The Official 2021 Los Angeles Angels Minor League Stats, Reports & Scouting Thread

[totdprods]

45 minutes ago, Second Base said:

I would sooner re-up Cobb and his leadership and 2.41 FIP than Heaney. Cobb is a ground ball pitcher and fly balls at Angel Stadium, particularly to RF are suddenly flying out at a record rate.  

I like both, tbh. I fully supported Bundy when we traded for him and expected a big year last year, but also felt it was a little fools-goldy and that we should’ve dealt him last July or in the winter. That’s beside the point.

Heaney I think is very likely dealt this year unless the Angel are really in the thick of it. He’s quality, and a lot of teams will think there’s something to unlock still. He’s a great guy to try and get a couple good pieces for. Not sure Cobb will fetch that same demand.

I’m personally favoring the idea of tandem SPs/multi-inning RPs and I think Cobb fits in that type of rotation well. Should be cheap too.

[totdprods]

1 hour ago, Fourts said:

I hope you are right here and we have some good catching depth for the next 5-8+ years.  But honestly, i think your definition of "promising" is different than mine.  I trust you though and you know more about these guys than i do.  So please be true.  I think you have to accept some reality and say that you would take most other teams catching prospect over ours right now.

They might just be MLB average catchers at best, but that’s honestly okay. There’s only a handful of catchers who truly excel both sides of the game at any given time…trying to draft one is near impossible too. We might have one already with Stassi.

[Vlad27Trout27]

I know this if off topic compare to whatever one else has been talking about. 

 

What has anyone watched Dashwood? This guy is a control freak! o walks while having a k rate over 12! is he projected to be a starter or a Bullpen arm, and what is his stuff like? I haven't found much about him? 

[stormngt]

2 hours ago, Fourts said:

Maybe i didn't articulate myself properly (was posting on phone earlier and had issues).  But this is exactly what i say about our system: very young, raw and some exciting such guys.  But that's it.  You'd think by now we'd have a more robust farm system considering sucking for years.  The upper levels are not good.  Every team has a Detmer type -- but that's really all we have for good SPs coming up. 

Every team has hard throwing RPs.  We have some OFs...we also have very young, exciting MIs.  I'd say OFs and MIs are maybe the easiest to get in todays game.  Pitching is the key.  Even Catchers.

 

When was the last really good SP we developed and had on the Angels?  Maybe Weaver.  Holy heck that's bad.  What about a RP -- KRod.  Yikes.  Maybe i'm missing someone.  Still, that shows you how bad we've been at drafting and developing pitchers.  Catchers too -- long drought.  3Bman -- Glaus.  SS -- idk, i'm drawing a blank right now. 

Richards was really good until injuries

Edited June 19, 2021 by stormngt

[stormngt]

We can trade both Heaney and Cobb and still resign them after the season.  Both are FA.  

[totdprods]

1 hour ago, Vlad27Trout27 said:

I know this if off topic compare to whatever one else has been talking about. 

 

What has anyone watched Dashwood? This guy is a control freak! o walks while having a k rate over 12! is he projected to be a starter or a Bullpen arm, and what is his stuff like? I haven't found much about him? 

I’ve barely seen him or found anything on him. First impression is that I’m still maintaining some skepticism since he’s a little older than the competition….Brent Killam looked like an ace at IE and has been middling since moving up. Lots of rusty hitters in the new Cal League, and Dashwood is new to them, and older.

I’d put him in the same category as someone like a Cooper Criswell or Jaime Barria or Dillon Peters or Packy Naughton for now…haven’t seen enough in my very limited viewings to see a true SP, but there’s a promise. Just gotta be patient and see how he does when he makes it to Tri-Cities and Rocket City before getting too excited.

 

[mmc]

On 6/17/2021 at 1:59 PM, jsnpritchett said:

Wtf? A 5.65 ERA and a 1.53 WHIP.  Sounds like he would have fit in perfectly with the big club!

Not our big club but apparently another team saw it as a fit...

 

[Docwaukee]

3 hours ago, Fourts said:

Good post.  You are probably right. 

I'm basing my opinion on non-Angel fans/AW system rankings.  I really like reading about our guys from people here because it's truly guys who have actually SEEN them play.  That is extremely valuable -- not to mention fun as a fan to read.  Still, sometimes people can get too close to your own guys like a grandmother with her grandkids.  So seeing what so-called experts say is good too for a general feel.  Overall, my negativity stems from years of lack of depth and (more so) pitching.  

I feel you on the stuff from years ago.  It was almost embarrassing for awhile trying to be remotely positive on what we all knew was just awful.  

The pen thing you mentioned in another post is really frustrating.  You'd think we'd be able to get a couple of decent pen arms out of the system over the last 11 years of prospect mongering.  Since 2011 it's literally Keynan Middleton and that's about it. 

We actually do have a little depth on the pitching side right now in A/A+/AA.  Not a ton of upside but at least it should lead to some pen arms in the next couple years and maybe even later this year.  So it's really only on the position player side where there is a lack of depth in the middle minors. 

