LA Angels Tuesday News Crash: – Crashing the Pearly Gates

Super Member

1 month ago

Angels close to signing veteran lefty relief pitcher Joey Lucchessi. He was cut a few days ago by the Giants https://x.com/jefffletcherocr/status/2036570642636743060?s=46

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ryanfea

1 month ago

Reply to ryanfea

Hopefully this means the end of Zeferjahn

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Pineapple12

1 month ago

Reply to ryanfea

Blum says Zefer made the team. Injury or Walbert to SLC?

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ryanfea

1 month ago

Reply to Pineapple12

Wow, Blum just can’t quit us

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MarineLayer

1 month ago

Reply to ryanfea

Another day. Another Minasian dumpster dive.

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Trusted Member

Kevin

1 month ago

Look the Angels aren’t winning the World Series nor the AL nor their division. Whatever their win total, they were put together based on the potential lockout in 2027, the bad contracts they signed in prior free agency, and the Skaggs settlement. Given this, fans just need to make the best of it or root for some other team. The Halos aren’t alone in being inept and commencing lengthy periods of mistakes.

On the plus side, they didn’t bring in Vernon Wells on a long term deal. They didn’t try to bring in Sherzer or a guy like that to make things look better. They are fielding a bargain basement team. For those fans that said for years they’d like to see the younger guys get chances, 2026 is likely your year. As fans you have that.

As to the start of the year, the schedule is brutal but the team is commencing play with veterans in the lineup. That may result in scoring some runs. The rotation is relying on youngsters, Detmers, and the first two. But again, fans wanted that over a fifth starter that’s a ten year vet and everyone knows will have an ERA of five at best.

See what happens. Ideally, there will be a few surprises. After the lockout or whatever is decided, the team can get back to spending some money and hopefully have more of a nucleus.

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Roy Hobbs

1 month ago

Reply to Kevin

We get to enjoy watching baseball without being really invested in who wins.

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Eric_in_Portland

1 month ago

Reply to Roy Hobbs

which is ok. Baseball is a beautiful sport, I’ll root for the Angels every time and sometimes we’ll be rewarded.

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EHC

1 month ago

Reply to Kevin

Careful, Kevin. Your support of the team is likely going to anger some of the OG’s – who will now call you an Arte apologist and Perry lover. They do not like this kind of optimism around these parts.

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Terry

1 month ago

Reply to Kevin

Good points. However, the overriding point to be made is its been eleven years since they have had a winning season. Sixteen years since a playoff game win.

So it goes.

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Kevin

1 month ago

Reply to Terry

It’s likely to become 13 and 18 in the next two years. But don’t tell anyone. Cheers. 🍺

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Trusted Member

GonFishin

1 month ago

66-96.

They will be who we think they are.

The rotation is going to be a problem, starting opening weekend. You have Soriano, Kikuchi, and then….yikes.

The bullpen is put together by a bunch of mercenaries. I’m hoping Pomeranz and Romano are at least passable enough to flip at the deadline. Don’t understand why they traded Burke, their best lefty, for a platoon guy.

Our “big” offseason additions in Lowe and GRod are already dealing with ailments so that’s just great…not expecting much bounce there.

The battle for everyday 2B is between 2 former AL East busts. Nice one Perry.

I’ve been Anti-Trade Trout this entire time, but if they are floundering in June, the noise is going to be reeeeeaally loud this year I predict as it seems they are finally to pick up negative national press.

My 1 bold prediction: The majority of fans will finally have the lightbulb moment and hurt Arte where he feels it most – his wallet. Attendance under 2M for the year.

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LanaBanana

1 month ago

Reply to GonFishin

Personally I wouldn’t call that a very bold prediction.

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milehigh

1 month ago

Reply to GonFishin

I think he will get his 2.5m

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LanaBanana

1 month ago

Reply to milehigh

If he does, it will only be because they count the empty seats of season ticket holders.

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steelgolf

1 month ago

Reply to LanaBanana

And the tickets he transfers to Little League teams, schools, etc. for fundraisers. Last year he more than doubled the “Angels Game Night” to my kids schools. It is usually 1 game a season, last year was 3 .

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Terry

1 month ago

Regarding the GRod trade and apparently no physical done on GRod. The Angels traded one of the few marketable players for a guy, who has four years remaining on his contract, and a history of serious arm problems. Sure enough, after a few innings in spring training, he has a “dead arm” and is on the shelf for whatever period of time. I sure would want a specialist of my choosing to take a look at the player before acquiring him. If the player says no, then screw it, trade for someone else.

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Terry

1 month ago

Looking at the Angels schedule, from opening in Houston for four games this week, and then on to Wrigley Field, then to late April, it’s a brutal schedule.

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MarineLayer

1 month ago

Reply to Terry

Facing any major league team is brutal for the Angels.

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clover_black

1 month ago

Reply to Terry

They’ll be out of playoff contention by friday.

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Terry

1 month ago

I read somewhere that the Angels did not have a physical done on GRod, but made the trade anyway. I guess dumping Ward’s salary was more important than getting an exam on a pitcher who has has a history of major arm problems.

