Happy New Year! The Angels are allegedly expressing interest in Nolan Arenado. The Cubs signed right-hander Hunter Harvey to a major league deal. It is one year for $6 Million plus incentives.
Jarred Kelenic got a minor league deal with the White Sox organization. Yunior Marte got his minor league deal with the Reds. Nick Hernandez got his with the As. Jose Azocar got his minor league deal with the Braves. Josh Winckowski to the Blue Jays.
No, on 34-y/o Arenado
2024: 578 ABs, 0.272 BA, 16 HR, 71 RBIs, WAR 2.5
2025: 401 ABs, 0.237 BA, 12 HR, 52 RBIs, WAR 1.3
And, Angels will have to pay $42M (heck, even a reduced $20-30M and trading prospects) for those stats? For a 13-yr veteran?
Then, again, Angels are good at getting veterans with declining stats.
Remember Tim Anderson?
Re: Arenado
What’s the consensus on absorbing all 42 million owed to Arenado in exchange for say…. 1 top ten prospect and another top 25 prospect from the Cardinals?
Is that even realistic?
Happy new year to all of you, the true Halo faithful. Hoping that Suzuki and his coaches can get some improvement out of our slightly anemic lineup. Hoping beyond hope that Arte decides to sell once and for all.
Happy 2026 CTPG family! We are the most dedicated MLB fan base. Why’s that? Looking at all the negatives that surround this team: Arte, playoff drought, farm system, Skaggs, Dodgers in our backyard, that arrogant fan base bullying, Ohtani let down, horrid FA signings………the list goes on. Does any other fan base deal with as much crap? Yet thru it all you are still an Angels fan. We are a special group, Loyal to this last place team. So Cheers to a new year, hoping we field a competitive team, prospects improve, Arte sells.
“Special” might be exactly the right description for the 20 or so of us who inhabit this site.
71, I hope that’s a good ‘Special’. My teenage son is rude and disrespectful, told me special is for retarded people. That couldn’t be us right??
Special is defined as “different than is usual”. I think that applies to anyone (including me) who roots passionately for this awful Org and team and who takes time out of his/her life to think about the Angels and post thoughts here. This small group is definitely different. 😂
This will be the year I will never think about or post about Rendon again. So the year is already off to a great start.
Umm….
Would have been better to post this in 2025 about “next year” 😂
Starting………….NOW!
Just curious what some of you think signing Okamoto or trading for Arenado would do for this team. Besides the “doing something” aspect- what actually would it matter? 1 or 2 more wins?
I just don’t see the logic in either of these players given the huge holes throughout this Org. The Rendon anchor has finally been dealt with. Why strap on another money anchor with no actual benefit?
Exactly. Arenado is basically an octogenarian, so he fits Perry’s plan, but it’s just too much money any way you slice it.
It will only lead to spending more money for a last place team.
Arenado is old and a negative WAR player at this point. Doesn’t want to be here, just cashing checks at this point. Unbelievably stupid and very Arte. Rather have Peraza start there everyday and use that money to hire a real hitting coach and more scouts
He’s not a negative WAR – he was injured and was still a plus WAR last season. The season before he was 2.5. If you are buying war for $8-10 million per win, are getting some of his pay subsidized and getting an offset to take him – it’s possible he rebounds to 2.5 WAR or better (which isn’t much)- making the deal decent on its own. Get the right prospect and it’s a win. Would I pay him off and take 4 years of control of Liberatore? Absolutely.
I’ve long come to terms with the fact that they won’t be good. In lieu of that, I’d like them to be interesting. Seeing Okamoto in a Halos jersey and following his transition to mlb would at least be that.
My thinking is this:
The highest priority is to spend money on making us competitive in the future and having it repeatable.
If we can take on a short-term bad contract right now and acquire some good prospects with it, then good.
If we can sign a good young free agent player (or grant any extensions) for a long-term time, then good.
