nmh

Samardzija also has an eventual draft compensation pick attached to him if you assume he signs with a team that doesn't finish in the worst third in 2015. As a fan of baseball, I like big trades like this. Teams always want to think they are just one trade away from a championship.

http://allthingsoakland.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/bp010d.jpg

Is it really that beautiful? No doubt it looked better before, but just seeing some mountain range doesn't make it that attractive.

That sounds like a step up for them.

For all the grief the Coliseum gets, I thought it was a nice park when I caught a Red Sox - A's game a couple years back. Mount Davis obviously looms large in the outfield, but it's not like there is a Dodger Stadium type view if it wasn't there. Wide concourses at the ground level and decent food and beer options. Then again, I think Pac Bell Park is the most overrated park there is. And I really liked the Metrodome, so what do I know.

Angels already have have the option on Dipoto for 2 more years. Scioscia is signed for four more years after this one, but has an opt out after next year.

Wilson, then Richards a close second and Weaver third.

It's fairly obvious at this point that Albert isn't very bright and is jealous when others outperform him. He clearly thinks he is a better base runner than he actually is.

Pujols 200 Plate Appearances YTD

Bases Empty         3 BB, 29-92 (.315) vs. .315 career

Runners On         11 BB, 21-91 (.231) vs. .326 career

RISP                    10 BB,   9-57 (.158) vs. .329 career

RISP 2 Outs           4 BB,  3-24 (.125) vs. .306 career

Bases Loaded                     0-8 (.000) vs. .344 career

2 HBP & 1 Sacrifice Fly

Overall, Angels rank

Bases Empty      (.252) 16th in MLB

Runners On        (.267) 8th in MLB

RISP                   (.238) 21st in MLB

RISP 2 Outs       (.261) 3rd in MLB, 1st in AL

Bases Loaded    (.147) 27th in MLB

4th most Runs scored in MLB and 1st in Offensive WAR

It's tough watching Albert struggle so badly in clutch situations, but the rest of the team seems to be doing very well when it matters.  Does anybody have an informed take on why Pujols results are so different depending on the situation?

This is one of a couple stories I have seen that includes info on not releasing the ball. Will try and find the others to post.

Anybody have the Angels offseason pitcher workout manual that leaked a couple of years back. Also, I remember there being a Real Sports segment a while back about a new approach where young pitchers didn't release the ball during throwing practice. It supposedly would increase a certain muscle comparative to letting the ball go.

Springer Nation

This story comes up frequently, but what doesn't is how Trout was the only player to come to the initial draft at MLB Network and it was awkward until the Angels picked him. They had him in a fake dugout. Surprised this isn't shown more based on his success.

Was at the game and he just destroyed that ball. Here is the story about where it wound up.

http://articles.latimes.com/2002/oct/22/sports/sp-ball22

Scoiscia shrugged and tipped his cap to the Tigers.

So awful

Important start for Skaggs. In his 13 DBacks starts, only 3 were on the road (LA, SD, STL) 5 ERA at home and 7 on the road although there wasn't a decision on him in his 3 starts. His next start will be at home vs Oakland. A solid 6 IP will be a huge boast, but a shelling will be a mess for us.

Skaggs interview was great. Thrilled to be pitching in the Big A since he grew up an Angel fan.

Per Ken Rosenthal

$5M signing bonus

$5.25M in 2015

$15.25M in 2016

$19.25M in 2017

$33.25M in 2018

$33.25M in 2019

$33.25M in 2020

Full no trade clause

My thoughts...

If the rumored $140M offer and $153M counter is true, got to figure that at least $2M in additional incentives (MVP, All-Star, Golden Glove, etc) is likely achievable so that he gets to the midpoint of 146.5M (vs 144.5M guaranteed) and can exceed it with continued great performance.

Been waiting to post this until Skaggs got some innings. Local article with some great quotes people here will love.

http://smdp.com/former-samohi-star-skaggs-comes-home/132620

Offer him both. Make that extra year worth $35-$40 with some of it in a bigger upfront bonus. Offer him 6 for $150 or $190 for 7 years. If he wants 6 years he negotiates it up to $155.

6 year extension (10 bonus + 1, 15 20 25 for arb years, 27, 28, 30) = 155 (angels view it as ~22/yr for 7 years)

7 year extension (15 bonus + 1, 15 20 25 for arb years, 27, 28, 30, 30) = 190 (angels view it as ~24/yr for 8 years). Or maybe make that additional 5 bonus as a buyout tied to an team option giving him his 6 year 160 deal or 35 for the last year going into free agency.

Either way, it is going to be viewed as a good thing for the angels all things considered.

Dodgers and Angels share Orange, Ventura and Los Angeles Counties.  Angels could move to Downtown LA if they wanted.

Tip my cap to Michael Young. He put up 7 seasons above .300 and routinely was at or above 700 plate appearances. Knew to hang it up after his big contract ran out. Quality big leaguer each team wants to have.

Limiting the posting fee may have no impact on the overall price. Darvish's $51.7 million posting fee limited his negotiating power because he could only negotiate with one team and historically posting fees are in the ballpark of the contract the player gets for premium guys. His 6 year $60 million contract undervalues his ability, but everybody else looks at it as a 6 yr 111.7 (18m/yr). Under the old system, Tanaka's posting might be something like 60-75 and 7 years for 11-14m/yr (range of 133-173m or 19-25/yr). I believe the posting fee doesn't count towards salary cap calculations. So the real winner under the new system are the Japanese players.

My take is Tanaka must have had a side deal with his former team when they posted him. They had him under contract for two more years, so could have posted him next year and still received their 20m. MLB demanded assurances that there wasn't a side deal, but never heard more about that.

One of baseballs broadcasting legends. Went to college in San Diego and he was enjoyable to listen to.

You can hang a star on that baby.

Think about it from his teams perspective. With their posting collection now limited to $20 million regardless, they can wait a year and post him next year and get the same money then. They have his rights through 2015 from what I read. In the mean time, they can go after another title with him. This new posting system seems like it will prevent players from coming over until the year before they would be unrestricted.

Arte is smarter than most of us. In case you haven't been following Estrella Mountain Ranch in Goodyear Arizona, he and a partner have made hundreds of millions over the last decade. Look it up. I once thought he was so smart when he played Goodyear vs Tempe in spring training negotiations, but seeing Estrella unfold and his value of the Angels basically quadrupling over a decade, no wonder we sign Pujols and Hamilton. What is most interesting is the mandate not to exceed $189 million unless the assumption is he is willing to go above it in future years and delay the inevitable tax from setting in a little longer. 17.5% tax isn't that much considering all things. Arte is so much richer than when he bought the Angels and now he can profit from doing so on land near the stadium. There has got to be something going on within MLB to limit teams going over luxury cap.