Angels sign Zach Plesac (1 year, $1 million) - DFA Kolarek

[Docwaukee]

2 hours ago, Inside Pitch said:

It's certainly full of uncertainty.

I have a hard time even calling it uncertainty.  

What's with the puss throwing soft tossers?  

Are we gonna figure out how to play defense all of a sudden?  Maybe that's the thing I'm most pissed about.  Minasian talked a big game about defense from the second he walked in the door.  I feel like they've had good or at least solid defenders out there for the most part.  How come the collective has been well below average?  

Back to the topic at hand though.  I'm pretty certain that Plesac, Cimber, and Kolarek aren't very good.  I think Garcia could have a typical volatile reliever good season, but he could also be terrible.   

Personally, there are at least 5 spots in the pen I'd be happy to replace right now.  

 

 

[Inside Pitch]

14 minutes ago, Docwaukee said:

I have a hard time even calling it uncertainty.  

What's with the puss throwing soft tossers?  

Are we gonna figure out how to play defense all of a sudden?  Maybe that's the thing I'm most pissed about.  Minasian talked a big game about defense from the second he walked in the door.  I feel like they've had good or at least solid defenders out there for the most part.  How come the collective has been well below average?  

Back to the topic at hand though.  I'm pretty certain that Plesac, Cimber, and Kolarek aren't very good.  I think Garcia could have a typical volatile reliever good season, but he could also be terrible.   

Personally, there are at least 5 spots in the pen I'd be happy to replace right now.  

Oh, I'm with you.  I'm being kind but, I'm also leaving room for the weirdness that is RP performance. Based on the recent additions, I'd wager they get more out of guys they eventually call up.

All that said, if they are going to go with the quantity approach -- they need to keep signing RPers.

[Docwaukee]

1 minute ago, Inside Pitch said:

Oh, I'm with you.  I'm being kind but, I'm also leaving room for the weirdness that is RP performance. Based on the recent additions, I'd wager they get more out of guys they eventually call up.

All that said, if they are going to go with the quantity approach -- they need to keep signing RPers.

they're almost relying on that weirdness though.  When you get it from 1 out of 3 or 4 guys then it's reasonable.  But if they're going for volume, then I just don't get the math at this point.  You can't just keep taking up roster spots on AAAA players in hopes you get 1 or 2 to be functional relievers.   Point is, they better add about another 7 or 8 guys to the list of non roster invites and be willing to cut bait quickly on the crew they have now if early performance dictates such.  

And for sure they're gonna need it from the call ups.   Hopefully, Joyce, Soriano, Estevez can hold any leads they get while they do an april tryout again to fill out the rest.  

[Stradling]

16 hours ago, Deek said:

Tradition mostly…

Haha. What tradition is that?  Certainly not the Angels.

[Taylor]

3 hours ago, Docwaukee said:

they're almost relying on that weirdness though.  When you get it from 1 out of 3 or 4 guys then it's reasonable.  But if they're going for volume, then I just don't get the math at this point.  You can't just keep taking up roster spots on AAAA players in hopes you get 1 or 2 to be functional relievers.   Point is, they better add about another 7 or 8 guys to the list of non roster invites and be willing to cut bait quickly on the crew they have now if early performance dictates such.  

And for sure they're gonna need it from the call ups.   Hopefully, Joyce, Soriano, Estevez can hold any leads they get while they do an april tryout again to fill out the rest.  

These are the kind of moves a bottom-three organization makes. It's why some organizations are consistently successful and others are destined for mediocrity. 

[totdprods]

Haven’t read all six pages but if this is just replacing Barria with Plesac you’re getting a similar guy but one that can be optioned. 

[Angelsfan1984]

13 minutes ago, totdprods said:

Haven’t read all six pages but if this is just replacing Barria with Plesac you’re getting a similar guy but one that can be optioned. 

That’s all it is, but somehow it’s turned into a shit show like always lol

[totdprods]

1 hour ago, Angelsfan1984 said:

That’s all it is, but somehow it’s turned into a shit show like always lol

Right on.

[BTH]

9 hours ago, Inside Pitch said:

Interesting how a team noted for finding/building pitchers saw fit to release one guy then sign the other.

They are somewhat similar, neither guy throws particularly hard but where Barria has seen his average FB velocity increase, Plesac is down 2 MPH from where it was in 2019.  And while both guys have outperformed their FIPs, only one of them (Plesac), has enjoyed consistently playing in front of an above average defense save for 2022 when both teams put up the same exact defensive efficiency and Barria finished the season with a 2.61 ERA.

The hard hit data is where they are vastly different, Barria has proven to be a soft contact guy, Plesac serves up missiles. Another difference Plesac has been better at keeping the ball on the ground, which again makes the defense a bigger factor. Barria is two years younger.  Neither one of these guys is anything special, but the only thing Plesac brings of value over Barria is the options. 

This is one of those times where familiarity breeds contempt.  People here know what Barria is/isn't, Plesac -- not so much.

Plesac having options is a big difference because I don’t think either should be on the active roster.

Barria wasn’t gonna re-sign on a milb deal with the Angels and he was out of options, so that makes Plesac the better option for the Angels.

In a vaccum, you’d take Barria on a milb deal over Plesac on a major league deal. But that wasn’t an option.

Edited January 2 by BTH

[eligrba4ever]

I can't type I'm too busy laughing!! 

Heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh!

Seriously, though ... a living, breathing head case???? There's always hope, however. We DID once upon a time have Jimmy Piersall roving in our outfield. He got help and they made a movie about it.

[Inside Pitch]

1 hour ago, BTH said:

Plesac having options is a big difference because I don’t think either should be on the active roster.