[Inside Pitch]

4 hours ago, Fourts said:

Maybe i didn't articulate myself properly (was posting on phone earlier and had issues).  But this is exactly what i say about our system: very young, raw and some exciting such guys.  But that's it.  You'd think by now we'd have a more robust farm system considering sucking for years.  The upper levels are not good.  Every team has a Detmer type -- but that's really all we have for good SPs coming up.

I think someone might think that if they were oblivious to how truly bad the system was in 2015.  You had one of the most well respected analysts in baseball refer to it as possibly the worst farm system he had ever seen.  No upside, no organizational filler,  no money to spend internationally and no top 5 picks.

The Angels would farm system would have been better off starting from scratch as if they were an expansion team than with what they had in the system.  And the crazy part is that they still managed to develop three useful players in Ward, Fletcher and Walsh.

 

[Docwaukee]

just a bit on our pitching in A/A+/AA

AA
Starters - Criswell, Detmers, Tyler, Brady, Lee, Diaz, Hernandez.  A few of those guys have relief profiles and it's debatable whether Detmers has FOTR upside.  I think he does with his new found velo.  Watch out for Kyle Tyler.  
Relievers - Rogalla, Ortega (struggling huge), Connor Higgins, Bates, Almeida

A+
Starters - Daniel, Linginfelter, Yan, Ryan Smith, Killam.  Again, most with a relief projection or back end starter upside although Daniel could surprise.  
Relievers - Chris Molina, Kolt Ingram.  Dylan King has a big arm but no feel.  Another couple guys with big arms and not much feel for pitching but could emerge with a few adjustments.  Pretty standard collection of mostly filler or non-prospects that could find their way.  

A 
Starters - Kochanowicz (trying to get his sea legs but we know his potential), Swanda, Salvador, Seminaris, Dashwood, Pina.  Erik Rivera made an appearance but has since disappeared.   
Relievers - Guzman, Goff
Plus a bunch of guys in rookie ball that are likely pretty close to joining in a month or so.  

2-3 years ago, I'm not sure I couldn't picked out an actual rotation for each level.  

[Docwaukee]

Jackson and Thaiss with hrs.  Thaiss also threw a runner out trying to steal.  Quick as hell and throw was right on the money.  Thrown out 4 of 13 this year so far.  BTW, that's 40 rbi for Jackson in 35 games.  

Jackson's career minor league line - 143 games, 562 at bats, 34 doubles, 8 triples, 38 hrs, 128 rbi, 56 walks, 208 k.  22/5 sb/cs.  .256/.324/.548/.872

Adell was 0-5 with 3k.  .990 ops along with a .326 obp for the year.  I am very much against bringing him up again.  Thankfully, there's really no reason to.  

Thaiss pulled his hr tonight so it doesn't count.  

Andrew Wantz made the start for SLC tonight.  3ip, 1h, 0bb, 4k.  2.79 era on the season.  Peripherals are ok.  not great.  What I would probably call a 3/4ths delivery with good velo (probably touches mid 90's) and arm side movement of the fastball.   tight slider.   not a ton of depth.   but a pretty good pitch.  Could be a guy we see soon for the pen.  

[wopphil]

19 hours ago, totdprods said:

The biggest problem with Heaney is there is this persistent hope he turns into a strong #2 but instead perpetually sticks in a solid #3-4. He seems to be getting to a point where he’s fairly durable, and he does own a 3.62 ERA in the eleven starts since that rough opening series start. 

If they can get him for like a 3/$30m, something close to the Lance Lynn/Kyle Gibson deals, I think it’s a good move for all. He’d be affordable for most teams to afford if we need to trade him off to make room for something better or if we’re sellers, and if he does actualize his  potential, that contract makes him even more valuable.

I actually think that re-signing Heaney - at a deal along these lines - is probably going to be one of the team’s highest priorities the next few six months. I also think Cobb is a strong possibility to come back. From there, you only need one more good starter, and should have the money to get one (of course, that still leaves an entire bullpen to be addressed). 

[totdprods]

1 hour ago, wopphil said:

I actually think that re-signing Heaney - at a deal along these lines - is probably going to be one of the team’s highest priorities the next few six months. I also think Cobb is a strong possibility to come back. From there, you only need one more good starter, and should have the money to get one (of course, that still leaves an entire bullpen to be addressed). 

The bullpen hasn’t quite worked out this year - though we’ve seen a couple good stretches for some guys - but I sort of liked the approach of tearing it down and bringing in a bunch of new faces. Being able to quickly tear down and rebuild a pen might be one of the better strategies, and that’s why I’m leery about spending big in FA. When you commit to higher-salary, multi-year guys, you’re (usually) committing a spot in the pen for them even when they struggling or have a bad year, which relievers are so prone to do.

I like the concept of stocking it up with one-year deal gambles, a bunch of optionable guys at AAA, and hoping for the best. It’s good to have the flexibility to cut guys easily and claim/trade/sign guys throughout the year. Think it’s the best that can be done for a team in the Angels current state. If they had a lockdown rotation and their elite offense, then yeah, time to invest in the pen more, but I’m not sure that the rotation or offense can guarantee that anytime soon….

