Which pitching stats matter in Spring Training?
Rhys Hoskins got a minor league deal with the Guardians. The Dodgers claimed outfielder Jack Suwinski off waivers from the Pirates.
Twins right-hander Joe Ryan has lower back inflammation.
Bill Mazeroski passed away at the age of 89.
Here is how the ABS Challenge System works.
Photo credit: Rex Fregosi
For those who didn’t listen to the game, Angels lost to The Rangers 6-0.
Listen to it?
I bet people didn’t even watch it!
Couldn’t watch on tv but they did say a little over 4000 in attendance .
yes, but moms had a safe and affordable place to bring the kids today, so #LTBU!
CAoldskoll mentioned taking the survey 3 years ago and pretty much confirmed that it was a “stadium experience” thing that was not about the team performance. I wonder if the results were presented to Arte without him knowing what was in the survey or how it was conducted. Were people presented with a list that didn’t include “winning”? Did they have to write that in? I think that’s the case.
I bet it had winning, but if it was presented as a stadium experience survey the natural interpretation of “winning” would be whether the Angels won on the particular day you visited. That’s substantially different than a winning record/team.
I guess what we all really want is an organization that not only appears to be well-run, but actually IS well-run. If there were funds being poured into scouting, player development, AND a fun ballpark experience, we would be more willing to support a lower overall payroll. We could in fact act like a small market team, and have a competitive team – like TB and MIL and CLVD. The key is hiring people who know baseball – but that would be giving up power (owner) and taking power from others(friends of owner) who have failed again and again.
The players union guy was right though. It’s inexcusable to be in the LA/OC market and act like a small market team. It’s going to take some investment and Arte clearly doesn’t have the money to do it. He really isn’t wealthy enough to be the owner of a big market MLB franchise. At least not anymore. For the right people, this could be a very successful money making franchise. I believe he’s going to get pressure to sell if he continues to speak and act this way.
I wasn’t around for the initial fallout from Moreno’s comments on the winning being of secondary importance but I think I’ll divest even more. He’s clearly tonedeaf and insulated by yes men at bare minimum. I already don’t spend my cash on this team and I’m now going to try to limit my time that I spend as well. In 50+ years of fandom, I’ve never cared less.
I love this team but hate what it has become.
Up until a few years ago, I was an Arte apologist. I actually thought he was trying. Sure, everyone wants to win. But are you committed to it? He is not. He admitted it. He actually says for the fans he will focus on affordability. As a fan, especially of winning – zero is very affordable. Thanks Arte.
For decades the O’Malley’s focused on affordability and still won a whole lot even in free agency era. Everyone was con jobbed by Arturo being a winner. He inherited a winning team with being in Colon and Guerrero and fans never realized that when Stoneman hit the brick with no complaints that Arte was taking the team apart piece by piece. By 2015 many fans were exiting being under the ether of winning and asking questions, but by 2017 Trout started his injuries and the team was losing. Arte was never even a great owner and much less a good owner. It is difficult to remain a loyal fan, but many here will still hang out for a change and just simply support the team in lesser ways until that change.
Well he was trying a few years ago. Did I love the TrouTani+ method of roster building? No. But I could see what he was trying to do and it was something. And as many have said, if he did a tear down and just declared “we are gonna suck for what I hope is a short time” and then started building up a pile of prospects, that’d actually be fun for me.
But he hasn’t. What’s more, the “rebuild” thing is like jazz music. Lot’s of people like to say they like it because they are afraid they are stupid if they don’t. But they don’t really listen to it. People around here say they want a tear down…. but when it comes time to start cutting off chunks of value like Ohtani/Ward/Neto they piss themselves.
The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing CtPG Guy that he’s all that different from Arte.
Off topic here, but can anyone tell me, is there an advantage to streaming via the new MLB option versus Fan Duel this season?
