Our Picks

I'm usually not a tinfoil hat-type of guy, but at this point, some of these updates are really starting to make me think there is something fishy going on.

https://www.latimes.com/sports/liveblog/dodgers-angels-live-updates-news-analysis?p=mike-trout-feeling-better-but-return-date-remains-undecided

"Almost 12 weeks since Mike Trout suffered a right calf strain, the Angels still don’t have a return date in mind for the three-time MVP.

“He’s doing a lot of work with the trainers,” manager Joe Maddon said Sunday. “I just talked to him yesterday. He said in a very upbeat way, ‘I’m feeling better.’ So he’s going to continue to do a lot of stuff with our training staff.”

The Angels have been echoing a similar message the last several weeks, as Trout’s absence has stretched ever-further past an initial six-to-eight-week timeframe.

After he had begun more on-field activities last month -- including outfield drills, baserunning and batting practice -- Trout has since returned to doing mostly behind-the-scenes work with the Angels’ training staff the past several weeks.

“I don’t know to what extent he’s doing baseball activity,” Maddon said. “I’m sure he’s sneaking into the cage, doing things like that. For the most part, he is feeling better. And he’ll continue to work more on the kind of stuff that you’re not going to see, to continue to strengthen that [calf] and test it in their way, whatever the method is our staff wants him to test it.”

Maddon said that for as difficult as the physical rehab has been for Trout, there’s a mental component to his recovery process too. While recent doctor visits have all returned good news on the progress of his calf injury, Maddon said, “it’s still up to you, the athlete, to push it to the point where you feel comfortable.

“You have to get to that point where you do something without thinking about it. And that sometimes takes a while. You don’t want to go back after all this good rehab. You don’t want to go backward, especially right now. And that’s always in your mind.”

Trout, who turned 30 on Saturday, has played just 36 games this season and will still require a minor-league rehab assignment before he returns to the Angels lineup.

“This is such an individual thing,” Maddon said. “Everybody feels differently. And like I said, he’s doing better, the doctors like the healing process. But we’re still not at the point we can tell you he’s going to go out and play some minor-league baseball.”

Gameday Thread: Angels @ Dodgers (8/8/21): Detmers on the mound, no Upton

Gameday Thread: Angels @ Dodgers 8/7/2021 Barria on the mound 6:10 PST

Mookie Betts (R) RF


Justin Turner (R) 3B


Max Muncy (L) 2B


Albert Pujols (R) 1B


Corey Seager (L) SS


Chris Taylor (R) CF


AJ Pollock (R) LF


Austin Barnes (R) C


David Price (L) P

Interview Conducted by David Saltzer, AngelsWin.com Senior Writer

In 2019, UC Santa Barbara tied a school record with 10 players taken in a single draft. The Angels were the first team to select one of the Gauchos when they picked the Saturday Night starter, left-handed pitcher Jack Dashwood in the 12th round (361st overall).

Between the lost year to Covid, and some injuries, 2021 has been the first year where we have been able to see Dashwood on the mound. And, from what we saw, we were very impressed! Dashwood sat 92-94, attacked the hitters, worked inside and out, and kept the hitters off balance with his breaking pitches. We were not surprised that shortly after this interview that Dashwood was promoted up a level to the Tri-City Dust Devils.

So far on the season, Dashwood is a combined 3-1 with a 3.77 ERA. He’s posted 70 Ks and only allowed 8 BBs in 62.0 IP. His WHIP is 1.08 and has held opposing batters to a .245 BA. Dashwood is excelling in his command and control, and that could help him be a fast-rising prospect in our organization.

Please click below to watch our interview with Angels Pitcher Jack Dashwood.


View the full article

Interview Conducted by David Saltzer, AngelsWin.com Senior Writer

It’s easy to see why the Angels drafted Jack Kochanowicz in the 3rd round of the 2019 draft (92nd overall). He’s big (6’6”) and still filling out, so there was and is a lot to project with him. As a result, the Angels went overslot for him to buy him out of his commitment to the University of Virginia.

There is a lot to like with Kochanowicz. His velocity has ticked up since being drafted, and now sits mid-90s and touches 97. His curveball has near elite spin rates at around 3000 rpm. His changeup sits in the low 80s and is developing (in the interview he shows how he’s changed his grip on the pitch).

During 2020, Kochanowicz (pronounced Ko/han/o/wicz) spent some time in the Long Beach complex. We heard a lot of positive things about his progress and development there from many sources.

Right now, the Angels have Kochanowicz working on specific things and pitches in games. So, he is a case where the stats don’t tell the whole story. The talent is real, and Kochanowicz just needs to get the innings in to have it all come together. After missing 2 seasons between signing and Covid, there’s some rust that needs to be remedied. But, the tools are there. And, when he clicks, he could move through the system quickly.

Please click below to watch our interview with IE66ers Pitcher Jack Kochanowicz and then head on out to San Bernadino to see him play.


