Second Base

The 5.0 inning thing for Snell is overblown because he pitched 180 innings in 32 starts that's 5 2/3 innings average. 17 of his 32 starts last year were 6 inning starts, and 3 were 7 innings. In the other 12, he was pulled early from three. All early season starts. They were being cautious. 
He pitched 5 innings 9 times. Does he go deep into games? No, but he's not a 5 inning guy usually either. 2/3 of his starts were longer than 5 innings. 
Also his 2023, he allowed 0 runs in 13 starts. 1 run in 4. and 2 runs in 8 starts. He allowed 3 runs in 5 more. And more than 4 in just 2. 
He was the Cy Young winner and was flat out dominant. 
At the reported 9 years 270 I balk too, but 8 years at a 24-26 M a year average, is fine for your Ace. And you build up the pen and the rest of the rotation. 
Sign him.
 
 

Bellinger and Snell are both landmines that the Angels need to avoid. First, it's free agency, you're going to need to overpay for their services so you're already starting behind the proverbial 8 ball. Second, Snell is a five inning specialist that's notorious for ice cold Aprils and Mays. Third, don't be fooled by career highs. 180 innings isn't the norm for Snell. Particularly as he advances in age, it's likely that 130-150 innings is the norm. Fourth, in regards to Bellinger, the statcast data (we are in the statcast age, after all) doesn't paint a pretty picture. He'll get paid the MVP that he was but he isn't that guy. Fifth, Bellinger is a good defensive outfielder but for the money you're paying him, it's mostly the bat, so a move to 1B it's coming sooner rather than later, and the Angels already have a heck of a 1B prospect in Schanuel.
The Angels need to do exactly what they've done so far, which is basically nothing. Sign a few relievers that you can flip for prospects at the deadline. Allow Ward and Rengifo to get healthy and prove themselves so you can trade them and further boost the farm. Trade away mistake contracts like Stassi and Fletcher.  Allow unfavorable contracts like Rendon and Anderson to expire and get them off the books. Give the young guys plenty of opportunity to learn and grow in the big leagues before extending them with three money you saved from offloading contracts. 
Rebuild, and come back three years from now ready to compete. And do it right too. Build a farm so that success can be sustainable. 

For me, what would make this offseason a success would be if one of the more impactful free agents saw their market disappear and ended up landing in the Angels lap on a one year contract so they could flip him at the deadline for a good prospect. Someone like Rhys Hoskins or JD Martinez. 
I find that unlikely though. 
The other thing that would make it a success would be someone offering up a significant prospect package for Rengifo/Ward. Again, unlikely. 
The likely outcome here is....
A. The Angels continue to round out the edges of the roster with inexpensive vets like Kike or Tim Anderson, start to rebuild their farm and save their money, and then rotate the DH spot for Rendon and Trout. 
B. Overspend on Bellinger and Snell, hope for the best, surrender their draft picks and figuratively kick the can down the road. 
Disappointing as it is, I'm hoping for option A. I loved watching Snell in San Diego. When he's right he's an ace, no doubt about it. But I want the Angels to have no part of him just because I think they need 7 inning quality starts more than 5 frame shutouts. 

For me, what would make this offseason a success would be if one of the more impactful free agents saw their market disappear and ended up landing in the Angels lap on a one year contract so they could flip him at the deadline for a good prospect. Someone like Rhys Hoskins or JD Martinez. 
I find that unlikely though. 
The other thing that would make it a success would be someone offering up a significant prospect package for Rengifo/Ward. Again, unlikely. 
The likely outcome here is....
A. The Angels continue to round out the edges of the roster with inexpensive vets like Kike or Tim Anderson, start to rebuild their farm and save their money, and then rotate the DH spot for Rendon and Trout. 
B. Overspend on Bellinger and Snell, hope for the best, surrender their draft picks and figuratively kick the can down the road. 
Disappointing as it is, I'm hoping for option A. I loved watching Snell in San Diego. When he's right he's an ace, no doubt about it. But I want the Angels to have no part of him just because I think they need 7 inning quality starts more than 5 frame shutouts. 

And to your point, Shohei calls his own game and I think when a pitcher gets to do that, they naturally feel a greater degree of ownership over the outcome of those pitches, be it a ball, strike, hit, out... Whatever it is. And with that mentality, I think it allows pitchers to compete, and not just pitch. 
I'd like to see a return to that. The catcher calls the game, and he and the pitcher are a team. The pitcher can shake off the catcher but doing so comes with natural consequences, be it good or bad. 