You can’t stream the Angels via FanDuel anymore. Angels along with every other MLB team there ended their contract
Ok gotcha. I googled it and it said FanDuel was still an option. Guess that’s wrong. 🤷
Always check the dates of the articles when you google. If it was more than six months ago about this topic you may be reading old information.
IIRC, the Angels and other teams did not end their contracts but rather the teams were not being paid. Diamond’s bankruptcy has really muddled the broadcasting space for teams.
Looks like one would need to purchase the entire season vs monthly?
Both monthly and season long are available. Though if you want to do monthly I’d recommend waiting until the regular season starts given the pittance of Angels Spring broadcasts available
Good advice, spring training games rarely hold my attention anyway. I do like the monthly option and would not signup otherwise. Last couple of years, I cut loose of Bally/Fan Duel after the July trading deadline as the Angels suffer their annual Aug-Sept nose dive.
On the Angels.TV thing it is supposedly $99.99 for the full season or $19.99 per month.
But when I renewed my MLB.TV subscription for $149.99 I was able to bundle in the Angels.TV and pay $199.99 for the full year. Considering I was going to get MLB.TV anyway, I did the bundle.
I’m now dropping my $105 per month Spectrum plan and my $35 per month ESPN+/Hulu/Disney bundle and moving to Hulu Live with ESPN+ and no ads for $99 per month.
Thanks, good info. I’m a T-Mobile customer and get the MLB season on the house. A nice perk. Can listen to either teams feed. This is minus local teams of course. Given this, looks like I have to do the Angels al la carte.
Solid. I have Spectrum simply because they are the only internet I can get at my house. So bundling phone/cable/internet was a solid deal.
That T Mobile thing is cool. I’ll look into switching over next year before I renew MLB.TV.
The answer is…. watch another team.
If only there was a singular TV source where you can could bundle all of the individual streams and channels into one package. Oh wait, it was cable and we all voted it off the island in favor of the new low cost streaming option that now cost three times as much.
I don’t fully understand every detail of how this all works, but I wouldn’t be excited about the idea of the Angels deferring over $1B in salaries the way the doyers have. That feels like something that could have negative long-term consequences. I’m not in the “the Angels must win the World Series every year” camp, but I am firmly in the camp of wanting them to be competitive for a playoff spot every season and to win the division every two or three years.
What they did this offseason, for whatever reason, feels like waving the white flag on 2026. Maybe that was the right call given the uncertainty around 2027 and the loss of massive TV revenue.
Oh yeah. 2026 is a total wash. But we can still be entertained by watching what’s there. See if kid pitchers can get good. See if Nolan Schanuel can hit .300 etc. But this season’s a total plop as far as the standings.
I wouldn’t call going 84 – 78 a washed season
Again – is that the average IQ of thie folks on this site? Because you cannot really think the ‘26 Angels are coming anywhere close to that record?
Cool story, man. I’m a fan of the team and that’s my prediction until the record says otherwise. Do I care if my prediction is wrong? Absolutely not.
OK, just curious whether that’s based on any kind of reasoning other than just extremely wishful thinking of a fanatic? Do you have anything to actually back up that prediction that there is a chance that the team has added 20 WAR from two years ago and seven WAR from last year? Or is there magic thinking involved?
Don’t know, I can’t predict the future.
It’s been stepping closer and closer to Reddit levels of lunacy. Saying they’ll have a winning record this season is wild.
Can you articulate why the team would win 14 more games this season than last season? Preferably using data and reason.
6 – 0 against the defending ws Dodgers says they can compete with anyone.
The 162 game season wipes that theory out.
That’s great, I’m rooting for 84 – 78.
Think of it as a business taking out a loan to boost their brand now in anticipation that will bring long term revenue growth.
There is risk in this strategy because unlike buying some warehouses or data centers these players will stop providing value before they stop getting paid. But in the meantime the Dodgers have essentially converted the entire baseball mad country of Japan into another source of revenue.
With the value of the dollar getting hammered by 10% last year alone, now they are essentially deferring even less. As the national deficit explodes over the next few years the dollar will drop even more. By the time the Dodgers are paying $100 million a year to guys who no longer pay, that $100 million will probably be on par with what Arte paid Rendon the last few years.
