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

[ScottT]

20 hours ago, angelsnationtalk said:

Agreed.

Again optimistic, but how much of difference do these two rotation options look (order based on performance. 1 being Ace and so on)....

Bundy, Heaney, Quintana, Canning, Cobb, Ohtani

or 

Ohtani, Bundy, Heaney, Canning, Quintana, Cobb

That looks the same

[Lazorko Saves]

Quote

Alex Claudio has a hip infection

A what now?

Clearly an injury that is a precursor to elbow ligament damage.  Better just get the surgery now.

[angelsnationtalk]

13 minutes ago, ScottT said:

That looks the same

Not in terms of production at all.

[eligrba]

2 hours ago, Chuckster70 said:

 

I've never understood how baseball players can be late to spring training because of VISA problems. 

[jsnpritchett]

Just now, eligrba said:

I've never understood how baseball players can be late to spring training because of VISA problems. 

You're white.

[Chuck]

Just now, eligrba said:

I've never understood how baseball players can be late to spring training because of VISA problems. 

You'd think that they'd have all that wrapped up well before the date they're supposed to be in camp. 

But as the saying goes, procrastinators will stop procrastinating tomorrow. 

[T.G.]

1 minute ago, eligrba said:

I've never understood how baseball players can be late to spring training because of VISA problems. 

Maybe they should switch to Mastercard or American Express.

[Vlad27Trout27]

 

There's s a few pictures and videos on here.

[AngelsLakersFan]

4 minutes ago, Vlad27Trout27 said:

 

There's s a few pictures and videos on here.

This looks like Ippei introducing his new pet to the old one.

[floplag]

8 minutes ago, jsnpritchett said:

You're white.

And that has what to do with it?
If i know or anticipate issues, which i should at this point, i plan ahead.
Race has literally nothing to do with it.

[jsnpritchett]

9 minutes ago, floplag said:

And that has what to do with it?
If i know or anticipate issues, which i should at this point, i plan ahead.
Race has literally nothing to do with it.

It was just a stupid joke.

That said, it's sometimes hard to anticipate issues with visas, and the administration changeover has likely led to some of the delays. Anytime there's a change, things get backed up.

[Inside Pitch]

49 minutes ago, Chuckster70 said:

I seriously cannot tell if you're joking or not on this one. lol

I'm serious.   Dude has always underperformed his stuff.  He'd be cruising then fall apart -- some of that may have been usage or his reliance on his FB.... sooner or later MLB hitters will wait for and get the FB.

In the past I argued people overrated him in comparison to Skaggs, now because he hasn't lived up to his first season in Anaheim, Angels fans have sort of started to shit on the dude.  He's a solid pitcher, he's a lefty and he's entering his age 30 season.  

The concerns with Heaney have been HRs and health.  If he can continue to bring the HR rate down and go 160+ innings he is going to have a market.  The only thing that might hinder that is the uncertainty regarding the CBA -- which, is also the reason the Angels may be able to get him to re-sign on a team friendly deal.  

[Chuck]

11 minutes ago, Inside Pitch said:

I'm serious.   Dude has always underperformed his stuff.  He'd be cruising then fall apart -- some of that may have been usage or his reliance on his FB.... sooner or later MLB hitters will wait for and get the FB.

In the past I argued people overrated him in comparison to Skaggs, now because he hasn't lived up to his first season in Anaheim, Angels fans have sort of started to shit on the dude.  He's a solid pitcher, he's a lefty and he's entering his age 30 season.  

The concerns with Heaney have been HRs and health.  If he can continue to bring the HR rate down and go 160+ innings he is going to have a market.  The only thing that might hinder that is the uncertainty regarding the CBA -- which, is also the reason the Angels may be able to get him to re-sign on a team friendly deal.  

I figured as much. I'm down for dishing out a guaranteed contract extension right now for Heaney that is made up of a good chunk of the payouts coming from incentives earned.

Like 180-200 IP, a certain amount of QS's & an ERA under 4 = way more $$$$. 

[jsnpritchett]

6 minutes ago, Chuckster70 said:

I figured as much. I'm down for dishing out a guaranteed contract extension right now for Heaney that is made up of a good chunk of the payouts coming from incentives earned.

