Angels GM Perry Minasian brought back Yoan Moncada to play third base for the Angels; at least when he’s healthy. Moncada signed a one year $4 million deal, meaning every Angels signing this off season has been for one year.
Heading into this week, Angels payroll was over $80 million lower than last season. Now that number sits at $76 million. But in looking ahead, the Angels future payroll obligations are next to nothing and the payroll could fall off a cliff after this year.
These one year band aid deals and a lack of overall roster activity lead to an obvious question: do the Angel have a direction?
This might be hopium, but I think the team’s direction is pointed firmly towards a sale. This is a repeat link, but everything in it keeps ringing truer and truer.
With third base somewhat handled and a clear picture of the Angels spending habits (or lack thereof) I took a look at what might be next for the team.
As of now, this is what a 90+ loss team looks like.
At this point the Angels should just accept reality and rebuild, but many on the board bring up a fair point: do we trust this front office to acquire good talent? Perhaps not.
The Angels did add some really high end international talent this week, though. So that is a good sign.
Across baseball, the talk is of the growing divide between the Dodgers and the rest of the field. Kyle Tucker will cost LA over $110 million once you include his luxury tax hit. That is more than the entire payroll of several teams.
MLBTR looked at whether baseball can have parity without a salary cap. This is a really good article that looks at numerous economic factors of the game.
If you want a cap, you also have to have a floor. And I took a really basic look at how that would work.
Before the Dodgers ruined baseball by signing all of the good player, the Yankees ruined baseball by signing all of the good players. They were back at their old tricks this week, signing Cody Bellinger for 5 years at over $30 million per year.
Somehow the Mets escape the ire of the sports world when they spend big. Perhaps it is because their high hopes are always dashed in brutal fashion. Nevertheless, they pulled off a trade for Freddy Peralta this week.
Unbelievably, we are less than a month away from Cactus League games. Angels prospect Chris Cortez is already out in Tempe and sat down to talk with me this week.
Please watch my interview with Chris Cortez and give Chris a follow on X. I’m hoping to do many more interviews this year and every page view and follow will help me in that quest.
Link what I missed and enjoy your weekend. I’m sure football will be center stage for most of you while I’m stoked about the Andy Cruz vs. Raymond Muratalla fight tomorrow night. My main focus is to do something fun as a family and work as little as possible.