How Sandoval, Suarez, Rodriguez and Barria perform the rest of the year could have a huge impact on how the pen and rotation are formed too.

Edited June 20, 2021 by totdprods

[Angel Oracle]

Partly agree, but going forward they have to have more home grown relievers.

The one year mass switch out doesn’t work ultimately.

[totdprods]

3 hours ago, Angel Oracle said:

Partly agree, but going forward they have to have more home grown relievers.

The one year mass switch out doesn’t work ultimately.

The Yankees have one of the best bullpens in baseball, and exactly zero of the arms with 20+ appearances originally started in their system. 

Tampa is there too, and at quick glance, only Castillo is the only one they developed.

A lot of these guys succeeding were prospects traded and developed - but that’s something the Angels could accomplish just as easily if they sell vet arms this deadline.

Just need to have a lot of flexibility when it comes to building a pen, IMO. Expensive FAs don’t easily allow that. 

[Angel Oracle]

1 minute ago, totdprods said:

The Yankees have one of the best bullpens in baseball, and exactly zero of the arms with 20+ appearances originally started in their system. 

Tampa is there too, and at quick glance, only Castillo is the only one they developed.

A lot of these guys succeeding were prospects traded and developed - but that’s something the Angels could accomplish just as easily if they sell vet arms this deadline.

Just need to have a lot of flexibility when it comes to building a pen, IMO. Expensive FAs don’t easily allow that. 

Agree with the last sentence.

[Stradling]

Detmers has 14k’s through 6 innings today.  It is a double header so he can only go 7 innings.  

[Stradling]

 

[totdprods]

Just now, Angel Oracle said:

Agree with the last sentence.

If it was one of the final pieces on a championship caliber team, it makes sense, or if 90% of the pen is in good shape with options in the bigs and AAA, but it’s too risky otherwise.

I really like what we have in AAA/AA/A+ currently. They are probably not quite ready to be deployed in 2021 or even 2022, at least as a reliable group, but they’re close. And I like the tandem SP/multi-inning RP route with guys like Suarez, Rodriguez, hopefully eventually Warren, Wantz, Brady, Hernandez. 

Wish we had snagged Richard Rodriguez from the Pirates over the winter. 

[totdprods]

6 minutes ago, Stradling said:

Detmers has 14k’s through 6 innings today.  It is a double header so he can only go 7 innings.  

Included an immaculate first inning too.

[bloodbrother]

Here's all 14 K's

 

[Docwaukee]

31 minutes ago, totdprods said:

The Yankees have one of the best bullpens in baseball, and exactly zero of the arms with 20+ appearances originally started in their system. 

Tampa is there too, and at quick glance, only Castillo is the only one they developed.

A lot of these guys succeeding were prospects traded and developed - but that’s something the Angels could accomplish just as easily if they sell vet arms this deadline.

Just need to have a lot of flexibility when it comes to building a pen, IMO. Expensive FAs don’t easily allow that. 

This is where I'm hoping Alex Tamin can dig in and bring some serious value.  The Yanks have always had a serious knack for putting together really good pens since cashman has been there.  They're 25% better than the second team on the list since 1998 in WAR.  and just shy of double for WPA over that time.  Granted, there have been periods in that time where they just outspent their competition but even in the last 7 years, they're still head and shoulders above the rest of the league.   In second for both of those time periods is Oakland.  

Interestingly, Beane and Cashman were hired the same year.  Both with obviously different resources but maybe with similar approaches as it relates to bullpens?  Calling on @Inside Pitch to help us with a common thread between the two who have achieved such impressive long term results under much different landscapes.  

[Angelsjunky]

Has anyone mentioned Braxton Martinez? He's a 27-year geezer in A ball who is tearing it up. Obviously his age implies he's not very projectable, but it is hard not to root for this type of guy. Evidently he's been bouncing around the independent leagues. He's currently hitting .314/.431/.627 in 33 games. Maybe time for a promotion, give the guy a chance?

[Docwaukee]

23 minutes ago, bloodbrother said:

Here's all 14 K's

 

I mean come on.  Dude's first time pitching in the pro ranks.  Adds almost 5mph of velo and is now showing a rather wicked slider which wasn't featured in college.  Curve is still there and we haven't even seen much of what is considered an above average to plus changeup.  BTW, his slider was a 40/45 out college.  Kiss my ass if that's anything but at least 50/55 right now.   How is this guy not in every top 100 let along top 50 or even top 25.  It's not like he's doing his in low A.  60 k's in 35 innings!  George is gettin' upset!!

[Angelsjunky]

3 minutes ago, Dochalo said:

I mean come on.  Dude's first time pitching in the pro ranks.  Adds almost 5mph of velo and is now showing a rather wicked slider which wasn't featured in college.  Curve is still there and we haven't even seen much of what is considered an above average to plus changeup.  BTW, his slider was a 40/45 out college.  Kiss my ass if that's anything but at least 50/55 right now.   How is this guy not in every top 100 let along top 50 or even top 25.  It's not like he's doing his in low A.  60 k's in 35 innings!  George is gettin' upset!!

Serenity now, Doc.