ryanmfalla

These last few Angel seasons have seen the team display a certain aggressiveness when it comes to prospect promotions by being the first organization to promote a draft pick to big league play in each of the last three draft classes. The Angels were the first to break the prospect seal from the 2021 draft with their promotion of Chase Silseth and followed suit this season with their promotion of Zach Neto. With Nolan Schanuel soon to see his Major League debut practically right out of the 2023 draft it appears trends will continue. This move has fans split in two as some praise the Angels aggressiveness in giving a shot to a guy who's blowing MiLB pitching away with others crying desperation at what seems to be a Hail Mary attempt at playoff hopes. The truth behind the matter lies somewhere in between, requiring a more nuanced analysis to understand the logic behind such move. Nolan Schanuels offensive profile right out of the draft already had him as close to Major League ready as it gets, and though this may seem a response to the dire straits of this season in truth this promotion has potential to set the Angels up for competitive play both now and in the future. When analyzing this move you first have to account for the extremely advanced profile of Nolan Schanuel. While the Angels could have easily called Trey Cabbage back up there is a clear desire for a more nuanced offensive approach. The Angels current 1B depth offers power potential at the cost of high strikeout percentages, and given the teams low affinity for situational hitting it may not serve future outlook well to continue stacking the cards in such a way. Lack of “development” aside, Schanuel comes into this organization with a truly mind-boggling offensive profile; his last year in college saw him hit .447 across 197 ABs while featuring a ridiculous 71 BBs to 14 Ks across the season, all to the tune of a 1.483 OPS. His previous seasons were no different with Schanuel regularly walking at a far higher clip than he would strikeout while putting up an OPS over 1.000 each season with the school. His lack of current big league power may be a mark against him for some, but with the biggest issue for the Angels being their inability to score runs outside of the long ball Schanuels offensive profile suddenly becomes incredibly desirable on the big league lineup. His current skillset profiles him as a Luis Arraez type, which would be a boon for any organization regardless size or position, and should his power swing develop he could top out as a Freddie Freeman. His offensive build on its own warrants a look or two against big league pitching and once you consider the Angels lack of a true starter at 1B going into 2024 it becomes much more clear as to why the organization would want to evaluate all in-house options. This organizations recent track record with quick promotions does not go against them either, most of the quality on this team (aside from Trout and Ohtani) have come off of quick prospect turnarounds. Chase Silseth and Zach Neto were both the first players to be called up out of their respective draft classes and have each shown a mixture of promise alongside current ability. On the year Silseth has collected a 3.27 ERA across 41.1 IP and and with his recent streak of quality starts against the Yankees, Braves, and Mariners he’s looking to solidify his reputation as a top of the line starter. On the other hand Zach Neto has shown himself a team leader both with attitude and play; offensively he’s amassed 8 HRs and 14 doubles in 67 games while defensively operating as one of the best shortstop gloves in the game. The current MLB landscape sees teams getting younger every year, ultimately behooving the Angels to let their advanced prospects learn how to operate in the big leagues as soon as their talent call for it. There is clearly steam to the nationwide philosophy of calling up advanced prospects and letting them play it out in the Majors, making it no coincidence as to why the best things about the Angels 2023 season (aside from Ohtani) have been the talent of their young prospect callups. Any moves made to catch this team up to the current standard is worthy of praise considering how far behind the organization has fallen under watch of owner Arte Moreno More organizations should be encouraged to give shots to their advanced prospect talents based on their skill set and not an arbitrary amount of time spent in the Minors. There is a good reason as to why teams like the Dodgers, Braves, and Astros seem to the run the league year in and year out. People may cry foul and offer the argument that the Angels are disrupting Schanuels development, but if anything offering him opportunity to see Major League at-bats only accelerates his ability to reach Major League form (for obvious reasons). If Nolan Schanuel can translate his high walk, high contact approach this lineup will be in the best place it’s been all year, especially considering close returns by Logan O’Hoppe and Mike Trout. The rest of August will see the Angels match up against teams facing their own degrees of recent struggle, offering plenty of opportunity to jump back on the playoff horse. A streak of series wins could very well wash out the palate of a decidedly horrific first half of August and put the team in line for a competitive September. The biggest frustrations with the Angels have been their extreme underperformance despite the talent on this team, but in that same vein this is a team with enough talent to flip current fortunes in a major way. This upcoming stretch is going to be a dream come true as the Angels look to match up against a multitude of teams either below or within 5 games of .500. This Rays series is crucial as it will either reinforce this negative August stretch or give Angels ground to break out moving forward, so it only makes sense to add as much potential talent into this lineup as soon as possible even if it is just prospect talent. At the very least it will give Angel fans something worth watching amidst this late season collapse.

