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

[Chuck]

 

[eligrba]

44 minutes ago, Angels 1961 said:

This bullpen needs help, Jeffress out there again get him.

[Lou]

30 minutes ago, Inside Pitch said:

It's getting weird.  

 

Kusnick responded that he hasn't been his agent since 2019.

[Inside Pitch]

2 hours ago, Lou said:

Kusnick responded that he hasn't been his agent since 2019.

A good old fashion twitter cat-fight.   Like I said, it's getting weird.

[Lou]

4 minutes ago, Inside Pitch said:

A good old fashion twitter cat-fight.   Like I said, it's getting weird.

Has Jeffress explained his tweet?

[Inside Pitch]

1 minute ago, Lou said:

Has Jeffress explained his tweet?

Totally HS level response.  He was asked flat out WTF and said -- Ask the other guy..  People later said the other guy was telling people to ask Jeffress.   So, LOL...

[Lou]

[Angels 1961]

3 hours ago, Lou said:

Kusnick responded that he hasn't been his agent since 2019.

So Minasian has been talking to wrong person about Jeffress?

[Angelsjunky]

On 3/7/2021 at 9:04 AM, Warfarin said:

With Rodriguez, I'll place my faith in Minasian to ultimately determine the best pathway for him moving forward.  Minasian does have a strong pedigree when it comes to working in systems that did a rather good job of developing and promoting their prospects.

We may have mixed thoughts on the acquisitions he made this offseason, but if it turns out that he is mediocre in signings/trades but fantastic at player / prospect development, I'll take that as a huge win for us.

For now, the way I see it, we have a 6-man rotation, and if Barria does indeed have another option, we have 2 SPs in AAA who should provide immediate SP depth (Barria, Sandoval), thus effectively giving us 8 competent SP options.  If Suarez makes any kind of progress, then perhaps we have 9, with Detmers and CRod as SP possibilities by season's end, or perhaps more realistically, 2022.

Then, in 2022, we have, at the minimum, Ohtani, Canning, Sandoval, Barria, Detmers, and CRod (f his health holds up).  We will assuredly sign 1 or, more likely, 2 SPs in the offseason - maybe one is a significant re-signing for either Bundy or Heaney, and the other is probably more like what we did with Quintana - find a SP we can sign to a one-year deal to fill a gap, as we continue to work on developing internal options to help fortify our rotation.

If that happens, then in 2022, we could have, say, Bundy, Ohtani, Canning, Detmers, Barria, _____ (acquired SP), with Sandoval continuing to serve as depth (or maybe as a LH relief pitcher), and CRod in AAA, as he has a delayed start to the season as part of the overall strategy to help gradually ramp up his innings (maybe 80-100 in 2021, then 120-140 in 2022).

Yes, agreed, with the caveat that I think CRod is in the rotation by 2022, possibly even later this year. If Detmers and CRod are ready and both Sandoval and Suarez improve, and Ohtani is healthy, then they probably don't need to do more than re-sign one of Bundy or Heaney.

So I see next year's rotation as being:

Bundy or Heaney, Ohtani, Canning, Detmers, Barria, C Rodriguez; with Sandoval, Suarez, Ortega, Hernandez, and Yan as depth.

[Inside Pitch]

On 3/6/2021 at 5:05 PM, Angels 1961 said:

What is stupid is not to have your best players on the field. 5 years of losing and putting a talent like C Rod in minors is a waste. This halo bullpen is weak and if Rodriguez can make a big difference I put him in bullpen. Just have another so so season. 

What now, Dippy?

[Angels 1961]

59 minutes ago, Inside Pitch said:

What now, Dippy?

You tell me because halo bullpen stinks. Besides closer nobody decent out there. You feel confident with this bullpen? Unless this pen is addressed another losing season.

[Inside Pitch]

7 minutes ago, Angels 1961 said:

You tell me because halo bullpen stinks. Besides closer nobody decent out there. You feel confident with this bullpen? Unless this pen is addressed another losing season.

It's March 8th and they guys like Sandoval they can slot into the pen.   Rodriguez needs to be allowed to develop.  Nobody wants to see another Suarez type regression. 

[Angels 1961]

10 minutes ago, Inside Pitch said:

It's March 8th and they guys like Sandoval they can slot into the pen.   Rodriguez needs to be allowed to develop.  Nobody wants to see another Suarez type regression. 

