Projected 28-Man Roster (Updated 4/6)

[rafibomb]

1 hour ago, Angelsjunky said:

I can't help but think that they could still use another veteran reliever. If they don't sign another starter--and now that they've missed out on Taylor--I'd even like to see them sign Kenley Jansen, if he'd be willing to abdicate his closer role. Ryan Tepera and Luis Garcia are other guys I'd be interested in.

So with the available options, I'd recommend the following, depending on Rodon:

1. Rodon. If they can get him on a short deal, say 2-3 years and backloaded a bit, grab him. Then pick up a few scraps, maybe a cheap catcher and reliever (if possible, one of Tepera or Garcia, but they might not have the money, depending upon Rodon's contract).

2. No Rodon. Bolster the bullpen, signing one of Jansen (best), Tepera (very good), Garcia (good), or even both Tepera and Garcia. Sign Jonathan Villar. Pretty much done, except for minor moves

I think Garcia signed with the Padres.  Rodon is the number 1 guy I want (I’m just assuming Kershaw would never sign with us). Tbh, I wanted him more than Stroman just because of the upside. Also if I squint my eyes enough I am beginning to be more open to Greinke on a 1 year deal as well. Just as a guy that is a veteran presence and is dependable to give innings. Kikuchi is interesting in terms of upside. I read somewhere that his second half decline could have been caused by the Mariners going to a 5-man rotation when they originally had a 6-man. I remember when everyone here wanted him when he was first posted. 

Edited December 2, 2021 by rafibomb

[BTH]

The Angels should have at least $10M left to spend when the lockout ends.

IMO, there are a few routes they could go with that money:

- Acquire a SP in a trade.

- Sign a mid-rotation SP.

- Further bulk up the bullpen.

- Add 2B/SS or overall position player depth.

 

Ideally, they expand the budget and pursue more than one of those routes. But, at the very least, I think they should be able to do 1 of those 4 things, which would be beneficial.

[Tank]

On 12/1/2021 at 10:14 AM, Dochalo said:

a cabbage danish?  

hey, don't knock it til you try it.

[Warfarin]

6 hours ago, Angelsjunky said:

Like you, I'm OK with the rotation as-is. There's upside and depth, if still a lot of questions. That said, I'd love to see them sign Rodon to a short deal. The guy can pitch. But I really like the team's depth. After Canning and Detmers, I'd put Daniel as next in proximity and upside (I don't expect to see Bachman until late in 2022, and Bush until 2023). The rest of the group--Diaz, Tyler, Criswell, Junk, Naughton, etc--all figure as emergency starters, but one or two of them might emerge as solid #5 type starters.

...

And please, please, please don't gut the farm or trade away Adell or Marsh for Castillo. I just think that, right now, the Angels need to hoard their young talent in a Stoneman-esque way. I know value requires value, but I really want to see what Adell, Marsh and Detmers can become. Castillo is very good, but he's a known quantity and while two years of club control are nice, that's just two years of a 3-4 WAR pitcher, which Detmers could become for more years. 

I like the idea of Rodon, but I can't help but think there must be something wrong health wise.  He would normally be a slam dunk QO option.  Seems like the White Sox are aware of something.

I agree about Castillo and personally don't want to see our top young players traded.  With Trout, Rendon, and soon Ohtani, we have a lot of money tied up to a few players, which means we'll need to surround them with good young players.  I'd rather just see them re-sign Syndergaard next offseason, such that Ohtani/Syndergaard is our 1/2 punch for years, and then surrounding them with solid, young mid-rotation starters (Detmers, Sandoval, maybe Suarez, then soon Bachman, Bush, etc).

[Tank]

i'll be honest, i think pursuing rodon comes under the heading of "trying to look like we at least did something."

i could be wrong, but this guy doesn't interest me in the least.

i'd rather see them give the kids another year - canning, detmers, sandoval, etc. We have some talent there.

[rafibomb]

I feel like 2021 draftee, Luke Murphy is someone we can possibly pencil in the light blue portion. I think there is a realistic shot we see him as a fast riser as a college closer who started off the year strong at High-A to end last season. 