The Angels 2023 draft saw a number of fascinating selections from GM Perry Minasian as the team targeted a number of near ready, college level talents with turnaround potentials within the next two seasons. From the highly developed batter’s eye of Nolan Schanuel (with a swing to see his discipline through) alongside the big power potential of Alberto Rios, there is no shortage of high potential names beginning their journey in the system. One name that stands above the rest of this draft class is Tennessee pitcher Zach Joyce, a hard throwing righty with an utterly dominant mound presence. The intimidating form of Zach Joyce stands at an imposing 6-4 225lbs, capable of crushing you with a look alone, able to back it up with a stinging repertoire which he delivers with brutal efficiency. Angel fans may already know him as the brother of current Angels big leaguer Ben Joyce, but don’t let yourself think his name alone is what got him drafted. While he may be twins with his brother Ben, their similarities going all the way down to the minutiae of their repertoire, Zach Joyce stands on his own as one of the brightest spots in the Angels future. Twin brother or not, Joyce brings beleaguered Angel fans a lot to forward too during a season that has seen its many ups and downs challenging many a fans love for the game. “It's awesome being out here. All the guys have taken us draft picks in, it's been a lot of fun being part of the team. We’re playing some good baseball, winning a lot of games, it's been a lot of fun getting going. I stepped away from baseball for a couple years until this year. I’m focused on getting back in and taking it one step at a time. That’s the biggest thing for me right now.” Armed with a fastball that can touch the high 90’s alongside a hard breaking slider and cutter, Zach Joyce looks to cut a quick path to the Majors on the quality of his pitchability. He comes into the organization managing a developed strike zone control beyond that of someone just entering professional baseball right out of the draft. Always quick to the zone, typically working ahead in the count and with little wasted effort in his mechanics, Joyce appears in proper form despite missing multiple years at Tennessee due to health issues. With his struggles now far behind him what remains is a future as bright as can be as one of the best prospects currently in the Angels system. Statistically speaking his balance between the walk and strikeout is as good as it gets as he currently sports a miniscule 0.0 BB/9 with the 66ers. Small sample sizes aside his hot start still speaks to a heightened level of mechanical quality and pitchability within the young star. This is no random streak either, back with Tennessee Joyce maintained an impressively low two walks across his 17 strikeout season (10.1 IP) with the school in 2023 before being drafted by the Angels. “The first couple of outings are just getting used to pro ball. Obviously it's a little bit different, but I feel like Tennessee prepared me. And knowing Ben, asking him questions, prepared me a lot. This year at Tennessee was a building process coming back to the game, getting comfortable out there. Getting a couple bigger situations out there on the mound. But really just taking in as much as I can especially with guys like O’Hoppe around here and Davis Daniels. Being able to learn as much as I can this year is the biggest thing for me.” Zach Joyce's last baseball experiences before coming back to the game in 2023 consisted of his JUCO years at Walters State CC through 2019-2020 with his brother Ben. His freshman year in JUCO saw the brothers push the team to a JUCO World Series on a season that saw the young star manage 24 K’s on 6 walks across 13 relief appearances (1.15 ERA). The absence of significant baseball work over the last three years may be concerning to some, but to others the low mileage on his arm can be seen as a major plus regarding his long-term outlook as a reliever, even more so considering how he has not skipped a beat since returning to the game. Considering the league wide issue concerning pitcher injury at the Major League level it may be a bit of a boon for Joyce to come into the organization bearing just ten innings and change over the last three years. “Right now I'm out of the bullpen; I'm throwing a four seam fastball, cutter and slider. Working on getting that fastball up is a big thing for me, kind of using that lower release angle, getting the ball up in the zone. Using that ride to miss some bats and then playing the cutter and the slider off of that.” Of course as with all prospects there still remains a bit of development to be had, namely with Joyce's ability to fully miss bats as the hits can find ways to sneak through, though with someone of his experience level in professional baseball this is to be expected. There exists little doubt the Angels want Joyce in Double A as soon as possible without rushing him, and as it stands he’s closer to pitching innings in Double A than he is removed from the innings he pitched at Tennessee. Joyce comes with a Major League target date of 2024, and should he find himself taking off in Double A by seasons start next year he will likely find himself with the Major League club by September 2024 at the latest. You can only hope the Angels will be further entrenched in talent at the MLB level come 2024 so Joyce can experience a proper developmental track without being rushed to fill holes. “I was with my mom and dad and my girlfriend [during the draft], and then I got to call [Ben] right after. Going out to Arizona for draft camp, I was with him there. It’s nice to know a guy in the organization, especially a guy four minutes older than you. It's been an awesome opportunity for our whole family.” Having both Joyce brothers in the organization is a treat for Angel fans who have been hard up for things to look forward to, but with the current state of talent in the Minors sentiments will change fast. Don’t let FanGraphs and the national media gaslight you into thinking the Angels have no farm system; as it stands the state of the Angels prospect depth is deeper than it has ever been. While that may not mean anything to systems such as the Dodgers or Mets this is a far cry from former Angel seasons that saw a system devoid of any tangible talent. With playoffs in sight for the Angels Low A 66ers there will be a real chance to develop lasting winning qualities within this rising core, something starkly missing from the current big league broth of talent. Developing ballplayers is one thing, but developing winners is a whole other business of its own, and with Zach Joyce at the forefront of the Angels current developmental core there will be no shortage of talent absorbing these winning ways en route to the big leagues.