Like 180-200 IP, a certain amount of QS's & an ERA under 4 = way more $$$$. 

You can't do direct performance-based incentives in MLB contracts (http://m.mlb.com/glossary/transactions/incentive-clause). It can be based to playing time, awards placement (e.g., Top 10 in Cy Young voting, etc), though.

[Angels in 2030]

Wasn't it Heaney who was one of the guys that sold part of his future earnings for an immediate payout with Fantex?

Looked it up: yes, it was  -- 10% of all future MLB salary earnings.

[Angels in 2030]

30 minutes ago, Inside Pitch said:

I'm serious.   Dude has always underperformed his stuff.  He'd be cruising then fall apart -- some of that may have been usage or his reliance on his FB.... sooner or later MLB hitters will wait for and get the FB.

In the past I argued people overrated him in comparison to Skaggs, now because he hasn't lived up to his first season in Anaheim, Angels fans have sort of started to shit on the dude.  He's a solid pitcher, he's a lefty and he's entering his age 30 season.  

The concerns with Heaney have been HRs and health.  If he can continue to bring the HR rate down and go 160+ innings he is going to have a market.  The only thing that might hinder that is the uncertainty regarding the CBA -- which, is also the reason the Angels may be able to get him to re-sign on a team friendly deal.  

I'd definitely sign him to an extension now before the season starts.  The uncertainty with him injury/durability wise should work in our favor to get him reasonably priced.  Even if he doesn't "breakout" but simply stays healthy for 25-30 starts....that'll be expensive in FA as we've seen already.

[Inside Pitch]

1 minute ago, Fourts said:

I'd definitely sign him to an extension now before the season starts.  The uncertainty with him injury/durability wise should work in our favor to get him reasonably priced.  Even if he doesn't "breakout" but simply stays healthy for 25-30 starts....that'll be expensive in FA as we've seen already.

Right -- he's got to be looking at what guys with comparable health concerns or in some cases significantly better career have been able to get.  Walker is unsigned, Paxton took a one year deal.  If they offer him 3 years 10 mil right now and he doesnt bite I'd be surprised.

[eligrba]

1 hour ago, jsnpritchett said:

You're white.

You are correct, I'm more wight than wrong on this matter.

Edited February 17, 2021 by eligrba

[eligrba]

1 hour ago, T.G. said:

Maybe they should switch to Mastercard or American Express.

I knew someone would follow through.....

[floplag]

48 minutes ago, jsnpritchett said:

It was just a stupid joke.

That said, it's sometimes hard to anticipate issues with visas, and the administration changeover has likely led to some of the delays. Anytime there's a change, things get backed up.

My apologies.
Yes it can be difficult but, yeah, seems a weka excuse to not take action sooner than the day you need to travel is all 

[eligrba]

1 hour ago, Chuckster70 said:

You'd think that they'd have all that wrapped up well before the date they're supposed to be in camp. 

But as the saying goes, procrastinators will stop procrastinating tomorrow. 

One would think that either MLB or each team has a department responsible for such matters. 

[Stradling]

I highly doubt the players wait till the day they are to travel and find out they have Visa issues.  My guess would be they have to submit paperwork weeks ahead of time, then they play the waiting game.  You also very well could be dealing with not just the US to grant it but their local government to submit the paperwork.  Blaming the players for procrastinating is probably an oversimplification. 

[T.G.]

25 minutes ago, eligrba said:

One would think that either MLB or each team has a department responsible for such matters. 

Yes, they do.  I know someone who was in that role for the Dodgers for many years.

[Inside Pitch]

18 minutes ago, Stradling said:

I highly doubt the players wait till the day they are to travel and find out they have Visa issues.  My guess would be they have to submit paperwork weeks ahead of time, then they play the waiting game.  You also very well could be dealing with not just the US to grant it but their local government to submit the paperwork.  Blaming the players for procrastinating is probably an oversimplification. 

Teams tend to have staff that work with the players on these things too.  

[BTH]

Yeah, I don't know who's to blame for the visa issues and why it can't get resolved before ST, but it seems like it's always an issue.

and all the players who are going to miss time because of visa issues are competing for spots, so it'd seem of greater importance for themselves that they don't have these issues.

Guerra, Quijada, and Rivera are competing for spots in the pen.