LA Angels Wednesday News Crash: HOF 2026 Results

Super Member

2GA2Join

9 hours ago

Nice!
3B is covered.
Next we sign Bader and we’re on our way to the World Series.

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Legend

steelgolf

8 hours ago

Reply to 2GA2Join

Except when he is on the IL. Approx. 1/3 of the season should be figured into the equation.

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Super Member

RexFregosi

6 hours ago

Reply to 2GA2Join

I’d rather have another decent Starting Pitcher, and figure out CF between Rada, Teo and Trout.

But, yes, nice enough.

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Legend

FungoAle

6 hours ago

Reply to RexFregosi

I’d be shocked if another OF is acquired before camp opens. For odd reasons, Lowe was acquired to play center. Perry clearly sees Lowe as a starter, equated to giving up one of his reliable bullpen arms.

Last edited 6 hours ago by FungoAle

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Trusted Member

LAAFan

9 hours ago

4 mil for Moncada? How’d Arte find the loose change?

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Legend

Senator_John_Blutarsky

9 hours ago

Reply to LAAFan

Recycling cans and bottles; Perry’s been panhandling out on Katella.

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Super Member

ryanfea

6 hours ago

Reply to Senator_John_Blutarsky

Angel GM’s not allowed to do that on Del Taco property anymore

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Super Member

ryanfea

10 hours ago

Angels bring back Moncada, 1yr at 4 million. https://x.com/francysromerofr/status/2014141796956115009?s=46

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Legend

Pineapple12

10 hours ago

Reply to ryanfea

Honestly, this is fine. Denzer Guzman will be the starting 3rd baseman by July.

C – O’Hoppe
1B – Schanuel
2B – Moore
SS – Neto
3B – Moncada
LF – Lowe
CF – (please not Teodosio)
RF – Adell
DH – Trout

Bench: D’Arnaud, Soler, Grissom, Peraza

We want the #1 pick!

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Trusted Member

grichmanpoorman

9 hours ago

Reply to Pineapple12

Think so? I like Denzer a lot. Learned how to take a pitch last year. Discovered some power. Still a rookie!

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Trusted Member

Biggiswrth

9 hours ago

Reply to Pineapple12

Man just look at how much better it would look with Bader in CF. Win with Defense and pitching for once and see if it works!

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FungoAle

9 hours ago

Reply to Biggiswrth

Rumor is that Bader wants a 3-yr deal. He is not worthy of that IMO and until he reduces his demands, prudent to avoid and work with the in-house players.

Last edited 8 hours ago by FungoAle

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Trusted Member

Kevin

8 hours ago

Reply to Pineapple12

I think Lowe or Adell or Trout will play CF. Maybe on a rotation with 2 or all 3.

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Super Member

RexFregosi

6 hours ago

Reply to Kevin

Rada/Teo would be my choice

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Legend

FungoAle

9 hours ago

Reply to ryanfea

Moncada clearly did not have anyone interested in his services to come back to this team for $1M less. Think about it. He’s a typical Cuban player, plays for himself.

What are we doing here?

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Trusted Member

toad2065

4 hours ago

Reply to FungoAle

Racist comment Fungo!

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Trusted Member

toad2065

4 hours ago

Reply to ryanfea

Do we know if he’s had surgery?

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Legend

Eric_in_Portland

10 hours ago

I don’t understand how voters reconcile not voting for Manny while they vote for Pettite

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Legend

gitchogritchoffmypettis

11 hours ago

I love how, on MLBTR right now there is a huge, long post by Dierkes about how baseball needs a salary cap and neither side really wants to do it. Basically, in the end, nothing’s gonna really get fixed.

Next headline. Tigers sign Phil Bickford to an MiLB contract.

yay.baseball

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Editor

Super Member

Turk's Teeth

15 hours ago

Baseball America released its preseason Top 100 prospects list this morning, including a 20 player ‘expansion pack’ (my words, not theirs) of players on the bubble just outside the top 100.