“Everyone's made me feel so welcome. I appreciate everyone that makes me feel that way. It's been awesome. I loved it from the second I got here. It's crazy that it's been over a year ago now. I've loved every day.”- Logan O'Hoppe [on Angels fans] Angels star Logan O’Hoppe went 1-2 with a walk, a double and a run scored through four innings behind the plate today after seeing two hits and two runs over last nights rehab start. O’Hoppes return has been long awaited by Angels fans who have been missing his presence since he went down April 20th with a torn labrum in his left shoulder. While the initial prognosis had the rookie catcher missing up to 6 months of time he’s just recently started his rehab stint with the Inland Empire 66ers four months into recovery and looks to soon return to the Angels lineup as they position themselves for a playoff push. While the big league squad has had its ups and downs through the season they currently sit six games backs from the third card spot and with 46 games left in the season there is more than enough time to position themselves for a potential September rally. “I felt really good. Yesterday I felt great but I just felt like I hadn't hit a ball in my life before. Today felt better. And it's been getting better every day.” The young star started his 2023 season on a tear as he came out of the gates swinging an .886 OPS with 4 HRs through 16 games before injury struck. His returning presence will allow the Angels to relegate current starter Matt Thaiss to a more manageable backup role at C/1B. While Thaiss has done a solid job holding the down the battery offensively the Angels will be more than happy to welcome the push they will get from the power-swinging O’Hoppe. Perhaps a less catching-intensive role will allow Matt Thaiss to return to his earlier season form that saw him swinging a .855 OPS through 25 May games. The Angels offense has been in a terrible lull lately as they’ve scored more than four runs only three times in the last fourteen games, a major factor in the recent losing ways that have seen the team drop nine of those last fourteen. While pitching has been an issue in some losses the overall lack of situational hitting cannot be overstated. The Angels are currently a bottom ten team in the MLB with RISP as noted by their .723 OPS in such situations. O’Hoppe, on the other hand, managed an .833 OPS with runners on base while healthy this season. Another situational bat such as O’Hoppe can prove to be a difference maker going forward into this final stretch of the season, especially if you consider a potential Trout return by months end. “It was tough going down. I knew it would be for a while. I just tried to dominate the things I could and stay in the moment. It went by quicker than I thought it would. I definitely don't want to do it again by any means but I think it made it as productive as it could have been. A lot of things in life are how you view it and how you go about it. Now we're here.” The Angels rookie talent core of Zach Neto and Logan O’Hoppe has powered this team’s success despite the many valleys this club has seen themselves through in 2023. Unfortunately the Angels have not seen both ballplayers on the big league roster at the same time as that would have assuredly boost the teams potential far beyond current capabilities. With Neto present in the lineup the Angels are 38-30, and when O'Hoppe is starting the Angels have an 8-5 record, ultimately leading to an overall 46-35 record when fielding either rookie. One can only imagine the potency of this team with both in the starting lineup surrounded by the current talent on the big league roster. Luckily the rest of the team is starting to heat up just in time for a pivotal four series stretch that will take the Angels through Houston, Texas, and Tampa Bay before seeing Cincinnati. A stretch of .500 ball through the next week and a half would do the team wonders regarding playoff potential come September. “I played with Neto a little bit in Double A last year. He actually came to Double A like two days after I got traded. We were kind of the new guys in the club. We were really close, we’ve gotten closer over the past year. It’s a lot of fun sharing the field [with Neto]. One good week of baseball can change fortunes just as it seems one bad week has changed it all for the worst. With a talent as potent as O’Hoppe making his return it is certain the Angels will make their final push with the highest quality core they’ve fielded all season, especially if Trout and Neto can manage a return in the coming weeks. Mike Moustakas has proven himself the Angels captain as he carries them through game after game with his clutch situational hitting. Luis Rengifo has gone from utility fodder to legitimate one man wrecking ball with his .950 OPS over the last month. Brandon Drury has stabilized the middle of this order with his 7 hits and 3 RBIs in the last weeks worth of play since coming off the IL. I know it’s not easy to say with how badly August has gone, but as it is the emergence of key hitters has kept the team afloat despite their recent stretch of difficulty. It's easy to see how momentum can turn in the teams favor with the amount of talent returning to the lineup in the coming weeks. If this team can run through this brick wall of a month still in sight of playoffs there will exist reasonable opportunity for a push come September. The Angels still have plenty of favorable matchups in the coming weeks with the Mets, Oakland, Detroit and Minnesota populating the schedule through September, making a final playoff push within reasonable grasp. O'Hoppe will continue his stint with the 66ers in the coming days before bringing a potential return to the Angels anywhere within the next two weeks. “We as a group know that we can make the playoffs and we can make a run. So long as we keep acting on that every night I think we'll be alright.”

