I don’t know about you but I am having a lot more fun watching this team now than I was a couple of months ago. Once Mike Trout suits back up, it will be even better. Of course, there are a couple of reasons for this new outlook.
Primarily I am truly looking at this season like an extended Spring Training. The wins and losses don’t matter. Neither do the stats of guys like Jorge Soler or Kirby Yates who will not factor into the future.
No, I just look at the stats of the kids to see how they are doing. And generally speaking the kids are doing pretty well. I really love watching Urena pitch.
I went to the game Tuesday and saw two calls overturned at first base. Both were bang-bang calls and both required a ton of speed to even make close. One was Jose Siri and one was Christian Moore. Either way, speed down the baselines was not commonly seen at the Big A in recent years.
I am also really enjoying Denzer Guzman in a small sample size. Putting him and Peraza on the same diamond really improves the defense. And if they keep hitting well, we could be onto something.
Team defense has really been an Achilles heel for the Angels in recent years. If Zach Neto can figure it out and get back to his usual decent self, the Angels could have a really solid trio in Guzman, Neto, and Peraza from left to right. Better defense equals better pitching.
Yes, the team needs many more players. I personally think they should trade Jo Adell and accelerate the rebuild. These two articles are related but I really love the idea of trading Adell to Cleveland.
An outfield mix of Meckler, Rada, Raudi Rodriguez from left to right with Trout at DH and covering right field against a southpaw would be fun to watch in 2027. Rada’s defense and baserunning are elite. Add that to the youngsters on the dirt and we would have a fast, young team all around.
I also think the Angels need to pick a horse in either Soriano or Detmers and extend them now. Then trade the other horse. I would prefer to keep Detmers but he also has the higher trade value. Shipping him out would net a goldmine for the Angels as apparently every GM in baseball would love to add him.
Then again, Jose Soriano would pull in a nice haul despite his injury history. The decision to keep or trade Soriano is a very interesting one.
If we kick out Perry and put Turk’s Teeth into power, the Angels rebuild could be going full bore.
In looking at all the kids on the field and the upcoming payroll flexibility, it is fair to ponder if the Angels could be good in 2027. Yes, it is highly doubtful but it would be fun to have a young team with potential rather than the usual cast of declining veterans cashing in the final checks of their careers.
In case this is too positive, the Angels were absolutely ripped in a new player survey.
But, yeah, for a few years we’ve been clamoring for some young kids who might amount to something and to a degree we are getting them. We need Moar Kidz! and that’s where this trade deadline can be huge.
Wade Meckler is another fun story. The local kid is playing well and had a very big hit to help the Angels huge comeback on Wednesday.
I really enjoyed interviewing Meckler. He was kind of like David Fletcher in that he gave much longer answers when talking about baseball than he did when talking about himself.
Here is part one of the interview. And here is part two.
Up next should be an interview with Reid Detmers. I went to the game Tuesday with a buddy just to hang out but I did chat with my press contact for a while and was told I can get any interview I want with just an email.
From around baseball:
Dalton Rushing is a dick and the Dodgers are stuck with him for a while because Will Smith is a ways away from coming back.
More injuries for the Cubs rotation, but perhaps some help is coming. Jose Soriano?
Mookie Betts cracked his 300th home run and has really heated up lately.
Both sides keep posturing in the labor talks. The owners sent over yet another proposal with a cap and a floor and better revenue sharing.
Enjoy your weekend and link what I missed. I will work a bit both days and spend the rest of the time with my family. Never imagined I would get to spend summers near the beach in my life and taking the boy for some time digging holes in the sand is just what I need right now.
Why now
What did I miss. Anything
Who is John Mozeliak and what are anyone’s thoughts.
18-years (ish) Cards GM and PBO, recently replaced by Chaim Bloom as PBO. Don’t think he is here for the long run.
I mean, if he’s here to lead the draft and do meaningful things at the trade deadline, the appointment is kind of inspired.
Just hard to imagine Moreno greenlighting major roster changes.
Not dismayed by Mozeliak, experience is there. Like all jobs, the tires wear down after a while but he has overseen a pretty damn good Cardinal stretch.
