OC Register: Angels’ bullpen remains a work in progress

[AngelsWin.com]

ANAHEIM — Six weeks of spring training in Arizona wasn’t enough to get the Angels’ bullpen in order for the regular season.

They continued to tinker after coming home to start the Freeway Series against the Dodgers at Angel Stadium on Sunday night, working on re-acquiring relief pitcher Noe Ramirez after announcing they optioned relief pitcher Ty Buttrey to Triple-A.

Ramirez, one of two players the Angels traded to Cincinnati for closer Raisel Iglesias in December, was released by the Reds early Sunday after the 31-year-old allowed 11 runs (six earned) in six innings in the Cactus League.

“Noe did a nice job here last year,” manager Joe Maddon said, acknowledging the Angels were speaking with the right-hander who had a 3.00 ERA in 2020.

Dropping Buttrey was a mild surprise. But Maddon said the Angels wanted Buttrey to remain at their alternate training site in Tempe, Ariz., to regain the consistency that eluded the right-hander in his third major-league season.

“It got to the point where you didn’t know what to expect,” Maddon said of Buttrey, who turns 28 on Wednesday, March 31.

Buttrey’s demotion increases the chances that Chris Rodriguez will make the roster for the Angels’ season opener Thursday, April 1, against the White Sox, after the 2016 fourth-round draft choice missed almost all of 2018 and 2019 with back issues and 2020 because the COVID-19 pandemic wiped out the minor-league season.

Maddon indicated he’ll have to handle Rodriguez, 22, gingerly.

“We think he can be a difference-maker,” Maddon said. “It’s going to require not pushing it too hard. Not having pitched a lot in the past, it’s going to require a lot of strategy.”

Before Sunday, Buttrey, Rodriguez, Jaime Barria and left-hander Patrick Sandoval were fighting for the last three spots in the bullpen alongside Iglesias, Mike Mayers, Junior Guerra and lefty Alex Claudio. Now Ramirez might take Buttrey’s spot in that competition.

The Angels’ bullpen seemingly has nowhere to go but up after 2020. Maddon sounded hopeful.

“There’s a lot to like. A lot,” Maddon said Sunday. “I always believe it takes about three weeks to a month to kind of figure out your bullpen in the first part of the season. Some guys will pitch better than we thought, some guys not as good as we thought they were going to.”

With a Ramirez signing on the table, the manager added: “We’re possibly not done yet putting this thing together.”

OHTANI WILL HIT

The Angels plan to have Shohei Ohtani (0-2, 7.88 this spring) bat when he starts game 2 of the Freeway Series at Dodger Stadium on Monday.

This will be the second time this spring that Ohtani bats in a game he pitches, and that could happen often during the season, but Maddon said it will be a case-by-case decision.

“It’s all about how his body feels and how much rest he needs,” said Maddon, who gave Ohtani the night off Sunday. “Nothing’s been laid out yet, other than making sure we communicate coming up to the days he pitches.”

It sounds likely that Ohtani will hit second in the lineup, with Mike Trout third.

Ohtani will aim to ease back to three or four innings — and at least two at-bats — in his final spring start, Maddon said.

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STARTERS SET

The Angels announced their starting pitchers, following Dylan Bundy on opening day, for the four-game series at home against the White Sox.

Andrew Heaney will start Friday, Alex Cobb Saturday and Ohtani Sunday, and Jose Quintana would wait to open the home series against the Astros.

Maddon said he prefers to throw right-handers against the White Sox, and Quintana is a left-hander. So is Heaney, but he’s effective against right-handed hitters.

HEANEY HIT HARD

Heaney started Sunday against a Dodgers lineup with seven regulars and gave up  home runs to Max Muncy, Gavin Lux and Corey Seager, all left-handed hitters.

That raised Heaney’s spring ERA to 7.41.

ALTERNATE PLANS

Angels assigned to the Angels’ alternate training site are expected to play four or five games a week against other teams, Maddon said.

The manager called that a “wonderful” improvement on 2020, when baseball introduced alternate sites in the absence of minor leagues but players were limited to intrasquad games.

With the Angels’ site moving from Long Beach to Tempe this season, and the Dodgers, Padres and Diamondbacks also in Arizona, those teams will be able to play each other.

LOOKING AROUND

One new sight at Angel Stadium is the Angels’ 60th anniversary logo, displayed near the flag poles beyond the left-center-field fence.

View the full article

[BTH]

1 hour ago, AngelsWin.com said:

With a Ramirez signing on the table, the manager added: “We’re possibly not done yet putting this thing together.”

Is Maddon alluding to there being more coming besides the Ramirez signing? Or is he just alluding to the Ramirez signing that isn't official yet?

[Angels 1961]

Article did not mention Slegers.

[Angel Oracle]

After Iglesias and Mayers, who is good enough to pitch the 7th/8th innings?

[Warfarin]

4 minutes ago, Angel Oracle said:

After Iglesias and Mayers, who is good enough to pitch the 7th/8th innings?

To be determined!  But maybe Sandoval can develop into an effective bullpen weapon.  

[Angels 1961]

6 minutes ago, Angel Oracle said:

After Iglesias and Mayers, who is good enough to pitch the 7th/8th innings?