And to your point, Shohei calls his own game and I think when a pitcher gets to do that, they naturally feel a greater degree of ownership over the outcome of those pitches, be it a ball, strike, hit, out... Whatever it is. And with that mentality, I think it allows pitchers to compete, and not just pitch. 
I'd like to see a return to that. The catcher calls the game, and he and the pitcher are a team. The pitcher can shake off the catcher but doing so comes with natural consequences, be it good or bad. 

Adams has had "80 grade" speed since he was drafted and it still hasn't resulted in elite base steals. It seems to be more of a defensive tool with him. That alone should help him carve out a career in the big leagues. But as the old saying goes, "You can't steal first base." Adams is strong though, so maybe there's some Trayce Thompson value there. 
I think he'll make a good living as a 4th outfielder, as Billy Hamilton did. At best, Adams can turn into a Kiermeier type. 

Bellinger and Snell are both landmines that the Angels need to avoid. First, it's free agency, you're going to need to overpay for their services so you're already starting behind the proverbial 8 ball. Second, Snell is a five inning specialist that's notorious for ice cold Aprils and Mays. Third, don't be fooled by career highs. 180 innings isn't the norm for Snell. Particularly as he advances in age, it's likely that 130-150 innings is the norm. Fourth, in regards to Bellinger, the statcast data (we are in the statcast age, after all) doesn't paint a pretty picture. He'll get paid the MVP that he was but he isn't that guy. Fifth, Bellinger is a good defensive outfielder but for the money you're paying him, it's mostly the bat, so a move to 1B it's coming sooner rather than later, and the Angels already have a heck of a 1B prospect in Schanuel.
The Angels need to do exactly what they've done so far, which is basically nothing. Sign a few relievers that you can flip for prospects at the deadline. Allow Ward and Rengifo to get healthy and prove themselves so you can trade them and further boost the farm. Trade away mistake contracts like Stassi and Fletcher.  Allow unfavorable contracts like Rendon and Anderson to expire and get them off the books. Give the young guys plenty of opportunity to learn and grow in the big leagues before extending them with three money you saved from offloading contracts. 
Rebuild, and come back three years from now ready to compete. And do it right too. Build a farm so that success can be sustainable. 

Not only is it allotted money, it's relationships and commitments. Most of these kids have had handshake agreements with their prospective teams for 2-3 years. It's a gamble/investment every time when you're talking about 14 year old ball players. Maitan is the best example of the variability of development. 

And in terms of fantasy specific criteria, depending on the league, Schanuel could prove to carry some value. Last season, he was likely running on fumes and still managed to post an OBP over .400 coming straight from college. 
It's not a leap to think that Schanuel could have more power when he's fresh, plus he was only 21, chances are he's only going to have more and more power every year for the next half decade at least. And if his OBP continues to climb, as you can assume it would beyond age 21 with no prior professional experience then Schanuel could develop into a Freddie Freeman type in time. 

Bellinger and Snell are both landmines that the Angels need to avoid. First, it's free agency, you're going to need to overpay for their services so you're already starting behind the proverbial 8 ball. Second, Snell is a five inning specialist that's notorious for ice cold Aprils and Mays. Third, don't be fooled by career highs. 180 innings isn't the norm for Snell. Particularly as he advances in age, it's likely that 130-150 innings is the norm. Fourth, in regards to Bellinger, the statcast data (we are in the statcast age, after all) doesn't paint a pretty picture. He'll get paid the MVP that he was but he isn't that guy. Fifth, Bellinger is a good defensive outfielder but for the money you're paying him, it's mostly the bat, so a move to 1B it's coming sooner rather than later, and the Angels already have a heck of a 1B prospect in Schanuel.
The Angels need to do exactly what they've done so far, which is basically nothing. Sign a few relievers that you can flip for prospects at the deadline. Allow Ward and Rengifo to get healthy and prove themselves so you can trade them and further boost the farm. Trade away mistake contracts like Stassi and Fletcher.  Allow unfavorable contracts like Rendon and Anderson to expire and get them off the books. Give the young guys plenty of opportunity to learn and grow in the big leagues before extending them with three money you saved from offloading contracts. 
Rebuild, and come back three years from now ready to compete. And do it right too. Build a farm so that success can be sustainable. 

When you put it like that, he sounds freaking amazing!
I think reality is somewhere between the two. His MVP season was a one time thing, that's not who he is. But I think he was also playing hurt in those subsequent years and picked up some bad habits trying to compensate. Last year, we saw him as someone whose body and strength just aren't the same as they were at 22, Desiree him not being that old, but he even with diminished strength he figured out a way to be successful.
Going forward, he'll require elite money to be a good, but not elite ball player. 

