LA Angels Thursday News Crash – Crashing the Pearly Gates

Trusted Member

1 month ago

BA is mocking USC lefty Mason Edwards to us at No. 12. That’s a name I’ve not heard since… ever, at least linked to the Halos. MLB has him ranked at No. 36 FWIW.

Seems like kind of the opposite sort of arm we’ve been known to draft recently. Middling fastball but MLB says it has “darkness”… which I think means his low release point makes it cross the plate on a flat plane and hitters swing underneath it. Plus curve and change. Relatively little starter risk.

https://www.mlb.com/milb/prospects/draft/mason-edwards-821973

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Trusted Member

grichmanpoorman

1 month ago

Reply to grichmanpoorman

Reliever risk! I meant.

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BannedInLA

1 month ago

I’m increasingly optimistic re: Guzman. Glove, bat, body language, etc.

Is he our poor man’s Adrian Beltre?

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Super Member

Roy Hobbs

1 month ago

Reply to BannedInLA

He’s only 22 so we’ll see

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Trusted Member

grichmanpoorman

1 month ago

Reply to BannedInLA

I love him.

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Roy Hobbs

1 month ago

Reply to grichmanpoorman

Me too.

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BannedInLA

1 month ago

Grissom rakes on Wednesday and sits on Thursday. Stupid. All so Soler can get at bats.

Last edited 1 month ago by BannedInLA

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Super Member

Roy Hobbs

1 month ago

Reply to BannedInLA

You missed him he’s hitting after Soler.

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BannedInLA

1 month ago

Reply to Roy Hobbs

Ooops. Indeed I did.

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Super Member

TrojanBoiler

1 month ago

Reply to Roy Hobbs

But we did bench Adell after a 2 homer game all so Josh Lowe could get ABs

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BannedInLA

1 month ago

Reply to TrojanBoiler

Yup. DAF.

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Super Member

Roy Hobbs

1 month ago

Reply to TrojanBoiler

Unfortunately we have a number of players on our roster who hit poorly against same handed pitching and Adell is one of them.

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Super Member

Roy Hobbs

1 month ago

Reply to Roy Hobbs

Lowe being LH doesn’t help thought because he’s bad against everyone.

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Jeff Joiner

1 month ago

Reply to BannedInLA

Schanuel behind Trout is equally nonsensical.

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Super Member

Roy Hobbs

1 month ago

Reply to Jeff Joiner

Yes. Especially against a RH pitcher, I’d rather see Meckler lead off and have Neto hit behind Trout.

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BannedInLA

1 month ago

It appears that “France” will move to the final 4.

Looking forward to all of the remaining matches.

Spain vs. Belgium is a ripper. Belgium is a very live dog for the gamblers.

Norway vs. England is sublime.

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JackFrost

1 month ago

FIFA is so transparent in their agenda ; today in the France vs Morocco match there is an Argentian in the VAR review booth, and in addition , ALL 5 REFS are ARGENTIAN.

Yes, it is true.

Last edited 1 month ago by JackFrost

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Super Member

TrojanBoiler

1 month ago

Reply to JackFrost

Meaning you think they’ll unfairly rule against France because of their rivalry with Argentina?

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FungoAle

1 month ago

Reply to TrojanBoiler

I was thinking he might have meant to help force a finals rematch Argentina??

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JackFrost

1 month ago

Reply to TrojanBoiler

Game is over now, but I think it is reasonable to think those refs and FIFA were favoring Morocco to take out France as that would potentially help clear path for Messi and Co.

Of course the bias doesn’t always succeed in generating the desired outcome.

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Senator_John_Blutarsky

1 month ago

Reply to JackFrost

So you’re saying that the WNBA executives and officials are now mentoring FIFA? 😂

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GrandpaBaseball

1 month ago

Not a big Verlander fan, but he is a HOF’er, so there is that. As we move on in the baseball landscape, how will we judge who is a hall favorite with both starters and relivers? Starters don’t accumulate 200 innings or 20 wins any longer. Seeing 3000 career innings or 300 wins are a thing of the past. Relief pitchers still get saves, but also more innings pitched and more strikeouts, are these the new metrics to judge by?