Slegers C Rod

[Jeff Fletcher]

18 hours ago, Angels 1961 said:

Article did not mention Slegers.

That was an oversight. I was off and the writer filling in for me left him out. He was added to the later version. Only the first version shows up here unless you click the link 

[AngelsLakersFan]

3 minutes ago, Jeff Fletcher said:

That was an oversight. I was off and the writer filling in for me left him out. He was added to the later version. Only the first version shows up here unless you click the link 

Don't ever abandon us again Jeff.

[Angels 1961]

8 minutes ago, Jeff Fletcher said:

That was an oversight. I was off and the writer filling in for me left him out. He was added to the later version. Only the first version shows up here unless you click the link 

OK thanks, I like Slegers but like to see 1 more addition on FA market. 

[jsnpritchett]

12 minutes ago, Jeff Fletcher said:

That was an oversight. I was off and the writer filling in for me left him out. He was added to the later version. Only the first version shows up here unless you click the link 

[Angels 1961]

Cam Bedrosian made Reds team, good luck Cam in NL

[Lou]

Yay!

[Lou]

7 hours ago, Angel Oracle said:

After Iglesias and Mayers, who is good enough to pitch the 7th/8th innings?

James Hoyt 

[AngelsLakersFan]

12 minutes ago, Lou said:

James Hoyt 

We are so fucked.

[Warfarin]

So the guaranteed spots, due to contracts and/or lack of options, are:

Iglesias, Mayers, Watson, Claudio, Cishek, Guerra.

Who gets the last 2 spots?  Slegers and Sandoval?  Maybe Hoyt instead of Sandoval, with Sandoval stretched out as a SP in AAA?

[Angel Oracle]

Iglesias, Mayers, Watson, Cishek, Claudio, Hoyt, Slegers, and Guerra does allow both Barria and Sandoval to be stretched out and CRod to get minor league experience.

Would not be surprised to see Pena replace Guerra once activated.

Perry finally gets something done in addition to Iglesias and Claudio this off-season.

Edited March 30, 2021 by Angel Oracle

[SlappyUtilityMIF]

1 hour ago, Angel Oracle said:

Iglesias, Mayers, Watson, Cishek, Claudio, Hoyt, Slegers, and Guerra does allow both Barria and Sandoval to be stretched out and CRod to get minor league experience.

Would not be surprised to see Pena replace Guerra once activated.

Perry finally gets something done in addition to Iglesias and Claudio this off-season.

I would rather see CRod than Guerra! That guy skus.

[Angels 1961]

15 hours ago, Jeff Fletcher said:

That was an oversight. I was off and the writer filling in for me left him out. He was added to the later version. Only the first version shows up here unless you click the link 

Jeff who has options from relief pitchers? Can Claudio, Guerra be sent to minors? 

[Lou]

According to fan graphs, Guerra is out of options.

[Angel Oracle]

According to MLB.com, they are at 41 on the 40 man (Bard on the 60 day DL).

TWENTY-TWO pitchers are on the 40 man.

Faria signed a minors deal.  Does he need to be added to 40 man if kept in the minors to start the year?

If not, I’d take either Guerra or Quijada off of it.   Guerra seems rather meh to me.   Quijada has allowed two baserunners per inning in 33.1 career MLB innings.  That should trump 50 Ks?

[Warfarin]

1 hour ago, Angel Oracle said:

According to MLB.com, they are at 41 on the 40 man (Bard on the 60 day DL).

TWENTY-TWO pitchers are on the 40 man.

Faria signed a minors deal.  Does he need to be added to 40 man if kept in the minors to start the year?

If not, I’d take either Guerra or Quijada off of it.   Guerra seems rather meh to me.   Quijada has allowed two baserunners per inning in 33.1 career MLB innings.  That should trump 50 Ks?

Given they just added Guerra, I doubt it's him.

They need to create 3 spots - 1 for one of the guys they just added, and two more for Rojas and Lagares.

I am going to guess Barretto will be put on the 60-day IL, so that means 2 spots.  Keller is a DFA candidate, and maybe Quijada or Mayfield.

[Warfarin]

In terms of bullpen construction, in the offseason, Minasian mentioned how he feels it's important to have guys who have different arm angles, pitch repertoires, etc.  The idea is that while perhaps on the individual level, the pitchers are just decent, maybe collectively they can outperform, because hitters will have to adjust to constantly change pitch repertoires and angles.

So for example - if a hitter has to face one of our SPs, then has to later face a side-arming pitcher with different pitches, then later has to face Iglesias and his power stuff - perhaps that will yield better results than one might expect, as we roll out the various middle relievers that we now have.

[Angel Oracle]

How much longer does Buttrey have before they trade/DFA him?

Acquired him 3 years ago, and not much to show for it after May 2019.

[Warfarin]

44 minutes ago, Angel Oracle said:

How much longer does Buttrey have before they trade/DFA him?

Acquired him 3 years ago, and not much to show for it after May 2019.

They'll be patient.  He has good stuff.  We have a new FO and developmental system in place.  We have to trust them to help players' improve upon their performance.  

[Angel Oracle]

18 minutes ago, Warfarin said:

They'll be patient.  He has good stuff.  We have a new FO and developmental system in place.  We have to trust them to help players' improve upon their performance.  

He should have a year then.   If progress not made by September, cut bait.