jsnpritchett

I think the point is that Thaiss isn't a great defensive catcher and that given the additions the Angels have made elsewhere on the roster, his ability to play other positions isn't as valuable as it may have once been. In other words, the Angels need a "real" catcher.

Happy to be shown those quotes if they exist, but I haven't seen them. In this article, Urshela himself says he'd be willing to play the OF, while acknowledging he has very limited experience there. But the quotes I've seen from Minasian seem to talk about him as a possibility at multiple IF positions. https://www.ocregister.com/2022/11/21/new-angels-infielder-gio-urshela-is-ready-for-utility-role/

Not a bad move, really. Just a redundant one. As Warfarin said, unless there's a trade, it pretty much assures that Rengifo and/or Fletcher will be the SS in '23, with a bunch of guys fighting for time between 1B/2B/3B.

But I'm not sure why you think he WILL spend time out there. Like, why would he? He's played one game in the OF in his professional career.

Mainly because he's almost never played there in his professional career.

Yeah, unless there's another move in the works, it doesn't make much sense to spend (presumably) limited resources on multiple guys who more or less overlap.

I had a feeling this was coming, even though I'm not crazy about Drury. I'm still slightly confused as to what the overall strategy is at this point, as the Angels continue to deepen the roster, but they're now at the point of creating redundancies. With this signing, plus the Urshela deal, and the continued presence of Rengifo and Fletcher, there's not really enough ABs to go around for everyone. I get that you want to prepare for the worst, but I'm still concerned that while the "floor has been raised," the ceiling really hasn't been.

Zero chance that the Brewers would do a deal like that. Their fans would riot.

The Angels aren't linked to Mateo in the article (then again, no specific teams are). They're actually not even mentioned anywhere in this update. Here's the Mateo section: "Orioles’ Mateo on the move? The Orioles, according to major-league sources, began receiving inquiries on shortstop Jorge Mateo almost immediately after the Cubs reached agreement with Dansby Swanson, the last of the big four free agents at the position. The Twins, Braves, Red Sox and Dodgers all lost shortstops on the open market. Mateo, entering his age 28 season, might be an affordable and potentially attractive fit for interested clubs, a player whose value as an athletic defender and stolen-base threat should only increase as the league introduces shift restrictions, larger bases and pickoff rules in 2023. The Orioles like the idea of pairing their right-handed hitting infielders, Mateo and Ramón Urías, with their left-handed hitting options, Gunnar Henderson and Adam Frazier. The additional depth at second, short and third will enable them not only to mix and match, but also to get each player sufficient rest. Then again, the O’s also will have three middle-infield prospects at Triple A, Jordan Westburg, Joey Ortiz and Connor Norby. The team is bound to move some of its infielders eventually. Mateo, then, would appear expendable in the right deal. He ranked among the top five defenders at short last season in both Defensive Runs Saved and Outs Above Average, and is projected to earn a relatively paltry $1.8 million in the first of his three years of arbitration. The downside: His adjusted OPS last season was 19 percent below league average, though he did lead the American League with 35 stolen bases (in 44 attempts) and pop 13 home runs."

Man, just make a hire and make it ONE guy. I really don't give a shit about Vasgersian at this point. If they're hiring Randazzo, let it be his gig. None of this rotating b.s.

Per Chuck's request, starting a new thread for this.

I just made that up, btw...(Though he did go to something called "North Central College," which sounds like something @CaliAngel would attend...)

So that probably means we'll hate him? Ha.

He played SS and CF for North Central College. Hit .482 his last year.

*90.

Yeah, Suarez, Adell, and Rengifo for either one good year of Baez and Rodriguez or multiple years of expensive bad years. No way the Angels should do that. There's literally no upside to that deal for the Angels.

That's exactly why I've been confused about what the strategy is for '23 (assuming there is one). Signing the guys they've signed is a good start if there's something else coming. If not, it pretty much assures mediocrity or slightly above.

Yeah, he'll be 31 late next season (he shares a birthdate with me, I just realized), so I think his '22 was probably about as good as he'll ever be--and even during this past season, he was pretty inconsistent from month to month. Sure, he's better than someone like a Jack Mayfield or a Matt Duffy, so if he ends up with the Angels, it's not the worst thing in the world. It's just so...meh.