Yes but moreso it's causing Boras to wait. He knows there's a few teams that may spend if they can get something sorted out. I found this article very interesting . 
https://www.si.com/mlb/angels/news/amazon-wont-stream-angels-games-in-2024-report
If Diamond is forced to liquidate, the broadcast rights could go to the highest bidder. And Baseball streaming is a gold mine because games are on every day and you have a very loyal following--not outlandish numbers, but consistent. The Angels market share was under 1% the last two years but covers all of LA. I am hoping MLB has no choice but to create their own viable way of streaming games. Either way, good news would mean the Angels would have a clearer picture of their TV money. Of course, it shouldn't matter because Arte is a billionaire but he is a penny pincher and cares. 
I don't think it's that simple with Bellinger. I don't think he had a "lucky" or "flukey" year. His Sweet Spot %, K Rate, and Whiff % were not just good -- they were elite. His launch angle went back down to 2019-2020 numbers, as did his K%. However, his barrels and Hard hit numbers didn't go back. So he figured something out that he was missing in '21-22, but not everything. And his defense is absolutely elite. If you can get an elite CF that will become an elite corner guy, that can hit well above average, that's worth it. He also runs very well. I would be fine paying him a high number. 
Plus its reuniting him with J Washington. 

Bellinger and Snell are both landmines that the Angels need to avoid. First, it's free agency, you're going to need to overpay for their services so you're already starting behind the proverbial 8 ball. Second, Snell is a five inning specialist that's notorious for ice cold Aprils and Mays. Third, don't be fooled by career highs. 180 innings isn't the norm for Snell. Particularly as he advances in age, it's likely that 130-150 innings is the norm. Fourth, in regards to Bellinger, the statcast data (we are in the statcast age, after all) doesn't paint a pretty picture. He'll get paid the MVP that he was but he isn't that guy. Fifth, Bellinger is a good defensive outfielder but for the money you're paying him, it's mostly the bat, so a move to 1B it's coming sooner rather than later, and the Angels already have a heck of a 1B prospect in Schanuel.
The Angels need to do exactly what they've done so far, which is basically nothing. Sign a few relievers that you can flip for prospects at the deadline. Allow Ward and Rengifo to get healthy and prove themselves so you can trade them and further boost the farm. Trade away mistake contracts like Stassi and Fletcher.  Allow unfavorable contracts like Rendon and Anderson to expire and get them off the books. Give the young guys plenty of opportunity to learn and grow in the big leagues before extending them with three money you saved from offloading contracts. 
Rebuild, and come back three years from now ready to compete. And do it right too. Build a farm so that success can be sustainable. 

Bellinger and Snell are both landmines that the Angels need to avoid. First, it's free agency, you're going to need to overpay for their services so you're already starting behind the proverbial 8 ball. Second, Snell is a five inning specialist that's notorious for ice cold Aprils and Mays. Third, don't be fooled by career highs. 180 innings isn't the norm for Snell. Particularly as he advances in age, it's likely that 130-150 innings is the norm. Fourth, in regards to Bellinger, the statcast data (we are in the statcast age, after all) doesn't paint a pretty picture. He'll get paid the MVP that he was but he isn't that guy. Fifth, Bellinger is a good defensive outfielder but for the money you're paying him, it's mostly the bat, so a move to 1B it's coming sooner rather than later, and the Angels already have a heck of a 1B prospect in Schanuel.
The Angels need to do exactly what they've done so far, which is basically nothing. Sign a few relievers that you can flip for prospects at the deadline. Allow Ward and Rengifo to get healthy and prove themselves so you can trade them and further boost the farm. Trade away mistake contracts like Stassi and Fletcher.  Allow unfavorable contracts like Rendon and Anderson to expire and get them off the books. Give the young guys plenty of opportunity to learn and grow in the big leagues before extending them with three money you saved from offloading contracts. 
Rebuild, and come back three years from now ready to compete. And do it right too. Build a farm so that success can be sustainable. 

https://pitcherlist.com/2024-fantasy-baseball-sleepers-busts-los-angeles-angels/
I really like their take on Silseth. And I do think Rendon would be greatly valuable with health, I'm just not willing to make any bets on him being healthy.
But Silseth, I get the feeling is about to make the leap from being a back end or swing starter to something quite a bit more. 

https://pitcherlist.com/2024-fantasy-baseball-sleepers-busts-los-angeles-angels/
I really like their take on Silseth. And I do think Rendon would be greatly valuable with health, I'm just not willing to make any bets on him being healthy.
But Silseth, I get the feeling is about to make the leap from being a back end or swing starter to something quite a bit more. 

