The Official 2021 Los Angeles Angels Spring Training News & Notes Thread

[Angels 1961]

If you want your best players on team would Chris Rodriquez be one? I like him in bullpen to start season. It will depend on rest of spring. 

[totdprods]

16 minutes ago, Lou said:

Yes, 35 years ago.

Christ. 

[totdprods]

7 minutes ago, Angels 1961 said:

If you want your best players on team would Chris Rodriquez be one? I like him in bullpen to start season. It will depend on rest of spring. 

I wouldn’t necessarily say I’d put him on the Opening Day roster, but in my fantasy land head, he’s in the Angels pen a good chunk of this season, along with Sandoval and Yan. This is their best shot at having a bullpen with dominant, electric stuff this year.

Edited March 3, 2021 by totdprods

[tdawg87]

1 hour ago, totdprods said:

I guess what I’m getting at, another way of saying it, is that I imagine Rodriguez probably will have some sort of innings limit. I can’t imagine going from 9 pro innings over 3 years to a full season in even a minor league rotation would be a realistic workload.

So if you’re going to limit him in some capacity, perhaps it would be better for his development and the Angels sense of urgency if he worked 60 innings in the bigs in relief/spot starts instead of ~100 innings as a AA SP.

Get him some reps here, challenge him and see if he sticks then stretch him out next year in AAA and try to build up to a typical SP workload.

This makes 0 sense to me whatsoever. But that could just be me.

[T.G.]

Chris Rodriguez throws a few good pitches in one spring training game and the AW faithful do what they always do...

[Lou]

Just now, True Grich said:

Chris Rodriguez throws a few good pitches in one spring training game and the AW faithful do what they always do...

Yep, that's why I asked how many batters Detmers faced. So funny.

[T.G.]

I remember last spring when the AW faithful wanted to see Jo Adell in RF to start the season...

[T.G.]

By mid-March the AW faithful will predict CR winning ROY and CY.

[greginpsca]

2 hours ago, jsnpritchett said:

Jim Abbott debuted in the majors without pitching in the minors.  So did Eddie Bane, of all people.

Chuck Finley only threw about 40 IP in the minors before he was called up.

Quite a few others spent no time in the minors before debuting.  Here's a list:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_baseball_players_who_went_directly_to_Major_League_Baseball

 

I thought "Hard Luck" Harvey Haddox never pitched in the minors.  Guess i was wrong.

[Taylor]

On 3/2/2021 at 2:46 PM, Tank said:

i'll have my people contact your people.

Aren't "your people" just you with a deeper voice and st1ckboy in a wig?

[jsnpritchett]

Just now, greginpsca said:

I thought "Hard Luck" Harvey Haddox never pitched in the minors.  Guess i was wrong.

Yeah, he had 800+ IP (and a stint in the army) before he debuted in the majors.

[T.G.]

I believe Huston Street made a pretty quick leap to the majors...

[tdawg87]

6 minutes ago, Taylor said:

just you with a deeper voice

Impossible.

[T.G.]

9 minutes ago, Taylor said:

Aren't "your people" just you with a deeper voice and st1ckboy in a wig?

[Angels 1961]

29 minutes ago, True Grich said:

Chris Rodriguez throws a few good pitches in one spring training game and the AW faithful do what they always do...

You are right only few pitches. If his stuff is as good as everyone is saying and has a great (not good) spring why not. 5 losing seasons everybody saying we are wasting Trout's prime put best players on your team.

[totdprods]

Francisco Rodriguez flew up to the pen quickly too.

Look if he rusty and he isn’t ready, he isn’t ready. And I’m not thinking he’ll make the Opening Day squad even if he’s brilliant this month. In fact, he shouldn’t. I’d put NRIs like Guerra on the club first to maintain depth. 

But if we’re a month or two in, and he’s performing really well in AA and we have a shaky pen, I’d think it would be better for club and player if they brought him up and let him pitch the bulk of the season from the pen.

[Angels 1961]

All minor leagues will be delayed this year. AAA one month

[tdawg87]

43 minutes ago, totdprods said:

Francisco Rodriguez flew up to the pen quickly too.

Look if he rusty and he isn’t ready, he isn’t ready. And I’m not thinking he’ll make the Opening Day squad even if he’s brilliant this month. In fact, he shouldn’t. I’d put NRIs like Guerra on the club first to maintain depth. 

But if we’re a month or two in, and he’s performing really well in AA and we have a shaky pen, I’d think it would be better for club and player if they brought him up and let him pitch the bulk of the season from the pen.

He isn't a reliever.

[totdprods]

14 minutes ago, tdawg87 said:

He isn't a reliever.

Didn’t say he would be for any time other than ‘21. And it would be temporary.

[DMVol]

Rodriguez has pitched something like 10 innings since 2018...he really needs some minor league innings...

[tdawg87]

14 minutes ago, totdprods said:

Didn’t say he would be for any time other than ‘21. And it would be temporary.

I just don't see the benefit. Obviously I could be wrong, I just think he needs to be stretched out as much as possible as a starter instead of getting random spot appearances as a reliever. 

[Make Angels Great Again]

Strasburg had 55 IP in the minors before coming up, while being a year younger than CRod is now. Though its not a totally fair comparison since Stras was basically the best pitching prospect pretty much ever.

[eligrba]

2 hours ago, True Grich said:

I remember last spring when the AW faithful wanted to see Jo Adell in RF to start the season...

Stupid Angels manipulating Adell's service time.

[Chuck]

2 hours ago, True Grich said:

Chris Rodriguez throws a few good pitches in one spring training game and the AW faithful do what they always do...

[Angels 1961]

Dean Chance at age 21 pitched in 50 games for Angels in 1962. 26 in relief and 24 starts. If Chris Rodriquez is good enough he can pitch in majors this year in April.