At least he’s a legitimate choice
GM for the Cardinals for almost two decades. Oversaw the drafting of Pujols and Yadier Molina. Took the Cardinals to the top minor league system in the majors a dozen years ago. Definitely experienced in scouting and drafting.
Also a University of Arizona alum, so I imagine that’s part of the Moreno connection here.
I looked it up and he certainly has a better pedigree than Perry.
Uh oh. He’s connected to Moreno. Clearly stupider than HaloClownForLife and his online wisdoms.
He spent over 30 years in the Cardinals organization including 18 as GM
Something had to be done. The worst stretch in the franchise existence. Even if nothing changes, you cannot reward mediocrity. I still hold the GM accountable, he was hired to formulate a team vision and execute. It’s been over 5-years and do we even know if Perry had a plan?
Yep.
You are what your record says you are. He was terrible.
Firing the GM two weeks before the MLB draft is the most Arte thing ever.
It is really weird.
Most organizations that would matter and be a big deal but not here because Perry didn’t know how to do one.
I doubt it will be worse with someone else.
Hell, call Turks Teeth for free advice, or maybe not free
It’s just the most sensitive time for draft decisions – Combine is just wrapping up, you’re trading numbers with agents and families, understanding who is available at what costs. Variability at the top can impact the whole draft strategy.
The key is to only draft college seniors
He should’ve been fired after that all reliever draft
durr durr dee yar
Roger Lodge sounded sad announcing on AM 830… keeps plugging that they’re only 5.5 games out. I’m wondering what fight happened in the FO.
Spinning last place in the AL as “just 5.5 games out of the third wild card” is the thirstiest, most desperate bootlick I can imagine for Lodge.
It’s his job.
As I’ve gotten older , I’m more forgiving of suspected blithering idiots like him, StepheASmith, etc.
It’s just his job to be a goof for the Halos
He’s just so relentlessly baseball-dumb – I find him unlistenable.
we are so back, baby. lets see who are new first year GM will be.
Minasian compiled a 392-500 record over his tenure in Anaheim
Obviously it wasn’t just his fault but 100 games below .500 is crazy work. It’s remarkable there’s still a community of Angels fans
A lot of it was his fault though.
Granted his available talent pool was really restricted budget-wise due to Arte, but couldn’t identify talent in it whatsoever.
Whatever little power he was given, he took the team to its lowest level ever.
Bye.
Holy shit Perry was fired
In typical Angels fashion, when there is almost no point in changing GMs. I’d actually be into the Moseliak hiring if he was actually going to GM.
Perry will go to some other FO that kicks us in the dick for ten years.
Heck no, he sucks. Apple doesn’t fall far from tree, lol at the mess the SF giants are.
Seriously, Perry only has Alex Anthopolous to save him. Perry has big blot of failure on his resume.
His brother can join him at the local EDD office.
I sincerely doubt it and if it happens it will not be because of anything he does.
My own baseless speculation is Arte got tired of Perry asking to trade guys and have a proper rebuild and canned him.
This was my first thought. He didn’t have one more “I was thinking of making trades and then decided all by myself not to one morning because I watched Miracle the night before and just knew these guys need a chance to win it all…” in him.
No Perry was a faithful useful idiot. I’m thinking someone else got him. Maybe James Dolan maybe another owner, maybe La Russa. Maybe Molly Jolly… maybe Mike Maddox.
Breaking
OFFICIAL: The Angels announced that the Club appointed John Mozeliak as Baseball Operations Consultant, serving as Interim General Manager after relieving Perry Minasian of his General Manager duties.
https://x.com/i/status/2070664066969047517
OMG
Angels have dismissed Perry Minasian as GM
https://x.com/i/status/2070663979991757285
OMG…we have a new rep to make our draft selections. First thing that crossed my mind. I thought it would be in August, missed by 33 days.
Much of that falls to the scouting director, but doing it two weeks before the draft, as the board is being finalized, is no-future nuts.
McIlvaine will still make the selection but would McIlvaine be swayed by the dollars and cents or just focus on BPA?