Some numbers are still relevant though such as ERA, WHIP, and strikeouts per inning pitched. Win percentage is still important in grading starters, but are the days of the Kershaw’s and Verlander’s over as it would seem or will the days of counting up to only 100 pitches per game fade away?

Has limiting pitches to 100 pitches proven to save arms and careers or is it putting make up on an ugly part of the game to make it look like something is being done. Pitchers with no-hitters going being pulled after 100 pitches is the norm now and should it be?

Detmers threw a no-hitter once, so he is in the history books, but it be more difficult in the future to accomplish this feat?

Just some thoughts to ponder on. 🤓

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Trusted Member

toad2065

1 month ago

I know it is an unpopular viewpoint on this site, but I’d like to balance out some of the extreme Perry Minasian hatred. If you think back to the pre-Perry days, we had a system full of crap. That is no longer the case. We have an exciting crop of young pitching and middle infielders. If you are going to build a team from scratch, pitching and defense up the middle is definitely where you want to start. There is plenty of work to be done, but Perry has at least established a stronger foundation than we have had for years. And I also think it is too early to trade Detmers or Soriano.

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BannedInLA

1 month ago

Reply to toad2065

Great heterodox post.

I agree that the ‘farm’, particularly from a pitching perspective, seems to be in better shape now than pre-Perry. Obviously he’s allocated more draft capital to this area and has had plenty of swing & misses, but it’s improved nonetheless – at least in theory.

As for Detmers/Soriano, I remain ambivalent and have waffled back & forth for weeks on this question. While I like the potential of the pitchers in our pipeline and understand the philosophy behind acquiring “moar prospeks”, it’s also a gamble to trade away two solid starting pitchers.

Last edited 1 month ago by BannedInLA

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gitchogritchoffmypettis

1 month ago

Reply to BannedInLA

I’m not THAT worried about swing and miss. Sure, we have some highly successful armchair draft room quarterbacks on site. I do it too. But the real job is hard. Harder than just “pick right guy off list”. PTP just plain whiffed too much, be that from bad drafts or bad development systems. But there are some really successful farms whose drafts I follow and, after a few years, you suddenly realize that those guys whiff a ton too. Perry just didn’t manage to hatch anyone to help us forget them.

Behold, the Rays last few #1 picks that should have been knocking down the door by now….

2023: Brayden Taylor, INF, TCU (No. 19 overall)
2022: Xavier Isaac, 1B, East Forsyth High School (No. 29 overall)
2021: Carson Williams, SS, Torrey Pines High School (No. 28 overall)
2020: Nick Bitsko, RHP, Central Bucks East High School (No. 24 overall)
2019: Greg Jones, SS, UNC Wilmington (No. 22 overall)
2018: Matthew Liberatore, LHP, Mountain Ridge High School (No. 16 overall)
2017: Brendan McKay, LHP/1B, Louisville (No. 4 overall

But you develop a Junior Caminero or two to mix in with these duds and you come out looking OK.

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dontbatvlad4th

1 month ago

Reply to toad2065

I’m so ready for Detmers to be sent packing. Just like I want to see Dana sent away for peanuts.

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FungoAle

1 month ago

Reply to toad2065

Everyone is entitled to their opinions of course but I think this site has been very easy on Perry for the first 5-years. Took until year 6, for the supporters to switch sides. It was his first GM gig and it showed.

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Super Member

TrojanBoiler

1 month ago

Reply to toad2065

The Angels had 80+ wins in 12 of the 15 seasons prior to Perry’s arrival. Their best season under Perry was 77 wins.

He has the worst win percentage of any GM in team history.

The farm has just now climbed to #23, firmly in the bottom third of the league. Every other year under Perry its been bottom 5 if not the worst rated system in baseball.

This man deserves no flowers.