The AL West picture

Seattle, 4 top 100 prospects + 1 on the bubble
Oakland, 3 top 100 prospects (all in the top 40) + 2 on the bubble
Texas, 2 top 100 prospects
Angels, 1 top 100 prospect (Bremner at #51)
Houston, 0 top 100 prospects + 1 on the bubble

The Angels had three other prospects receive at least one vote, while not making it onto the list: Ryan Johnson, Dylan Jordan and Nelson Rada. The Mariners and Athletics had 9 and 7 players receiving votes respectively – indicating the depth of the two systems in the AL West that can be considered above-average at present.

For the curious, BA currently ranks Bremner 7th among 2025 draftees. (Kade Anderson, my top target last summer, is their top-ranked at #25.) BA turned a particularly jaundiced eye toward Ethan Holliday, dropping him all the way to #80 based on his initial go at A ball (“fell flat on his face in his pro debut with a 39.3% strikeout rate”).

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Trusted Member

DMAGZ13

13 hours ago

Reply to Turk's Teeth

I was perusing stats in the PCL and dang it’s crazy how much he stands out based on his numbers and age. He’s 5’8” 185 same size as Luisangel Acuña similar numbers in AAA… I think that Rada is getting Angels hate bias. Not saying Rada will be a star but he would get more pub part of another organization

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Trusted Member

grichmanpoorman

12 hours ago

Reply to DMAGZ13

Rada is TOTALLY dinged by association.

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Editor

Super Member

Turk's Teeth

12 hours ago

Reply to DMAGZ13

I’m going to continue to disagree on this point – I think Angels fans tend to have a bit of a martyr complex on prospects that don’t make national lists, but I think Rada is fairly rated.

Rada has received multiple profiles in Baseball America, he’s a top 5 prospect in the organization, and he has some key boosters (also detractors). It’s a divisive prospect profile – and even Anaheim’s FO is divided on him. The Angels may be the most aggressive organization in pro baseball at advancing their prospects, but note their caution in promoting Rada this offseason to CF heir apparent.

That’s because Rada has almost no power to speak of, and is vulnerable to velocity up and in, despite being smart as a whip and possessing elite swing decisions.

It’s really apples and oranges comparing Luisangel Acuña and Rada’s AAA numbers, because Acuña played in the International League and Rada in the PCL. It’s tough to exaggerate how much the PCL inflates offense, especially at Salt Lake, and especially in power statistics.

But even then, Acuña never made the BA Top 100 either. He briefly made the back of other top 100 lists, mostly on the strength of being a shortstop with an above-average glove, but he was #9 in the Mets’ org per Fangraphs in ’24.

The fact that Rada got top 100 votes from BA’s staff – one of only four Angels prospects to do so – is proof to me that he’s hardly under the radar. I believe Ben and Carlos of BA, Taylor Blake Ward and I are all in consensus on Rada. A very interesting profile, and the kind of kid you root for, but this type of physical profile simply tends to have a short half-life in the MLB, and flames out more frequently than they break through. (And Acuña is frankly illustrative of that.)

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Editor

Legend

Jeff Joiner

11 hours ago

Reply to Turk's Teeth

TBW comped Rada to Denard Span a while back and I think that is likely the best case scenario for him. Possibly a reasonable case.

Span was a first round pick but he never rated on the top 100 lists that I can see. He did play his way into the 2007 Futures Game then got promoted to MLB the following year.

At AAA Rochester, Span slashed .267/.323/.355 in 550 PA in 2007.

Rada is playing AAA ball a mile above sea level on many nights and slashed .323/.433/.416 but was very Span level at sea level AA with a .277/.380/.332

Span was a very good ballplayer and I doubt Rada matches his career batting average and hits total, but he could come close in the glove and OBP categories.

Prospect rankings are all about potential. Ceiling is much more sexy than floor. Rada’s ceiling just isn’t high enough to be sexy and on most teams he’d be viewed as a future 4th outfielder/pinch runner.

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Editor

Super Member

Turk's Teeth

11 hours ago

Reply to Jeff Joiner

I do think, as you suggest, that Denard Span is the upside case – not the most probable one, but a precedent that you’d love to see echoed in Rada’s career trajectory.