[Warfarin]

On 12/2/2021 at 4:05 PM, Tank said:

i'll be honest, i think pursuing rodon comes under the heading of "trying to look like we at least did something."

i could be wrong, but this guy doesn't interest me in the least.

i'd rather see them give the kids another year - canning, detmers, sandoval, etc. We have some talent there.

I think as fans, it is easy for the majority to look at the stats and say "hey, this guy had a great year, we can sign him and hopefully he'll continue to have more great years."

The value of the FO comes in their ability to find under-the-radar guys to perform well.  Cobb last year was a great example of this.  He wasn't on anyone's radar and ended up being our 2nd best starter.  I remember how outraged everyone was when we traded for him, because he was so terrible with the Orioles.

Lorenzen could be like Cobb was in that the initial reaction from the majority was "WTF is Minasian thinking?"  Time will tell whether his gamble turned out worthwhile.

I'm thinking if we do sign/acquire another SP, it will probably be another under-the-radar type option that no one is considering and is likely does not have a high cost associated with them.

Minasian came from two teams that are fantastic at building up farm systems (Blue Jays, Braves).  I highly doubt he'll burn down our fairly average farm system to acquire someone like Castillo, Montas, etc.

[mmc]

Been looking forward to finally being able to update this again (though certainly not with this lol).

Add Suzuki

[Blarg]

FUCK!

[AngelsLakersFan]

[Angels 1961]

You drive by Angel stadium a white flag is flying

[Angelsjunky]

Here you go, @mmc. Added Suzuki and Ramos, dropped Thaiss to AAA. Erk.

[Angels 1961]

Again many questions about Angels. Will Noah be ready for start of season? Who will step up in rotation? Who plays SS? Corner OF will be? Is Suzuki best Minasian could get to be back catcher? Is Lorenzen ready to be starter? Many things have to go right for Angels if they want to make playoffs.

[Hubs]

Selman was claimed by the A's.

I really think Ward is going to be on the team. I'd say he's a lock. I'd put Velazquez over Mayfield.

[mmc]

I would also add Barraclough, Ponce de Leon, and Sierra as callup options

[Hubs]

Also should re-list Buttrey somewhere.

[Angelsjunky]

23 hours ago, Hubs said:

I really think Ward is going to be on the team. I'd say he's a lock. 

Maybe, but instead of whom? It would be either Wade or Velazquez, or Adell or Marsh. Hard to see him getting a spot over one of the latter two, and it isn't clear yet what Maddon is going to do with SS except see how guys do in ST.

[Angelsjunky]

Updated again. Added Romine, Gomez, Sierra, Thomas, Ponce, and Barraclough to Group A. Also replaced Selman with Buttrey, although he might start in AAA and the Angels go with someone else to start the year - Ramos, Ponce, Barraclough, Ortega.

I think the biggest roster questions are:

1. Who is the starting SS?

Unless the Angels surprise us with either a Correa or Story signing, or an unforeseen trade, one would think Rengifo has the inside job with Velazquez next, and Wade the third option. But it probably depends upon how Rengifo looks in ST - if there's signs of a step forward, I think he gets the job. If not, it is probably Velazquez for his more consistent defense and Wade for his more consistent bat. Meaning, Rengifo might be all (starting SS) or nothing (AAA).

2. How will the OF be configured? 

Will it be a four-man platoon or will Adell or Marsh start the year in AAA, with Ward or Sierra as the 4th outfielder? Ward is more of a platoon guy, though, and not the guy you want to rely on to play CF, while Marsh is the best overall defender and combines versatility and upside that Ward, Sierra, Adell, and Upton don't have.The other possibility is that if Upton isn't in the BSOHL, it is conceivable the Angels bench him or even let him go - but that won't be until at least a month or two into the season (see, "Pujols, Albert").

My guess is that they go four-man and rotate around, hoping to preserve Trout's body, see what Upton has left in the tank, and get playing time for Adell and Marsh, giving them every opportunity to continue moving forward.