Bellinger and Snell are both landmines that the Angels need to avoid. First, it's free agency, you're going to need to overpay for their services so you're already starting behind the proverbial 8 ball. Second, Snell is a five inning specialist that's notorious for ice cold Aprils and Mays. Third, don't be fooled by career highs. 180 innings isn't the norm for Snell. Particularly as he advances in age, it's likely that 130-150 innings is the norm. Fourth, in regards to Bellinger, the statcast data (we are in the statcast age, after all) doesn't paint a pretty picture. He'll get paid the MVP that he was but he isn't that guy. Fifth, Bellinger is a good defensive outfielder but for the money you're paying him, it's mostly the bat, so a move to 1B it's coming sooner rather than later, and the Angels already have a heck of a 1B prospect in Schanuel.
The Angels need to do exactly what they've done so far, which is basically nothing. Sign a few relievers that you can flip for prospects at the deadline. Allow Ward and Rengifo to get healthy and prove themselves so you can trade them and further boost the farm. Trade away mistake contracts like Stassi and Fletcher.  Allow unfavorable contracts like Rendon and Anderson to expire and get them off the books. Give the young guys plenty of opportunity to learn and grow in the big leagues before extending them with three money you saved from offloading contracts. 
Rebuild, and come back three years from now ready to compete. And do it right too. Build a farm so that success can be sustainable. 

Bellinger and Snell are both landmines that the Angels need to avoid. First, it's free agency, you're going to need to overpay for their services so you're already starting behind the proverbial 8 ball. Second, Snell is a five inning specialist that's notorious for ice cold Aprils and Mays. Third, don't be fooled by career highs. 180 innings isn't the norm for Snell. Particularly as he advances in age, it's likely that 130-150 innings is the norm. Fourth, in regards to Bellinger, the statcast data (we are in the statcast age, after all) doesn't paint a pretty picture. He'll get paid the MVP that he was but he isn't that guy. Fifth, Bellinger is a good defensive outfielder but for the money you're paying him, it's mostly the bat, so a move to 1B it's coming sooner rather than later, and the Angels already have a heck of a 1B prospect in Schanuel.
The Angels need to do exactly what they've done so far, which is basically nothing. Sign a few relievers that you can flip for prospects at the deadline. Allow Ward and Rengifo to get healthy and prove themselves so you can trade them and further boost the farm. Trade away mistake contracts like Stassi and Fletcher.  Allow unfavorable contracts like Rendon and Anderson to expire and get them off the books. Give the young guys plenty of opportunity to learn and grow in the big leagues before extending them with three money you saved from offloading contracts. 
Rebuild, and come back three years from now ready to compete. And do it right too. Build a farm so that success can be sustainable. 

https://pitcherlist.com/2024-fantasy-baseball-sleepers-busts-los-angeles-angels/
I really like their take on Silseth. And I do think Rendon would be greatly valuable with health, I'm just not willing to make any bets on him being healthy.
But Silseth, I get the feeling is about to make the leap from being a back end or swing starter to something quite a bit more. 

And in terms of fantasy specific criteria, depending on the league, Schanuel could prove to carry some value. Last season, he was likely running on fumes and still managed to post an OBP over .400 coming straight from college. 
It's not a leap to think that Schanuel could have more power when he's fresh, plus he was only 21, chances are he's only going to have more and more power every year for the next half decade at least. And if his OBP continues to climb, as you can assume it would beyond age 21 with no prior professional experience then Schanuel could develop into a Freddie Freeman type in time. 

Not only is it allotted money, it's relationships and commitments. Most of these kids have had handshake agreements with their prospective teams for 2-3 years. It's a gamble/investment every time when you're talking about 14 year old ball players. Maitan is the best example of the variability of development. 

https://pitcherlist.com/2024-fantasy-baseball-sleepers-busts-los-angeles-angels/
I really like their take on Silseth. And I do think Rendon would be greatly valuable with health, I'm just not willing to make any bets on him being healthy.
But Silseth, I get the feeling is about to make the leap from being a back end or swing starter to something quite a bit more. 

This doesn't surprise me one bit. 

I enjoyed the interview.
I know a lot of fans don't like him.  Some of it may be warranted.  Some of it may not be.  I'm not happy that he hasn't been on the field much, but that's about it.  I'm a fan.  I like him.  I root for him.  I hope he has a monster year.