I think Rada is outpacing the very lowered expectations of Angels fans vis-a-vis the farm. If the LAA farm were closer in depth and upside to those farms the team possessed in the mid-oughts, this wouldn’t even be a conversation. Rada would be a nice-to-have complementary player, maybe in the #9-12 range in a healthy system. But the farm is so barren of upside position players, fans think Rada is getting the shaft, when he’s really being rated on similar terms to a much larger field of players than casual Angels fans typically see.

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Trusted Member

jco

11 hours ago

Reply to Turk's Teeth

I agree. I really want Rada to be the next Brett Butler, but it’s unlikely. If he’s Denard Span as Jeff suggests the upside to be, I will be thrilled. Without any power or the likelihood of it developing, it’s just such a narrow opportunity. Pitchers will pound the zone more if the worst outcome is a single and that will cut down on the walk percentage.

Rada is a real prospect and by all accounts his glove and baserunning are excellent.

i don’t think he’s undervalued by the mainstream though.

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Editor

Super Member

Turk's Teeth

10 hours ago

Reply to jco

100%

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Legend

FungoAle

8 hours ago

Reply to Turk's Teeth

Seattle is on a roll and the A’s are keeping pace. Nice to see Houston fading.

Where does Seth Hernandez land on the list? I know some of BBA writers were pretty high.

Ouch on Holiday. Willits and Arquette ranking?

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Editor

Super Member

Turk's Teeth

7 hours ago

Reply to FungoAle

Hernandez is #38, the fourth ranked prospect among the 2025 draftees, one above Jamie Arnold.

Arquette falls between Arnold and Bremner at #42. They’re still high on Willits at #31 – he had a very promising debut.

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Trusted Member

bobblanton

16 hours ago

Bellinger off the board

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Trusted Member

2pints

16 hours ago

Reply to bobblanton

thank Jobu!

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Trusted Member

CAoldskoll

16 hours ago

Reply to bobblanton

A 5yr for around 32.5 million annual, Big payday from Yanks. Question is Tucker that much better than him with the Dodgers throwing out $60yr. Yanks are rich too, but the LA signings and cash flow are totally out of control.

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Editor

Legend

Jeff Joiner

15 hours ago

Reply to CAoldskoll

Remember the Dodgers are paying 110% luxury tax on top of that, so Tucker is really a $110 million per year player.

And, no, there’s not that big of a gap between the two.

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Editor

Super Member

Turk's Teeth

14 hours ago

Reply to Jeff Joiner

Yeah, under more typical circumstances, were the Angels operating with rational ownership and with big media market expectations, 5 yrs of Bellinger at that cost for his age 31-35 yo seasons is not even much of an overpay.

Sure, it would have been the Angels’ stretch acquisition of the offseason, but at $80M under last year’s payroll – far, far under the luxury tax threshold – and no QO attached, there was more than enough budget room. Especially given that the contract tie-up would likely only be for 2-3 years due to opt outs.

None of this is to say that Bellinger wanted to play in Anaheim – just that that contract in market terms is neither insane, nor cost-prohibitive for the team.

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Trusted Member

2pints

13 hours ago

Reply to Turk's Teeth

It would have been very much Arte to dole out a contract for over $30M a year to an over 30-year-old player right after being done with the previous contract where they were paying an older player over $30M a year (not “done” done since its now just a 5-year contract for Rendon, but you get my meaning).

I’m happy they did not sign Bellinger. Give the payroll some time to catch its breath.

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Editor

Super Member

Turk's Teeth

11 hours ago

Reply to 2pints

Meh – in inflation-adjusted dollars, Bellinger’s AAV is much lower than Rendon’s was, and the contract is structured in a remarkably club-friendly way, maximizing the likelihood that Bellinger opts out in 2-3 years as ages. It also softens the blow at the back end of the contract should he underperform and stay opted in to years 4 and 5. Again, in inflation-adjusted dollars, the final years of the contract are about half of what Rendon cost per annum.