3. Who is the #6 starter?

Barria is default, but they want Canning to earn it back. But this is one of those choices they don't have to make for at least a couple weeks into the season, so Barria's probably there by default with Canning getting AAA time. Also, with questions around almost every starter, we'll probably see plenty of starts from AAA call-ups. Who knows, maybe someone catches on.

4. After the four locks in the bullpen, who is in the second quartet?

Any number of possibilities. I think Buttrey starts in AAA to work on rebuilding himself, some combination of Quijada, Wantz, Herget, Ortega, Ramos, Ponce de Leon, and Barraclough filling out the bullpen.

Edited March 15, 2022 by Angelsjunky

[BTH]

On 11/16/2021 at 12:55 PM, Angelsjunky said:

As best I can tell, this is the current 26-Man Roster situation for Opening Day.

 

 

I think Wade and Quijada are locks, as both are out of options.

I'd swap Gomez with Davis, reason being that Davis is on the 40-man roster and Gomez is not. Plus, Gomez isn't even a NRI. So I'm not sure why he's above Stefanic and Gatewood (who are NRI's)

Braxton Martinez isn't an outfielder and hasn't played above High-A, so I'm not sure why he's even on this graphic.

[totdprods]

Looking at the 26-man currently, I see the needs a little differently...in no order. Well, in some order.

1. The rotation needs durability 
   As much as we want to see impact and potential, the Angels are likely on a budget. There isn't a safe bet on the staff. Everyone's recovering from injury aside from Ohtani, who comes with his own risk.
   They absolutely could address durability and impact in one move (i.e. Castillo) but if they're close to a limit in dollars/prospect to spend, this might not fly. 
   Given the Tyler Anderson rumor - even if just a rumor - it sadly makes sense that they just try to lock in a safe 1/$8m vet, a 4.25/180 IP guy. Even though that hasn't worked 3? 4? years running.
    
2. Shortstop truly does look like an internal competition
   Simply too many names in the mix for this not to be intentional. 
    
3. The corners and catcher need a viable safety net
   Locking in a vet bench bat who can spot 1B/3B if Rendon's injury is balk or Walsh struggles against lefties seems like a top priority. Same applied to catcher before Suzuki and Romine were added.
    
4. The bullpen could use veteran depth
   Loup and Iglesias offer plenty of firepower at the top, and there's some intriguing young arms, but adding a couple ST vets or replicating the Cishek/Watson 1/$1m deals to fill in-between would be wise.
    
5. Outfield probably needs a Juan Lagares-type 
   Grab a 4th OF-type who buys you time if Adell/Marsh need seasoning, unless one of them is traded. Juan would actually be a great guy to bring back.

[BTH]

1 minute ago, totdprods said:

Outfield probably needs a Juan Lagares-type 
Grab a 4th OF-type who buys you time if Adell/Marsh need seasoning, unless one of them is traded. Juan would actually be a great guy to bring back.

Why?

Adell, Marsh, Trout, Upton, and Ward can adequately cover the outfield. And they have Sierra (who is a speedy 4th OF type) as a NRI.

[totdprods]

8 minutes ago, totdprods said:

Looking at the 26-man currently, I see the needs a little differently...in no order. Well, in some order.

1. The rotation needs durability 
   As much as we want to see impact and potential, the Angels are likely on a budget. There isn't a safe bet on the staff. Everyone's recovering from injury aside from Ohtani, who comes with his own risk.
   They absolutely could address durability and impact in one move (i.e. Castillo) but if they're close to a limit in dollars/prospect to spend, this might not fly. 
   Given the Tyler Anderson rumor - even if just a rumor - it sadly makes sense that they just try to lock in a safe 1/$8m vet, a 4.25/180 IP guy. Even though that hasn't worked 3? 4? years running.
    
2. Shortstop truly does look like an internal competition
   Simply too many names in the mix for this not to be intentional. 
    
3. The corners and catcher need a viable safety net
   Locking in a vet bench bat who can spot 1B/3B if Rendon's injury is balk or Walsh struggles against lefties seems like a top priority. Same applied to catcher before Suzuki and Romine were added.
    