I don't think it's too harsh. Just stating the facts. If it was up to him the Angels would have blown another 300 million on a single position player that would have done nothing to improve playoff odds. Remember Arte meddling with the Rengifo trade to Dodgers? Dude actively sabotages the team, even if it is subconscious he still gets in the way

Shohei Ohtani may arguably be one of the greatest things to happen not only to the sport of baseball, but the entire collective sports consciousness across the globe. His many accomplishments over the last half decade-plus cannot be overstated; 3 All Star nods, Rookie of the Year, an MVP (should be two), Silver Slugger, and a top 5 Cy Young finish as both one of the best hitters/pitchers in the game. His short time in the league thus far has seen him quickly rewriting the limits on what a singular athlete can achieve in their sport. Yet for the Angels organization, namely owner Arte Moreno, Shohei Ohtani has enabled the worst of a perennially out of touch, self-sabotaging owner. A known headline chaser, Moreno’s sole motivation in baseball decisions lies in his desire to curtail the favor of the national media, often leaving the Angels high and dry under the shadow of his ego. Molded in the likes of George Steinbrenner yet lacking the quality of charm that allowed the late Yankee his successes, Arte Moreno stays stuck in the past in an era defined not by free agency acquisition, but by drafting and development. His inability to field a proper team around Ohtani has failed not just Angel fans, nor the entirety of baseball fandom, but the whole of baseball’s in general and its ability to push forward into a new era of true international recognition. The untold hundreds of millions if not billions of dollars in revenue lost by failing to seize on Ohtani’s presence in the playoffs is a real problem the MLB faces in the current day. Baseball’s international presence has grown into a formidable force over the last decade ultimately culminating in this past years World Baseball Classic craze. The recent WBC saw record shattering numbers as the event cleared previous viewership totals by a large margin. Internationally, both Mexico and Taiwan saw a ratings increase of over 100% from 2017’s WBC with American viewership jumping a total 69% from the last WBC (semi-finals and onward). This immediately translated into a lucrative increase in merchandise sales with the MLB seeing a 149% increase in revenue with WBC merchandise over 2017s financial return. We now stand at a turning point where exists a very real opportunity to emulate the success of FIFA and its international stranglehold by promoting the most marketable asset in MLB history on the biggest non-WBC stage possible. To evolve from a national sports organization into an international arbiter of competition is no small feat, nor is it one you can try again should you come short the first go, making it all the more important for the MLB to get it done right with the chance they have. There exists just one element that holds the MLB back from tapping into this prime source of revenue; Angels owner Arte Moreno. Moreno's failures to build a playoff winner for Ohtani is a failure by proxy of the MLB. An organization such as Major League Baseball has a responsibility towards ensuring the highest possible quality ownership amongst their franchises. The last decade and a half has seen the MLB free itself of multiple self-sabotaging owners in the likes of Jeffrey Loria and Frank McCourt. While you may never see a league wide benevolence amongst owners there is a duty to pay as much mind to the quality of floor as there is the quality of ceiling amongst franchises. Recent years have made it abundantly clear Moreno's presence within the sport is beginning affect its bottom line due to Ohtani’s lack of post-season presence. Perhaps in previous years it was enough for Arte Moreno to fill the seats of Angels stadium through regular season baseball, but now after experiencing the financial windfalls from the 2023 WBC it’s become clear Major League Baseball cannot fully capitalize on their international marketing campaign without Shohei Ohtani spearheading the efforts. The MLB has seen the World Series turn in historically low viewership totals over the last few seasons, making Ohtani's presence on a World Series contender all