But I also think that the reluctance to embrace even a club-friendly fair-market contract (in a market where FA winners tend to have to markedly overpay against aggressive competition) just demonstrates the Stockholm Syndrome that Angels fans live with at this point. No one expects Moreno to be canny or aggressive in the market, we all know the luxury tax is a rubicon threshold, and we know when the man intervenes, it’s usually unwise.

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Trusted Member

2pints

11 hours ago

Reply to Turk's Teeth

I remain unconvinced, even with inflation factored in. Bellinger has had great years and catastrophic ones. What would he be more likely to do in Anaheim? I’d bet we’d see more of the latter version.

But I fully agree that we Halo fans have a degree of Stockholm syndrome given how the team has jumped from one bad contract for an aging vet to another.

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Editor

Super Member

Turk's Teeth

11 hours ago

Reply to 2pints

I’m not talking about what Bellinger would look like as a “big splash” “one and done” acquisition on this poorly assembled squad going into 2026. I’m talking about what Bellinger would look like as part of a balanced portfolio of offseason acquisitions on any large market contending team. Not even LAD, NYM or NYY – I’m talking Boston, Philadelphia, Toronto, even Baltimore.

Paying a high AAV for 2-3 years for a 5 WAR 31 yo would be something any of those teams would do, and they’d be hedged across their rosters to handle underperformance should it come. It’s not an outlandish sum in this market by any stretch.

But Angels fans have adjusted to severely lowered expectations, so that you might say something like “give the payroll some time to catch its breath” when 2025 payroll was already only 13th in the league, and 100M+ less than the other three teams in the nation’s two largest media markets (not even counting luxury tax payments on top of that).

That’s because current Angels ownership doesn’t punch its weight relative to its geography. Arte is slow, indifferent, unambitious, and increasingly checked-out. Angels fans have grown comfortable with recent payroll levels comparable to the D-Backs and Padres, and are now readjusting expectations even further to payroll levels more consistent with mid-market clubs like Kansas City, Minnesota and Colorado.

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Trusted Member

2pints

10 hours ago

Reply to Turk's Teeth

yeah, I was speaking purely in regards to the Halos. I’m sure Beli would be a nice addition for many other teams, just not the Halos in their current state.

Its not that I don’t think Arte can afford it, he can. Its that Arte tends to force a sizable contract right when another sizable contract ends. Usually, the fanbase has been counting down the years for a bad contract to end in hopes the freed-up money will be spent to get the team over the hump. This team isn’t anywhere near the hump, so spending big on Beli doesn’t make sense at this point. The odds of Beli as a Halo underperforming and not opting out are as high as him being good and opting out, IMO. Then in 2-3 years we’ll be here commiserating that once Beli’s contract ends, Arte can go and sign xyz player to help the club. Its been like 20 years of the same cycle.

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Editor

Super Member

Turk's Teeth

10 hours ago

Reply to 2pints

Meanwhile, the Phillies, in a media market about 60% the size of the Angels, with much more geographic competition, would just swallow the salt and reinvest, despite the sunk cost. They ran a payroll $90M+ higher than the Angels last season. They’ve made the postseason four years running.

I realize that everyone largely knows this, but the increasingly diminishing level of Angels investment just isn’t “normal” – or it shouldn’t be. Even a totally vanilla ownership group would take more risks and selectively flirt with the LT threshold more than Moreno does.

There’s this abiding sense that Moreno is still a generous (if incompetent) owner that invests heavily in his club, but that’s less and less the case. He’s a league-average investor in many senses (and in 2026 he may very well dip below the median), but that simply doesn’t make sense in the LA metro.

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Trusted Member

2pints

10 hours ago

Reply to Turk's Teeth

You’re preachin’ to the choir there, my man. My only hope is that Arte is prepping the team finances for a sale.

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Legend

gitchogritchoffmypettis

16 hours ago

Reply to bobblanton

oh no. the heartbreak. we had such good reasons to sign him. now the financial furnace inside me that only feels alive when we burn millions of other peoples dollars is sad. this team are poops.