We have absolutely no clue what constraints Moreno has placed upon him. There are many stories of him vetoing certain player selections, either due to bonus asks or agent representation. I just don’t know how much freedom McIlvaine has. He was a Minasian hire.
Perry was fired. Hallelujah!
Now everything is going to be SO different.
It can’t get worse
No wonder Arte never gave him any big $$$ to sign FA
Bro. It can get worse.
Well, change was needed and the owner can’t be fired so it is what it is. I’ll enjoy it and you don’t have to, that’s your issue.
Unfortunately not likely.
We are also at the game this past Tuesday (Filipino heritage night) and was really impressed by Christian Moore beating out that routine tapper to 3rd for an infield hit. He runs really well.
I’ve been clamoring for more team speed for YEARS now. Speed is slump proof and we haven’t had enough in that department for a looooong time.
Siri can fly in center field and also beat out a grounder that night. Peraza and Guzman move laterally better than anybody we have had in years.
We definitely needed speed and I like watching it.
Speaking of CF, I haven’t heard of Bryce T for quite a while. Is he injured or have others passed him by?
Siri has definitely passed him by and Rada is getting the bulk of CF starts in AAA.
I have no idea what is going on with Bryce T.
We are about to sweep the next 3 series and run the win streak to 11.
I don’t make the rules, I report the future.
Who on the farm are we going to trade for playoff rentals?
I’m thinking Dana, Raudi, Snead, TGA, Haley, Davalillo
Davalillo I thought was a keeper-no?
I wish you would hold off on prognostication Pineapple12. Didn’t the team get swept back-to-back the last time?
It’s a sarcastic post lol
The best thing for the Angels is to have mlb be on strike all next season. The non 40 man roster can continue to get experience in the minors. The overpaid dead weight contracts can expire. The Trout contract will be one year closer to mercifully ending. Seriously, the AL west is very weak this season, and a golden opportunity to be taken. But the Angels have, now going deeper into decade #2, another crappy team.
Maybe the Brewers are as sick of faltering in the play offs as we are of watching a team with five good players burn trash for six months.
We could, according to mr computer, trade the Zach Neto and Soriano for:
Luis Pena (INF)
Jett Williams (INF/OF)
Andrew Fisher (3B/1B/OF)
Luis Lara(OF)
Josh Knoth (SP)
Then we can give in and trade Reid Detmers and Sam Bachman to the Doyers for:
Mike Sirota (OF)
Zyir Hope (OF)
Christian Zazueta (SP)
Then finish off the fun by trading Jo Adell, Oswald Peraza, Zeferjahn and Silseth to the Pirates for:
Wyatt Sanford (IF)
Murf Gray (3B/1B/OF)
Levi Stirling (SP)
It already sucks being an Angels fan. It will suck a little more after these trades. But that’s a hell of a farm to add to what little we already have…. just sayin….
That’s a lot to trade and a very bold move but, if we get a 1B, 2B, and a 3B out of it, we’re just giving up some bullpen guys that don’t really matter going forward and 2 very good starting pitchers. I am not familiar with the guys you are proposing to trade for so I can’t really comment on the return. The one guy out of all of those I would really like to hang on to is Detmers, but it’s certainly something to consider. The organization just doesn’t have the spine to do this unfortunately. Realistically of course, just keeping everyone doesn’t really move us forward. How long would it be before those guys could be major leaguers?
They vary between this September and a couple years…. those that don’t burn out.
Good to get Mike back on the All Star stage where he crushes it. Trout is the only reason I would tune in to watch the calamity that the game has become..
Likewise.
Trout is the only reason I tune in to watch the calamity the Angels 2026 has become.
Nothing wrong with the kids and rejects put together under the miniature budget PtP was given but watching .400 baseball isn’t fun to me.
The Dalton Rushing clips are really funny. That dude has a seriously elevated sense of importance. Clashing with Ohtani takes effort and doubling down on it later in the same game is just stupid.
He looks like a kid who has been told he’s great since he was twelve and has yet to be humbled.
“I’m a grown man. It’s embarrassing to be comforted like that.”
What’s embarrassing is he thinks this is embarrassing.
If you want fair in life. Hit it between the baselines.
He definitely has macho man syndrome. He’s a man child.