LA Angels Thursday News Crash: Options – Crashing the Pearly Gates

Legend

1 month ago

I tip my hat to Robert Stephenson, this yer’s winner of the Tony RenDone sit on my a$$ and get paid to be injured award . At least RS pretends he wants to play.

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Trusted Member

cookmeister

1 month ago

Way-too-early lineup prediction for Game 1 against Houston:

Jorge Soler (DH)
Mike Trout (CF)
Zach Neto (SS)
Yoan Moncada (3b)
Jo Adell (RF)
Nolan Schanuel (1B)
Logan O’Hoppe (C)
Josh Lowe (LF)
Adam Frazier (2b)

SP: Yusei Kikuchi

I have convinced myself that Soler will be the leadoff man. His best numbers hitting in the lineup are at leadoff (high OBP and OPS).

I know having 3 righties to start isn’t ideal for many, but I think it’s overblown a bit (Trout is actually better vs. righties). I think more importantly, sometimes having Neto on before him made Trout MORE passive at the plate (letting Neto try to steal, and if successful, leaving a base open).
Having Soler before Trout mitigates that, since he isn’t a SB threat. Moncada/Adell behind (pretty decent hitters with runners on), gives Zach a little more flexibility (and in Moncada’s case, opens a big hole on the right side)

I give the nod to Frazier right now, but it could be Moore. I just went with another lefty.

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Legend

Pineapple12

1 month ago

Reply to cookmeister

I appreciate your creativity and going out-of-the-box.

First thing is I’m flipping Nolan and Soler. I looked up Soler’s career splits by batting order and his numbers batting 2nd and 4th are nearly identical to when he leads off. He has triple the amount of PAs batting 2nd and 4th, and I still wouldn’t slot him in either spot. Nolan is our best OBP guy and has strong clutch numbers, important traits for the player getting the most at bats.

Bringing me to my next point — swapping them breaks up having 3 lefties in the last 4 spots.

Schanuel
Trout
Neto
Moncada
Adell

Last edited 1 month ago by Pineapple12

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Trusted Member

cookmeister

1 month ago

Reply to Pineapple12

that’s fair. Maybe they could swap them depending on righty/lefty (although I like consistency)

I know it’s spring, but they’ve had Soler leading off. I think it gets him more engaged in the game early and helps him to be a little more patient

I also just have engrained in my mind him leading off for the Braves and how good he was.

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Super Member

Roy Hobbs

1 month ago

Reply to cookmeister

Josh Lowe may not even be ready to play.

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Legend

FungoAle

1 month ago

Reply to Roy Hobbs

Has Josh Lowe been promised a staring gig? Has not shown anything since he was acquired.

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Super Member

Roy Hobbs

1 month ago

Reply to FungoAle

I was only responding to Cookmeister’s line up above.

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Legend

FungoAle

1 month ago

Reply to Roy Hobbs

No, I got that, just legitimately wondering if it is Lowes job to lose. Most likely as there is nobody else.

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Super Member

BannedInLA

1 month ago

The club is rolling with the propaganda that Trout is “back” and while it’s nice to learn that he’s running well, they make no mention of his .208 batting average and .240 OBP thus far in Spring.

https://www.mlb.com/angels/news/mike-trout-jeimer-candelario-impress-at-angels-spring-training

Last edited 1 month ago by BannedInLA

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Legend

Fansince1971

1 month ago

Reply to BannedInLA

And that is Spring Training against questionable pitching.

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Legend

gitchogritchoffmypettis

1 month ago

Reply to BannedInLA

TROUT AND NETO! : The names you love on the team you don’t!

I can tag line the shit out of anything.

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Legend

Pineapple12

1 month ago

Reply to BannedInLA

I wanted to respond with “well ST numbers don’t matter, especially for Trout”. Then I looked up his career ST #s … during his GOAT run he was always slugging in spring.

At least his speed is back?

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Legend

Fansince1971

1 month ago

Reply to Pineapple12

Foot speed but NOT bat speed

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Legend

FungoAle

1 month ago

Reply to BannedInLA

Spring swing ring…stats only count on opening day. MNT is ready to go.

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Super Member

HalosFanForLife

1 month ago

I have a feeling this Kason Siguenza signing will ultimately go down in here as a Baldoquin or Maitan joke. Just the new Arte bargain basement version.

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Trusted Member

jco

1 month ago

Reply to HalosFanForLife

I assumed it was an insignificant amount of money for a player who has little chance to ever make the majors. Was it more than that? If that’s the case, then this isn’t any different than if he had been drafted in the 20th round or something and received a minimal signing bonus.

Baldoquin and Maitan were 7 figure signing bonuses.