View the full article

Gameday Thread: Angels @ Rangers (8/5/21 - 11am start): Bundy on the mound, no Upton

Interesting that Thaiss didn't start against a righty, but is starting today against a lefty.

 

Gameday Thread: A's @ Angels (7/29/21): Bundy on the mound, Marsh back in CF

Gameday Thread: Rockies @ Angels (7/28/21): Heaney on the mound; Lagares in CF (no Marsh today)

We're just over a month out, and all the rumors, predictions, and speculations will start heating up. Figured it was time to start a thread.

Jim Bowden has a good summary up on The Athletic with blurbs on 75 potential players to be traded (no Angels are listed). 

MLB Trade Rumors has a good breakdown of trade candidates as well.

Obviously, right now it's way too early to know if the Halos will be buyers or sellers or both. But glancing through these articles, it's pretty difficult to see any clear-cut targets who would bring massive impact that would come at a tolerable cost. Bowden's top starters include Scherzer, Means, Berrios, Castillo, Marquez, Gray, Gibson...Scherzer, as a rental, doesn't seem to fit. Means, Berrios, Castillo, and Marquez don't need to be moved and will cost a ton. Sonny Gray seems the best bet. Gibson is having a great year, but trading for him doesn't seem to be the type of move the Angels need to gamble on. After that, it drops off into guys basically no better than Cobb, Heaney, Bundy. Names like Lester, Happ, Merrill Kelly. Danny Duffy could be interesting.

The relief market is peppered with names that would be useful of course, but it's a pretty varied bunch as well. Ian Kennedy? Michael Fulmer? Daniel Hudson? Not sure the Angels' farm has the depth to dabble on a fairly middling relief class. 

Might be a pretty dull deadline across baseball this July, short of the likely inevitable trade of Trevor Story.

 

Gameday Thread: Rockies @ Angels (7/27/21): Suarez on the mound, Gosselin at 1B & hitting 3rd

It has been the most common topic of the last month or so, but with five games left before the deadline, I thought I'd offer three scenarios, and cases for each. But first, let's look at where the Angels stand, as of this writing.

Where the Angels Stand (as of 7/27)

The Angels are 50-49, in 4th place, 10 GB the 1st place Astros, and 5 GB the 2nd wildcard.

They have five teams ahead of them for the 2nd wildcard: the Athletics (+5), Mariners (+4), Yankees (+1.5), Blue Jays (+0.5), and Indians (tied, but with a higher elimination number, due to having played two fewer games; they're 49-48).

They have five games before the deadline (or four before, one on the day of): two more against the Rockies, and three against the Athletics - all at home.

Gameday Thread: Rockies @ Angels (7/26/21): Ohtani on the mound & hitting 2nd

By Tres Hefter, AngelsWin.com Columnist

Some new names, some familiar names, an interesting couple of weeks saw new Angel farmhands continuing to break out and Angel pitchers position themselves for potential MLB call-ups…

-- Position Players--

1) Edwin Yon – RF, Inland Empire, A:

The towering (6’5”? 6’8”?) outfielder hailing from La Romana in the Dominican Republic easily had the hottest two weeks of any Angels farmhand, highlighted by a 2 HR, 9 RBI performance on July 14th. Yon has demonstrated his raw power to an extreme degree in his last ten games, swatting five home runs, driving in 21, and adding a couple of doubles and a triple as well, giving him a slash of .405/.447/.857/1.304 in his last 47 plate appearances. Selected from the Reds’ organization in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 draft, Yon has long drawn attention due to his physicality and raw power potential and while his size will at times expose him defensively and in the batters’ box, his swing can be surprisingly quick and compact for someone with his height, though it can be hard for him to keep his hitting mechanics clean consistently, leading to some streakiness across his pro career. Still, there is a lot to dream on here and the just-turned-23-year-old, in the midst of his best pro season, could be realizing some of the potential scouts have long dreamed on.

2021 (IE A): .305/.383/.676/1.060 with 5 doubles, 2 triples, 10 HR, 32 RBI, 13 BB, 53 K in 120 PA/28 G

By David Saltzer, AngelsWin.com Senior Writer

On December 12th, 2019, the Angels made what appeared to be a quiet move when they selected outfielder Edwin Yon with their 2nd round pick of the Triple-A portion of the Rule V Draft. Originally signed by the Cincinnati Reds on November 5, 2014 as an international free agent out of the Dominican Republic, Yon, a right handed hitting OFer had spent several seasons in Rookie ball in the Reds system before showing some improvement during the 2019.

After losing a year due to Covid, Yon has been loudly putting up numbers for the IE66ers this year. The power that led to him being signed by the Reds has emerged and the bat is much improved. Yon has been one of the main bats powering the IE66ers offense this season.

Yon is one of the tallest players in the Angels system, if not the tallest. Now listed at 6' 8", Yon has filled out and is able to transition his power into game-play. AngelsWin.com recently caught up to talk with Yon to learn about his change to the Angels, how his season has been going, and how he made it through Covid.

66ers play by play broadcaster Steve Wendt tweeted this recently about Yon's poor start with the Low-A affiliate and ultimate turn around. 