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Trusted Member

DMAGZ13

17 hours ago

I don’t get the point of not allowing the steroid users in the HOF if you’re not going to boost the non-steroid users. Regarding the HOF, I think about guys like Tim Salmon or Garret Anderson who might’ve made 2-3 more ASGs if not for the steroid sluggers. Garret could’ve made it in 2000 & 2001 for 5 ASG appearances. Meanwhile Tim Salmon could’ve made 4-5 between 1995 and 2000. Different story for these guys, different contract demands they could’ve made. Different legacies.

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Legend

gitchogritchoffmypettis

16 hours ago

Reply to DMAGZ13

I think they should let guys who clearly eclipsed normal HOF numbers but used steroids in. I think it has nothing to do with Salmon or Anderson because they were not close to being in the Hall.

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Legend

gitchogritchoffmypettis

18 hours ago

I’m all for the Angels doing nothing for now. Please continue the nothing. Play some kids. Pitch some kids. Draft some kids. Trade for some kids.

I don’t care that Beltran cheated. I don’t live in a dream. All the baseball players cheat.

It has to fking KILL ManRam that Big PopPills is a beloved Hall of Famer and he’s not allowed on the bus all because Poopi made reporters giggle and feel friend feelz.

I like Vaughn Grissom. Time for Moore to get some innings on the grass.

In BTV news, clearly the SIM is always wrong. The White Sox got 7.9 back for trading Robert’s -2.8 of value. This, of course, is an overpay. An overpay that pretty much only four teams in the MLB can make just to get another living human who can play CF.

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Trusted Member

DMAGZ13

18 hours ago

K-Rod is not going to the Hall of Fame but I don’t want him totally ignored either.

That being said , is 2002 Angels the only WS winner still without a HOFer?

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Super Member

RexFregosi

17 hours ago

Reply to DMAGZ13

There have been other teams but it is very rare.
Mike Scioscia is the best bet for it, and deservedly so.

K-Rod chances look slim, but they aren’t 0%.

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Editor

Legend

Jeff Joiner

18 hours ago

Jeff Kent career WAR 55
Bobby Grich career war 71

I realize neither number is super concrete because we can’t catalog every defensive play they made in their careers. But this is telling.

Kent is ranked alongside guys like Willie Randolph, Alan Trammell, and big Roidy.

Grich is rated with Carlos Beltran and Tim Raines. And Chuck Finley.

Yet Kent and Roidy are in while Grich is not.

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Super Member

RexFregosi

18 hours ago

Reply to Jeff Joiner

yep, and speaking of 2B add in:

Chase Utley, bWAR 64.6, and his increasing HOF totals too:
Voting history:

First year: 28.8%
Second year: 39.8%
Third year: 59.1%

Utley is on the way in also.

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Editor

Legend

Jeff Joiner

15 hours ago

Reply to RexFregosi

Part of me says Utley was such a dirty player that I don’t want him in.

He’d have fit in fine a couple of eras ago, but he didn’t play a couple of eras ago.

Once they let Ortiz in the whole thing went to shit for me anyway.

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Legend

gitchogritchoffmypettis

18 hours ago

Reply to Jeff Joiner

Free Sweet Lou

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Legend

steelgolf

17 hours ago

Reply to Jeff Joiner

Kent should not be in.

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Trusted Member

jco

18 hours ago

Next year’s HOF vote will be interesting to see if anyone gets elected. Buster Posey is the only newcomer to the ballot with any real chance and I’m not sure he’ll get in on first ballot. Utley is the only holdover to get even 50% of the votes. If Utley gets in, then the vets committee really should be taking another look at Grich (and Whitaker). The two had similar careers and stats, but Grich was a little better.

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Legend

WallyChuckChili

18 hours ago

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Trusted Member

grichmanpoorman

19 hours ago

Remaining FAs… https://www.mlb.com/news/mlb-free-agents-2025-2026.

Camps open in three weeks. Unsigned players getting antsy. Seems likely/possible Perry will snap up one of the remaining marquee-type players with a one-year opt-out a la Bichette. Framber at 3/$95m? Eugenio at 2/$70m?

