2024 MLB Free Agent List... Who do you want?

[mmc]

1 hour ago, SlappyUtilityMIF said:

Hubs, 

Good points. Our current Roster has ZERO non-DL experience! Every single guy was hurt at some point and missed numerous games.

1. I think the training change is going to help.

2. Ward may never be what he was. That was a devastating injury and after taking one to the Dome he may never comeback even at Replacement level.

3. Trout/Rendon expect 120 or less! Until they don't, which would be great if it happens! At this point I don't believe either can be counted on for even 130 games max.

4. Stassi is done.

5. Rengifo steps up only when it doesn't matter.

6. Neto, O'Hoppe and Moniak are young and had some pretty significant injuries and health concerns. 22 year old shortstop with back issues!!! MF'er you're22 years old... A young catcher who already had his non-throwing shoulder reconfigured. And Moniak who up until 2023 couldn't keep his fingers from getting smashed by inside pitches.

7. Stefanic though he hits and gets on base has meh defensive ability, and zero pop.

8. Adell hasn't put together anything.

9. The kid lefties (Detmers, Sandavol and Suarez) are consistently inconsistent and 50% of the time ineffective!

I'm extremely concerned with the Roster that's left.

So much horseshit in one post

[SlappyUtilityMIF]

11 minutes ago, mmc said:

So much horseshit in one post

Did you wear your Cheerleader uniform at Halloween parties or just the skirt?

[Stradling]

34 minutes ago, SlappyUtilityMIF said:

Did you wear your Cheerleader uniform at Halloween parties or just the skirt?

If you think mmc is a cheerleader then you haven't been paying attention. 

[Angels 1961]

7 hours ago, Hubs said:

If he signs elsewhere I will, Until then, I will continue to. Just because you dont think he's coming back doesn't mean it's not possible. You're pretty much wrong on everything... so.

Put Bellinger in lineup Yamamoto in rotation and Hader in BP. Ohtani IS NOT SIGNING WITH HALOS

[ScottT]

O'Shea

Bauer

Yamamoto 

Hader

Hicks

Chapman 

[angelsfan100]

On 11/6/2023 at 4:59 PM, BTH said:

While you were typing that essay, it was reported that Stassi is not done.

 

I have always liked Stassi. Always felt he was a solid Catcher. Glad he will be back. Glad his son is okay. 

[totdprods]

Trying so hard to look at the free agent hitters and find anyone that excites me, but it's so bleak. Wild how even some of the more intriguing names are guys who were decent for awhile a couple years back, but were either so bad last year or bad enough the past two years that it's hard to see them as viable targets now.

Position player free agents I'm interested in...
Kyle Farmer, Whit Merrifield, or Adam Frazier all seem like they'd be solid additions who provide insurance at multiple positions. I like Amed Rosario too, simply because I feel there may still be some unrealized potential, but the other options feel safer. Guys like Adalberto Mondesi, Christian Arroyo, and Johnathan Arauz are also a little interesting due to their age and one-time top prospect status, but not to the point I'd prioritize signing any of them even for a bench gig.

Garrett Cooper makes sense as a cheap 1B/DH platoon guy, but that feels more like something that happens if literally all the money has gone to pitching. Originally, I supported Moustakas or someone like Moustakas (Santana, Longoria, Votto) as a leader-forward vet pinch-hitter and occasional 1B/DH, but seeing the purported Ron Washington staff has me less concerned about filling that need.

I'm staying far away from Bellinger. Soler, Teoscar, and Gurriel all have aspects that worry me, but if the money was agreeable and the years were limited to 2-3 years, I would not be opposed to signing one. All of them have the low BB/high K profile that does not jive with what I want to see or what the team needs to improve though, but they would perhaps bring some stability to a corner OF/DH rotation that may be in flux. Ward, Adell, and even Trout and Moniak to differing degrees are somewhat unknowns at this point, and there is not anything at AA/AAA to offer any real insurance. It would create a logjam, but perhaps Adell or Moniak are offered up to help find more pitching. Guys like Hayward and Bader are intriguing but also not really a clear role or playing time for them unless there's a trade that shakes up the OF.

I still think between the number of FA SPs available, and having guys like Detmers, Sandoval, Canning, Suarez, Silseth, and Daniel, the Angels could afford to sign a couple arms and consider dealing a young SP for a young MLB-ready hitter to add to the mix. FA looks like it's bench guys at best.

[totdprods]

As for the pitchers...
Snell and Nola feel like they're going to get more $$$ than worth risking. I have a feeling Montgomery gets a lot too. Stroman is intriguing, could see him getting really overpaid but also his prior blowups and late-season crash hurting his market. Yamamoto, Rodriguez, and the other overseas arms are all worth looking into. Sonny Gray would be great on a Chris Bassitt-llike deal, but something tells me he's going to stay Central/East. I'm definitely interested in Eduardo Rodriguez, but to add another lefty to the rotation would almost necessitate dealing a lefty IMO.

