LA Angels Tuesday News Crash: Some Deals

Adolis Garcia got a one year deal with the Phillies for $10 Million. Josh Bell got his one year deal with the Twins. He gets $5.5 Million plus a signing bonus and there is a mutual option.

The Diamondbacks will sign right-hander Merrill Kelly. The Rangers will sign Tyler Alexander. The Blue Jays just designated left-hander Justin Bruihl for assignment because they need room after signing Tyler Rogers for three years.

Isaiah Campbell got a minor league deal with the Diamondbacks organization. Christian Pache gets a minor league deal with the Mets organization. Anthony Veneziano gets his minor league deal with the Rangers. So did Jose Herrera. Michael Plassmeyer got a minor league deal from the Blue Jays. Chad Stevens got a minor league deal with the Rockies.

Long time minor league outfielder David Dahl has officially retired.

Photo credit: Rex Fregosi

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Fansince1971
Legend
21 hours ago

Bullpen piece. It’s the only affordable pitching

Pineapple12
Legend
21 hours ago

Good signing

Senator_John_Blutarsky
Legend
21 hours ago

Another reclamation project…..

Angels To Sign Jordan Romano
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/12/angels-to-sign-jordan-romano.html

Fansince1971
Legend
21 hours ago

33 and -1.7 WAR last year 😂😂😂😂

ryanfea
Super Member
21 hours ago
Reply to  Fansince1971

But he was good 3 years ago

Cowboy26
Legend
21 hours ago
Reply to  ryanfea

Another Mad(dox) Mike approved project ?

Cowboy26
Legend
21 hours ago
Reply to  Cowboy26

Hopefully with still 4 more spots to fill out on the 40 man roster, these two along with the Manoah signing are the coach cushion coin signings we do just before those Big international splashes.

Then The Platypus 7 >>> The Dipoto 4

Pineapple12
Legend
21 hours ago
Reply to  Cowboy26

Okamoto + Gallen/King

Senator_John_Blutarsky
Legend
20 hours ago
Reply to  Cowboy26

It’s the “if you can’t be with the one you love, love the one you’re with” strategy.

Pineapple12
Legend
21 hours ago

For $2 million
Eh, sure?

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend

Is it me or do GMPOBIOPVPBs are more inclined this off season to go after “the chaff” that they want early rather than waiting for the big money moves to be made and then plugging in the Foleys and Knitzers? I know that always happens some, but it seems like a lot of FOs are jumping at “their junk” early.

steelgolf
Legend
1 day ago

Almost like front offices have been given marching orders of 1 or 2 year deals because of the potential strike/lockout. But I’m no conspiracy theorist, as it could have just as much to do with the TV deals being in flux in some markets, and contracting to shorter terms and lower rights deal.

milehigh
Trusted Member
1 day ago
Reply to  steelgolf

I’m usually wrong so I come here to get educated… so.
I think the short deals are mostly due to TV deals and MLB not yet saying anything about 2028 and beyond. There aren’t that many teams that have a decent TV contract that I can remember. I also wonder if the latest TV/media contract signed by MLB includes revenue for games lost in 2027. I wouldn’t pay money for a game not played.

I’m getting more skeptical on how hard the owners are going to push in the next negotiations. The owners have as many problems with each other as they do with the players. Would not surprise me if the owners cave in early.

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend

We should grab Tristan Peters and give him a shot/home in SLC

DMAGZ13
Trusted Member
1 day ago

Skaggs was not going to get Patrick Corbin money. Especially by the Angels in 2020. He would’ve been lucky to get year 3/$36 million. Even if he’s a 2 WAR pitcher he probably maxes out at 15 million $3 year deal. Let’s say he gets 4/$60.

I assign fault 65/35 on the Angels because they were reckless with having Kay. Skaggs probably dies of fentanyl 2 years in anyways. But let’s say he doesn’t. I’d say the Angels owe the family $35 million max, which is why they’ll negotiate Rendon’s deal if they can. Replace Rendon with Skaggs.

Last edited 1 day ago by DMAGZ13
Jeff Joiner
Editor
Legend
1 day ago
Reply to  DMAGZ13

We have pretty much the same number but in two different ways.

I think the Walker 2 year $20 million comp is very fair but it is a reach to assume the 3 year $54 million deal Walker snagged was a guarantee. At some point, Tyler’s drug issues likely kill or derail his career. But perhaps not.

So I take the midpoint between $20 and $74 and come up with about $50 million in somewhat likely earnings. Or we can use your $60 million number.

Split the blame 50/50 because Tyler wanted the pill, Tyler had multiple avenues for the pill, and Tyler was eventually going to find a bad pill. But he found a bad pill at work from a guy who should’ve been fired years ago.