Maybe Gallen most likely of all… since his 2025 sucked so richly.

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Legend

gitchogritchoffmypettis

17 hours ago

Reply to grichmanpoorman

Why does that seem likely? Are we applying the “Well, we’re here, guess we gotta buy something.” strategy?

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Trusted Member

grichmanpoorman

12 hours ago

Reply to gitchogritchoffmypettis

Yeah, that’s the one! Skaggs and Rendon and all that stuff notwithstanding, I don’t think Arte is changing his stripes overnight. Still has money to spend on players (relative to past seasons). Still is gonna spend it.

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Legend

Fansince1971

12 hours ago

Reply to grichmanpoorman

I completely disagree that it’s business as usual. No television contract and many other factors (including the looming 2027 lockout) are at play.

I would also say Arte should not sign any big free agents. It would be a complete waste of resources on this club. Instead the focus should be acquiring prospects and building the farm.

Last edited 12 hours ago by Fansince1971

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Editor

Legend

Jeff Joiner

12 hours ago

Reply to Fansince1971

Instead he’ll pick a middle ground and sign a couple of cheap one year guys right as camps open.

Let’s say an Urias or Moncada plus a innings eater. Not much money, just enough to patch up the obvious weak spots but not put us in playoff contention.

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Legend

Fansince1971

5 hours ago

Reply to Jeff Joiner

Playoffs?!

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Legend

Senator_John_Blutarsky

22 hours ago

I’m only spitballing here, but it seems probable that the only owners engorged over the Tucker signing reside in Toronto and New York City.

The owners created this monster, I doubt they have the testicular fortitude to break the MLBPA on a hard salary cap.

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Super Member

HalosFanForLife

20 hours ago

Reply to Senator_John_Blutarsky

testicular fortitude. 😂 😂 That’s a good user id right there. LOL

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Editor

Legend

Jeff Joiner

18 hours ago

Reply to Senator_John_Blutarsky

I plan on doing another full series on the CBA. Should have plenty of time with no baseball after 2026.

Whatever proposal the owners bring to MLBPA will need to have a good result for MLBPA. So whatever money MLBPA sees as being left on the table due to a cap will need to be made up elsewhere using a floor.

Let’s say the owners are going to cap payrolls at $250 million. That takes away about $210 million from the top 4 teams last year.

The owners would then need to set a floor of $125 million in order to add $305 million to the bottom 10 teams.

I’m using USA today numbers to make the calculations easy.

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Legend

gitchogritchoffmypettis

17 hours ago

Reply to Jeff Joiner

USA Today…. because news is hard and reading is also hard also.

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Editor

Legend

Jeff Joiner

17 hours ago

Reply to gitchogritchoffmypettis

Also not behind a paywall.

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Trusted Member

Born_in_59

17 hours ago

Reply to Jeff Joiner

I appreciate the consideration.

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Legend

gitchogritchoffmypettis

16 hours ago

Reply to Jeff Joiner

Easy and free. That’s my style.

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Trusted Member

toad2065

15 hours ago

Reply to Jeff Joiner

A reasonable floor would definitely attract the votes of MLBPA’s younger members. Start adding up the votes of pre-arb and arb-eligible players and the bullpen guys who have to fight for jobs each year and you could easily get to a majority.

The only other option for fixing this mess is government action beginning with the death of baseball’s anti-trust exemption. Force MLB to obey the same laws as all the other sports leagues. Hasn’t hurt the NFL, NBA or NHL. Don’t know if there are enough Congresspersons with the testicular fortitude for this.

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Trusted Member

milehigh

14 hours ago

Reply to Jeff Joiner

I don’t know how accurate this is, but the article is interesting to me.
For all the signings the Dodgers have done since Ohtani, they have lost six draft picks but only $1m in international money. I’d be fine with penalties increasing on a five year rolling basis. My guess is that the PA would scream no on that, too.

https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/mlbpa-call-mlb-owners-bluff-194251730.html?utm_source=copilot.com

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LA Angels Wednesday News Crash: HOF 2026 Results

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