The key is realizing this path is not sustainable forever. The Dodgers will need to refocus on player development to replace this core. The good news is they have the time and resources to do so. They don’t need the farm to produce many players for the next half decade or so.
Pleas know I am not agreeing with nor do I support the Arte with all he does or says.
It’s very easy to bash the owner. But…
We are fans, so we would spend HIS money freely, and just pay free agents whatever they want. Because this would make us happy. Fans ONLY care about winning, but owners cannot ONLY care about winning. This is a business – like it or not. Owners must weigh lots of financial concerns when it comes to increasing payroll.
Would you spend $100 million on a free agent pitcher- who might win what 14 games a year? Yes, I would if it is Arte’s money. But if it were YOUR money? Would you risk it? This is money your kids and family will inherit. You could be putting their financial future at risk to give a guy with injury history a huge deal – just to make a few of us happy.
There has to be a balance in any business – and although the owner said it poorly – winning and business must go hand-in- hand. To make money, you have to spend money – yes – but there also has to be some sense of fiscal responsibility for the overall health of the business as well.
Just a thought. You can bash me now.
But haven’t you heard? Winning teams make money. So spend to win right? Just, you know, ignore the fact that you’d have to spend on about a dozen players for this team to actually compete in the AL West. You’d also have to pay someone to make sure the Mariners all get Mono.
When a team is fairly close, and the owner refuses to spend money, THAT is annoying. Like the Reds and Pirates…. even the Brewers. But this Angels squad is a tear down. Why pour money into it?
The Angels were a “tear down” when Ohtani left…and the franchise is still spinning its wheels stuck in the mud.
The Angels still have not really done a tear down.
No bashing, but I think a perusal of comments, especially in the past year, would reveal that many here did not want the team to spend like you mention. Actually comments have been the opposite, trade anyone and everyone for the best prospects you can and put them in the farm.
If Arte thinks the fans are not all about winning, not even in the top five reasons to attend a game, then why not tear it all down and try to get the best prospects you can that are hopefully going to eventually be average or above average players when they get to MLB? Makes my head explode.
If the plan is to buy a sports franchise with the intent to operate it like you would a supermarket or a factory, DON’T BUY THE SPORTS FRANCHISE.
If the plan is to buy a sports franchise with the expressed intent not to include “winning” as one of your top 5 priorities, DON’T BUY THE SPORTS FRANCHISE.
If the plan is to buy a sports franchise with the intent to “improve its brand”, but then operate the franchise in a manner that creates the longest streak of losing seasons in franchise history (2016-2025), DON’T BUY THE SPORTS FRANCHISE.
If any of us had invested $180 million in Apple (AAPL) stock at the beginning of 2003, our investment would be worth approximately $140 billion to $150 billion in February 2026. So if Arte was the “brilliant businessman” some proclaim him to be, then why did he buy a sports franchise? I’d suggest it wasn’t to “make the most money possible”; he bought the Angels initially to build a winner to compete yearly and beat the competition. Somewhere along the way, his motives “adjusted” to what we heard expressed to the press last week: winning isn’t in the top 5 priorities of his business.
Furthermore, just because someone sticks a microphone in your grill doesn’t mean you have to spew stupidity. No one forced Arte to say what he did. He spoke his mind. I believe Arte spoke his truth. The error Arte made was actually confirming what even the most casual fan has seen through his ACTIONS since 2015.
It didn’t appear that Arte said what you think he said. I am pretty sure that he has some data to support his comment that winning wasn’t among his customers’ top five priorities. Crap on him if you must, but try to be accurate.
Really? Do you not deem Arte’s own words accurate? Have you reviewed this?
https://www.ocregister.com/2026/02/20/angels-owner-arte-moreno-tv-ordeal-hasnt-been-easy/
“Winning is not in the fans’ top 5 priorities”
If the franchise has conducted a survey, where is it?