the more necessary in this day and age. The Angels recent string of bad luck is only a small part of Moreno's long running failures to capitalize on the sports biggest stars over the last decade. Each wound inflicted through the owners poor decision making over the last decade bears it scars still to this day. It is no coincidence the wheels began falling off the wagon once the Angels 2002 World Series talents, both in the front office and on the field, began leaving the organization bit by bit. The Bill Stoneman era of Angels baseball saw the franchise win its first World Series just four years into his tenure as GM, managing multiple playoff appearances up to 2007 before handing off the reigns to a Moreno hire. The last Angels playoff run in 2014 was led by remaining Bill Stoneman holdovers Howie Kendrick, Erick Aybar, Jered Weaver, and Mike Scioscia. The Angels have failed to field a consistent manager post-Scioscia and even then the ex-managers later years were defined by stress and tension as the oncoming era of advanced statistics clashed with the former World Series champions old-school sensibilities. Since then the Angels have continuously failed to implement a proper coaching/GM tandem that can consistently deliver a clear, cohesive message without internal fallout. Even now the Angels have seen struggles with GM Perry Minasian and manager Phil Nevin recently coming into light earlier this season over a clash with pitcher usage. The dysfunction between coaches, front office, and players on the field is nothing more than a symptom of Arte Moreno's ownership Moreno has done little to ensure the continuation of the Angels decade long run that saw the franchise nearly enter a state of dynasty before derailing completely come the 2010s. Nine of the last thirteen Angel seasons have seen the team finish below .500, this stretch coming immediately following a decade that saw the Angels finish under .500 just twice across ten seasons. This organization is far removed from the successes that painted the near entirety of the 2000s with the Angels now standing at the cusp of their long-term future as Ohtani plays out what may be his final season with the franchise. The Angels lone saving grace, beyond the actual stars on the field, has been the recent addition of Perry Minasian at GM, who in just three years has managed to undo a majority of the decade long damage done by Moreno. Shrewd drafting strategies have seen the Angels bring in near immediate big league help through the likes of Zach Neto, Sam Bachman, and Chase Silseth; all drafted within the last two seasons. It’s hard to imagine the Angles being anywhere near arms reach of success were Arte still in control of roster decisions. Would he have it his way the Angels would have blown their checkbook on Trea Turner this past offseason while leaving immense holes all across the board. One can only imagine the state of this team were they to once again go down the Moreno route. Is it possible that Angel fans, and by extension fans of baseball in general, may soon be free of Arte’s grasp on the current state of the sport? Logically speaking, he could be moved to sell the team should the Angels make a post-season run in 2023 and retain Ohtani going forward. At this point, however, we all know Arte moves not through logic, but through emotion, making it hard to truly quantify a scenario in which he gives up control. The key factor here not being profit, but control of a valuable asset. Should the Angels lose their value; i.e Ohtani leaves, Trout somehow becomes a non-factor, and the rest of the roster crumbles, then perhaps we do see a scenario in which he sells the team. Given recent behavior by Moreno it seems doubtful the Angels owner would do something logical such as selling the team at peak value considering he turned his back on a near three billion dollar profit on an initial $183.5 million dollar investment back in 2003. A stark display of the ailing business sense that has guided his decision making with the Angels. The state of this team will become much clearer in the coming weeks as the Angels teeter the line between pawnshop sellers and playoff contention, yet between all of that one thing is certain. The Angels, without Arte Moreno, are a World Series championship organization. But with Arte Moreno? The results have spoken for themselves.