But if Perry has exhausted all avenues of doing that, and he is sitting there and allowed to still spend $20MM more, and he can sign a free agent(s) for 1 year that doesn’t block any of our youths, then sign him. Might as well enjoy this season more if possible. Right now we have black holes at 3B and CF. Don’t rush Rada.
Absolutely do not sign any QOs, or trade away prospects for some old veteran. Or sign a Pujols-esque free agent who is on the decline.
Actually, another option for an available $20MM is to invest it all directly into our minors and talent pipeline.
Something MUST be done.
Okamoto or Arenado is something. Therefore it must be done.
Regarding Arenado:
He has two years remaining on his contract, totalling $42 million. The Rockies are still on hook for $5 million of that. The Cardinals added a year at $15 million when the acquired him from Rockies. Arenado is from Newport Beach. He’s 34, had a shoulder injury last year, but hit well after returning from that. The Cardinals already are sending money to other teams to unload veterans, such as the recent Sonny Gray deal. Should the Cardinals pick up the $15 million extra year amount, and the Rockies are kicking in $5 million, that would leave $22 million over two years. Angels throw on a minor leaguer to Cards. May be worth a go on him, if Okamoto not signed.
I’m for signing him if we get something in return. Let’s face it, we’re not going to be in contention for a few years unless our young pitching produces some diamonds. This will bring in a player I’ve loved. So go for it. If he bounces back, which he is capable of, even better. Right now – they’re just trying to polish a turd. LOL
But why? Just to do something? To have a player with a name you recognize? This move would make no sense under the circumstances and would just be more of the same. It makes ZERO baseball sense and requires magical unicorns thinking. Which means it will probably happen.
I’m not delusional to think we are a playoff contender. We won’t be next year either. It does make baseball sense to have a third baseman that provides leadership and is a multi-time platinum glove winner, that has hit and has a renowned work ethic. Especially if you get something for him. If he bounces back (which is indeed possible)- you have a trade tool before the break to trade to a contender.
Here are the players that could offset the -15.6 for Nolan. (I get that I’m alone on this – but there are some nice offsets in there.
See, here’s the thing. I love the SIM. Guys who always bitch about the SIM are old farts with smooth brains. The SIM grades trades well. A trade happens, you look at the SIM, it usually passes the SIM measurements. When it doesn’t, what do you see? You see a whole bunch of people saying “Oh man, such and such team got fleeced.”
What the SIM doesn’t do all that well is read the landscape. For example, Joshua Baez is almost unanimously considered the most improved prospect in all of baseball and a likely solid long term MLB OF. The Cardinals will not be moving him just to ditch Nolan.
At the same time, Nolan’s offset isn’t gonna equal out to his remaining contract value at all. Likely not even close. Why? There are far too many teams that just need a third baseman. Nolan still plays the position well. So he’s overpaid by a ton, but he’s also gonna have some demand.
So when Nolan actually gets traded, SIM is likely gonna show an imbalance and Angels fan is gonna wonder why we don’t just trade Soler.
But don’t forget – Nolan has to approve the trade. That’s the wild card. I’m not saying we can get the right deal – and we shouldn’t take a bad deal – but they have to give something up of value to get rid of him.
That’s the thing. They have to give up value to get rid of all his money. But if they have to send money out with him? Now we are trading them an MiLB arm…. and it’s likely not Farris.
I’m really only a fan of doing it if we get talent as the compensation. I mean maybe them eating to get us to about $8 to $10 mill per year straight might be doable for me, because it’s just a temp thing and he’ll be serviceable. To me, taking a few bad contracts with prospects might be the best way to spend this windfall to prepare for 2028. Of course, that would be an Arte move, because that won’t let Perry keep his job.
It’s not whether they are a playoff contender – I mean that is a pretty obviously no. They are likely headed for 5th in the AL West. It’s whether they need to take on another money anchor for an aging veteran. Why do that when it has been completely ineffective over and over again. I don’t care if Arenado may bounce back or may return to some form of production- it would be more of the same from an Org that has failed partly due to making exactly this type of move. Why would we want more of the same failed moves?
