LA Angels Monday News Crash: Best Player

Great! Yoan Moncada has thumb soreness and they don’t know how bad it is. At least the news is encouraging about Rengifo and Neto. I guess it’s been a little while since Mike Trout was in any danger of being voted the best player in baseball. Vlad Guerrero Jr.’s $500 Million was to be net present value in those extension talks.

Rafael Devers now says he will play wherever the Red Sox ask him to play, although he had considered asking them for a trade. He had meetings with the bosses. Presumably they told him to straighten up and fly right or they’d put him on the grounds crew.

The White Sox released Joey Gallo over the weekend. Twins right-hander Matt Canterino had season ending shoulder surgery. Jon Gray has a fractured wrist and will be out for a long time. Mookie Betts is “really sick” with flu like symptoms and might miss the Tokyo series. Brewers right-hander Tobias Myers exited Saturday’s game against the Angels with an oblique issue. They don’t know how bad it is.

The trade deadline is July 31, 2025 this year. Mark your calendars.

Photo credit: Rex Fregosi

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gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend
Reply to  Jeff Joiner

Happier news for many, this is likely Suarez/Quijada’s last gasp….

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend

Jung Hoo Lee out for the Giants with back issues…. following up a wrecked shoulder…. it’s a shame cause I thought he looked really good in his brief stint… but apparently he hates playing baseball A LOT. Those shoulder injuries are a bummer and I would have chosen something less constant to hurt so I can avoid playing baseball. Like a wrist.

This is how I know Rendon’s stupid. If you’re gonna pick a body part to constantly have surgery on why THE HIPS? That’s gonna hurt even when you try to sleep…. stupid.

Jeff Joiner
Editor
Legend
1 month ago

Yeah, I liked Lee a lot coming out of Korea and he looked really good when I saw him in Spring Training.

Pineapple12
Super Member
1 month ago

10 days until Opening Day, and the lack of excitement around here is predictable.

We’re in a rebuild, and we’ll probably lose 90 games. It’s to be expected. If you can’t find a sliver of joy in following the progression of our young players or in Trout chasing down historic milestones, why put yourself through the trouble of another season? Just to complain?

This will be a fun season as long as you allow yourself to enjoy it. Complaining incessantly is a choice. Having fun is also a choice. I choose the latter.

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend
Reply to  Pineapple12

I believe in the power of partying
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WccfbPQNMbg

Pineapple12
Super Member
1 month ago

Like a true Gaucho !

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend
Reply to  Pineapple12

Dude. I grew up in Isla Vista

Roy Hobbs
Super Member
1 month ago

That explains a lot.

red floyd
Legend
1 month ago
Reply to  Pineapple12

I’m not a Gaucho, but I am a Gaucho Dad, for those of you that remember Miss UCSB.

tanana40
Super Member
1 month ago
Reply to  Pineapple12

If we win 2 of our first 3 regular season games or 6 of the first 10, etc., everyone will be back on board. Nobody likes losing even in March.

red floyd
Legend
1 month ago
Reply to  tanana40

Games in March don’t count.

AnAngelsFan
Super Member
1 month ago
Reply to  Pineapple12

Those choices aren’t mutually exclusive. I can have fun both following the progression of the young players while watching the game and complaining on here about management.

Pineapple12
Super Member
1 month ago
Reply to  AnAngelsFan

At what point does all the complaining dominate the conversation? Does it ever become a waste of energy?

Hit me back in a 3 weeks when 90% of the comments turn this place a dungeon of negativity. My point is that it doesn’t have to be that way.

Cowboy26
Legend
1 month ago
Reply to  Pineapple12

Wait isn’t this site like that now?

Why wait 3 weeks ?

tanana40
Super Member
1 month ago

Matthew Lugo is an interesting player at age 23. I hope he makes the final roster but I wonder where he can play. I did not realize that he was only 23 when we acquired him from the Red Sox. He can always mix into the DH slot as well as play both corner outfield slots.

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend
Reply to  tanana40

If he stays good maybe after Ward is traded? He supposed to be a lame non-prospect but we’ll see….

Roy Hobbs
Super Member
1 month ago
Reply to  tanana40

I would prefer to see Lugo, Paris, and Moore tearing it up in the minors before promoting them since there is no urgency. They’ll probably all be on next year’s opening day roster.

Jeff Joiner
Editor
Legend
1 month ago
Reply to  Roy Hobbs

I think a combination of these two comments. If Lugo can stay productive that makes a Ward trade a lot more palatable. We get some prospects in July and Lugo finishes the year at the MLB level.

Roy Hobbs
Super Member
1 month ago
Reply to  Jeff Joiner

Definitely agree with that.