The last two weeks in Angels land has seen the team run through an absurdly horrendous stretch in which they have dropped 12 of their last 16 in a schedule littered with struggling teams. I don't need to recount the specifics of this awful stretch as we've been properly immersed in the existentiality of it all, but given the circumstances there are pressing questions that need answers soon. A crossroads awaits where the Angels have to decide whether they will go all in on the hunt for playoffs or sell and reload for the future. Either option presents multiple difficulties; if the Angels go all in they will be dismantling an already dilapidated farm system to secure short term options whereas a full sell may be the final straw the pushes Shohei Ohtani out of Anaheim. Is it possible for the Angels to balance a sell while still maintaining a semblance of hope for playoffs? The problem with either option is that the Angels have spent many years playing "half-in half-out" at the deadline and that lackluster approach has bogged the the organization within this mire that has kept them out of playoffs over the last ten years. There is a caveat to all of this however; Angels GM Perry Minasian has shown an ability to pick up top tier pieces on the cheap come. Last years deadline flips of Noah Syndergaard and Brandon Marsh brought in tenfold it's value (on the Syndergaard side) with Mickey Moniaks season saving bat and Logan O'Hoppe's future All-Star status returning to Anaheim. There may be a chance for similarly swift returns on some sells this year but it will require offloading current Major League starters to bring back some value. Hunter Renfroe is the most immediate piece that can still bring a quality return without damaging the clubs ability to compete going forward. Renfroe is going to be a free agent at years end and there is zero indication that he will see himself back in Anaheim, additionally the Angels are flush with enough outfield depth to relegate Renfroe to first base without skipping a beat defensively. Of course it is a matter of necessity that has Renfroe playing first, but with certain options such as Daniel Murphy and Trey Cabbage waiting in the wings there is more than enough cushion to soften the blow of losing his power bat in the lineup. The real crux of this trade is Renfroe's complete lack of timely offensive production on behalf of the Angels. Despite having a flashy 15 HRs on the year Hunter Renfroe has managed a reputation as one of the least valuable Angel hitters with RISP on the season. It may be more accurate to say he's one of the least valuable hitters in this lineup period. With bases empty Renfroe has managed a mediocre .223/.286/.412 slash line and from there his numbers fall into the abyss once runners make their way on base. Renfroe complete disassociates in opportunities with RISP as noted by his .500 OPS across 95 total plate appearances in such situations. In fact he has just ONE HR with runners in scoring position off a .163 batting average. The majority of his homers have come with bases empty (9 HRs) with the remaining 5 being hit with a lone runner on first. To make matters worse, in close late game situations Renfroe manages an absolutely bottom of the barrel .286 SLG. This is the point where it all begins to feel like a fleece on the behalf of the Brewers. Outside of his rookie year he's posting his 2nd lowest walk rate (6.0%) alongside the lowest HR rate of his career with just 4.4% of plate appearances ending in a home run despite a 5.7% career average. On top of that he's producing his 2nd highest groundball percentage (39.6%) outside of his rookie year. To say that his bat actively drags down this offense would not be an understatement. The Angels are not in a position where they need to ride out his bat in hopes of salvaging some value because there is no next man up i.e Justin Upton. There is plenty of talent with the potential to spark life into this offense behind Renfroe. As mentioned earlier Trey Cabbage is an immediate option as both a 1B/RF bat, though the rumors that surround Cabbage may present concerns that he can't field 1B at a Major League level. However, even at worst case scenario he can still sit as a fourth outfielder and spell days off for Jo Adell and Mickey Moniak. It's a bit of a risky issue replacing a known quantity with an unknown element but at this point the Angels have a lot more to lose by standing pat with what they have. Cabbages left handed bat brings a nice value to this roster, especially considering his ability to hit lefties as per his .831 OPS against the split in Triple A. At the very least you could split his time between first and RF much like Jared Walsh did in his first seasons with the Angels. Defensively speaking Cabbage is not the most sound replacement for Renfroe considering unknowns, though offensively speaking a struggling Cabbage would be no worse than what Renfroe is currently supplying at the dish. Trey Cabbage has swung a monster bat through his Triple A time this year as noted by his .940 OPS and PCL leading 23 home runs. Unlike Renfroe, Cabbage has shown an ability to hit with RISP, especially in 2 out situations as noted by his .270/.324/.524 slash alongside 4 HRs and 22 RBIs in such situations. If you fear losing defense at 1B you always have Daniel Murphy as a potential suitor for 1B. Though his sample size at Triple A is small he is doing incredible things at the age of 38 by maintaining an .842 OPS through a couple weeks worth of games while handling 1B with excellence. The problem here is you can't really call up Cabbage AND Murphy without doing some serious roster tinkering. Given Cabbages potential ability to play 1B alongside the outfield it would be more likely to see him receive the call up between the two. Though it should be said that Murphy presents an intriguing nuclear option in the events that Cabbage struggles to find his feet in the big leagues. I have zero envy for Angels GM Perry Minasian with the future of the franchise quite literally hanging on his every move. That being said, moves need to be made if the Angels want to continue forward with any chance at rocketing themselves back into playoff contention after the All-Star Break. Zach Neto is soon to return and Brandon Drury is possibly in line to return post-break as well. Package this with a Trey Cabbage call up and you practically have the best "trade deadline return" the Angels could ask for; a massive power hitting outfielder, a defensively gifted shortstop who can rake, and one of the better hitting second basemen in the league. In all honesty things aren't looking too horrendous if you're willing to scrub the memory of the last two weeks from your mind. A suitable roster will return to form in due time, though it rests on the GMs shoulders to speed up that process as much as possible. Perhaps the Yankees would be willing to take a shot on the power hitting outfielder with the position they're in given Aaron Judges untimely injury. It may just be wishful thinking to hope for legitimate pieces in return for a Renfroe trade, but at this point hoping for an Angels playoffs spot is wishful thinking to begin with. The Angels are closer to fielding a dream team than they've been in a long time. If it comes down to a move as inconsequential as shipping a struggling Renfroe off for even the slightest uptick in reviving playoff hopes you have to take that chance.