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MarineLayer

1 month ago

Reply to Terry

If so, typical Minasian. Remember Robert Stephenson.

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cookmeister

1 month ago

Reply to MarineLayer

sweet baby jesus….

physicals are RARELY done for trades in MLB.

That is for free agency.

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Turk's Teeth

1 month ago

Reply to cookmeister

Physicals may not be typical, but there’s a whole EMR system in place and a thorough review protocol most teams engage in before finalizing trades.

There was a good Globe article on this a few years back, but I’ll post an AI summary here that feels accurate to me:

Comprehensive medical records are exchanged and reviewed before MLB trades are finalized, typically after a tentative agreement is reached. Teams utilize a centralized Electronic Medical Records (EMR) system to share injury histories, MRI results, and trainer notes, allowing the acquiring team to vet a player’s health and potentially kill the deal if issues are found.

The Process: Once a trade is agreed upon, team trainers and doctors access the player’s EMR, which includes records of all professional injuries, treatment, and rehabilitation.

Red Zone Review: A “red zone” review happens before final approval, where specialized team doctors (often orthopedists) scrutinize records to ensure no injuries were concealed.

Mandatory Disclosure: Teams are expected to disclose all pertinent medical information, and failures to do so can lead to MLB investigations and suspensions for General Managers.

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Super Member

Roy Hobbs

1 month ago

Reply to Turk's Teeth

We either have bad reviewers or don’t care.

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EHC

1 month ago

They sweep the Dodgers – lose every other game. 6 wins 156 losses. Most on this site rejoice. See , we were right all the time!

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ryanfea

1 month ago

This is a 74 win team tops. I feel better about the lineup and bullpen than most. I think Neto, Schanuel, Adell and O’Hoppe make steps forward. I think we see Trout’s best year in a long time.

However, this rotation already looks like a disaster. We’re gonna be out of a lot of games by the 4th or 5th inning when guys like Koch, Johnson, Manoah, Klassen get shelled the 2nd time through the order. If Kikuchi or Soriano get hurt, it could be dire.

We’ve also done very little to improve the horrid defense from last year. Moving Adell off CF is big but the infield still looks sloppy to me

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GonFishin

1 month ago

Reply to ryanfea

74 seems generous. I don’t see where they improved as far as the every day lineup. The rotation is worse if GRod is out for awhile, and the bullpen is built off a prayer.

Seems like a recipe for sub 70.

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Super Member

ryanfea

1 month ago

Reply to GonFishin

Well that was my top prediction if things go relatively well. The bottom can definitely fall out

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Eric_in_Portland

1 month ago

I don’t think this is the official prediction thread but here goes…

39-123. Worst season since the Cleveland Spiders. Anything better than 39 wins will be a cause for celebration.

Trout, .270, 30 HRs, 4 WAR
Kikuchi good, Soriano and Detmers acceptable, all other starters dreadful
The bullpen also dreadful

The draft will be another head-scratcher. But hey, if we win 40+ I’ll consider the season better than I expected!

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Terry

1 month ago

Reply to Eric_in_Portland

Wow, 39 wins. If that should happen, there should be a huge amount of empty seats at the Big A come June forward. We are talking attendance levels like 9k per game.

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Eric_in_Portland

1 month ago

Reply to Terry

I was hoping the White Sox would go under 40 but they swept us late in the season. Then Colorado was close but they pepped up a little towards the end.

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Terry

1 month ago

Reply to Eric_in_Portland

It is very sad what has happened to this franchise, when the discussion is seriously whether they will be better than the White Sox and Rockies.

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Super Member

PedroCerrano

1 month ago

Reply to Eric_in_Portland

This organization has worked tirelessly for over a decade to achieve a goal that I believe they’ll finally achieve.100 losses or bust!

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Member

dontbatvlad4th

1 month ago

I don’t think they’ll hit 100 loses. I was thinking yesterday 68-94.

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Trusted Member

milehigh

1 month ago

I have basically the same as last year, 72-90.
Some things that could improve the win total

Trout reduces his number of strikeouts by 15 to 20. His 32% rate of last year is not sustainable, imho. I used to wish Adell would reduce his strikeout rate, but he has and is 6% below Mike’s. If Trout has the same 32% rate by end of May, bench him and find someone who will hit the ball somewhere.

Silent C lowers his ERA by 1.5. His 6.81 ERA last year was disastrous. Lowering by 1.5 is still a +5 ERA, but that would be such an improvement and maybe help with bullpen wear and tear. If he looks as bad as last year after 5 or 6 starts, replace him with a kid.

Reduce team strikeout total by .05%. That is only about 80 strikeouts but baby steps. 10% would be much better. Even that would have placed this team at 3rd most strikeouts in 2025.

Moncada plays 120 games. Yeah, he hasn’t played more than 100 since 2022. But if he played 40 more games than last season in full health that would really help the offense.

A 2B with Rengifo’s 2023 offense paired with league average defense. Would love better than league average defense, but Luis’s 2023 offense was pretty good. I’d take that again. Would be such an improvement over last year.

