Warfarin

No.  Are people surprised?  I think they'll make another trade, too, before the Tuesday 3pm deadline.

A few things stand out when looking at their splits -
1. Both have been fantastic in July, with Grichuk posting a 189 wRC+ and Cron a 144 wRC+
2.  Grichuk has destroyed LHP this season, posting a 168 wRC+
So basically, both are playing very well right now, and Grichuk will help a lot against LHP.

I do think Minasian is really good when it comes to player development and the minor leagues.  While I have questioned trading Quero, I am going to put some faith in Perry in terms of knowing which prospects to trade and which to hold.
In many ways, that is what makes or breaks most GMs/PBOs.  There are some who are rather good at trading quality but holding onto what turns out to be their best prospects, and there are some who are not and end up trading future stars.
Over the upcoming years, we'll be able to assess how good Perry was at making that determination.

Right.  Good teams look at improving on the margins, and while these are very mediocre hitters, they are a step above the guys we were going to have to use (Padlo, Cabbage).
We need every win we can get, which means that we need guys to help us win over the next 1-2 weeks while players are (hopefully?) gradually returning.  

Perry is likely not calling the direction of the moves we are seeing.  Maybe in other organizations, where the owner takes more of a backseat role, the GM/PBO would be permitted to make these kinds of decisions.  I do not think that is the case here, and likely Perry was told to acquire whoever he can to help fuel a playoff run.
I think losing Quero will hurt significantly.  The others - maybe not quite as much.

Well, no, but they need him to agree to re-sign with the team.  They are clearly going "all in" in Ohtani's walk year, despite rather poor odds, likely to show him they will do what it takes to win.  The team has not really been in a winning position ever since he's been here.  
This team badly needs Ohtani to stay.  They could have traded him and gotten a fairly good (but likely not commensurate) prospect return for him, but they did not, and they are going "all in" to the degree possible.  Even if it is a failed playoff run that ensues, if this is what convinces Ohtani to stay, then it is obviously worth whatever prospects they just gave up.

I mean .. I guess?
I appreciate that Minasian is doing what he can to win.  Likely his boss is telling him to win by any means necessary - hence, the prospect cost, Arte agreeing to go over the luxury tax, etc.
In terms of the long-term organizational health, well, it comes down to one thing really right?  Even if we don't make the playoffs, if this somehow impresses Ohtani and shows him that this organization will do whatever it can to win and he signs long-term, then you can say it was definitely worth the prospect cost.  If he leaves, and we just traded a number of prospects (including a very promising catcher) for nothing, well .. ouch.
Here is hoping this all leads to Ohtani staying and/or winning the World Series this year.

No.  Are people surprised?  I think they'll make another trade, too, before the Tuesday 3pm deadline.

It has always seemed a little odd to me that a lot feel that Ohtani's decision will come down to whether or not we make the playoffs.  
Why?  What if we barley make the playoffs and get blown out - does that change the calculus?
I think "Angels make the playoffs in 2023" isn't as important to Ohtani as "how well positioned is this team to keep competing year in and year out, so that I can have as many chances to win as possible," and "who can help me develop my talent the most to create the most impressive legacy as possible?"
So I think if the Angels show they will do whatever it takes to win, and the FO shows to Ohtani it has a strong strategy for developing talent and cobbling together a winner, he will stay.  
One other point to note - when Ohtani first came here, and he played really poorly in spring training, the club could have easily optioned him for a few weeks to figure things out and service-manipulated him.  They didn't, and so he will be a free agent this year instead of next year.  Maybe that will mean something to him, maybe it won't, but I am sure he does remember that.

Heh, I doubt it.  I think the ones that can/will hurt the most are Quero and Madden.  I think Albright probably projects as more of a backend SP, which is fairly replaceable, and the same holds for Bush.  
I am still really puzzled at trading Quero, but my guess is maybe the FO feels he won't really hold up as a legitimate defensive catcher.  If he can't, then that makes him a 1B, and his offensive projection is rather pedestrian then if that's the case.
Madden - I'm not sure.  There's potential there, but significant control issues.  I think that Madden is probably the most variable one of those who were traded.

I am assuming he will start the majority of next year as our 1B.  They will likely hold off promoting him for the first weeks, as they did with Neto, for years of service purposes, but he's going to be our 1B for the next 7 years.

Yep.
I think Giolotto is clearly a rental.  They will likely go all out to sign Ohtani.  If they are successful, a core of Ohtani, Sandoval, Detmers, Canning, Anderson is likely sufficient.  The 6th SP spot will probably continue to be an optionable spot that they can take advantage of to maximize roster flexibility.  They also still have prospects in AA who are intriguing, and Dana might not be too far away, given how rapidly our minor leaguers are promoted.

I'm personally not particularly inclined to sign a SP to a long-term deal.  Almost all of those deals turn out poorly.  I like Minasian's approach of signing some mid-tier guys to reasonable contracts.  Anderson's hasn't worked out great but he hasn't been awful either.  Estevez has been a great signing.  Same with Drury.  Loup obviously was not, and Tepera was terrible.
I think if you can bat roughly 500 in free agency, while avoiding a catastrophic long-term deal (Pujols, Hamilton, Rendon, etc..), you are in great shape.