I think Fletch is an absolute last resort given The lack of transparency makes it tough to discern why Fletcher is getting a doghouse treatment but it makes more sense considering personal issues keeping him from being reliably present on the big league roster. Hopefully Padlo is here for just a spell.

Thank you my man!!!

To think this Angels team was almost free of the big contract woes that plagued them during the Albert Pujols days, yet here we are bogged in a mire far worse than anything experienced during that contract. The Angels 38 million dollar man Anthony Rendon has made it virtually impossible to field a functioning infield thanks to his constant IL trips putting an intense pressure on roster stability. Although the Angels did experience the sweet bliss of something close to stability with Gio Urshela his latest injury has the Angels once again lovesick for a natural third baseman. While the right side of the infield is fairly stable thanks to the presence of Brandon Drury and Jared Walsh the left falls well short of playoff standards with Kevin Padlo, Luis Rengifo and Andrew Velazquez leading the 3B charge. The Angels narrowly squeaked past disaster earlier in the season after Zach Neto brought a much needed anchor to the struggling infield, but now that he is lost to the IL as well we’re officially back to the Barnum and Bailey days. Can the Angels realistically cure their infield ailments in time to preserve this playoff push in what will be the toughest stretch yet? At this point if anything happens to journeyman Kevin Padlo the Angels will be down to broken bones and wishful thinking for backup. A devastating sentence to consider. The Angels need to hit the core of this issue and find a reliable head of the class third without having to shuffle the roster on a daily basis to compensate. Shuffling Rengifo, Stefanic, and Padlo around for the next month or two is not going to cut it for a team seriously anticipating a deep playoff push. David Fletcher still exists in Triple A where he currently serves out his sentence in the doghouse, though given front office sentiments he cannot be considered seriously for a full time position. Although Fletcher has logged 941.1 innings of serviceable third base play at the Major League level (as opposed to Padlos 76 3B innings) front office politics, alongside declining play, have kept him far from where he once stood on the MLB roster. His previous two seasons have seen him put together OPS just north of .600 while the current year saw him log two hits in 16 ABs before being outrighted. The move to call up Padlo to maintain 3B speaks for itself considering Fletcher has managed a .869 OPS at Triple A thus far and still cannot get a call back. If you thought Brett Phillips was a deep stash as a playoff pinch runner David Fletchers status as the last ditch 13th hour nuclear option will make you blush. The Angels need to bite the bullet and find a way to bring in a truly incumbent, everyday third baseman to take a brunt of the 3B workload. You could always go for a big splash and secure Nolan Arenado in trade talks, though given his contract this is realistically not an option that can be seriously considered. No professional organization can call themselves so while moving to commit 70 million dollars to a two man platoon over a single position. Whatever trade ends up being made will need to fit a platoon scheme because there is no world where you dump the Rendon contract without attaching serious prizes to the deal. To leverage the entire future of the franchise in such an egregious way because you sniffed the playoffs two months in is absolutely criminal in the worst way possible. Even considering this should be grounds for penalty. Jeimer Candelario also comes up as an alternative trade option considering his low salary and consistency at 3B. Candelario has seen 582.1 innings of serviceable 3B play this year while producing exceptionally on offense. He led the MLB in doubles just two years ago and currently has 21 across 252 ABs on the year while also managing 8 HRs to a .791 OPS. It appears highly likely Candelario will be openly available on the trade market due to his light contract ($5 million) and impending free agency. The Angels would do well for themselves to head into the dog days of summer featuring an offensively capable, natural third baseman who can allow for a more leisurely workload on Rendon. Again, at 5 million dollars the move practically pays for itself and you can likely package a few fringy type prospects to secure the deal. The future remains intact while still emphasizing winning now. A big name starting pitcher might look nice on paper, perhaps even a flamethrowing bullpen arm would boost this teams allure, but really anything that can keep the Angels from trotting out journeyman minor leaguers will make this team look playoff bound. The Angels have shown they can clearly win with Rendon on the roster, the problem has been winning in his absence. If the leap of faith needed to take you to playoffs is as small as a suitable platoon+ option at 3B you have to take that leap every time, especially when it’s the last thing standing between you and a Mike Trout/Shohei Ohtani playoff run come October.

Yes but the problem to consider is who to suitably replace him with should he get sent down.