Barria wasn’t gonna re-sign on a milb deal with the Angels and he was out of options, so that makes Plesac the better option for the Angels.

In a vaccum, you’d take Barria on a milb deal over Plesac on a major league deal. But that wasn’t an option.

I've said from the start the options are why he's been signed and it's my belief he's purely AAA filler -- I called this "addition" a nothingburger.

That said, I specifically responded to someone saying they'd rather have Plesac spot starting over Barria. He's not an upgrade, not in any way shape or form, anyone who thinks he might be hasn't seen enough of him.

What I don't want to see is Plesac break camp as the long man in the pen -- the idea of him coming into games with men on base or RISP is the thing of nightmares.

[Tank]

9 hours ago, Docwaukee said:

I'm pretty certain that Plesac, Cimber, and Kolarek aren't very good. 

i'm always baffled when this team signs guys that have no history of being good. 

 

[Docwaukee]

1 hour ago, Tank said:

i'm always baffled when this team signs guys that have no history of being good. 

 

to some degree, I get it for the bullpen.  Guys who are good cost money.  They've now occupied 4 spots on the 40man with near league min comps.  If that's not an indicator of how much money they intend on spending then I don't know what is.  And I'm not saying they won't spend.  They'll just do it wrong.  Again.  I expect Snell or Bellinger.  Or maybe Montgomery.  

[Docwaukee]

5 hours ago, Angelsfan1984 said:

That’s all it is, but somehow it’s turned into a shit show like always lol

They both suck.  That's the problem.  We got rid of a bad player that we gave over 80 innings to for another bad player.  They've added 4 bad pitchers to the 40 man roster so far this off season.  4 guys who are less accomplished and less likely to perform well than Aaron Loup and Ryan Tepera.  

What is the likelihood they're going to have signed these guys to major league deals and then replace them with better players before spring?  

Adam Cimber, Adam Kolarek, and Luis Garcia all have a really good shot at making this team.  Jimmy Herget is still on the roster.  Jose Suarez and Zach Plesac are likely competing for the swing spot in the rotation.  

The discussion isn't the shit show.  It's the roster composition that's a shit show.  

[SlappyUtilityMIF]

11 hours ago, Inside Pitch said:

Oh, I'm with you.  I'm being kind but, I'm also leaving room for the weirdness that is RP performance. Based on the recent additions, I'd wager they get more out of guys they eventually call up.

All that said, if they are going to go with the quantity approach -- they need to keep signing RPers.

These additions just scream the turn em and burn em model from last year with Davinski & Webb..and the year before that, and the year before that.... pitch them 3-4 times a week until their arms fall off or they become so grossly ineffective that they get DFA'ed. Call up the next one rinse repeat.

That doesn't show much of a role type bullpen past your closer... It's just throwing stuff against the wall while your bullpen is getting burnt out.

[Angelsfan1984]

10 hours ago, Docwaukee said:

They both suck.  That's the problem.  We got rid of a bad player that we gave over 80 innings to for another bad player.  They've added 4 bad pitchers to the 40 man roster so far this off season.  4 guys who are less accomplished and less likely to perform well than Aaron Loup and Ryan Tepera.  

What is the likelihood they're going to have signed these guys to major league deals and then replace them with better players before spring?  

Adam Cimber, Adam Kolarek, and Luis Garcia all have a really good shot at making this team.  Jimmy Herget is still on the roster.  Jose Suarez and Zach Plesac are likely competing for the swing spot in the rotation.  

The discussion isn't the shit show.  It's the roster composition that's a shit show.  

Relievers are volatile. Would you rather them sign Aaron Loup for 7.5M after coming off a 1 era and then proceed to diarrhea all over the place? Nobody expected such bad performances out of either Loup or Tepera, yet they produced horribly. I'd rather they sign low-cost guys that are easily replaceable both monetarily and without hesitation than hold on to a guy because he got paid.

[AngelStew43]

21 hours ago, Docwaukee said:

they're almost relying on that weirdness though.  When you get it from 1 out of 3 or 4 guys then it's reasonable.  But if they're going for volume, then I just don't get the math at this point.  You can't just keep taking up roster spots on AAAA players in hopes you get 1 or 2 to be functional relievers.   Point is, they better add about another 7 or 8 guys to the list of non roster invites and be willing to cut bait quickly on the crew they have now if early performance dictates such.  

And for sure they're gonna need it from the call ups.   Hopefully, Joyce, Soriano, Estevez can hold any leads they get while they do an april tryout again to fill out the rest.  

Don’t leave out Bachman and Cacares.  I think that they will be contributing this season.

[Chuck]

I merged @CartiHalos first blog to the signing thread. In case you missed it, here it is:

 

[Angels 1961]

Says was not very high on many people's radar. Minasian radar is very low to the ground this off season.

[tdawg87]

Doc is killin my vibe just like when my real doctor tells me I'm fat. 

[Inside Pitch]

8 minutes ago, tdawg87 said:

Doc is killin my vibe just like when my real doctor tells me I'm fat. 

You're not fat, you're just big boned.

[tdawg87]

Just now, Inside Pitch said:

You're not fat, you're just big boned.

[Angelsfan1984]

27 minutes ago, tdawg87 said:

Doc is killin my vibe just like when my real doctor tells me I'm fat. 

The term is husky 

[Angel Oracle]

2 hours ago, AngelStew43 said:

Don’t leave out Bachman and Cacares.  I think that they will be contributing this season.

Bachman is always injured.

Caceres is usually wild.

Ugh

[Taylor]

2 hours ago, tdawg87 said:

Doc is killin my vibe just like when my real doctor tells me I'm fat. 

My family doctor growing up was like 350 pounds. He always made excuses for my high cholesterol. "It mostly comes from Mom and Dad."