4. The bullpen could use veteran depth
   Loup and Iglesias offer plenty of firepower at the top, and there's some intriguing young arms, but adding a couple ST vets or replicating the Cishek/Watson 1/$1m deals to fill in-between would be wise.
    
5. Outfield probably needs a Juan Lagares-type 
   Grab a 4th OF-type who buys you time if Adell/Marsh need seasoning, unless one of them is traded. Juan would actually be a great guy to bring back.

Adding Castillo/Mahle and Moustakas would go a long way to addressing almost all of these actually now that I look at if.

Castillo/Mahle have been pretty durable and at least one brings big impact. Moustakas gives you coverage at the corners and a bit at 2B, especially if someone like Fletcher winds up needing to cover SS more if the other options flame out. 

Adding Moustakas *might* somehow save you Adell or Marsh - especially if Castillo isn’t involved - which maintains the OF depth. 

[totdprods]

17 minutes ago, Trendon said:

Why?

Adell, Marsh, Trout, Upton, and Ward can adequately cover the outfield. And they have Sierra (who is a speedy 4th OF type) as a NRI.

Kinda forgot about Ward, so that does ease it up a bit. 

I’m not sold on the idea that Adell and Marsh can get enough playing time if Upton and Trout wind up being healthy enough to play nearly every day. Upton of course would have to be productive. Marsh and Adell certainly could step right in day one and if they produce like they did the last couple weeks last year, it’s probably enough to justify that configuration, but might be a tad bit ambitious still. I think it’s real easy to day those 4 can cover 3 OF spots on paper, but in practice it’s not as surefire as it sounds. Adell and Marsh are at a point where they should be playing nearly everyday, and that could be tricky depending on matchups, if one of them are struggling badly like rookies can be prone to experience, or someone like Upton gets on a hot-streak, which he’s still done recently. Maybe a UT player who can cover some OF and the corners or 1B makes more sense than a true 4th OF, but that could be Ward. He fills that role perfectly - but he isn't a rookie, isn't really a proven vet. It's just that the Angels are threading many needles between relying on youth - arguably 2/3 of the OF, a majority of the rotation, at least half the bullpen, and the most critical IF position. Relying on Ward is the same dilemma for another role.

Wonder if there's going to be any more experimentation with Upton at 1B. Doesn't sound like Marsh has gotten much (if any) reps there since it was first introduced awhile back. 

 

Edited March 15, 2022 by totdprods

[jsnpritchett]

1 hour ago, totdprods said:

Looking at the 26-man currently, I see the needs a little differently...in no order. Well, in some order.

1. The rotation needs durability 
   As much as we want to see impact and potential, the Angels are likely on a budget. There isn't a safe bet on the staff. Everyone's recovering from injury aside from Ohtani, who comes with his own risk.
   They absolutely could address durability and impact in one move (i.e. Castillo) but if they're close to a limit in dollars/prospect to spend, this might not fly. 
   Given the Tyler Anderson rumor - even if just a rumor - it sadly makes sense that they just try to lock in a safe 1/$8m vet, a 4.25/180 IP guy. Even though that hasn't worked 3? 4? years running.

Tyler Anderson has never thrown 180 IP in a season. He's only had an ERA of 4.25 or better once, in his rookie year 6 years ago. Also, despite pitching most of his career with the Rockies, his career road ERA is significantly higher than his home ERA.  His career road ERA is just a bit below 5.50.

No thanks. 

[totdprods]

1 minute ago, jsnpritchett said:

Tyler Anderson has never thrown 180 IP in a season. He's only had an ERA of 4.25 or better once, in his rookie year 6 years ago. Also, despite pitching most of his career with the Rockies, his career road ERA is significantly higher than his home ERA.  His career road ERA is just a bit below 5.50.

No thanks. 

Didn't say Anderson was the answer, just that the fact that he was rumored gives some credence to the idea that pursuing a lesser-name, someone who just gives them innings on a cheap one-year, might seem to be somewhat more of - or at least as much as - a need as impact. They could use one 'sure thing' vet.