So I have $25-$30 million for the family. Not enough to cripple the franchise but enough to leave a stain on Moreno and just further solidify his standing as a bad owner.

I just wonder how much they paid the Mickey Mouse law firm who couldn’t attend the trial because they had a holiday party.

steelgolf
Legend
23 hours ago
Reply to  Jeff Joiner

Wait… what? Whose law firm and lawyer couldn’t attend a trial because of a holiday party? Did the judge grant a recess delay for another day?

Jeff Joiner
Editor
Legend
21 hours ago
Reply to  steelgolf

A couple of Fridays ago the trial was cut off at noon because the Angels lawyers had their annual holiday party.

2pints
Trusted Member
23 hours ago
Reply to  Jeff Joiner

I was thinking $10M so the family gets some money, the lawyers get some money, and Arte feels a slight sting for running an incompetent FO.

Perry then renegotiates Rendon’s final year, and then Arte announces the team is up for sale again now that Rendon and Skaggs are handled.

Turk's Teeth
Editor
Super Member
22 hours ago
Reply to  2pints

It’s funny – that’s exactly the number that’s been rattling around my head as “what’s fair” given where Skaggs was in his career trajectory, and a figure that would give the Skaggs family a good shot at an upper middle class income for decades if well-invested. It’s hard to persuade me that they somehow ‘deserve’ greater luxury b/c their deceased moved in toxic circles and partied too hard.

I almost never talk about this case, because it just seems disgusting and tragic from end to end. But, agnostic of what the law will bear, I personally think a few things are true:

  1. Kay got hosed. He was a sad bullseye in the Angels clubhouse, chronically mistreated, and addiction is its own punishment. I can see 2-4 years in prison for making bad drugs more accessible to those that crave them, but not decades in the can for it. He should have been fired years before that dreaded day though.
  2. Skaggs bears plenty of responsibility for his own death. That should be obvious – he wasn’t no lamb, though his environment didn’t make things any easier.
  3. Angels’ execs and players knew far more than they’re claiming – especially Tim Mead.
  4. It’s a shit clubhouse culture from top to bottom, from zit-eating to pill popping to cuckolding Kay for HBP fun – totally shameful. Made even Trout look like a bully and an idiot. The MLB should closely surveil the organization for a decade, consent decree style.
  5. The Skaggs family should get a little something for the Angels’ contribution to this tragedy, but not a fortune. They knew plenty as well.
Jeff Joiner
Editor
Legend
21 hours ago
Reply to  Turk's Teeth

Exactly my feelings as well.

A guy who should’ve been fired gave a guy who was going to get drugs somewhere a bad pill, which happens with opiates.

AnAngelsFan
Super Member
20 hours ago
Reply to  DMAGZ13

You think Skaggs would be dead within 2 years from fentanyl anyway but is only 35% at fault for taking the drugs that killed him?

Pineapple12
Legend
1 day ago

The Skaggs-Angels wrongful death civil trial — after more than 2 months of testimony — is officially in the hands of the jury.

Deliberations have begun.

https://x.com/i/status/2000987203850404049

🥁 🥁 🥁

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend
Reply to  Pineapple12

Can they decide that everyone is an asshole and has to go away like the last episode of Seinfeld?

Jeff Joiner
Editor
Legend
1 day ago
Reply to  Pineapple12

Even the closing arguments lasted longer than allowed. This poor jury.

Sam the Hat did a great review on the case yesterday. Apparently the jury has multiple items to figure out.

  1. Are the Angels responsible in full or part? If no, stop here.
  2. How much money would Tyler have made?
  3. Did Tyler suffer property damage on his Ipad?
  4. If so, do the Angels owe punitive damages?
  5. And ultimately to look at the 1 and 2 questions and assign a portion of the blame and subsequent dollars.
Last edited 1 day ago by Jeff Joiner
gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend
Reply to  Jeff Joiner

“If I blame Skaggs for killing himself with drugs then any of the people I know or will know that do the same are also painted with the shit brush. It’s so much easier to blame “the man”. Give those two classy ladies 200M…”

TrojanBoiler
Super Member
1 day ago
Reply to  Jeff Joiner

Went to the article to read more about this iPad thing.

And the third is punitive damages, which are meant to punish the defendant and deter future similar conduct. In order to find for punitive damages, the Skaggs side needs to prove that the iPad from which Skaggs snorted the fentanyl was damaged before his death. That’s due to a complex California law that requires property damage to trigger punitive damages in a wrongful death case. The jury would then need to find that the Angels acted with “malice” and with “knowing disregard for the rights and safety” of Skaggs.

WTF is this law now?