Twebur
Legend
1 month ago

Start off with Detmers IMHO. Don’t make him go to SL and think about it. Let’s get an early look deep into Detmers soul and see if his ST success has some meat on that bone.

looks as though the fifth spot in the starting rotation has come down to Reid Detmers and Jack Kochanowicz.

Both have thrown the ball well so Ron Washington and company have a tough decision to make. Also, could one of them go to the bullpen?

https://x.com/JackJanes_/status/1901406230977114405

RexFregosi
Super Member
1 month ago
Reply to  Twebur

Yes

Cowboy26
Legend
1 month ago
Reply to  Twebur

Then it will Detmers winning the 5th spot and Silent Jak getting the last bullpen nod as I just dont see the Angels carrying another Lefthander in the pen since they’re all stocked up down there now.

Last edited 1 month ago by Cowboy26
Twebur
Legend
1 month ago

optioned RHP Michael Petersen to Triple-A Salt Lake and reassigned C Juan Flores to minor league camp. 37 remaining

https://x.com/LAAngelsPR/status/1901679814307991886

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend

I want the Angels to sign Joey Gallo and develop him as a pitcher.

TrojanBoiler
Super Member
1 month ago

He would only allow home runs in between all of the walks and the strikeouts though.

MikeHuggins
Member
1 month ago

Joey Gallo? No, I thought they meant Joey Callow!
(Apologies to Vinny)

Fansince1971
Legend
1 month ago
Reply to  MikeHuggins

Recs for MCV reference! 😂

GrandpaBaseball
Legend
1 month ago

Sore thumb at third, weak at first, so-so at second, dinged at short, no strong at C, starting pitching, that can’t pitch, relief pitching that starts fires and a cholestatic outfield, all adds up to losing over 100 games, and that sets the new high-water mark in ” L “. The new season brings a new start for a new W-L O/U.

New O/U should, I would think, should be at best 63, but 62.5 seems a better fit. So then working with 62.5 are you optimistic and think the over is the best choice or maybe you are somewhat pessimistic and chose the under. Hopeium is in short supply with myself, so I am choosing the under.

steelgolf
Legend
1 month ago

At 62.5 I’m choosing the over. I think they win about 8 more games this year than last year.

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend
Reply to  steelgolf

Yep. I think that we see slightly shorter periods of total collapse and it adds up to an improvement over last year, but not a ZOMZ GREAT! team at all. It’ll be a year of watching kids and looking for “better” from them. Better O’Hoppe. Better Nolan. Better Adell. Maybe better Moniak. Better Detmers and Silent C. Better Kavedas. Better Neto. Better pen arms.

If the team is REALLY better we may see some moments where if we squint real hard we can almost see .500.

Roy Hobbs
Super Member
1 month ago

I’m maybe on all of them except O’Hoppe and the pen.

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend
Reply to  Roy Hobbs

I’m maybe on just about everything. Trout to Murphy. I think Soler is the only guy I feel pretty sure I know what he’ll do…. and that’s if the Ju Ju doesn’t get him.

Roy Hobbs
Super Member
1 month ago

Yes Soler should be pretty predictable assuming no injury

Born_in_59
Trusted Member
1 month ago

I wanted to believe that last year’s team was far better than it turned out to be (74-76 wins was what I thought), so while my predictive powers are suspect, I’m in the over camp and expect this year’s squad to have 70-72 wins. I think the bullpen looks better than last year’s and hitting looks closer to league average this time around rather than slightly above the worst. I had a new tank of hopeium delivered and will be puffing regularly.

Kevin
Member
1 month ago

No strong at catching? They have O’Hoppe and acquired a veteran backup. That’s pretty strong comparatively.

Roy Hobbs
Super Member
1 month ago
Reply to  Kevin

Yes Catching, SS when Neto returns, and Trout are solid going forward. In the short term, this year and next, Ward, Soler, and Rengifo are solid as well but will need to be replaced. Everybody else is we’ll see what we have. We should know a lot more after this year and have additional players we feel more confident about going forward.

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend
Reply to  Kevin

CtPG. Don’t believe anything is good until a whole season is good. Then don’t believe it will be good the next season till it is. Then don’t believe it is really all that good because arte still owns the team. Don’t be fooled again or Arte may get the impression you like him. Stupid Perry.

Kevin
Member
1 month ago

I assume Newman, Kingery, or Paris can cover third as needed.

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend
Reply to  Kevin

Yeah. This may be fun since it means they can slide Newman over to 3B or Rengifo and then play Paris, which will be fun to try out until it’s not.

steelgolf
Legend
1 month ago

If your team is going to have a slump, probably best to have it during spring training? That’s really all I got at this point in the season.