I've also seen Flaherty floated on MLBTR for 3/$40m. I think he's worth the risk. He'll only be 28, local, and even with his recent struggles, his metrics support that he's a solid #4 with potential to step that up a little bit. That contract reminds me of recent deals for guys like Lance Lynn and Kyle Gibson. It was reasonable at the time and they wound up overperforming those contracts, at least the first year and a half, and it yielded decent trades for the Rangers. To me, it's worth the gamble.  I like Nick Martinez, Sean Manaea, Michael Wacha, Seth Lugo, and Michael Lorenzen all for similar money/years, maybe a year less, as they could also theoretically serve as solid swingman/long-relief types, albeit expensive and presumably middling if they underperform enough to fall back to that role. Buys time for guys like Silseth and Davis to develop.

Frankie Montas looked decent in his very brief cameo. He'd be worth kicking the tires on a one-year. I like Mahle a lot, but that would be a two-year deal more than likely that doesn't really pay off until next season, and not sure there's roster or rotation space to wait for that to come to fruition. Not against Giolito on a one-year.

For the bullpen I would absolutely look at Shintaro Fujinami. After he moved to relief last year he turned his season around and had a solid showing for Baltimore. Think he'd continue developing as a reliever, but to have the option of considering a move back to starting could add some value. I really liked Reynaldo Lopez too and would try to bring him back into the fold. Matt Moore as well, though have to wonder if age will catch up to him soon. Will Smith? Might as well given how his last three years ended.

[Erstad Grit]

On 11/6/2023 at 7:47 PM, ScottT said:

O'Shea

Bauer

Yamamoto 

Hader

Hicks

Chapman 

Which Chapman?

[Tyler]

Ohtani and trades. That's the offseason.

[Angels 1961]

55 minutes ago, Tyler said:

Ohtani and trades. That's the offseason.

Dodgers cannot trade Ohtani until July

[totdprods]

I’ll swing in and say I’m in support of Jeimer Candelario too. 

Digging deeper, Drury didn’t play any 3B, Rengifo barely any 3B, Rendon is a question mark…Candelario makes plenty of sense. 

[Pancake Bear]

They need an infielder. Arguably a corner infielder, although since Drury has played a lot of 3B in the past, a 2B could work also. E.g. Someone like Merrifield might not be bad. They also need an outfielder. DH will either be a mix of whoever is not playing the field that day or Ohtani if they somehow manage to get him back. 

Need at least one starter. Sandoval, Detmers, and Anderson are set. Canning is probably a lock as well. Bullpen...I have no idea after Estevez. I also have no idea how much money we have to spend. Would assume we need at least one high leverage reliever, though. 

[totdprods]

10 minutes ago, Pancake Bear said:

They need an infielder. Arguably a corner infielder, although since Drury has played a lot of 3B in the past, a 2B could work also. E.g. Someone like Merrifield might not be bad. They also need an outfielder. DH will either be a mix of whoever is not playing the field that day or Ohtani if they somehow manage to get him back. 

Need at least one starter. Sandoval, Detmers, and Anderson are set. Canning is probably a lock as well. Bullpen...I have no idea after Estevez. I also have no idea how much money we have to spend. Would assume we need at least one high leverage reliever, though. 

Given how little Rengifo played 3B last year, and the fact Drury didn’t at all, when we definitely had playing time there leads me to believe they aren’t preferring either to see time there in ‘24. 

I really like Merrifield as an add, btw. Steals some bases, good contact, solid defender, can spot most places in the field. Only way he doesn’t make sense is if the Angels keep Rengifo intentionally as a supersub which I don’t know that I totally like. Merrifield would replace him. Do you think you’d get a better arm for Rengifo or on the FA market for the cost of Merrifield’s contract?

Edited November 10, 2023 by totdprods

[DMVol]

13 hours ago, Pancake Bear said:

They need an infielder. Arguably a corner infielder, although since Drury has played a lot of 3B in the past, a 2B could work also. E.g. Someone like Merrifield might not be bad. They also need an outfielder. DH will either be a mix of whoever is not playing the field that day or Ohtani if they somehow manage to get him back. 

Need at least one starter. Sandoval, Detmers, and Anderson are set. Canning is probably a lock as well. Bullpen...I have no idea after Estevez. I also have no idea how much money we have to spend. Would assume we need at least one high leverage reliever, though. 

 

13 hours ago, totdprods said:

Given how little Rengifo played 3B last year, and the fact Drury didn’t at all, when we definitely had playing time there leads me to believe they aren’t preferring either to see time there in ‘24. 