It has always seemed a little odd to me that a lot feel that Ohtani's decision will come down to whether or not we make the playoffs.  
Why?  What if we barley make the playoffs and get blown out - does that change the calculus?
I think "Angels make the playoffs in 2023" isn't as important to Ohtani as "how well positioned is this team to keep competing year in and year out, so that I can have as many chances to win as possible," and "who can help me develop my talent the most to create the most impressive legacy as possible?"
So I think if the Angels show they will do whatever it takes to win, and the FO shows to Ohtani it has a strong strategy for developing talent and cobbling together a winner, he will stay.  
One other point to note - when Ohtani first came here, and he played really poorly in spring training, the club could have easily optioned him for a few weeks to figure things out and service-manipulated him.  They didn't, and so he will be a free agent this year instead of next year.  Maybe that will mean something to him, maybe it won't, but I am sure he does remember that.

i think with ward done for the year, this was a necessary move. i'd rather have these two, who are known and experienced MLBers instead of cabbage and whoever else. they're not ideal, but they're a step or two over our other options and we know what we're getting for this short-term solution.
on to atlanta.

Well, no, but they need him to agree to re-sign with the team.  They are clearly going "all in" in Ohtani's walk year, despite rather poor odds, likely to show him they will do what it takes to win.  The team has not really been in a winning position ever since he's been here.  
This team badly needs Ohtani to stay.  They could have traded him and gotten a fairly good (but likely not commensurate) prospect return for him, but they did not, and they are going "all in" to the degree possible.  Even if it is a failed playoff run that ensues, if this is what convinces Ohtani to stay, then it is obviously worth whatever prospects they just gave up.

Yeah.  Perry's drafting track record will play out over time, but he's definitely made some promising picks/trades - Neto has been a revelation with his quick ascent and becoming essential so quickly, O'Hoppe looks like a strong acquisition, Moniak has been far more than we could have ever hoped, etc.
If Perry proves to be a good drafter, and Schanuel becomes entrenched as our 1B next year, then that's a promising sign in terms of building the roster over the long-term.

It's possible.  His bat-to-ball skills, and plate discipline, are remarkably impressive for a 20 year old.  That said, a lot of his scouting reports indicate a fairly poor defender, and if that's the case, then that significantly dampers his projection.
I think Madden will be the one to watch.  I think both Bush and Albright seem mainly like backend SP-types, which while useful, is not a loss to mourn.
IF they can retain Ohtani, then our rotation is actually rather set for a few years, with Ohtani, Sandoval, Detmers, Canning, Anderson.  The 6th SP tends to be variable, but they have options with Bachman, Silseth, Koch, maybe Mederos, etc.  
Losing those SPs hurt, but I think only Madden might develop into something beyond a backend SP type.

Moore has been good too.
I do wonder how much/money and years it would take to re-sign Giolito.
 

Yeah.  Perry's drafting track record will play out over time, but he's definitely made some promising picks/trades - Neto has been a revelation with his quick ascent and becoming essential so quickly, O'Hoppe looks like a strong acquisition, Moniak has been far more than we could have ever hoped, etc.
If Perry proves to be a good drafter, and Schanuel becomes entrenched as our 1B next year, then that's a promising sign in terms of building the roster over the long-term.

I'm personally not particularly inclined to sign a SP to a long-term deal.  Almost all of those deals turn out poorly.  I like Minasian's approach of signing some mid-tier guys to reasonable contracts.  Anderson's hasn't worked out great but he hasn't been awful either.  Estevez has been a great signing.  Same with Drury.  Loup obviously was not, and Tepera was terrible.
I think if you can bat roughly 500 in free agency, while avoiding a catastrophic long-term deal (Pujols, Hamilton, Rendon, etc..), you are in great shape.

I doubt he would ever publicly say that, but it's easy to assume that is likely a goal of his.  He is a once-in-a-generation (or lifetime?) talent that you just never see in this game.  It is hard enough to be one of the few who can be a good MLB hitter, but one who can be both a star hitter AND a star pitcher?  It just never happens.  And so given that, it's fairly easy to assume that he would want to be remembered as one of the greatest ever.

A few things stand out when looking at their splits -
1. Both have been fantastic in July, with Grichuk posting a 189 wRC+ and Cron a 144 wRC+
2.  Grichuk has destroyed LHP this season, posting a 168 wRC+
So basically, both are playing very well right now, and Grichuk will help a lot against LHP.

A few things stand out when looking at their splits -
1. Both have been fantastic in July, with Grichuk posting a 189 wRC+ and Cron a 144 wRC+
2.  Grichuk has destroyed LHP this season, posting a 168 wRC+
So basically, both are playing very well right now, and Grichuk will help a lot against LHP.

Seeing Cabbage in CF was one of the most shocking things I have seen.  They didn't promote him for awhile because they reportedly wanted him to work on his defense, and that was as a 1B.  And now he's playing .. CF?  Yikes.