Angels Acquire RP Felix Pena; Gurka DFA'ed

[totdprods]

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2017/10/angels-acquire-felix-pena-designate-jason-gurka.html

[krAbs]

THE PIECE.

 

...Are we still doing that?

[OregonLAA]

You know this guy is going to be a key piece in an incredible bullpen, right?

[Docwaukee]

season saved.  

[ettin]

He looks pretty much like a J.C. Ramirez clone. In fact I wouldn't be shocked if Eppler takes Felix Pena and Blake Wood and tries them out as starters in Spring Training.

[Billy_Ball]

Whatever happened to Jesus Castillo, the guy we got from the Cubs for Joe Smith?  Still in A ball?

[totdprods]

31 minutes ago, Billy_Ball said:

Whatever happened to Jesus Castillo, the guy we got from the Cubs for Joe Smith?  Still in A ball?

He made it to AA, making 5 starts there. 

Between Burlington, I.E., and Mobile (25 G, 24 GS): 3.32 ERA, 124.2 IP, 1.22 WHIP, 118 K, 26 BB, 16 HR, 122 H.

Pretty good for a 21 year old crossing three levels.

[tdawg87]

30 minutes ago, totdprods said:

He made it to AA, making 5 starts there. 

Between Burlington, I.E., and Mobile (25 G, 24 GS): 3.32 ERA, 124.2 IP, 1.22 WHIP, 118 K, 26 BB, 16 HR, 122 H.

Pretty good for a 21 year old crossing three levels.

Dat K/BB ratio.

[totdprods]

4 hours ago, ettin said:

He looks pretty much like a J.C. Ramirez clone. In fact I wouldn't be shocked if Eppler takes Felix Pena and Blake Wood and tries them out as starters in Spring Training.

Blake Wood is interesting - he had two blowups here in September but otherwise was pretty good, and had solid peripherals.

I don't know if I like him enough to give him a guaranteed spot on the staff for an optionless pitcher due to make $2.2m in arb, but he is someone I'd Iike to see Eppler keep in some capacity. 

Pena was a starter as recently as '15, for most of the season in AA.

[arch stanton]

Wood seems best suited to single innings or coming in to get one or two RHers out. Useful but maybe not at that price

[AngelStew43]

Collecting guys that throw hard is not a bad idea.  Pena touches 98 on the gun.

[totdprods]

38 minutes ago, arch stanton said:

Wood seems best suited to single innings or coming in to get one or two RHers out. Useful but maybe not at that price

Yeah I'd hope they non-tender and try to bring back on a much cheaper deal, ST invite preferably of course, but he may get more than that. 

[VariousCrap]

9 hours ago, ettin said:

He looks pretty much like a J.C. Ramirez clone. In fact I wouldn't be shocked if Eppler takes Felix Pena and Blake Wood and tries them out as starters in Spring Training.

 

Ugh...please no.

[Lou]

What the hell is a gurka?

[Lou]

10 hours ago, ettin said:

He looks pretty much like a J.C. Ramirez clone. In fact I wouldn't be shocked if Eppler takes Felix Pena and Blake Wood and tries them out as starters in Spring Training.

I'd rather Petit be a starter 

[ettin]

5 hours ago, arch stanton said:

Wood seems best suited to single innings or coming in to get one or two RHers out. Useful but maybe not at that price

Certainly the more probable outcome I agree but Wood does have great velocity and this seems to be Eppler's method which is to take fringe starter-relievers with high velocity, two/three pitch mixes and lengthen them out as rotation candidates.

[ettin]

1 hour ago, Lou said:

I'd rather Petit be a starter 

I think Eppler is starting to angle our entire pitching staff from 5 starters, 7-8 relievers to more multi-inning relievers with maybe like 3 starters for instance. I really like what Petit achieved for the team this year so I'm on board with him returning but I think if we move him to a starter role he may not be as effective as he was in the multi-inning capacity.

[totdprods]

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2017/10/miles-mikolas-interested-in-returning-to-mlb-after-thriving-in-japan.html

This is an arm I hope Eppler is watching. Totally matches the reliever turned starter mold, under the radar type move. 6'5" righty coming off three great years in Japan, 29 years old. His prior MLB work looks like pre-Angels Bridwell.

We've seen a lot of former MLB players return from Japan and have decent success. If he could even be another Colby Lewis-type it'd help stabilize the rotation, or fill a spot starter Jesse Chavez-type role.

If the Angels snagged Mikolas and a mid-rotation arm like Cobb, Lynn, etc., it really makes it easy for Eppler to dangle Heaney, Skaggs, or Shoemaker for a legit bat.

[Lou]

13 minutes ago, ettin said:

I think Eppler is starting to angle our entire pitching staff from 5 starters, 7-8 relievers to more multi-inning relievers with maybe like 3 starters for instance. I really like what Petit achieved for the team this year so I'm on board with him returning but I think if we move him to a starter role he may not be as effective as he was in the multi-inning capacity.

Yeah, when I said "I'd rather", I was responding to a post regarding making Pena and Wood starters. 

I was extremely happy with him in the pen. We better re-sign him. 

[Ohtaniland]

Eppler working the phones for his offseason plan. 

 

 

[Angel Oracle]

6 hours ago, AngelStew43 said:

Collecting guys that throw hard is not a bad idea.  Pena touches 98 on the gun.

And have movement on that heat

[AngelsLakersFan]

Wait... didn't the season end already?

[oater]

2 hours ago, Lou said:

What the hell is a gurka?

[Inside Pitch]

19 minutes ago, AngelsLakersFan said:

Wait... didn't the season end already?

"Never not working" -- Billy Eppler...

[IEAngelsfan]

44 minutes ago, oater said:

Crap, you beat me to it.