Jeff Joiner
Editor
Legend
1 day ago
Reply to  TrojanBoiler

It seems really odd to me and I’d suggest Charles step in here as the resident lawyer.

But it seem like you can only receive punitive damages if you had property damaged. Simply losing your life isn’t enough. Bizarre.

So the Skaggs side is saying his ipad was damaged by doing lines of drugs on it and then being seized by the Feds. How they say that was malicious escapes me.

steelgolf
Legend
23 hours ago
Reply to  Jeff Joiner

😲

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend
Reply to  Charles Sutton

Fuck I hate laws. And people. Really? We need this? This type of thing is what society as a whole needs in order to function? Without these laws we get anarchy, famine and murder?

I’m gonna say an especially long and heartfelt prayer to to Gunther the Norse God of giant asteroids tonight….

TrojanBoiler
Super Member
23 hours ago
Reply to  Jeff Joiner

Just finished the entire article. It is a really good breakdown.

Based on just reading the article, it sounds like the Skaggs lawyers did a better job with closing arguments and hammering their case home. But the Angels have a strong defense with all their testimonies from players that only knew of Kay’s drug dealing through Skaggs, which really makes him look complicit.

I don’t expect the Angels to be found very liable, if at all. Skaggs seems pretty responsible for what happened. But the Angels org also looks like they knew there were issues in the clubhouse and made absolutely no effort to do anything about it, and then went to great lengths to cover it up or mislead the jury throughout the trial. It will be interesting to see where the jury comes out on this one.

Eric_in_Portland
Legend
1 day ago

Foster Griffin fits our criteria. First round pick 11 years ago, coming off an injury, hoping to sign with a club that has a rotation need, been in Japan for the last 3 years

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/12/foster-griffin-rumors-multi-year-offers-mlb.html

Jeff Joiner
Editor
Legend
1 day ago

He’s an interesting pick. A gamble probably worth taking.

A creative organization will likely sign him.

tanana40
Super Member
1 day ago
Reply to  Jeff Joiner

In other words, not the Angels.

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend
Reply to  tanana40

comment image

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend

I like that he is a PITCHER. Throws a wide variety of pitches. Won’t expend 10 pitches trying to strike a guy out, overthrow when he does, etc. Arm is less likely to fall off. I’d like to pay him to be a slightly better Hendricks.

Pineapple12
Legend
1 day ago

Free-agent LHP Foster Griffin in agreement with Nationals on one-year, $5.5M contract.

Eric_in_Portland
Legend
1 day ago
Reply to  Pineapple12

So much for that. Thanks for the update

Last edited 1 day ago by Eric_in_Portland
Roy Hobbs
Super Member
1 day ago

Honestly, it seems like we’ve given up before we started. Which is not necessarily bad, but it also doesn’t prepare us in any way for the future. The spin by the front office this year will be fascinating and Gitch is right, it sure doesn’t seem like Perry is concerned about his job in any way.

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend
Reply to  Roy Hobbs

Yeah. I don’t mind a trash fire…. if it means they are gonna clear the lot a build something good on it. But the farm system still sucks and, while I like the pick up, a guy like Rodriguez screams “we are almost there” more than “we need twenty good prospects”.

Even if, say, Detmers, RodGray, Joyce and Fermin all go off this year the team can’t get on base for shit and has no pipeline.

RexFregosi
Super Member
1 day ago

About halfway through Earl Weaver’s biography that came out this year, “The Last Manager”.

Definitely would recommend. Hard to believe it’s been 40 years since he last managed a game.

Jeff Joiner
Editor
Legend
1 day ago

The posting windows on Song and the NPB guys are nearing the end. That should force some moves.

It should also help set the field for Bregman and to a degree Tucker and Bellinger.

I’d like to take the gamble on Song. He’s younger, will be cheaper, and his gold glove will play as he hopefully adjusts to MLB pitching.

Fansince1971
Legend
1 day ago
Reply to  Jeff Joiner

Arte won’t bite unless he can be had for a song.

WallyChuckChili
Legend
1 day ago
Reply to  Fansince1971

To bad Gene Autry isn’t still around.

Marcotor
Trusted Member
1 day ago

We could use two 8-7 pitchers. Yes, he did not say that, but the beloved Cowboy allowed it. Gene stayed out of player decisions for the most part, and lte the baseball people run the baseball. Just as he allowed Jackie “Small Market” to explore contracting the Angels with the Expos. How about passing on Sparky Anderson for Gene Mauch because Mauch worked for less. And paying legendary fading superstars for their “milestone” runs. I loved Gene Autry, he signed a ticket stub for me in the elevator at Anaheim Stadium, but he wasn’t quite the God some remember him to be.

Last edited 1 day ago by Marcotor
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