Ohtani&Trout

Great news.

https://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/mike-moustakas-is-the-former-royal-you-want/

Maybe the Angels want someone cheaper at 3B (and for one year only) so they can sign Darvish?

Ohtani's reported issue is far less serious than Tanaka's, Santana's, Richards', etc. etc. yet many of these guys have been pitching for years without ever needing surgery. All of this got overblown. It's not a guarantee that this will hinder Ohtani moving forward.

As long as we're not trading away anything too valuable, I'm OK with this. Kinsler is good, cheap, and it's just for one year.

Isn't Tanaka's injury way more serious? He has been pitching with it for 3 years so far without needing surgery.

Well the only positive I can think of right now is that Ervin Santana has pitched for 8 years now after his UCL sprain diagnosis without needing surgery.

He has been at the very least a league average regular every year since his MLB debut. I'll take my chances.

I don't see why anyone would object to Kinsler. It'd be a one-year commitment, he's not making that much, it wouldn't cost much to get him, and at worst he'll be a league average regular with upside to be far more than that.

I doubt it.

That's fine with me.

Saw this on SI.com: "According to a Houston player, the Astros often knew what Darvish was about to throw by the way he brought the ball into his glove in the set position. (Darvish pitches exclusively out of the stretch.) The player said it worked like this: Darvish holds the ball at his side when he gets the sign from the catcher. Whether he re-grips or not as he brings the ball into his glove was the tip-off whether he was going to throw a slider/cutter or a fastball. “We knew the first time we faced him [in Game 3],” the player said. “The next time [in Game 7] it was mostly the same, but then it was more about just having a great game plan going in. We knew he was going to try to go back to his slider to find it. We had a great approach." Darvish did not make it out of the second inning in either start. He threw 48 sliders and cutters to Houston hitters in the World Series. They swung and missed only twice at them while hitting .556 against the pitch."

I'm hoping for Darvish.

It depends on the price, really. It depends on what it'd take to trade for Longoria and also what it'd take to sign Moustakas. Longoria is owed 5/81 (or 5/86 if you give him a $5 million buyout in 2023) and he is still really productive. He has put up an 11.1 WAR from 2015-2017.

We don't even know what Darvish is looking for or what he'll ultimately get. If the Angels can get him at a discount...something like 4/80 or 5/100, are you saying the Angels should still pass? If he's looking for something like 6/160 as has been estimated by MLBTR, then I agree that the Angels should stay far away. Darvish is still one hell of a pitcher. Even with his down year last year, he was still one of the 15 best starters in the game. And he pitched far more like his true self while he was with the Dodgers, giving optimism that he'll still continue to be a #1.

Sabathia's away FIP was 4.43. He gives up a lot of HRs even on the road.

He also has a HR problem for a GB pitcher. From 2015-2017: Home: 37 HRs allowed Road: 34 HRs allowed

I didn't realize that Sabathia has already signed with the Angels and that Darvish has signed with another team

Why? I'd pass.

Darvish pitched really well for the Dodgers in the NLDS and NLCS, though. Kershaw "blew up'" many times in the postseason.

How many times has Kershaw struggled in the postseason?

Eppler said the Angels may go with that. Ohtani + 6-man rotation = just may be enough for Darvish to take a discount to come here.

Ohtani idolized Darvish. I don't see why he wouldn't love playing with him. If the Angels can get Darvish at 4/80 or 5/100 they should pounce. Darvish was still one of the 15 best starters in baseball last year despite his down year. And he pitched far more like himself while he was with the Dodgers.

Yeah, if the Angels can get him for something like 4/80 or even 5/100 they should pounce on that. Even with his down year, he was still one of the 15 or so best pitchers in baseball. Interesting that Darvish advocates a six-man rotation. Eppler said the Angels may do that. Hmmm.

i don't think the Angels would want him at 6/160. Nor should they. He pitched way more like himself while he was with the Dodgers. And Kershaw sucked often in the playoffs too. It happens even to the best of them. His numbers were much better away from Arlington. And he really only had one terrible month (7+ ERA). He was still one of the best pitchers in baseball.