I really like Merrifield as an add, btw. Steals some bases, good contact, solid defender, can spot most places in the field. Only way he doesn’t make sense is if the Angels keep Rengifo intentionally as a supersub which I don’t know that I totally like. Merrifield would replace him. Do you think you’d get a better arm for Rengifo or on the FA market for the cost of Merrifield’s contract?

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2023/11/d-backs-reds-angels-interested-in-jeimer-candelario.html

[EdmontonAngelsFan]

 

[EdmontonAngelsFan]

 

[Angels 1961]

10 minutes ago, EdmontonAngelsFan said:

 

Getting top of rotation starter will not be easy. Many teams will be in on them plus most top of rotation starters want to play on winning teams.

[totdprods]

Also want to reiterate - next year’s FA SP class is pretty great too.

Starters include Max Fried, Corbin Burnes, Tyler Glasnow, Walker Buehler, Shane Bieber, and a host of other interesting guys or pitchers with varying options or opt-outs like Gerrit Cole, Mike Soroka, Brandon Woodruff, Nathan Eovaldi, Robbie Ray, Zach Wheeler, John Means.

Almost all of those first batch of names I mentioned have SoCal ties, and I’d argue that group is a little more feasible because of those ties (and exciting) than Snell, Gray, Nola, and Yamamoto.

Would you rather go big on one of this year’s top arms, all of whom seem to have at least one solid question in my opinion, or wait for next year’s crop?

FWIW, I doubt the Angels have the prospects, but I hope they're making calls already on Bieber and Glasnow since those teams have reason to shed money.

Edited November 10, 2023 by totdprods

[BTH]

4 minutes ago, totdprods said:

Would you rather go big on one of this year’s top arms, all of whom seem to have at least one solid question in my opinion, or wait for next year’s crop?

I’d still rather pay up for one of the top arms and have them for this year (Snell, Nola, Gray, Yamamoto)

But it would make me re-consider the merits of spending around $20M AAV for a Stroman or Rodriguez. Rather than doing that, you might be better off not tying up that money beyond 2024 and going after a 2025 FA starter. 

[Angels 1961]

I invest very little money this off season. 

[Angels 1961]

On 11/8/2023 at 12:51 AM, angelsfan100 said:

I have always liked Stassi. Always felt he was a solid Catcher. Glad he will be back. Glad his son is okay. 

With Stassi back I think halos do not need a catcher this off season. Maybe resign Chad Wallach to minor league deal as insurance. What happens to Matt Thaiss is another question as he is out of options.

[totdprods]

10 minutes ago, BTH said:

I’d still rather pay up for one of the top arms and have them for this year (Snell, Nola, Gray, Yamamoto)

But it would make me re-consider the merits of spending around $20M AAV for a Stroman or Rodriguez. Rather than doing that, you might be better off not tying up that money beyond 2024 and going after a 2025 FA starter. 

Snell worries me because he seems like the type of arm that could totally unravel - and he’s going to get a massive commitment in money and years for a guy who outside of one season basically has a .500 W% and maybe sniffs ten wins a year. I know some of that is a result of the Rays approach, and I know wins aren’t everything, but he feels less like a true frontline arm and more like a highly dynamic wild card #2-3 for the foreseeable future. But he’ll get paid like a #1.

I love Sonny Gray (he’s pretty much my #1A choice) and if I could sign him to basically the Chris Bassitt deal I’d do that in a nanosecond, but I have a feeling he’s going to be a Central/East sign. Nola is appealing and a workhorse but I sense he’ll also have some geographic preference to that side of the US. Yamamoto would be killer, but is still an unknown quantity. 

With all the White Sox instability, part of me is hoping the Angels are making a push for Ethan Katz for pitching coach - some may forget he was a pitching coach for the org about ten years ago in the minors - and that could hold some sway with his former HS guys like Fried, Flaherty, and Giolito (if I’m recalling).

Edited November 10, 2023 by totdprods

[SlappyUtilityMIF]

We also need to remember the SB rule changes from this last season that the Halos really didn't take advantage of due to the 4th outfielder Phillips not making the team out of SPT. Our overall team speed is non-existent and we need to be able to use those rules.

Merrifield because he can run a little bit makes sense and he can play 2B/OF.

Bader stole 20 bags. 4th OF'er type.

Bellinger also stole 20 bags OF/1B/DH

Jankowski stole 19 bags. Extra OF'er. (Overall meh).

 

[mmc]

38 minutes ago, SlappyUtilityMIF said:

We also need to remember the SB rule changes from this last season that the Halos really didn't take advantage of due to the 4th outfielder Phillips not making the team out of SPT. Our overall team speed is non-existent and we need to be able to use those rules.

Merrifield because he can run a little bit makes sense and he can play 2B/OF.

Bader stole 20 bags. 4th OF'er type.

Bellinger also stole 20 bags OF/1B/DH

Jankowski stole 19 bags. Extra OF'er. (Overall meh).

 

What are you talking about?  Phillips made the team.