Yon as of today (July 25th) is currently slashing .305/.383/.676, good for a stellar 1.060 OPS with 10 HR and 32 RBI. 

Here are just some of Yon's majestic home runs this season for the 66ers. 

Please click below to watch our interview with IE66ers OFer Edwin Yon and then head on out to San Bernardino to go see him play.


View the full article

Gameday Thread: Angels @ Twins (7/24/21): Sandoval on the mound, Ohtani and Walsh back in the lineup

Angels minor leaguers blast Arte Moreno for terrible living conditions

Gameday Thread: Angels @ Twins (7/23/21): Cobb on the mound, Upton hitting 4th, no Walsh/Ohtani

Angels promoting Detmers and Rodriguez to AAA

I know he can't say it publicly, but let's take stock:

10 GB first. 6.5 GB the second wildcard, with five teams ahead of them. Add in an inability to hold their own against winning teams, and....time to sell.

I don't expect him to make any moves for another week or so, and perhaps not even until the deadline (10 days from now), but I certainly hope he's having talks and leaning towards selling.

Again, both Raisel and Cobb could net the Angels some good prospects, even 50-55 FV types (if he's savvy, he could possibly bring in a 60 FV type for Raisel; Marsh is a 60 FV type). 

There's a big drop-off in trade value after those two, but Heaney and Iglesias, Gosselin, Ward, and even Watson and Cishek, could all bring in something. Who knows, if Upton comes back strong, maybe Perry can pull off a last-minute trade to a team wanting a bat.

I don't see him getting anything of value for Bundy, Quintana, Suzuki, Eaton, Lagares, Slegers, etc. 

 

Angels, first-rounder Sam Bachman agree at $3,847,500

Interview Conducted by David Saltzer, AngelsWin.com Senior Writer

Long-time Angels fans will recognize the IE66ers manager and former Halo, Jack Howell. As an Angels fan, it is great to see him back with the organization where he made it to the majors and played primarily 3B (but also many other positions, such as OF, 1B, and 2B). He even had 2 plate appearances in the 1986 postseason for the Angels, go 0 for 1 with a walk.

Jack is also the player who made one of the most memorable moments that I have ever seen in a game. Jack hit a broken bat home run in Yankee Stadium in 1987. For newer Angels fans, you can watch a video of that special moment here. More importantly, fans can head out to see the IE66ers play and get a bobblehead immortalizing that moment on September 11th, 2021

Throughout our interview, Jack and I discuss the Angels philosophy on developing players, what playing “Angels Baseball” means, how the IE66ers are playing, how the 20-second pitch clock is affecting the game, and many more topics that you will want to hear. After spending time with Jack, I can tell that he really cares about developing the next generation of Angels Major Leaguers and is very capable of helping them along their way.

Fans really should head on out to see the IE66ers play. It is a great and local experience. All the food venues at the stadium are open, the tickets are incredibly reasonable, and you will see some good baseball being played by the next generation of Angels players. There are lots of great promotions in a family friendly stadium. Please click here to check out upcoming games, promotions, and the schedule.

Please click below to watch our interview with IE66ers Manager Jack Howell.


Make sure to secure your tickets to the 66ers game on Sept 11th and you'll go home with a Jack Howell broken bat home run bobblehead! 


View the full article

https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/spring-training-buzz-nick-pratto-tyler-glasnow-among-players-impressing-evaluators/

While there is growing optimism about the Angels rotation with the spring training performances of Shohei Ohtani, Dylan Bundy and others, there is also growing concern about the state of their bullpen.

The Angels bullpen posted a 4.63 ERA last season, 21st in the majors, and blew an MLB-high 14 saves. They added Raisel Iglesias and Alex Claudio in the offseason, but the overall group has failed to inspire confidence.

Felix Pena struggled before going down with a hamstring strain, Mike Mayers’ stuff has gone backwards in rival evaluators' opinions and Ty Buttrey continues to be erratic. Offseason trade acquisition Aaron Slegers is dealing with back spasms and minor league free agent signee Junior Guerra has given up five hits and four runs in four innings this spring.

“They have no bullpen,” one opposing scout said. “It’s going to be a big issue.”

Against that backdrop, Angels manager Joe Maddon has raised the possibility of using top pitching prospect Chris Rodriguez in relief this year. Rodriguez, the Angels No. 3 prospect, has yet to pitch above High-A and has thrown only 9.1 official innings since 2017 due to a pair of back injuries and the coronavirus pandemic. He did pitch 65-70 innings between the alternate training site and instructional league last year.

“If you look at (Rodriguez) right now, he looks like a relief pitcher to me," Maddon said. "But that doesn't mean he can't start. Just looking at the way he comes after you, the physical stuff, how intimidating he can be in the short term, it's very interesting.”

The Angels reportedly signed veteran reliever AJ Ramos to a minor league deal on Wednesday.

Gameday Thread: Angels @ A's (7/20/21): Suarez on the mound, Ohtani DHing, 12:37pm start time