Angels Announce Opening Day Roster

[Dave Saltzer]

Here it is folks, straight from the Angels:

 

ANGELS ANNOUNCE 2018 OPENING DAY ROSTER

 

            ANAHEIM, CA – Angels’ General Manager Billy Eppler today announced the Club’s Opening Day roster for the 2018 campaign. 

 

            To set the roster at 25 active players, LHP Andrew Heaney (left elbow inflammation) has been placed on the 10-day disabled list (retro to March 26). Following Tuesday night’s game in Los Angeles, the Angels selected RHP/DH Shohei Ohtani to the Major League roster, optioned RHP Felix Peña to Triple-A Salt Lake and designated C Carlos Perez for assignment.

 

            The Angels begin the 2018 regular season this afternoon against the Oakland Athletics at 1:05 p.m. (PDT) at the Oakland Coliseum.

           

            Following is a breakdown by position of the Angels’ 2018 Opening Day 25-man roster:

 

PITCHERS (12)	PITCHER/DH (1)	CATCHERS (2)	INFIELDERS (6)	OUTFIELDERS (4)
José Álvarez (LH)	Shohei Ohtani	Martín Maldonado	Zack Cozart	Kole Calhoun
Luke Bard (RH)		René Rivera	Ian Kinsler	Mike Trout
Cam Bedrosian (RH)			Jefry Marte	Justin Upton
Jim Johnson (RH)			Albert Pujols	Chris Young
Keynan Middleton (RH)			Andrelton Simmons
Blake Parker (RH)			Luis Valbuena
JC Ramírez (RH)
Noé Ramirez (RH)
Garrett Richards (RH)
Matt Shoemaker (RH)
Tyler Skaggs (LH)
Blake Wood (RH)

[Torridd]

Ugh. How bad is Heaney's injury? Kinsler's obviously isn't too bad.Would someone assess Bard's stuff?

[jdodd]

Play Ball!

 

[krAbs]

7 minutes ago, Torridd said:

Ugh. How bad is Heaney's injury? Kinsler's obviously isn't too bad.Would someone assess Bard's stuff?

I had the same thought. Per baseball America:
https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/rule-5-pick-luke-bard-could-earn-roster-spot/

"Ultimately, Bard’s fate will rest on his ability to command his two-pitch mix, attack hitters and get them out. He will do so with a fastball that sits between 93-96 mph with some sinking action and occasional armside run and a slider he throws with varying speeds and shapes."

Sounds like a multi-inning reliever with a fine FB slider combo, whose K number is on the rise and is right now respectable. Despite a bad spring showing, his numbers in the minors look pretty good. That being said, he is a 27 year old reliever who is just now starting to really see playing time in the bigs...

Can someone explain to me the appeal of Blake Wood? His career ERA is bad, this WHIP is bad, his FIP is bad. His K rate is, you guessed it, bad. He had a bad spring, and he's going into his 32 year old season...I don't see it.

[Chuck]

I hope when Heaney comes back which I heard will be soon, Bard sticks around and Wood or Middleton gets the boot.

[Spirit]

You know you're special when you're given your own category.

 

 

[Torridd]

5 minutes ago, Chuckster70 said:

I hope when Heaney comes back which I heard will be soon, Bard sticks around and Wood or Middleton gets the boot.

Why Middleton?

[Angel Oracle]

I don't get Blake Wood being here either.   Middleoftheplateton needs more movement on his pitches, but at least he has time (youth) on his side, unlike Wood.

[krAbs]

2 minutes ago, Angel Oracle said:

I don't get Blake Wood being here either.   Middleoftheplateton needs more movement on his pitches, but at least he has time (youth) on his side, unlike Wood.

I guess he throws pretty hard (fastball averages around 97), and is pretty good at inducing ground balls (52.2% GB rate over his career), so maybe they think with this defense he can outperform his numbers? IDK though...I hope he has a short leash and we are looking for other options.

[Stradling]

4 minutes ago, Angel Oracle said:

I don't get Blake Wood being here either.   Middleoftheplateton needs more movement on his pitches, but at least he has time (youth) on his side, unlike Wood.

How bout we hold off the nicknames until he blows a game or for the game day thread.  

[Ohtaniland]

Ohtani made the roster.

 

[totdprods]

19 minutes ago, krAbs said:

Can someone explain to me the appeal of Blake Wood? His career ERA is bad, this WHIP is bad, his FIP is bad. His K rate is, you guessed it, bad. He had a bad spring, and he's going into his 32 year old season...I don't see it.

I'll give it a whirl...
As an Angel, he struck out 22 (against 4 walks) in only 17 innings, for a 11.6 K/9 - small sample-size, but he cut his BB9 in half (2.1 from a career 4.4) and posted his highest career K9 (11.6) - so there's a chance whatever formulas or data they've been applying to guys like Bud Norris and Blake Parker (who also were fairly mediocre before they were Angels) is in play for Wood here. 