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Super Member

TrojanBoiler

1 month ago

Reply to toad2065

https://www.fangraphs.com/prospects/farm-system-rankings/2019-in-season-prospect-list

Fangraphs had the Angels farm ranked #18 during their mid-season 2019 update. Perry managed to pull it up to #17 by the mid-season 2020 update and it’s been lower ever since.

There were 4 updates in a row during 23-24 where the Angels were dead last.

Perry has not left the farm in a better position than what he started with.

Last edited 1 month ago by TrojanBoiler

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gitchogritchoffmypettis

1 month ago

Reply to toad2065

I don’t agree that we shouldn’t trade those guys, but I do agree PTP’s a bit of a punching bag. Sure he sucked, but I can’t think of who wouldn’t have. So he takes a beating from a lot of the paste eaters on a site like this who love to swarm the safe bad guy. We may wind up semi-happy if it turns out Rada, Guzman, some kid pitchers etc actually work out. Maybe it happens, who knows? I doubt it would even matter though, if they bust Perry was stupid, if they work out it wasn’t Perry it was whoever coached them from this point on. Bitches gonna bitch.

Either way, even with the anchor of Arte tied around his neck, Perry’s job was to swim or not swim and he sank so there’s not really any argument for keeping him. But you’re right about the manic semi-gleeful shit sipping about him. That’s got more to do with the type of manly men on a site like this than how crap a job Perry pulled off.

Worst case, Perry goes and proves himself in some other org…. that’d suck.

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Fansince1971

1 month ago

The team has a chance to improve its future at this trade deadline. A solid group of prospects could come back in return for Detmers, Soriano and Adell. It won’t be a haul that will result in an immediate transformation but the idea is “step by step”. The system is better today than it was a year ago – not a lot – but better and it now has the chance to advance further. This is how you solve the long term problem (i.e. no pipeline) and hopefully these three will be traded to bolster the farm system.

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Pineapple12

1 month ago

At the same time, while Detmers is Chicago’s best match, he’s also a dream because it’s unclear if Angels owner Arte Moreno will allow interim general manager John Mozeliak to trade any players with multiple years of club control. He should.

The Angels need a face-lift, tummy tuck and 1,000 units of Botox. And the White Sox offer prospect optionality to fill a woebegone Angels system. Want an elite middle-infield glove? Billy Carlson is there. Exceptional bat-to-ball skills? William Bergolla can be had. Huge potential? Noah Schultz, come on down. The fit makes too much sense for both sides not to make it a reality.

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/49306462/2026-mlb-trade-deadline-addition-top-contender-moves-dodgers-brewers-braves-yankees-phillies

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Jeff Joiner

1 month ago

Reply to Pineapple12

Per the sim, this lines up:

Detmers to the White Sox

Billy Carlson, Hagen Smith, Jaden Fauske, George Wolkow to the Angels.

Not going to pretend to know much about the last two, but Carlson is young with upside and Smith was good in college. That’s kind of a one part ceiling one part floor return in those two with a couple of lotter tickets thrown in.

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Super Member

Roy Hobbs

1 month ago

Reply to Jeff Joiner

I feel like Detmers has a lot of value. Would you do this trade and what do Carlson and Smith do for us. it’s a question not a comment.

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Super Member

Roy Hobbs

1 month ago

Reply to Roy Hobbs

In addition, I’m also asking are the deadline trades to address specific needs or to acquire additional pieces to trade for specific need. In other words, I feel like we have plenty of middle IFs but a shortage of corner IF and OF bats and I personally would prefer to trade for quality over quantity. I know some people feel differently regarding this.

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Jeff Joiner

1 month ago

Reply to Roy Hobbs

I really feel like if you trade quality you have to get back quality in return. But I’m not really concerned with positions brought back.

In this case, Hagen Smith has all the looks of a middle of the rotation starter. He’s probably not as good as Detmers is pitching right now but he’s a safe bet to get one quality MLB’er in the trade.

Carlson is a long ways off. He is all projection at this point but was an early second round pick last summer.