I guess it comes down to whether or not people choose to believe that he actually has survey results or he is just making it all up.
Assume for a minute he actually does have the survey results to back up his statement, then he is doing what the fans of HIS team want.
With that said, I don’t think someone who considers themselves a real fan (vs. a casual fan), places winning out of the top 5.
And lot’s of other businesses require investors at one point or another to address things they need capital for. Arte could go get investors to pay for the things needed to be successful but he doesn’t want anyone else having a say, so he’s stuck where he is. And, if it’s really not about winning, then just ear it down and start over.
You make valid points. The issue is that free agency is not the only path to winning nor is it the most efficient.
Take that same $100 million and invest it in scouting and development over the course of a decade and you can field a team full of home grown players who will win more games than just the free agent pitcher.
And fans like home grown players even more than hired guns.
Take some of that $100 million and hire good baseball people and let them do their jobs. If that simply eliminates the Josh Hamilton mistake you are already ahead. Add in Wells, Rendon, etc. and you are way ahead.
If you have the funds you wasted on countless big ticket items that predictably failed, you have funds to spend on guys who might be better.
Arte tried exactly one avenue to win. The worst avenue. And when that didn’t work he stopped trying.
Happy to report that I was unable to watch yesterday’s game both affordably and safely.
Gleaning at the box score shows Walbert Urena 📈, Chase Silseth 📉
My favorite emoji – the red upward-trending line lol
I haven’t followed the games yet. Have the Angels challenged any pitches yet? Seems like you would want to challenge as much as you can now to get an idea of how your eye matches the ABS.
I’m also waiting for the claim that stadium x ABS doesn’t match stadium y. That should be interesting.
Talk about tone deaf. How this guy built a successful billboard business being this clueless is beyond my comprehension.
Moms don’t buy a lot of billboards.
As I age and work with more and more people I realize: there are a lot more idiots out there than you would think.
Sam Blum has weighed in on Arte…..
Los Angeles Angels players “took notice” of Arte Moreno’s comments to reporters on Friday, in which the team’s owner said that winning isn’t among fans’ top priorities.
“Let’s just say players took notice of it,” MLB Players Association director Bruce Meyer told The Athletic after meeting with Angels players on Sunday morning. “And we took notice of it too.”
“The bottom line is players are competitors. They grew up competing every day. They go out, and they try their hardest to win every game. And players want to see owners doing the same thing.”
On Friday, Moreno told reporters, “The number one thing fans want is affordability. They want affordability. They want safety, and they want a good experience when they come to the ballpark. Believe it or not, winning is not in their top five.”
Moreno cited surveys they’ve conducted to provide that information, according to The Orange County Register.
It is unclear what survey Moreno was referring to in his answer. It is also unclear to whom the survey was given and what the specific question was that yielded those results.
The Angels declined to comment when asked about specifics of the survey.
This offseason, the Angels slashed payroll. In 2025, the team spent around $206 million on payroll, according to FanGraphs. It’s around $155 million this year when accounting for deferred payments to injured third baseman Anthony Rendon.
The team’s broken television deal with Main Street Sports Group has led to a loss in revenue, and Moreno cited it as a reason for the team’s conservative spending patterns. The Angels have yet to announce a television partner and are not broadcasting any spring training games.
“Will (payroll) get back to $200 million? Probably,” Moreno told reporters. “We’ve got to get our TV thing worked out, and we just have to improve our brand.”
The union views the Angels as a particular area of concern, given that they’re in a major market but are spending at much lower levels than teams like the Dodgers, Mets, Yankees, Phillies and Blue Jays.
Though Meyer expressed concern over several teams not going all-in on winning and spending, he said it shouldn’t be an issue in Southern California, which is one of the nation’s top media markets.
“If you can’t have a successful operation in Los Angeles, it’s hard to see what the problem is,” Meyer said. “It’s easy to make excuses, but certainly the Los Angeles Angels have resources to compete in every respect.