Fansince1971
Legend
1 month ago
Reply to  steelgolf

This is not a slump. It’s who the team is. Poor defense, mediocre pitching and (for a decade) lack of timely hitting. You’re just not going to win consistently with those issues – especially during the regular season.

I expect the team to improve once Neto returns. But not dramatically. There is just no consistency or continuity here.

I will only agree with “slump” if we call it a decade+ slump.

PedroCerrano
Super Member
1 month ago
Reply to  Fansince1971

Definitely a case where the more I watch, the less I want to. Will likely be a long season.

Twebur
Legend
1 month ago
Reply to  PedroCerrano

Ugly baseball. I wish I could quit them……

IMG_3419
IMG_3406
gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend
Reply to  PedroCerrano

Yup. I recommend watching the central teams a little. Fun teams. Not full of asshole fans. Nice break from the Angels every now and again. Then you just plop back down and check in with Washingtons and The Boys and see how the kids are doing.

Plus. The draft.

Twebur
Legend
1 month ago

Personal goals for the baseball season 2025.

Start watching more college baseballGo to a meaningful amount of 66er games at various stadiums here in SoCal, give useless scouting reports with our cruddy Low A team.Maybe find a real girlfriend MLB team to root for, invest time and care about another city’s team… see if they will like me for who I am, treat me with some respect and not always shit on me.

Last edited 1 month ago by Twebur
toad2065
Trusted Member
1 month ago

I’m looking forward to catching some Pirates games this season. Great uniforms, spectacular ballpark and exciting young pitching. They’ll never replace the Angels in my heart, but will serve as a good palate cleanser during the down periods.

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend
Reply to  toad2065

I dig the Pirates… and if Cruz and Hays start hitting they may actually be sneaky good. It’s a shame Horwitz looks hurt but Reynolds, Cutch, Bart, Gonzalez are all solid hopium heroes. Good clean fun those buckos.

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend
Reply to  Fansince1971

Damn. That team just got moated! They should force the whole org to come out with their pants around their ankles and apologize for a decade long slump. Would that make you happy? Or at least stir something inside you?

Fansince1971
Legend
1 month ago

Dude you really like to stir the poop. You got me all wrong. I’m not even a little angry. I’m way closer to apathetic. I don’t need a pound of flesh from Arte. I’d rather just not care at all about this Org. The only person I am really upset with is myself for caring even one iota about this sad sack team and wasting valuable time writing and reading these posts. I mean I am well aware it makes me a loser and the chicks don’t dig it, but I do it anyway. Le sigh.

Kevin
Member
1 month ago
Reply to  Fansince1971

I get it, but until the season really starts it’s still just practice for the vets. Some focus hard daily, others know it’s just development and treat it accordingly. Let’s see the lineup when games really begin.

Fansince1971
Legend
1 month ago
Reply to  Kevin

I make nothing out of Spring Training games. My comments are about the team as built. Spring training means zero as evidenced by the fact that (I believe) the Halos win the Cactus League in 2024.

Roy Hobbs
Super Member
1 month ago
Reply to  Fansince1971

Spring training is very interesting, a lot of things are going, and teams are only half trying to win. There’s really no correlation between ST performance and in season performance. And yet, we would like to see positive signs of performance from the players, particularly the last 2 weeks. You would definitely like to see some good performances from the younger players, and typical of recent years we have. This year, at least number of the staters are hitting the ball well as well, unlike years past when the guys who were hitting were all the ones who weren’t going to be on the opening day roster so it was somewhat demoralizing. Assuming good health, Ward, Soler, Rengifo, Trout, and Neto, when he returns, are all legitimately better than average major league players and there is reason to believe O’Hoppe is as well. That’s 6 players who should be enjoyable to watch and then hopefully there will be some good surprises. I don’t believe that will translate into a lot of wins for the team this year, but it should be entertaining. Then there is the draft, and possibly later, who we get back in trades involving our veterans. All in all, I believe the season will be interesting and entertaining, even if it doesn’t involve the postseason. At the very least, it should be informative about whether or not we are moving in the right direction. And hearing what everyone hear has to say makes it all tolerable.

steelgolf
Legend
1 month ago

Well, it looks like the Indian burial ground is right under 3rd base at Anaheim Stadium.

WallyChuckChili
Legend
1 month ago
Reply to  steelgolf

Better than the pitching mound.

Twebur
Legend
1 month ago

Wild animals have strewn remains all over that field.

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend
Reply to  steelgolf

Nah. It’s just that Moncada doesn’t even really want to play baseball.

toad2065
Trusted Member
1 month ago
Reply to  steelgolf

Always has been!

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