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Super Member

HalosFanForLife

1 month ago

Reply to jco

Well – this is my point – we are not making those bets anymore. This is the new panacea. This had to be a favor or this kid put out something fake to troll everyone. Ain’t no way.

Last edited 1 month ago by HalosFanForLife

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Trusted Member

grichmanpoorman

1 month ago

Reply to HalosFanForLife

Not making those bets anymore… like, expensive Latin American/international prospects? I hate to burst your bubble but we make upwards of $7 million of those bets every year. Davilillo, Horton, Guzman, et al.

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Super Member

HalosFanForLife

1 month ago

Reply to grichmanpoorman

Not bursting my bubble at all – of course they are spending their international pool – just like they spend their draft money. This wasn’t about the standard signing bonuses – this was Arte doing everything on the cheap this year and shopping at the Goodwill clearance table. In fact, I would say the stuff they’ve done more right is their pro scouting and their international since Perry arrived. Baldoquin and Maitan were big busts that were costly. This kid, Siguenza, might be the least tooled signee of any MLB team in the last 10 years and surely came in within Arte’s new budget. It had to be a favor. His metrics are that of a JV kid trying to make varsity. If this is genuine, it shows why we can’t get any homegrown talent in the draft.

Last edited 1 month ago by HalosFanForLife

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Super Member

ryanfea

1 month ago

Reply to HalosFanForLife

I doubt we ever hear of this guy again

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Super Member

HalosFanForLife

1 month ago

Reply to ryanfea

No doubt – he has no measurable tools. I’m talking mediocre high school varsity numbers. But it does make for a good poetic joke based on the direction.

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Member

Awungsauce

1 month ago

Reply to HalosFanForLife

Siguenza is probably making like 20k or 40k. He could literally be picking up a bat for the first time and it wouldn’t matter. Not nearly the same as Baldoquin. This is the kind of nothing signing that beat reporters don’t even know about.

Last edited 1 month ago by Awungsauce

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Super Member

ryanfea

1 month ago

Over the last few days Angels have begun to whittle down camp. They’ve optioned Denzer Guzman and Victor Mederos to AAA and reassigned Tyler Bremner, Niko Kavadas, Jared Southard, Angel Perdomo, Omar Martinez, Raudi Rodriguez & Huascar Ynoa to minor league camp. I believe 53 guys left in camp

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Legend

gitchogritchoffmypettis

1 month ago

Reply to ryanfea

That’s nice. They aren’t trying to decide guys like Guzman and Mederos are ready. Just let the old men fill the void and develop them kidz! We’ll see some of em soon.

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Legend

gitchogritchoffmypettis

1 month ago

Manoa. We spent a little under 2M to see if he could be useful. Right out the gate it’s clear he sucks. Oh look. He has an MiLB option left. Crazy. So he can go to SLC and we can see if they manage to juice some value out of him with more time. Maybe he covers for an injured starter a few times. Wild.

I can’t believe other teams don’t try this. What? Other teams do try this? That’s bonkers.

I’m having trouble thinking of any baseball topic with more small dick energy than fretting over Alek Manoa pitching in ST. It reminds me of the great Suarez Atrocity of 2025.

CMo has his K rate down to 25% against early ST fodder. His OBP is also .250. I can’t think of anything that screams “not ready” Moore than that. We’ve got Peraza, Frazier and the shell of Grissom. Honestly I’d rather send Grissom to AAA if he’s hurt and we can slip him through, then give his spot to Teo, Paris or Guzman.

I am encouraged by Jo Adell. BUT. No walks? None yet? I worry he is feasting on bad pitching a bit much and he’s gonna chase a lot of unhittable pitches when the big boys all let loose on him.

Don’t look now but Chris Taylor is coming alive.

The Walton/Paris/Madrigal issue is weird. Can MadWalt be sent to AAA? Both Paris and Frazier can play OF as well as INF. Combine them with Peraza? Have a very versatile bench? Out of those three Frazier bats lefty. Do that and Teo goes to AAA to see if he’s really learned to hit? I just can’t believe more of these 2B types haven’t fallen on their face by now.

Is it time to send Alek Manoa to the MiLB camp? Likely yes. Would it be news worthy if they did that and continued to stretch out Ryan Johnson in the big camp as a starter? I think so. The talk’s been all Klassen, but we may see Johnson/Silent C in the opening day rotation?

It’s a small sample, but Zeferjahn, Bachman, Strickland and Romano have quietly been not half bad. Pomeranz seems to be clawing his way into form too.

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Super Member

YOUknowulovetheIE

1 month ago

Not sure how many years need to go by before teams realize manoah doesn’t have it anymore.

