Angels sign Brandon Drury (2 years, $17 million), DFA Oliver Ortega

[Docwaukee]

1 hour ago, Inside Pitch said:

Yeah..  But Mayfield, Wade, Duffy, and Velazquez ....that was pretty awesome too.

Ohtani, Adell, Walsh, Duffy, Lagares, Marsh, Mayfield, Suzuki and Wade was an actual lineup on june 8th last year.  

The next day it was Lagares, Ohtani, Stassi, Walsh, Adell, Thomas, Mayfield, Wade and Velazquez.  

Remember when Fletcher could only bunt for an entire series last year?  That was awesome.  

[Stradling]

12 minutes ago, Deek said:

DO NOT TRADE Rengifo!!!! Come on people - just because you can, doesn’t mean you should…..!!!!

 

Rengifo carried this lineup far more than Ward did last season (and I’m not hating on Ward)… I think Rengifo is proving to be special…. Not spectacular, but an exceptional “glue guy”…!

 

 I love how Minasian is tightening the screws on Rendon!!!  Prove to the club we can count on you, or we’ll move on…. 
 

We get it… you’re too blessed to be stressed… and you and the Vernon Wells of the world can enjoy your umbrella drinks on some island while clowning about how your mediocrity got over on some MLB club… or you can demonstrate some personal pride and teach your kids what it means to earn a paycheck….

No. Ward was a MUCH better hitter than Rengifo last year. 

[HanfordGuy]

[Deek]

16 minutes ago, Pancake Bear said:

Lol, wut?

 

I'm not leading the trade-Rengifo train, but where in the world are you getting the notion that he's more valuable or carried the lineup more than Ward? That's ludicrous. 

Holy cow Maddon…!!! I guess the game is played on a stat sheet - you win…. 
 

I like Ward… but his season last year reminded me of GA…. ie: who cares if you hit a 2-run bomb when your team is up or down 6 runs…???

 

What I saw with my eyes with Rengifo was how often he was in the middle of everything - moving runners, advancing 1st to 3rd, clutch hits in meaningful games/situations…

 

I get it - mine is an impression vs your “RE24” (???)

 

I appreciate stats as a tool… but not as a crutch that ignores context…

[Docwaukee]

8 minutes ago, Deek said:

What I saw with my eyes

you probably need glasses.  

[mmc]

Is there a reason we shouldn’t be ok with Drury starting at 2B and Rengifo at SS with Fletcher and Urshela on the bench?

[Second Base]

The Angels really don't need to get a shortstop in my opinion. Fletcher, when healthy, and his hips and legs are healthy now, is a good defensive shortstop. I don't mean good as in he's adequate, and you don't have to worry about him. I mean good as in, he's actually an above average defender there. And he's hit before. 

And Rengifo is not bad there either. He won't be anything flashy, but he also won't be visible awful. He's just passable on an everyday basis. 

Given how much shortstops are going for these days, I think I'd hold onto both. Play the hot hand. Or platoon them. 

Vs RHP: 1B Walsh 2B Urshela SS Rengifo 3B Rendon

Vs LHP: 1B Drury 2B Rengifo SS Fletcher 3B Rendon

Inevitably when Rendon is injured: 1B Walsh/Drury 2B Rengifo/Drury SS Fletcher/Rengifo 3B Urshela.

[Pancake Bear]

23 minutes ago, Deek said:

Holy cow Maddon…!!! I guess the game is played on a stat sheet - you win…. 
 

I like Ward… but his season last year reminded me of GA…. ie: who cares if you hit a 2-run bomb when your team is up or down 6 runs…???

 

What I saw with my eyes with Rengifo was how often he was in the middle of everything - moving runners, advancing 1st to 3rd, clutch hits in meaningful games/situations…

 

I get it - mine is an impression vs your “RE24” (???)

 

I appreciate stats as a tool… but not as a crutch that ignores context…

You really have zero idea what WPA is, don't you? 

Stands for Win Probability Added. It's called the clutch stat because it measures when hits happen. 

Want to know which of those two guys was better in clutch moments? I'll save you the two seconds it would take you to look back: It's Ward. WPA: 1.03 (Ward) to -1.82 (Rengifo). In other words, Rengifo was bad in clutch situations. Judge led the league with a 7.74 WPA. Ohtani was 30th with a 2.11 WPA at the plate. Ward ranked #63, Rengifo was #122 among qualified hitters.

But sure, your eye test is cool, too. 

[Second Base]

And my overall take... If his breakout is real, Drury is a luxury, had at a relative discount. If it isn't, he's an unnecessary expenditure that is being paid 8 million+ to be a backup or platoon player. 

As many know, I double as a Padres fan. Drury's power is real, and it's tangible. He was aided by GABP in Cincy, but he hits it hard enough and far enough to provide legitimacy. He's streaky though, and after his first week, he went cold. It was enough for me to adjust my mind toward him being a platoon 1B/3B. 

Having said that, father in law is absolutely convinced he's very good and needed another shot. 

