFer does not block him as he is still very young.

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gitchogritchoffmypettis

1 month ago

Reply to Angelz4ever

Investing in FAs right now is a really stupid idea. I’m kind of hoping he doesn’t. If he’d just stop pissing away 50M a year on bad contracts he’d likely not even need to worry about the size of the next TV deal.

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Angelz4ever

1 month ago

Reply to gitchogritchoffmypettis

How do we get better then (Before 2030)?

CF, 3B, 2B and C are all offensive, and some defensive as well, blackholes. Add in the Halos 2025 SP and RP and the needs are glaring. I would never expect Arte to sign three big names, but at one pint he signed two-A photographer and a gimp.

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Fansince1971

1 month ago

Reply to Angelz4ever

We don’t.

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gitchogritchoffmypettis

1 month ago

Reply to Angelz4ever

We don’t. We tear it all down and build the farm. In simple math terms it’s probably even a bad idea to extend Neto and pay him. Even though I want that.

It’s gonna take a lot of luck for this team to be regularly competitive by 2030 even if Arte keeps the payroll at say 220M. Age and injury will outrun the spending upgrades a lot of the time.

Buying you Cody Bellinger to sit there collecting 30M a year making you feel good doesn’t change any of that.

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Angelz4ever

1 month ago

Reply to gitchogritchoffmypettis

I didn’t mention Bellinger, but I am now…

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Jeff Joiner

1 month ago

Reply to Angelz4ever

Can we get good enough in all of those spots to be good in 2026? Or even 2027 if it happens?

I say no. So the best move to make is step back and bring in as much young talent as possible.

That won’t be the move Arte makes, but it is the smart move.

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Angelz4ever

1 month ago

Reply to Biggiswrth

I predict we’ll be “All-in” on Alonzo, Tucker and [Insert name], resulting, of course, with none playing in Anaheim.

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gitchogritchoffmypettis

1 month ago

Reply to Angelz4ever

Sounds good.

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Angelz4ever

1 month ago

Reply to gitchogritchoffmypettis

Sound Traditional as well.

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gitchogritchoffmypettis

1 month ago

Reply to Angelz4ever

Are you one of those guys on here who doesn’t understand how free agency works and thinks our FO just needs to “go get” guys? Like the player you want doesn’t have a say in it and as long as Arte pays a agent the top bride price for Pete Alonzo he has to come here?

The list of reasons some players don’t want to come to the OC and play for the Angels has been laid out many many times. That list is even longer now that the team’s in the cellar. So basically all you’re complaining about is the FO saying they’ll try to sign a guy. And you’d also be complaining if the FO never said they are trying to sign guys.

As it stands now, they should probably not try to sign guys, but also make a bunch of bullshit noise so that dummies still buy tickets. Expecting something different is kind of a fantasy for mouth breathers.

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Jeff Joiner

1 month ago

Reply to gitchogritchoffmypettis

I think many fans feel Arte says he’s all in on guys he’s not really going to sign so when he pivots to to dumpster diving the casual fans can say he tried.

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Angelz4ever

1 month ago

Reply to Jeff Joiner

DING #1 answer!

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gitchogritchoffmypettis

1 month ago

Reply to Biggiswrth

If I were “owner” I’d get this payroll down below 150M as soon as I can and keep it there for a couple seasons at least. I wouldn’t give two shits about fanbitch complaints about no bringing in solutions. My business has pissed away over a billion dollars in five years on payroll for THIS team? Gotta turn down that heat at some point. Might as well start now.

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Jeff Joiner

1 month ago

Reply to Biggiswrth

Tough to predict.

Spotrac has the team payroll at $186 million as of now.

The number for 2025 was $220 million.

The number for 2024 was $189 million.

The last year of the Unicorn that figure was pushed to $227 million but I doubt that repeats.

So, anywhere between $3 million and $34 million to spend. I think for our off season pieces I’ll set the number at $210 million but I need to get with the staff.

Last edited 1 month ago by Jeff Joiner

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RexFregosi

1 month ago

Big news from California overnight I see. Waiting to see how this impacts my state. Yes, the OCR headlines this morning Del Taco has a new $2.99 combo; here’s what you get :

If you’d like a snack that’s easy on your wallet, Del Taco might have what you’re looking for. The Lake Forest chain’s new Micro Meal includes a miniature version of its Beef and Cheddar Burrito, seven to 10 crinkle-cut fries and a single Donut Bite for $2.99, according to a news release.

is the greatest budget deal evah helpful for FA signings or not? Or is it a sign of the coming strike?

mainly I’m trying to figure out how many of these Framber could buy and how many of these Framber could eat.

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CAoldskoll

1 month ago

Reply to RexFregosi

And there so happens to be that Del Taco on the corner from the stadium that has been around forever, even surviving the demolition and rebuild around it. That is a cheap eat for tailgating or bring into game if you don’t mind cold fries. Not helping the FA cause, fans may turn to this and pass on Arte ‘s $8 Hoffy dog.

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