Angels Free Agency Predictions

[notherhalo]

Lucas Giolito

Tim Anderson

Matt Chapman

Brandon Woodruf or Luis Severino

Joc Pederson or Justin Turner

 

[totdprods]

Prediction:

Stroman, Giolito, Merrifield, Yates, Suter

 

[Tank]

trevor bauer

ohtani

[Ochocinco!]

First: J Candelario

Biggest Name: Trevor Bauer

Love him or hate him, Bauer can still pitch. He had a great season in Japan. He’s an innings eater. Maybe he’s a little weird and had some off the field issues but it seems like he was cleared of all charges? So fk it lets get weird…

J Candelario

J Pederson

G Urshela 

T Bauer

Trade one of the Lefties for Bieber

2 Relievers 

See what happens 

[angelsnationtalk]

This one was actually very tough to think about. I'll go with the "F-it response"

Who do you think will be the Angels first MLB free agent signing this off-season?
Shohei Ohtani. Before winter meetings. This is why they haven't been "aggressive" yet. They want to get Ohtani done and build around it. 

Who will be the biggest name free agent they sign this off season?
Ohtani for FA..... another top SP via trade.

I'm prepared for a dumpster fire season, however....

[floplag]

13 hours ago, Stradling said:

We have the pieces to go get Burnes but not Cease.  But it really comes down to what do the Brewers want.  If they want guys like Sandoval or Ward or would they rather take some teams legit prospects, I don’t know.  

Would you guys consider trading Shanuel for a guy like Burnes or Soto, guys with only one year worth of control?  

Shanuel right now is a guy that plays a position that you need power from, especially if you are not getting it from other places, and hes lacking in it.  Now he may develop it, but right now its not there.  Especially for Soto who could be a legit difference maker.
I dont think the club would, but i would. 

[floplag]

As to the actual question... I think Candelario is likely the first, maybe Anderson though im not at all fond of that move... as to the biggest, many right now i just dont know.  Hoskins maybe, someone like that.

Im not super high on our possibilities right now if im being honest.  I think we will struggle to sign top guys i really do they have no reason to want to come here right now so we will have to overpay. 

Part of me still thinks the smart move is a rebuild, but the club says thats not an option so... I think trying to make so bold trades might be the best option... talk to SD about Soto, maybe even Kim.  Take salary that way versus big signings.

I dont think Ohtani would ever be the first... hes going to want to see what else we do before even considering a return. 

[Erstad Grit]

Stroman, Tellez, Pederson, and Moose

[jsnpritchett]

I don't really have a strong feel yet on what they're going to do, but since a few of you have mentioned Candelario, I'll just say that I hope it's not him.  He's a poor man's Drury with less positional flexibility.  If he's the big free agent signing this off-season, that's a bad sign for '24.

[BTH]

14 minutes ago, Erstad Grit said:

Stroman, Tellez, Pederson, and Moose

Signing Tellez and Moose seems redundant.

Two below average offensive players who are probably 1B only

[TBM-850]

Fat pitchers had a tough time with the pitch clock. Manoah's walk rate more than doubled from 2.33 bb/9 to 6.08 bb/9. Lance Lynn and our Suarez both doubled their walk rate too. Manoah's velocity also dropped 1mph, perhaps from the  fatigue.

Pitching is a precise athletic movement. If you can't control your heart rate you will lose that precision. There was a reason why fats like Colon and Baez were walking rain delays. They were taking extra time to  control their heart rates. My own precision (shooting) dips at 90 bpm and at 150+ bpm it's tough to even hit the target.

Manoah would be a good buy low acquisition but I expect TOR will try to get him in better shape instead of selling low.

[BTH]

5 minutes ago, jsnpritchett said:

I don't really have a strong feel yet on what they're going to do, but since a few of you have mentioned Candelario, I'll just say that I hope it's not him.  He's a poor man's Drury with less positional flexibility.  If he's the big free agent signing this off-season, that's a bad sign for '24.

It depends on the price, but yeah, I’m not a big fan of spending on Candelario.

[Erstad Grit]

44 minutes ago, BTH said:

Signing Tellez and Moose seems redundant.

Two below average offensive players who are probably 1B only

Moose would be a bench 1b/3b and Ph and be a back-up for Rendon. He seemed well liked and sparked the team a bit.

