2023 26-Man Roster (Updated 2/16)

[Angelsjunky]

As with last year, I'll be updating this as the offseason commences (can a moderator sticky this?)

To start, I'm including everyone on the 40-man roster, plus most guys that could conceivably either make the 26-man roster on Opening Day and/or start in the high minors and be called up within the first month or two. Obviously some of these guys are dubious and many won't see the major league team. But to start, best to take a big umbrella approach. Anyone I'm missing?

 

 

 

Edited February 17, 2023 by Angelsjunky

[Blarg]

Does Barria have any options left?

[Angelsjunky]

8 minutes ago, Blarg said:

Does Barria have any options left?

Nope. So he's either on the major league roster or has to pass through waivers, I believe. As with going into 2022, he wouldn't be a huge loss, but also not the worst guy to have as mop-up. But he's replaceable with Junk, Davidson, and Daniel.

[Blarg]

So many people give Barria so little credit for having the worst of the bullpen jobs. Yes, he is the guy that you bring in with one out in the fourth because Syndergaard or Lorenzon shit the bed and used up 80 pitches and got the other team into a hitting frenzy. He has to try and kill that momentum for multiple innings while everyone else in the pen maybe pitches one inning per outing.

Barria's are kind of a rare breed in baseball right now, like he was plucked out of the 80's and told to eat innings and make it 3 or more. His ERA will be higher than other relievers because he gets exposed to a dozen batters per outing instead of 3 to 5. But he guts it out instead of looking towards the bullpen to see who is going to bail him out after the 3rd batter.

You probably should move Barria to the probable because if he is exposed to waivers he's gone. Every team can use that guy.

[Blarg]

Looking at his record last season he pitched 79 innings in 35 outings to a 2.61 era. I cannot see where you can't find value in that and please don't try and use FIP. 

[Dtwncbad]

Nice to see the two Stefanic brothers in the same organization.

[Angelsjunky]

5 minutes ago, Blarg said:

Looking at his record last season he pitched 79 innings in 35 outings to a 2.61 era. I cannot see where you can't find value in that and please don't try and use FIP. 

Actually, I find FIP valuable in two instances: For projecting into the future (FIP is usually more indicative of future performance than ERA is), and for relievers.

A lot of people, including myself, don't love (merely kind of like) WAR for pitchers. But I actually think it holds a lot of value for relievers, because of the nature of FIP: it is basically like a "stuff heavy" version of ERA: it is based upon what is in a pitcher's control, especially walks and strikeouts, and the ability to diminish hard contact.

Barria's ERA to FIP differential is worrisome on both counts: 2.61 ERA to 4.39 FIP implies that A) Barria is likely to regress negatively next year, and B) He doesn't at all dominate hitters.

I agree that Barria has some value, but so do Junk, Davidson, Daniel, and similar pitchers. They're actually relatively common and fill out most AAA rotations.

My problem with Barria is that because he doesn't strike anyone out and gives up pretty hard contact, he's not a guy that you bring in to stop the bleeding. He's the guy you bring in when you need innings - perhaps due to a blow-out or, more rarely, when your starter gets hurt. But mop-up guys are generally dime a dozen. They're generally starters who aren't good enough to make the rotation, but don't have the stuff to be effective high leverage relievers. Davidson, Daniel, Junk. 

[Blarg]

Junk and Davidson had no success in their appearances last season. As for FIP, it never favors pitchers that are not dominant with "stuff." Like Weaver. FIP was never in line with his best years.

In Barria's case his career FIP followed pretty closely but there was something different going on last season, it was if he learned how to pitch and the catchers were working with his strengths instead of calling for pitches he couldn't perform well with.

Fangraphs pretty much shows this, his 4 seam fastball usage dropped from 37.1% to 23.9%. His sinker from 18% to 15.4%. Those pitches moved to his change up and slider. 

And that is why I think he can be productive next season. He is not the pitcher he was the first four. 

 

[Angelsjunky]

5 minutes ago, Blarg said:

Junk and Davidson had no success in their appearances last season. As for FIP, it never favors pitchers that are not dominant with "stuff." Like Weaver. FIP was never in line with his best years.

In Barria's case his career FIP followed pretty closely but there was something different going on last season, it was if he learned how to pitch and the catchers were working with his strengths instead of calling for pitches he couldn't perform well with.

Fangraphs pretty much shows this, his 4 seam fastball usage dropped from 37.1% to 23.9%. His sinker from 18% to 15.4%. Those pitches moved to his change up and slider. 

And that is why I think he can be productive next season. He is not the pitcher he was the first four. 

 

Well, I hope so! I'm fine with the idea of giving him a major league contract to mop-up, and keeping Davidson and Junk in the minors for a rainy day. As I said, they're all somewhat interchangeable and replaceable (imo). 

And I agree that FIP has limits, especially with "pitchability" types like Weaver and, presumably, Barria.