 

 

[Pancake Bear]

7 minutes ago, mmc said:

Is there a reason we shouldn’t be ok with Drury starting at 2B and Rengifo at SS with Fletcher and Urshela on the bench?

I know what you mean, and I'm not nitpicking just you on this, but I feel like it's a bit of a misnomer to talk about bench players in the Angels infield. Obviously someone will be sitting on the bench each game, but between Rendon, Urshela, Fletcher, Rengifo, Drury, and Walsh, assuming health, does anyone project a massive disparity in plate appearances - like what you'd see on a team with traditional bench players?

[mmc]

Just now, Pancake Bear said:

I know what you mean, and I'm not nitpicking just you on this, but I feel like it's a bit of a misnomer to talk about bench players in the Angels infield. Obviously someone will be sitting on the bench each game, but between Rendon, Urshela, Fletcher, Rengifo, Drury, and Walsh, assuming health, does anyone project a massive disparity in plate appearances - like what you'd see on a team with traditional bench players?

That was basically just my way of saying I think we’re fine going into the season not tweaking our infield any further.  I know no one will really be penciled into specific roles, at least none that we can project as of right now

[Docwaukee]

8 minutes ago, mmc said:

Is there a reason we shouldn’t be ok with Drury starting at 2B and Rengifo at SS with Fletcher and Urshela on the bench?

No.  That'll probably happen a decent amount.  

And Rengifo at 3b with Urshela at 1st vs. a lefty on a Rendon day off.  

And maybe Walsh in LF and Ward day off with Urshela at 1b

And maybe a rare Urshela at SS and Drury at 2b

 

[Docwaukee]

My rep is on the line if they suck this year boy.  While I may not have chosen the exact players Minasian has, pretty much every move he's made has been very close to what I was hoping for.  

[Angels 1961]

1 hour ago, Chuckster70 said:

Gubi doesn’t know jack about what’s going on. 

On Tuesdays he does 

[Second Base]

5 minutes ago, Docwaukee said:

My rep is on the line if they suck this year boy.  While I may not have chosen the exact players Minasian has, pretty much every move he's made has been very close to what I was hoping for.  

Minasian says Urshela plays everyday and he likes the look of him be at 1B. Drury is best suited at 2B. 

This might be difficult to read, but Walsh may be the odd man out. Maybe they know something about the effects of TOS on hitters that we don't. 

Also, Walsh has options. Just saying. 

[Second Base]

I think Minasian is prioritizing contact hitters too. Urshela, Drury, Fletch are all contact hitters.

[Angelsjunky]

Minasian stocking up on urshelas.

[Docwaukee]

1 minute ago, Second Base said:

I think Minasian is prioritizing contact hitters too. Urshela, Drury, Fletch are all contact hitters.

Maybe he's betting on some increased value in putting the ball in play with the new shift rules.  

[tomsred]

21 minutes ago, Docwaukee said:

Maybe he's betting on some increased value in putting the ball in play with the new shift rules.  

I believe that's true.  I think you hit on the exact point.

[BTH]

IMO, one of the most important aspects of this move is that Drury provides 1B depth behind Walsh.

I know they've said Urshela can be an option at 1B, but he doesn't have much experience there and he doesn't really profile as a 1B. I feel much more comfortable with Drury as a backup 1B option than Urshela.

[BTH]

59 minutes ago, mmc said:

Is there a reason we shouldn’t be ok with Drury starting at 2B and Rengifo at SS with Fletcher and Urshela on the bench?

My only concern there would be defense, but I think it'll suffice.

I think the middle infield is set at this point with Drury/Fletcher/Rengifo/Urshela at 2B/SS.

[BTH]

2 hours ago, IheartLA said:

The dark horse could be Seattle, they have very little payroll compared to prior years. No state income tax so there offer could be competitive vis a vis the LA/NY teams. If they went Texas Arod 2001 then that’s the only other team I could see in the running.

Seattle has no chance at Ohtani. They went all out to recruit him last time, and he shut them down. They're not gonna be the highest bidder.

Their beat reporter for The Athletic implied that signing a 2/$24M for Jurickson Profar is out of the question because they've "got to save that money for a run at Shohei Ohtani!"

If spending 2/$24M impacts your bid for a generational player, you're not gonna compete at the financial level it'll take with teams like the Angels, Dodgers, Mets, and Yankees bidding for Ohtani.

 

 

Edited December 21, 2022 by Trendon

[BTH]

3 hours ago, Jeff Fletcher said:

They could probably trade Ward or Rengifo now. Either has decent value. 

I would not trade Ward unless I got a massive overpay.

Beyond his tremendous on-field impact, I think he provides immense value to the team as a whole via his approach and knowledge of modern hitting.

He had the second lowest O-Swing% last season among Angels players with 100+ PA's. I want that guy at the top of my lineup to set the tone for the rest of the lineup. This is also a quality Marcus Thames has preached the importance of.

[ScottT]

Real depth.  I like it.  

[Pancake Bear]

3 hours ago, Jeff Fletcher said:

They could probably trade Ward or Rengifo now. Either has decent value. 

Is that an "I've heard something may be up" comment or just speculation?