Tellez would be a power hitting 1B. I loved Nolan, but is he ready without a back-up plan or competition? 

Also neither would cost very much. 

[totdprods]

I like Candelario in a couple different scenarios, but not every scenario and certainly not as the big acquisition. 

[BTH]

52 minutes ago, Erstad Grit said:

Moose would be a bench 1b/3b and Ph and be a back-up for Rendon. He seemed well liked and sparked the team a bit.

Tellez would be a power hitting 1B. I loved Nolan, but is he ready without a back-up plan or competition? 

Also neither would cost very much. 

I would not offer either anything more than a MiLB deal.

[Inside Pitch]

If Candelario is their first signing I fear what would come next.  

[floplag]

1 hour ago, jsnpritchett said:

I don't really have a strong feel yet on what they're going to do, but since a few of you have mentioned Candelario, I'll just say that I hope it's not him.  He's a poor man's Drury with less positional flexibility.  If he's the big free agent signing this off-season, that's a bad sign for '24.

I agree, yet so far he and Anderson are the only ones were rumored to have actually spoken with so... make of that what you will. 

[totdprods]

12 minutes ago, Inside Pitch said:

If Candelario is their first signing I fear what would come next.  

I don't think the order really dictates a whole lot. One plus to signing Candelario, it takes one of the few decent FA bats off the market. Drury and Rengifo's trade value increases, and the Angels then have additional flexibility to move one too. This could help bring in cost controlled pitching.

Candelario isn't a great option, he'll be more than what we would like to spend, not a great track record, not as good defensively as we hope, but it would reinforce the infield at a cost that wouldn't break the bank. If he was the lone major offensive bat they added this winter, it would not be a bad outcome if that meant the rest of the money went to pitching. 

He would solidify 3B which was a mess last year. I wouldn't like anything much beyond a 3/$45M though I imagine he'll get more. We don't have a lot in terms of 1B/3B depth in the upper minors.

Candelario in 2023:


Angels 3B in 2023:

Edited November 22, 2023 by totdprods

[Inside Pitch]

16 hours ago, Stradling said:

Would you guys consider trading Shanuel for a guy like Burnes or Soto, guys with only one year worth of control?  

Soto's great and all that but he's got old player skills and those guys tend to age the worst.  Maybe more importantly he's going to cost a shit ton to keep around and those are dollars better spent on pitching.

The other thing to consider, Schanuel had the best OBP on the team now that Ohtani is a free agent.  He managed to do that despite playing less than 50 minor league games.   He's a building piece. I'm sure someone will argue that 1B is power position which is true but not making outs and actually making contact are good traits regardless of the position.

[Inside Pitch]

3 minutes ago, totdprods said:

I don't think the order really dictates a whole lot. One plus to signing Candelario, it takes one of the few decent FA bats off the market. Drury and Rengifo's trade value increases, and the Angels then have additional flexibility to move one too. This could help bring in cost controlled pitching.

Of course the order doesn't matter, but if he's who they are focusing on it leaves me cold.

5 minutes ago, totdprods said:

Candelario isn't a great option, he'll be more than what we would like to spend, not a great track record, not as good defensively as we hope, but it would reinforce the infield at a cost that wouldn't break the bank. If he was the lone major offensive bat they added this winter, it would not be a bad outcome if that meant the rest of the money went to pitching. 

When the best PLUS you can point to is that signing a guy may mean you can spend more on pitching - then the best option IMO is to just spend it on pitching.

[totdprods]

6 minutes ago, Inside Pitch said:

Of course the order doesn't matter, but if he's who they are focusing on it leaves me cold.

When the best PLUS you can point to is that signing a guy may mean you can spend more on pitching - then the best option IMO is to just spend it on pitching.