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Legend

gitchogritchoffmypettis

1 month ago

Reply to YOUknowulovetheIE

I’d guess this is it for him. He had a shoulder injury right? It’s easy to forget how good he was before that. I think teams are willing to invest next to nothing to see if he gets over the effects of that. And yes. That can take years. But he’s been bad/hurt for four years after 2026…. so that’s probably it for him.

Or things click and he’s solid again, if not great. And the team that gave him a chance comes out way ahead. I think the key thing to remember is he is zero risk. Costs little. Can be optioned. Why not? Like trying the chips at a Dollar Tree.

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Super Member

YOUknowulovetheIE

1 month ago

Reply to gitchogritchoffmypettis

I’d much rather just move on now and not have him impact any regular season games.

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Super Member

RexFregosi

1 month ago

Reply to YOUknowulovetheIE

My answer: -1.9 years. Well, at least for 29 teams.

(he last pitched in the Show in May 2024)

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Legend

Pineapple12

1 month ago

2 weeks out from OD! Taking an updated guess at the roster:

C – O’Hoppe
1B – Schanuel
2B – Moore
SS – Neto
3B – Moncada
LF – Lowe
CF – Trout
RF – Adell
DH – Soler

Bench –
D’Arnaud, Peraza, Frazier, Grissom

Rotation –
Soriano, Kikuchi, Detmers, Rodriguez, Kochanowicz

Bullpen –
Romano, Yates, Pomeranz, Suter, Bachman, Silseth, Zeferjahn, Sandlin

IL – Stephenson, Joyce

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Legend

Pineapple12

1 month ago

Reply to Pineapple12

Our lineup might be the strongest part of the team. Is that bad? Bullpen surely deserves the blowpen moniker (looks significantly better with a healthy Joyce and Stephenson).

I think the last position player spot comes down to CMo and Teodosio. There’s probably a strong internal desire from Perry to have CMo make the team, but should he? I’m not buying Teodosio’s ST #s, especially without being able to watch him with my own eyes.

I like this rotation 🙈.

Last edited 1 month ago by Pineapple12

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Legend

gitchogritchoffmypettis

1 month ago

Reply to Pineapple12

My bet is that Moore goes to SLC and they keep Teo on the roster to spell OF, keep Soler off the grass, and play defense when we need a pinch runner/late game OF. Moore just looks like a guy who would wind up being replaced by someone at 2B by May so you might as well give him a running start in AAA.

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Legend

Pineapple12

1 month ago

Reply to gitchogritchoffmypettis

I agree, but Perry’s in a lame duck year and I’m assuming his hubris will push CMo onto the team

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Super Member

BannedInLA

1 month ago

Reply to Pineapple12

The opposite seems true IMO. Perry will want to field the players that give this team the best opportunity to generate W’s now. Moore seems FAR from ready to contribute in any meaningful way.

Also, not buying Teo’s number this Spring is probably reasonable, but, what do you make of Moore’s .189 batting average?

Last edited 1 month ago by BannedInLA

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Trusted Member

milehigh

1 month ago

Reply to BannedInLA

This could be an interesting over/under contest for us. Does Arte not rehire Perry because of not winning enough even though that isn’t in the fans top five or does he try to hire Perry for a year because MiLB will still play? Or does he let Molly run MiLB for a year then try to find a GM? Does Arte want to deal with day to day issues and just let Molly run everything? Seems like this can go a number of different ways.

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Super Member

TrojanBoiler

1 month ago

Reply to milehigh

Perry getting fired because we didn’t win enough would be hilarious and ironic

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Legend

gitchogritchoffmypettis

1 month ago

Reply to milehigh

Why would Molly run the MiLB?

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Trusted Member

milehigh

1 month ago

Reply to gitchogritchoffmypettis

My premise is if Perry isn’t around. Probably shows my lack of organization knowledge.

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Super Member

Roy Hobbs

1 month ago

Reply to milehigh

I want Molly to run everything.

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Legend

Pineapple12

1 month ago

Reply to Roy Hobbs

I felt like I could run the world on Molly. I get it

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Legend

Pineapple12

1 month ago

Reply to BannedInLA

Totally fair POV. CMo’s peripherals have actually been pretty decent this spring — strong exit velocities and a 25% K rate.

I’ve come around on starting him in the minors.

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Legend

steelgolf

1 month ago

Reply to Pineapple12

Stephenson is starting the season on the IL???? Like the sun rising everyday.

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Legend

Senator_John_Blutarsky

1 month ago

Reply to Pineapple12

The accomplishment would be only two on IR!

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Legend

FungoAle

1 month ago

Reply to Pineapple12

Sadly, that line-up is still looking like a top 1-3 team leader in offensive strike outs.