Fauske is another 19 year old with pretty solid potential and Wolkow has 80 grade power but 20 grade hit so he is a pure lottery ticket.

Would I do this trade? Not without consulting Turk’s first, ha ha. But overall it feel it adds one near surefire rotation piece while adding some younger upside prospects to the organization. In general I like the premise.

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gitchogritchoffmypettis

1 month ago

Reply to Roy Hobbs

You can never have too many quality SS prospects. Just ask the Rays and Brewers. They can always be moved or traded.

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Member

Crashing

1 month ago

Reply to Jeff Joiner

What if Detmers is the next Skubal?

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Super Member

Roy Hobbs

1 month ago

Reply to Crashing

I’m on the trade everybody bandwagon but at the same time, I not for trading for trading’s sake. We need the right players and value coming back. Nobody needs to win or lose, but if we’re trading players like Soriano, Detmers, and Neto, we need equal value coming back. I don’t know the prospects well enough to judge them so I’m counting on those here who do. If we could trade one of these players for a power hitting 1B or RF then that would make sense.

If we were going to actually trade both Detmers and Soriano, we should move Neto as well, but not if we’re keeping one of them. I would prefer to trade Soriano over Detmers but I understand Detmers may have more value.

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Super Member

Roy Hobbs

1 month ago

Reply to Crashing

I think the club needs a long term plan. What’s the likelihood the team is in the playoffs in the next two years? It depends. But, Soriano and Detmers have 2 years left and Neto has 3. They all have the most value that they will likely have before they leave. So, which if any of them do you plan to extend or keep long term. It doesn’t have to be now but the decision needs to be now. They should trade any or all of the 3 they don’t plan on extending. The worst thing they can do is not trade them and not extend them now or in the future and get nothing in return. I personally would be ok with any direction on this. Keep all 3, trade all 3, or some combination.

I would however prefer that the club either do a full rebuild or try to put together a possible playoff team in the next 2 years. One them requires trading, and one of them requires spending money. And you do have to evaluate what you have. Without doing the full rebuild, you could still trade one of the pitchers and Neto. But trading Neto creates a hole in the IF unless you feel that Moore can play 2B or 3B.

You have to consider though that if you keep Neto long term, you will have to pay for him and which ever of the two pitchers you keep, in addition to a 1B and a RF. Lots of moving parts, you just have to figure out what your plan is.

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Jeff Joiner

1 month ago

Reply to Crashing

Having Skubal on the Angels would not make them a playoff team. I’m a bigger fan of trading Soriano for a lesser return and extending Detmers.

But if we really want to let Mozeliak remake the team all options need to be on the table.

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FungoAle

1 month ago

Reply to Jeff Joiner

I”d be happy with one of them to switch teams but estatic for both to go for future assets. Detmers needs to go first though, he is at his highest trade value.

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gitchogritchoffmypettis

1 month ago

Reply to Jeff Joiner

It’s not a bad haul. And lets face it, we need to just collect as many 50 grade prospects as we can so that 2 out of three of them fail (as they tend to do) and we still walk away with a few long term players.

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Senator_John_Blutarsky

1 month ago

Reply to Pineapple12

“What will Arte permit” remains the critical success factor and the largest unknown. I want to believe Mozeliak would not have signed on unless Molly committed he’d be more than a figurehead for his duration with the Angels. I just wouldn’t put it past Arte to completely “Moreno” this trade deadline.

If the Angels can make a deal, I guess that Adell would be the first chip to fall.

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BannedInLA

1 month ago

Reply to Pineapple12

I read this piece this morning. I couldn’t help but notice that Mickey Moniak was listed as a trade target for some team. Sigh.

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Super Member

Roy Hobbs

1 month ago

One of the things that I have been impressed with so far regarding Urena is that regardless of the circumstances, he competes and somehow limits the damage. He didn’t have it yesterday, and only made it through 4 innings. but when he left, the other team didn’t have any runs.

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Pineapple12

1 month ago

waiting patiently for Turks’ draft piece

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