It was a pretty hectic week around baseball with 9 teams leaving their local TV carriers, arbitration figures exchanged, players locked in, and a huge trade. As you know, I’m now running Angels On SI so be prepared for lots of links there. But there are no comments on SI so I really want to see how this die hard community responds to what I’m writing.
First up, the Angels joined 8 other MLB franchises in saying goodbye to Main Street Sports Group. Where this leaves the local broadcasts and the money they generate is as of yet unknown. But I can’t imagine it is good for the Angels bottom line.
At the time that announcement broke, so did two others saying Zach Neto and Logan O’Hoppe agreed to terms for their 2026 pay.
Earlier in the week, the Angels confirmed the Kirby Yates signing. Yates was a beast in 2024 with Texas and could be a really good weapon now that he’s reunited with pitching coach Mike Maddux.
Continuing to add depth, Esperanza High product Wade Meckler was claimed off waivers from the Giants. Meckler is a really interesting prospect who should get a shot to earn a job in Tempe.
Center field is still wide open it appears. Maybe Nelson Rada gets a shot. I’ve been down on a Harrison Bader signing, but I took a deeper look and Bader actually fits perfectly on this team.
You know who else I want on this team? Willi Castro. Take a gander here and see if you agree.
Another interesting story in Tempe will be the young arms. Walbert Urena took some big strides forward in 2025 and is likely on the brink of an MLB spot. Urena flashes some nasty stuff at times. I’m interested to see what Maddux can do with him.
The fun part about writing this series throughout the day is news breaks and I can still add it. Did I say the Angels signed Neto and O’Hoppe? I meant to say they wrapped up almost all of their arbitration class.
The club and Reid Detmers are $300k apart so we shall see if they go to a hearing or find a middle ground.
I have to think that each side laying their numbers on the table makes it really easy to reach a deal. Like imagine if I’m selling a house and I tell you a number the seller is willing to take. If we’re close, we’re closing that deal.
One deal that won’t get closed without a significant change in posture is between the Tigers and Tarik Skubal. They are currently $13 million apart. Detroit offered a lowball $19 million for the back to back Cy Young winner who countered with $32 million.
There’s so much arbitration stuff I could fill several pages. The best resource by far is MLBTR’s arbitration tracker.
Getting back to the Angels, and getting more mileage out of pieces I’ve already published, I looked this week at the overall state of the Angels and pondered if Arte is poised to sell the team.
Okamoto broke my heart and signed with Toronto. Now that the Angels missed out on him, who might play third base next year?
Vaughn Grissom was brought in to hopefully play some position on the infield. Likely second base, perhaps utility. He brings upside but questions marks as well.
And did I mention a big trade? The Cubs acquired Edward Cabrera from Miami in exchange for Owen Cassie and some prospects. Don’t laugh, but the Marlins might have the best young outfield in all of baseball. Kyle Stowers put up 3.6 bWAR in left last year and newcomer Jakob Marsee added another 1.9 bWAR in only 55 games. If Cassie has the power he’s supposed to have, that is a dynamic outfield behind a great young pitching staff that is about to be aided by some great young arms.
So there you have it. TV deal madness. Arbitration money going everywhere. And a huge trade.
Enjoy your weekend and link what I missed. I’m working Saturday but plan on taking my first day off of 2026 on Sunday. The On SI gig is great but demands a lot more posts than CtPG so feel free to look over there from time to time.
All in all, I’m counting down the days until my Spring Training trip and just really enjoying this stage with my son. They are all great stages and I’ve enjoyed each in different ways. Getting to spend a full day with him and my wife is going to be great.