“To come out and say that winning is not a priority, not even in the top five priorities, is really pretty remarkable.”
The Angels declined to respond to Meyer’s comments. Moreno told reporters on Friday that his own personal priority was winning, but suggested it might not be financially feasible.
“For me, I’ve always wanted to win,” Moreno said. “It’s just, what’s the cost of winning right now?”
Last year, after the union’s then-director Tony Clark suggested that the Angels treat the luxury tax threshold as a salary cap, an Angels spokesperson told The Athletic, “That’s his opinion, and we don’t agree with it.”
The luxury tax threshold for 2026 is $244 million. The Angels have not surpassed the threshold since 2003, Moreno’s first season as team owner.
The survey was selectively given to mothers bringing their babies to the ballpark. 😎
I am hoping this is all pointing towards an eventual Angels sale. But in the meantime a few around here suggested that maybe Arte’s liquid portfolio is not as financially stable as once believed. Sure – he owns a multi-billion dollar asset. But beyond that? And that asset is generating much less free cash than previously.
So maybe Arte is having money problems and is making lane excuses for not investing more into the team.
I believe losing tv moneys dropped about $50m or more from the org revenue. That is not insignificant. You drop spending in response. Kinda normal.
I think the tv money deal he had covered player payroll + each year.
I think estimates for the Bally deal were about $100m/year. Still not enough for player payroll let alone that and + each year.
Looks like it was for 120 million a year, not enough to cover payroll.
Thing is, if a team is run well, 150-80 million is enough payroll to put out a pretty damn good team. I don’t think “cheap Arte” has been a real issue till the last couple years. I think the MLBPA really misses “aggressive winner” Arte driving up contract values for players that eventually sign with the Yankees, Phillies, Red Sox etc.
I seriously don’t expect ownership, even new unicorn owner, to go past the luxury tax threshold very often. The teams they listed for comparison all have way more money than the Angels. Arte’s been stupid, not cheap.
$160 million should be plenty to compete.
Requires multiple quality pre arb and arbitration players on the team.
Requires avoiding an albatross contract.
But still leaves room for a quality free agent here and there.
You’ve inspired a math nerd piece. I’m going to type it up today.
Arte uses “Survey Monkey”: Kuhl, Carpino, Perry, Molly, and the actual Rally Monkey.
My perspective is that Arte was always “cash poor”. His assets may have a value in the $5B range, but he has minimal assets that create positive cash flow.
Some free financial advice then for Arte — selling the Angels would free up billions of dollars for cash on hand.
I’m really hoping his money men have come to him and explained what it will cost to keep the team, get a stadium, and build a winner and he decides the juice isn’t worth the squeeze at his age. And he does it soon.
He may take a while to come around on this. I know he’s into owning real-estate. He may have some squeezes coming soon if the reports I get from the stocks I own are true. Maybe that’ll force him to sell to get some liquid flowing?
See. There you go. Sam The Hat stuck with direct quotes from guys and then some facts and it’s a solid news story. No feelz at all. Good for Sam.
I don’t know about you guys, but when I go to watch my favorite team play a game, I definitely just want to be safe there. That’s my top priority. Safety. They could lose every game 25-0, just so long as I feel safe there, I’m all good.
Arte is clueless but I can’t help but think of folks going to Raider games at the Colosseum in the 80s when they were good. “It was a fun game, too bad we got carjacked on the way to the freeway”.
For sure, except the Halos don’t play in Oakland in the 1980’s. If safety was an issue, then I’d understand the ranking in priories (although winning should always be #1, obvi), but it isn’t. Anaheim is relatively safe, IMO.
It was actually the LA Colosseum back in the 80s. Getting out of there when traffic was backed up was hazardous to your well being.
Oh my bad, thought you meant Oakland Colosseum. My point stands though, Anaheim in 2026 seems pretty toothless, so not sure why that’d be such a high priority for the team to focus on.
Agree, Arte is talking out of the wrong end.