I think in terms of roster construction, he also serves as, for lack of a better choice of words, an early season punching bag. A guy that can throw a couple innings in an April blowout while the SPs aren't stretched out, or to not hurt the psyche of a developing reliever. He's an extremely easy cut to make early in the year, but there's always a need for a guy to eat up some innings at first, and he's vet/short-term enough to use him to absorb those.

[Ohtaniland]

1st pitch of 2018 is hit out of the park by Ian Happ. 1-0 Cubs

[Second Base]

I'll admit even I don't understand Blake Wood's appeal. I mean he throws hard, but his fastball doesn't move and he doesn't locate particularly well. And his slider is pretty run of the mill. His history suggests he's struggled with walks at pretty much every stage.

Bard, I can see the upside. Better numbers in the high minors, great spin rate, the ability to locate, high draft pick, goes multiple innings.

So having said that, Wood will probably have a great year now.

[krAbs]

18 minutes ago, totdprods said:

I'll give it a whirl...
As an Angel, he struck out 22 (against 4 walks) in only 17 innings, for a 11.6 K/9 - small sample-size, but he cut his BB9 in half (2.1 from a career 4.4) and posted his highest career K9 (11.6) - so there's a chance whatever formulas or data they've been applying to guys like Bud Norris and Blake Parker (who also were fairly mediocre before they were Angels) is in play for Wood here. 

I think in terms of roster construction, he also serves as, for lack of a better choice of words, an early season punching bag. A guy that can throw a couple innings in an April blowout while the SPs aren't stretched out, or to not hurt the psyche of a developing reliever. He's an extremely easy cut to make early in the year, but there's always a need for a guy to eat up some innings at first, and he's vet/short-term enough to use him to absorb those.

Okay, I can buy that. So a signature Eppler low-risk/ high-upside medium-upside move.

[NorCal Halo]

Not a big fan of Noe Ramirez other than he has a cool name.  He looked very hittable during spring training.  Maybe I'm too old school but throwing across his body looks like he is going to have a lot of accuracy issues as well.

[Second Base]

33 minutes ago, NorCal Halo said:

Not a big fan of Noe Ramirez other than he has a cool name.  He looked very hittable during spring training.  Maybe I'm too old school but throwing across his body looks like he is going to have a lot of accuracy issues as well.

Lots of ball movement though, and great numbers at every level, including the majors.

[HaloNArizona]

Angels' Andrew Heaney: To throw off mound Tuesday

• by RotoWire Staff
• Mar 27, 2018 • 1 min read UPDATE Mar 27, 2018, 12:11am
•  

 

Heaney (elbow) will throw off a mound Tuesday, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Despite the inflammation, Heaney is confident he will be able to make his first scheduled start of the season April 11, when the Angels will first need a sixth starter. If all goes well Tuesday, expect him to be able to make his debut as planned, even if he opens the season on the 10-day disabled list.

https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/baseball/news/angels-andrew-heaney-to-throw-off-mound-tuesday/

 

[HaloNArizona]

Angels' Andrew Heaney: Looks bound for DL

• by RotoWire Staff
• Mar 28, 2018 • 1 min read UPDATE Mar 28, 2018, 1:54pm
•  

 

Angels manager Mike Scioscia said Heaney (elbow) looked "terrific" during a bullpen session Tuesday, but the southpaw remains on track to open the season on the 10-day disabled list, Jeff Miller of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Heaney seems to be nearly over the elbow inflammation that has plagued him for a little over a week, but since he'll still need to build up his innings, the Angels will skip his first turn in the rotation. If Heaney experiences no renewed pain in his elbow once he progresses to facing hitters in batting practice and simulated games, he could be activated when the Angels first require a sixth starter April 11 at Texas. Until then, an off day April 5 will allow the Angels to deploy a five-man rotation that keeps prized rookie Shohei Ohtani on five days' rest between starts

https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/baseball/news/angels-andrew-heaney-looks-bound-for-dl/

 

[HaloNArizona]

Blake is probably holding a spot until Heaney is activated.

[JustATroutFan]

Isn't Carter in Triple A- Salt Lake right now?

[Hubs]

Until then, an off day April 5 will allow the Angels to deploy a five-man rotation that keeps prized rookie Shohei Ohtani on five days' rest between starts...

According to my calculations, he's only going to have 5 days rest 9 times.

The other 19 starts would come on 6 or 7 days rest.

[Hubs]

1 hour ago, Torridd said:

Why Middleton?

Because he has an option?

[Angel Oracle]

1 hour ago, SuperTroopers said:

How bout we hold off the nicknames until he blows a game or for the game day thread.  

Fair enough, it was holdover from 2017.

[nando714]

I’m just gonna wait for the Heaney set back