[Angels 1961]

1 hour ago, Blarg said:

So many people give Barria so little credit for having the worst of the bullpen jobs. Yes, he is the guy that you bring in with one out in the fourth because Syndergaard or Lorenzon shit the bed and used up 80 pitches and got the other team into a hitting frenzy. He has to try and kill that momentum for multiple innings while everyone else in the pen maybe pitches one inning per outing.

Barria's are kind of a rare breed in baseball right now, like he was plucked out of the 80's and told to eat innings and make it 3 or more. His ERA will be higher than other relievers because he gets exposed to a dozen batters per outing instead of 3 to 5. But he guts it out instead of looking towards the bullpen to see who is going to bail him out after the 3rd batter.

You probably should move Barria to the probable because if he is exposed to waivers he's gone. Every team can use that guy.

He is type of pitcher who saves your bullpen by pitching 3 to 5 inn. For me a must keep

[Docwaukee]

Barria is an easy keeper for the pen in the exact same role he had this year.  Even if his era regresses to his FIP, he's absolutely worth the 1.2m he's gonna get in arb over Davidson or Junk.  There is mild concern in getting rid of shifts because he's a BIP guy but his FIP accounts for that.  His sweet spot is once through the order so 2-3 innings.  

The IF and OF depth is wafer thin.  

[BTH]

You have Stefanic listed twice.

Man, the position player depth is brutal.

[T.G.]

13 hours ago, Trendon said:

You have Stefanic listed twice.

 

17 hours ago, Dtwncbad said:

Nice to see the two Stefanic brothers in the same organization.

@Dtwncbad - Well played.

[Angelsjunky]

I'll fix it with the next update. But I'm glad to see my Stefanic error has earned about 30% of responses. Classic AW.

[steveuk]

Thanks for this AJ. It was good to follow last winter/spring.

[BTH]

@Jeff Fletcher since you’ve had access to talk with Perry at the GM meetings, do you know:

If Jhonathan Diaz going to be healthy and ready for Spring Training? He ended the season on the 60-day IL with an undisclosed injury.

If they view Touki Toussaint as a starter or reliever going forward? When he was sent back to AAA, he was pitching in 1 inning stints out of the bullpen.

[T.G.]

3 hours ago, Angelsjunky said:

I'm glad to see my Stefanic error has earned about 30% of responses. Classic AW.

You say that like it's a bad thing.

[mmc]

 

[mmc]

Remove Fitch, Palomaki, and Molina

[AngelStew43]

IMO, pitchers like Suarez and Barria are tradeable assets that the team can use to improve depth in another area.  Especially since they are now being pushed in their roles by the pitchers in the lower half of your list, guys like Bush, Ingram, Crow, Molina, Torres, and Bachman.  Other teams will be interested in Suarez and Barria because between the two of them, they could account for 200 plus innings per season. 

[BTH]

15 minutes ago, AngelStew43 said:

IMO, pitchers like Suarez and Barria are tradeable assets that the team can use to improve depth in another area.  Especially since they are now being pushed in their roles by the pitchers in the lower half of your list, guys like Bush, Ingram, Crow, Molina, Torres, and Bachman.  Other teams will be interested in Suarez and Barria because between the two of them, they could account for 200 plus innings per season. 

If you trade Suarez, now you have to fill 3 rotation spots behind Ohtani, Sandoval, and Detmers. How are you gonna do that?

Barria doesn't have much trade value.

[Angels 1961]

Josh Harrison be cheap depth for halos. Help for young players.

[AngelStew43]

2 hours ago, Trendon said:

If you trade Suarez, now you have to fill 3 rotation spots behind Ohtani, Sandoval, and Detmers. How are you gonna do that?

Barria doesn't have much trade value.

For me, it would tie into the question why would the Angels want Tyler Anderson?  He is a LH SP, we already have Sandoval, Suarez, and Detmers from the left side, to add Anderson it would probably mean that one or more of the others are traded.  I know the Angels aren't trading Detmers, and I hope they don't trade Sandoval, so that leaves Suarez.  

I would hope that the Angels would go big for once, and add one of the top end SS, and fill the rotation with Verlander, but I suspect that ownership would not approve of that kind of outlay.  

[BTH]

37 minutes ago, AngelStew43 said:

For me, it would tie into the question why would the Angels want Tyler Anderson?  He is a LH SP, we already have Sandoval, Suarez, and Detmers from the left side, to add Anderson it would probably mean that one or more of the others are traded.  I know the Angels aren't trading Detmers, and I hope they don't trade Sandoval, so that leaves Suarez.  

I would hope that the Angels would go big for once, and add one of the top end SS, and fill the rotation with Verlander, but I suspect that ownership would not approve of that kind of outlay.  

I don’t see them spending money on Tyler Anderson when they have more important needs and a limited amount of payroll to work with.

[Angel Oracle]

On 11/8/2022 at 3:24 PM, Blarg said:

Looking at his record last season he pitched 79 innings in 35 outings to a 2.61 era. I cannot see where you can't find value in that and please don't try and use FIP. 

No argument from Storm and I