I just do not get the fascination the GM has with Soler. He’s no use to a team vying for an identity.

Last edited 1 month ago by FungoAle

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Legend

steelgolf

1 month ago

Reply to FungoAle

Soler is a DH who can’t H. A few bombs sprinkled throughout a season with an ugly K rate. He is only on the team because they were dumb enough to give him a contract. They should send him to AAA.

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Legend

MarineLayer

1 month ago

Reply to FungoAle

I believe it’s trying to justify yet another poor transaction he made in an effort to try to safe his job.

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Super Member

TrojanBoiler

1 month ago

Reply to Pineapple12

I really hope they don’t keep Moore on the MLB roster. Not with the other options vastly outperforming him.

We have 4 second basemen batting .333 or higher in Spring Training. I get it, small sample size, but we have some options that we could at least roll with before calling Moore up later if it becomes necessary.

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Legend

Pineapple12

1 month ago

Reply to TrojanBoiler

Frazier’s presence makes it an easier decision forsure.

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Super Member

BannedInLA

1 month ago

Reply to Pineapple12

Moore feels like wish-casting at this juncture and I suspect that Lowe won’t be ready for O.D.

Soler seems pretty well primed for a solid bounce back campaign.

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Legend

gitchogritchoffmypettis

1 month ago

Reply to BannedInLA

Yup. I’d really like it if they just sent Moore down for a while and he got consistent. If he throws together three months with a solid approach and hits well, cool, call him up. But starting him up here so he can “suck with some flashes” just seems stupid to me.

If Lowe’s out I bet they keep Teo on the roster for a couple extra weeks…. That’s fine, I’ll root for him to hit MLB pitching a little.

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Super Member

HalosFanForLife

1 month ago

Reply to Pineapple12

Don’t forget Rendon on the IL

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Legend

WallyChuckChili

1 month ago

Reply to HalosFanForLife

Who?

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Legend

GrandpaBaseball

1 month ago

The Trash Heap is starting to stink like 💩 . PTP soon to send out SOS to revive him. Chances are pretty slim he will ever GM again.

Last edited 1 month ago by GrandpaBaseball

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Legend

Pineapple12

1 month ago

Reply to GrandpaBaseball

I’m sure Perry would be able to land on his feet and snag a GM position at a local McDonald’s

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Super Member

HalosFanForLife

1 month ago

Reply to Pineapple12

He looks like he knows his way around one. Should be a quick learning curve.

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Legend

MarineLayer

1 month ago

Reply to Pineapple12

He should start as an assistant manager and be required to show merit to work his way up.

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Legend

FungoAle

1 month ago

Reply to GrandpaBaseball

I keep going back to the reason why JeDi cut bait. He had a vision that did not align with the power hierarchy and left. He chose to not lose credibility. Then, there is Minasian.

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Trusted Member

KelN90

1 month ago

It’s a bummer to see Teel get hurt. He had a pretty stellar year last year. At least we get to watch Quero and dream on what could have been

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Super Member

HalosFanForLife

1 month ago

Reply to KelN90

I didn’t know he had options remaining – he just seemed like an MLB that’s been around. He might just need time. His mix of low velocity and mediocre command won’t play at the MLB level and he’d probably get lit up in the PCL too. But maybe in 30 to 60 days he can regain some velo and feel. There just seems like no way he can start in the rotation. Of course we did just sign a 5’9″ 155 lb 18 year old as a free agent with no bat, no power and no arm, but…. he is slow.

Last edited 1 month ago by HalosFanForLife

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Legend

Pineapple12

1 month ago

Reply to HalosFanForLife

It took me 3 reads to figure out your comment was about Manoah. Threw me off because you responded to the K90’s post about the White Sox’s catchers 😂

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Super Member

HalosFanForLife

1 month ago

Reply to Pineapple12

I just saw that – whoops. LOL

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Legend

gitchogritchoffmypettis

1 month ago

Reply to Pineapple12

Ah. Manoah. I thought I was just having 4 hours of sleep brain….

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Legend

gitchogritchoffmypettis

1 month ago

Reply to HalosFanForLife

I don’t know who you are talking about. You responded to a comment about a catcher by talking about pitching? I think?. And then bitched about Perry. Thus two recs? CtPG moment? I’m glitching? Rainbows…. what’s up with those?

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Super Member

HalosFanForLife

1 month ago

Reply to gitchogritchoffmypettis

I responded in the wrong spot. Yes – I did take a jab at Perry and the Angels for picking up someone in free agency who would be fighting to find a deal at a D3 – and they don’t have scholarships. The kid still might have more upside than Manoah. LOL (which was still worth a shot)

Last edited 1 month ago by HalosFanForLife

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