So on March 30th bullpen will be fine? My question is who pitches 6,7 and 8th. Please do not say Buttrey. Halos starters will be decent but bullpen needs have been ignored. Mike Mayers had 1 very good short season and if he does not pitch well halos in trouble.

[T.G.]

44 minutes ago, Angels 1961 said:

So on March 30th bullpen will be fine? My question is who pitches 6,7 and 8th. Please do not say Buttrey. Halos starters will be decent but bullpen needs have been ignored. Mike Mayers had 1 very good short season and if he does not pitch well halos in trouble.

@PattyD22 it works...

[PattyD22]

6 minutes ago, True Grich said:

@PattyD22 it works...

It really is the only way to decipher the posts.

[rafibomb]

Still nothing on Jose Alberto Rivera? He was slated to pitch the B game today with Bundy and Detmers.

[Inside Pitch]

50 minutes ago, Angels 1961 said:

So on March 30th bullpen will be fine? My question is who pitches 6,7 and 8th. Please do not say Buttrey. Halos starters will be decent but bullpen needs have been ignored. Mike Mayers had 1 very good short season and if he does not pitch well halos in trouble.

On March 30th we will have a better idea what's there and what isn't.  Youll have to forgive me for wanting base an opinion on something other than the keen insight that led you to proclaim Adell ready for RF last year and Rodriguez the best choice for the pen after two outs in the third game of ST.

[John Smith]

19 minutes ago, rafibomb said:

Still nothing on Jose Alberto Rivera? He was slated to pitch the B game today with Bundy and Detmers.

 

 

 

Fabian Ardaya

Joe Maddon said Angels top pitching prospect Reid Detmers impressed in the ‘B’ game today in Maryvale. Jose Rivera, the club’s Rule 5 pick, also got into the game and showed some good sink at 91-92 mph on the back fields.

[rafibomb]

32 minutes ago, John Smith said:

 

 

 

Fabian Ardaya

Joe Maddon said Angels top pitching prospect Reid Detmers impressed in the ‘B’ game today in Maryvale. Jose Rivera, the club’s Rule 5 pick, also got into the game and showed some good sink at 91-92 mph on the back fields.

Hopefully that arm is just getting loose. He is supposed to be sitting around upper 90's apparently.

[totdprods]

I still like the idea of Rodriguez seeing some time in the MLB bullpen sometime in '21, but never did I expect or want him to open the season with the team in that role. 

I'd love to see him have a strong spring, head to AA/AAA/alt. site for April/May (at least) and get a couple months of reps in as a starter to work on consistency, durability, and to just get some much needed game experience in. 

Then come, oh, say July, if he's acing it on the farm and there's a pressing need in the pen, a midseason call-up to help the MLB team, organically limit his innings, and get him some MLB challenge would be beneficial for all, and would help protect his arm. 

Maybe some Arizona Fall League or winter ball innings, a normal spring, and plop him in SLC rotation to open '22 if he doesn't win a spot outright. 

Think that is plausible for all.

[jsnpritchett]

31 minutes ago, rafibomb said:

Hopefully that arm is just getting loose. He is supposed to be sitting around upper 90's apparently.

Yeah, I'm willing to chalk that up to being a little late to camp and maybe being slightly behind where he would otherwise be.  If he's still throwing at that range after a couple more appearances, ship him back to Houston and move on.

[Angels 1961]

1 hour ago, Inside Pitch said:

On March 30th we will have a better idea what's there and what isn't.  Youll have to forgive me for wanting base an opinion on something other than the keen insight that led you to proclaim Adell ready for RF last year and Rodriguez the best choice for the pen after two outs in the third game of ST.

Last year halos must have thought the same about Adell or why was he out there. March 30 I hope they fine something about bullpen. March 30th might be to late as season opens. I'm just asking who will be in bullpen and better have idea before March 30th. 

[Angels 1961]

Just now, Angels 1961 said:

Last year halos must have thought the same about Adell or why was he out there. March 30 I hope they fine something about bullpen. March 30th might be to late as season opens. I'm just asking who will be in bullpen and better have idea before March 30th. 

I was hoping Chris Rod could be another K-Rod

[Stradling]

25 minutes ago, Angels 1961 said:

I was hoping Chris Rod could be another K-Rod

But now all hope is gone.  Sucks. 

[Inside Pitch]

43 minutes ago, Angels 1961 said:

I was hoping Chris Rod could be another K-Rod

The guy that was a full time SP through 2001 and who threw 300+ innings in the minors?  That guy was given the chance to prove he could be a SP and wasn't moved to RP until he proved he couldn't.