A bullpen improvement of at least 2 ERA. The bullpen cratered last year except for Jansen. We need starters to go 6 innings to help the bullpen this year.

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Super Member

Roy Hobbs

1 month ago

Reply to milehigh

I agree, something within a few wins of 72. Hard to see more than 75 and worse than 65 depending on what happens at the trade deadline. It’s the Charlie Brown team, just plain ole mediocre. Not any good but not absolutely horrible.

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Pineapple12

1 month ago

My pragmatic prediction = 75 – 87. Slight YoY improvement because I don’t think the team is that bad, but the pitching could unravel quickly and make this a 90-100 loss season.

The most optimistic I can get to atm is a scenario with above average health across the roster and a throwback Trout season = 85-77, not good enough to break the postseason drought.

I have expectations for several players to take a step(s) forward — Adell, Schanuel, O’Hoppe, Soriano, Detmers, Joyce, Silseth, Bachman.

The glue of this team is gonna be Silent C, Johnson, Romano, Yates, Pomeranz, (hopefully eventually GRod). If these dudes suck we are going to bleed losses.

Regardless of how bad this team looks on paper, I am freaking pumped for 😇 baseball! I don’t blame anyone for being apathetic, but the next 6 months are always my favorite time of the year. Ducks are ending their playoff drought in a few weeks, and who knows, maybe this is the year for us too

Last edited 1 month ago by Pineapple12

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ErSTAN

1 month ago

Reply to Pineapple12

My prediction:

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Pineapple12

1 month ago

Reply to ErSTAN

Going out there on a limb 😂😂😂

Last edited 1 month ago by Pineapple12

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ErSTAN

1 month ago

Reply to Pineapple12

Lol. Still gonna watch everyday and end up going to 6-10 games. Addicted to the affordability and safety.

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Terry

1 month ago

My fearless Angels fickle finger of fate 2026 predictions:

Team batting average: .233
# of strikeouts by batters: 1,497
# Team home run total: 179
# of runs scored: 688
Team ERA: 4.74
# of pitchers utilized: 27
# of walks allowed: 704
# of players out with injuries at various times: 20
# of trips to mound by Suzuki and/or pitching coach: 720
# of miles logged by relievers walking in from bullpen: 127
# of flight miles from Salt Lake to Southern California: 39, 564
# of people attending games: 2.07 million
# of people who paid in attendance: 1.86 million
# of times Terry Smith says “You can put a halo it” after an Angels win: 69

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GrandpaBaseball

1 month ago

Will Trouty play more than 100 games if he man’s CF? O/U for games played for Mike should be 110. Can Frazier still hit at least .260? Can O’Hoppe hit .250? Can Neto move up the ladder of highly rated Shortstops with playing 150 games in a season?

I like the odds of the pitching staff holding their own with another Mike teaching them. 3 pitchers will win 10+ games with ERA of less than 4.

@ very important items that must work out, PTP must have a verty good draft and he must make a lot of trades at the deadline.

Prior to opening day 2028 Arturo will sell the team for over 30 billion.

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GrandpaBaseball

1 month ago

You heard it here first; Schanuel will hit .290-21-77 with a .370 OBP throwing in 30 doubles. All I have to do is dream 🙃 But sometimes dreams come true.

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FungoAle

1 month ago

Reply to GrandpaBaseball

He needs to hit .290+ but it will be in the.260-.270 range

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Fansince1971

1 month ago

Keep an eye on the A’s. They are going to be fun to watch.

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GrandpaBaseball

1 month ago

Reply to Fansince1971

Fun to watch in a Banjo Box playing field that is always a challenge to pitching staff., but I hope it works out well for them. On paper it looks like they have the power bats, but what happens when they get to Vegas? Houston still looks like they will fight off the Rangers for 2nd place as Seattle will end up at the top.

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Pineapple12

1 month ago

Are we doing season predictions or has everyone already penciled this team in for 100 losses??

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Born_in_59

1 month ago

Reply to Pineapple12

I recall reading several predictions within the 65 to 75 win range, with a low of 54 wins. I’m thinking they win 72 or 73 games this season, or in line with most of the Minasian era.

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Senator_John_Blutarsky

1 month ago

Reply to Pineapple12

I’m in at 65-97 for 2026. My perspective is that the offense will be better than advertised, but the pitching and defense will be worse.

I’m thinking this will be the last of the really bad years, and the 2028 season (2027 will be dominated by labor strife) will be the season that things are on a definite upswing.

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Roy Hobbs

1 month ago

Reply to Senator_John_Blutarsky

I’m in agreement that the defense will likely be worse. Hard for me to see the offense being better than last year when all they really did was swap Ward for Soler. Some may improve and others may regress. I do believe though that the pitching has a chance to be better, but. couple of injuries to starters could really send the team into a tailspin.

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Fansince1971

1 month ago

Reply to Pineapple12

Here’s the math:

A=1
B=2
C=3 and so on

R is the 18th letter
T is the 20th letter
E is the 5th letter

A+R+T+E
1+18+20+5=44

So 44-118 is the obvious win/loss for 2026

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