Well, that's what I like about Candelario. He'd in theory solve the revolving door at 3B (important to keep in mind that, in spite of all the turnover there, Drury didn't see an inning at 3B and Rengifo not much time either) for presumably a safe 2-3 WAR. If he's a modest investment to solve what's really the only open mystery on the field, than it addresses basically all their non-pitching offseason issues in one move. Rengifo at 2B, Drury at 1B. Schanuel at the ready in AAA when someone gets hurt and Drury/Rengifo move. And again, it also gives you a wider avenue to shop someone like Rengifo or Drury for an arm. Maybe Cleveland has interest in one for Bieber, or Tampa for Glasnow, Milwaukee for Burnes, and that's a building block to that deal. Maybe Rengifo gets you someone cheap and cost-controlled, such as a n Edward Cabrera or a (horrible example) Paul Blackburn, leaving financial clarity for signing a Snell or one of the upper-tier FA arms.

Anthony Rendon being a total mystery at this point is really effin' the team.

Edited November 22, 2023 by totdprods

[Inside Pitch]

13 minutes ago, totdprods said:

Well, that's what I like about Candelario. He'd in theory solve the revolving door at 3B (important to keep in mind that, in spite of all the turnover there, Drury didn't see an inning at 3B and Rengifo not much time either) for presumably a safe 2-3 WAR. If he's a modest investment to solve what's really the only open mystery on the field, than it addresses basically all their non-pitching offseason issues in one move. Rengifo at 2B, Drury at 1B. Schanuel at the ready in AAA when someone gets hurt and Drury/Rengifo move.

Anthony Rendon being a total mystery at this point is really effin' the team.

As bad as the midrange FA position player crop is get what you're saying -- but that's also likely to make the price of getting him less modest.  The top of the line FA 3B is also going to cost a lot more than he'll prove worth as well so this isn't one of those winters where you can make an argument that if you're going to overspend, do it on the better player.

Poor drafts from 2010-2017 are what's effing this team more than Rendon, because even a bad farm system tends to have a bad fielding 3B that can get lucky on a pitch and the Angels don't.

I mean had Maitan simply gone from being the next Cabrera to a poor man's Jack Howell, Candelario wouldn't be an option.

[Inside Pitch]

Personally, if they want to add a bat I'd like to see insurance in the OF more so than at 3B -- particularly since the DH spot is up in the air.  I'd almost rather have the worst version of Moustakas at 1 mil per than the dollars and years it may take Candelario -- and Im not trying to shit on him he's not garbage, I just believe it's likely easier to get a decent floor performance wise elsewhere.

I wish Minasian could magically pull a Stoneman and pluck a Brad Fulmer, and David Eckstein off some discard piles than spend on most of the available position players.

Also --we havent been hearing much about Yariel Rodriguez lately.

[Erstad Grit]

51 minutes ago, BTH said:

I would not offer either anything more than a MiLB deal.

The thread didn't ask me who I wanted Angels to sign, it asked who I predicted they would sign lol

I'd sign (assuming ohtani walks)

Snell----incredible 5 inning SP 

Stroman or Gray----good RSP to balance rotation

Bellinger 

a few good pen arms 

Edited November 22, 2023 by Erstad Grit

[totdprods]

6 minutes ago, Inside Pitch said:

As bad as the midrange FA position player crop is get what you're saying -- but that's also likely to make the price of getting him less modest.  The top of the line FA 3B is also going to cost a lot more than he'll prove worth as well so this isn't one of those winters where you can make an argument that if you're going to overspend, do it on the better player.

Poor drafts from 2010-2017 are what's effing this team more than Rendon, because even a bad farm system tends to have a bad fielding 3B that can get lucky on a pitch and the Angels don't.

I mean had Maitan simply gone from being the next Cabrera to a poor man's Jack Howell, Candelario wouldn't be an option.

That's why I'm buying into the Angels looking into Candelario, in spite of how quiet they keep things. Perry likes to move quick and one advantage to moving quick is you can get the player at the price you want before the market dictates it, sort of how we saw with Anderson last year. It also shows how it can backfire. I will certainly not be disappointed if we miss out on Candelario, but I can understand the logic in locking him up quickly for a tolerable amount of money that doesn't sink the winter, and moving on to other needs, while having flexibility to consider moving Rengifo or Drury for pitching if the FA market isn't yielding.

Since Schanuel is still something of a question mark, Candelario gives you immediate 1B/3B insurance at what could be a moderate cost for at least '24 and '25. After that gets sketch. 

As I'm typing this I see Seattle moved Suarez to Arizona, so there's one less suitor for Jeimer, but could see Seattle checking in now.