Because you might end up with Matthew Libaratore or someone else with huge upside if the Cardinals really want to get rid of Arenado. I would not do it without a good prospect or St Louis eating a big chunk of it. They need to find a home for JJ Wetherholt – and 3b is very likely so their appetite is huge.
I mean, sure if the Cardinals are that desperate and are willing to give up significant prospects as well as eat a fair amount of that contract. But if they’re willing to do that for the Angels then they would be willing to do it for other teams and I think it makes it much less likely that he’d be coming to Anaheim.
I don’t think the Cardinals are that desperate, and I doubt that they would deal with the Angels unless the Angels are willing to take on the entire contract.
I think we can agree that if the only way this gets done is for the Angels to take on the whole contract and not get back any prospects in return, it would be inadvisable.
The Angels will not take on the whole contract. They’d be foolish if they did, I agree with that. They are in the drivers seat and will get something for doing so. Arenado has to approve of the trade and this allows him to return home. He is very close with his dad. I posted what the Trade Values has as the discount and it’s a legit prospect- and while they aren’t always right – it’s usually directionally close.
Here are our guys in that value area. We do this – we should get a dude. At least a potential dude. Don’t do it without some value – but since we aren’t developing prospects and don’t need the money for competing now – buy a prospect in essence.
What makes you think the Angels are smart? Remember Vernon Wells?
Oh…
Happy New Year!
Go Halos!
I can see Perry signing Rendon to a league minimum contract. Perry likes reclamation projects.
Happy New Year!
Astros landed Imai. I’m getting hopium we’re signing Okamoto.
I’m feeling confident we’re signing Okamoto. That means the first buttercup of 2026 is almost here 😂
And he signs with….. The Nationals for some reason.
Happy New Year! I love this team and talking about them with y’all.
Let’s have a wonderful 2026 🥳😇
Jon Heyman reports the Astros signed Imai, because of course they did, and we didn’t. 3 years, $63 million. Kikuchi money.
29 teams didn’t sign him. It’s not a lost opportunity exclusive to us.
3 years, $54 million, bonuses can bring total contract to $63, opt-outs after each season. That’s an extremely player-friendly deal. Good deal for Houston too
Maybe we will have another chance to sign him next year for a lot more?
They basically signed him for this next 1 year for $20MM. Plus whatever they’ll get for the QO. I’m not sure that was worth it for us, as a team that is not contending this year. I’d rather see that money used as part of securing a longer-term asset. I don’t know what that asset specifically is, however.
I wish you all a joyous and prosperous New Year!
That said there will be no joy in Anaheim until the Arte/Kuhl/Carpino/Jolly brain trust is gone. So – hoping Arte’s resolutions include a sale of the team.
Happy New Year friends. I got some footage of how the negotiations went at our recent signings.
Happy New Years. May Arte sell the Angels soon and may Kurt Suzuki prosper and grow
How large do you want Suzuki to grow? Mike Scioscia size or Tommy Lasorda size?
There’s an in-house size in place— Minasian.
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Phil Nevin large
Angels in 2026: They will win some games. They will lose some games. I will be a fan thru and thru, but most importantly I’ll be writing and posting with the best group of people on CTPG!!
Even Gitcho?
🤣🤣🤣
Gitcho is ok. Even 2002 is ok to be around sometimes!! We all have a role to play
😂 😂 😂
Happy New Year!
May 2026 have more Angel wins, less player injuries, less Arte, and more Trout of old.
Don’t bail out The Cardinals and trade for Nolan. It would be the most Angels thing to do, which is why they have not even sniffed the playoffs in 10 yrs. In a NORMAL business, Carpino and Kuhl would have been sent packing after year 5.
Hey you Sumbitches!