By Ryan Falla, AngelsWin.com Contributor Jared Walsh is no stranger to swinging himself out of a slow start. His debut season back in 2019 saw him log an OPS of .605 through 79 Major League AB’s before rocketing into All-Star form. This trend follows Walsh all the way back to the Minors as well. His breakout 2018 season saw Walsh hit .172 over the last few weeks of April into early May before blowing up with a Cal League leading 14 HRs to end the second month of the season. Though Walsh may only have seven hits through his first 63 ABs more than half are doubles as he has recorded four on the year. Walsh has shown that his pitch recognition and strike zone control still exist at a Major League level, in fact he is currently walking at a far higher rate than he ever has at the Major League level. Walsh has 11 walks on year which outpaces his All-Star season by nearly double as 2021 saw him walk just 6 times through his first 60 ABs. The tools for success are still there, it just requires a little more time to bring it all together. At minimum a guy like Walsh should be getting a hundred something ABs before making any rash decisions, especially considering this thin infield depth. We haven’t seen nearly enough time pass to truly make judgement on Walsh in just his first month back. The unfortunately thin organizational depth at 1B has made it so that the Angels have no choice but to let Walsh get back on his feet at the Major League level. Sure you have prospects like Trey Cabbage seemingly ready to go offensively, though his glove at 1B still needs some work before it's Major League ready. At least with Walsh you know you will get plus-defense with a real potential at All-Star offensive production. Add in the fact that a 40 man spot would need to be cleared for Cabbage and suddenly the move becomes less feasible. That being said I do truly believe in Cabbages offensive potential with his .957 OPS on the year alongside 18 HRs to tie Jo Adell and one other for league leader in Triple A. Perhaps if Cabbage were more developed defensively this would be a different conversation, but as of now that is not the case. The Angels aren’t exactly hurting for offense either. Among all Major League teams the Angels currently rank top 6 across multiple offensive categories including HRs, RBIs, Runs, Total Bases, and OPS. While you don’t ever want to wave away the ability to get better the Angels are not in a position to make hasty decisions in order to rush some extra offense to the lineup. Half the lineup has at least 10 HRs so far (Drury, Renfroe, Trout, Ohtani) with Taylor Ward and Zach Neto slowly creeping their way up the power rankings. The majority of those hitters are healthy, aside from the recently injured Neto, which brings a sense of plausibility to maintained offensive success going forward. The Angels have enough leeway to afford the time needed to let Walsh get his swing back in order out of the 9-spot. I understand the thick of the playoff push has people wanting to make improvements quick enough to keep up with the chase but as it stands the best course of action is to allow Jared Walsh the space and trust to return to his All-Star form. Moving for an external replacement at 1B would be straight back to square zero in terms of organizational progression. The offensive output of someone like Paul Goldschmidt may have a distinct allure when paired with this lineup, but a trade for him would only return the Angels to their previously broken M.O of collecting overpaid veterans. Taking on a 26 million dollar multi year contract for a 35 year old 1B does nothing to improve the Angels ability to resign Shohei Ohtani come free agency. On top of that you'd have to tear up the prospect floorboards in order to swing a trade to bring in the Cardinals former MVP. Considering contract and ability I’ll take an arbitration eligible potential All-Star at the tenth of the cost of a potential MVP especially when it keeps you flexible enough for Ohtani. Sure you have some guys on the big league roster who could theoretically play first base but realistically they can’t cover enough time to justify taking significant reps from Walsh right now. Matt Thaiss is a fine option every now and then but with the Angels catching depth already so thin you need to prioritize affording the Thaiss/Wallach tandem adequate days off. The health of both catchers is essential to season-long success and needs to be treated as such. Drury can play 1B but with Neto injured you’re going to want him at second as much as possible to avoid Luis Rengifo ABs. Gio Urshela is unfortunately down for the count, leaving the Angels tapping the bottom of the well with Andrew Velazquez now getting Major League reps. The Angels just don’t have the infield flexibility to stomach losing another incumbent glove right now, especially one with the offensive potential that Walsh brings. The road to playoffs is paved with patience and measured decision making. If you start cutting players because of one bad month you’d whittle your roster down to the nuts and bolts in the dugout seats before half a season has passed. Guys like Matt Thaiss would have never had a chance to become the essential contributor he is if we judged everyone on their first month. For now the team needs stability any way they can get even if the offense may not yet be there. A healthy and productive Walsh makes this lineup look absolutely filthy and it would be a massive disservice to rob both the team and the fans of the opportunity to see him swinging at his best. For now we're just going to have to stick it out for the time being, for better or worse, until this rosters health shapes back up. Until then the Angels aren't in any position to consciously remove options from the table at the Major League level.