Finally some news in Angels land this week, none of it unexpected. But the news did further prove that Stan Kroenke is running the team, not Arte Moreno.
First came news that Kurt Suzuki will no longer manage the team. A truly great guy who was just out of his depth at the helm of the team, Suzuki has an option to stick around in an assistant role. Just who will lead the team next year? My money says it will not be Albert Pujols. Beyond that it is anybody’s guess and here are nine dark horse candidates.
But the real action this off season will happen in the executive suites. When John Mozeliak initially signed on with the Angels he stated he wanted to set up a new baseball operations department and find a long term GM. He doubled down on that Wednesday saying he will step aside once Kroenke’s team is in place.
So now we have some clarity on how the transition will happen and I love what this means for the Angels future.
We have no idea which path Team Kroenke will take, but a winning owner inheriting a very clean payroll ledger is a great combination to start a complete makeover.
And make no mistake, Kroenke is in charge as of now. The press release regarding Suzuki stated the Angels are working with Kroenke to find the new manager. And Mo is clearly handling the transition to Kroenke.
And now for a text break. This kid is impressing me more now than he did at the end of the season. Notice how he shortens his swing a bit and shoots the 99 MPH heater to the opposite field. He was trying to pull that for a bomb last month.
Nimmala was named the AFL’s Hitter of the Week after going on a torrid run with 2 triples, 2 doubles, 12 total bases, an insane 1.091 SLG and 1.758 OPS. He’s giving us reasons to dream. And he’s not alone, the Angels contingent in the AFL is holding its own quite well.
But back to reality. The Angels will hire both a Player of Baseball Operations and a GM. This is the type of setup the big boys run and is a clear sign on how Kroenke will run things. I still think Randy Flores is an ideal candidate for the GM gig even if the Mo connection is no longer in Anaheim.
The future of this team needs to be developed through the draft and trades then supplemented with free agent talent. But make no mistake about it, even Tarik Skubal says free agents view the Angels differently under Kroenke than they did under Arte.
And with lots of digital space to fill, pondering about free agents is a great exercise this time of year.
Should the Angels look to Japanese Triple Crown winner Teruaki Sato as a power bat?
And let’s face it, we need a complete redo on the bullpen. Maybe a trio of Dodgers arms could fix the unit?
Jazz Chisholm Jr. is a name that keeps getting associated with the Angels but there are far more cons than pros to signing him.
I do think the Angels could really speed up the rebuild by signing top of the line pitching. That would free up trades of some young pitching for other players and more prospects. Imagine picking up Peralta and maybe Mize then trading Detmers.
Let’s do another text break. One where somebody somewhat famous agrees with me. Ok, here’s Kevin Pillar on how Kroenke’s ownership changes things.
This will take time, for sure. Steelgolf will probably tell you that the demo work reveals the full scope needed for the rebuild and the demo is just getting started. Signing a new assistant GM is not as sexy as signing a new second baseman, but it is more important. Especially at this time in the franchise’s history.
For once there is an emphasis on homegrown players on the roster. Some of that is desperation by Perry but the farm is moving in the right direction.
And how awesome was it watching Jo Adell have some huge moments in the playoffs? Jo is a truly great guy and I loved seeing it. So far the Adell for Cozart trade looks like it was was win for both clubs.
World Series time:
Two teams I love watching are meeting in the Fall Classic. Both were longshots to make the big dance and sports books are going to lose no matter who wins.
The hand wringing over low ratings might be overblown but there will be a drop off from the NY/LA series of a couple years ago.
You can look at several preview pieces or you can just cut to FanGraphs and read the most comprehensive one.
Enjoy your weekend and link what I missed. I’ll be spending time with my family and watching the World Series (and a really nice fight between Navarratte and Foster tomorrow night.) I’ll get to see my parents and some nephews this weekend which is always a bonus.
