Capital_Dave

I've got no problem with this. 

I do have a quick question though: are these "league minimum deals" cumulative?  Hicks is still on a 7 year $70 million deal with the Yankees that runs through 2025 (woof).  Got released last year and the Orioles picked him up for the league minimum.  Now we do the same.  So if the Angels cut him after spring training, and another team picks him up for the league minimum, are both teams obligated to pay him the contracted amount, thereby reducing the Yankees liability to like $8.6 million ($10million minus league minimum minus league minimum)?  Or do the Angels then get absolved of that responsibility and the new signing team takes it up instead, reducing the Yankees liability to just $9.3 million ($10million minus league minimum)?

Just curious. 

As a University of Kentucky Baseball season ticket holder I got to see this kid play every home game for 3 years. 

He's an absolute magician with the glove, and a hits machine at the college level (.372 his senior year).  Nothing wrong with his eyesight.  Never had power (which is odd for a first baseman) but was a standout line drive hitter.

Very popular with teammates and with the fans.  Had a banger of a walk-up song (Glitter and Gold).

I really hope that this guy just fell victim to small sample size and injuries, and that he'll be the steal of the offseason.

Baseball Trade Values says a 1:1 trade of Giolito for Sam Bachman would be pretty square. 

That's what it looks like to be buyers.  Give up years of control of Bachman for a few months of Giolito.

I, for one, would be reluctant to do this, absent an unlikely run these next few weeks that vaults us right back into WC contention.

The two are obviously very tight. 

I assume Ippei is an employee of the organization, not an employee of Ohtani personally.  So my plan is: lock Ippei up with a 10 year/ $10 million personal services contract.  Ippei is set for life and Ohtani has a major incentive to re-sign with us.

And if Ohtani still goes elsewhere, no biggie, doesn't count against the salary cap... we recruit heavily in NPB and become a pipeline for Japanese talent.  There's already a ton of Angels gear being worn by Japanese baseball fans.  Let's put it to use!

I'm at 21! 

AL East: TB, BAL, NYY, BOS (TOR)
AL Central: CLE, MIN, CHW (KC, DET)
AL West: LAA, SEA, OAK, TEX (HOU)

NL East: ATL, NYM, PHI (WAS, MIA)
NL Central: CHC, STL, MIL, CIN (PIT) (Knocking Pittsburgh off the list next month)
NL West: ARI, LAD, COL (SDP, SF)

Plus 4 obsolete stadiums:

San Diego Jack Murphy
Atlanta Fulton County
Atlanta Turner Field
Old Yankee Stadium

Has anyone seen a good explainer as to how we got here?  I thought these RSNs were awash in money from lucrative deals.  Is it just a case of them over-paying for the rights to broadcast games due to over-optimistic projections of how much they could charge for advertising?  Or is there something else going on here?

This game is unwatchable so far on mlb.tv, audio is skipping all over the place on multiple devices.  I trust it's not just me?

Can he pitch?

Just obtained by the Brewers from the Padres in the Hader trade... but the Brewers ran into a 40-man roster issue and had no room.  Angels could claim him off waivers ($1.7M owed remainder of 2022) and have him for next year in his Arb-3 year.  He's historically been a starter but was blocked in San Diego and relegated to swingman relief.  

Been very good this year in AAA but less good at the MLB level this year.  Limited innings at both the AAA and Majors level this year.  Three years removed from Tommy John.

My problem isn't with moving Upton, it's that we won't get something -- anything -- in return.  Wouldn't the Giants for example have traded us back a mid-level prospect if we traded them Upton + $27M?  Just shows a lack of creativity for the Angels front office.

Do we think Maddon might try this with Lorenzen too, to provide the odd day off for Ohtani?

9 minutes ago, Dtwncbad said:

If you expect all 30 to agree (rather than the owners being ok approving a number that up to 7 object to), then the threshold would be lower not higher.

You should applaud the owners for being this flexible.

We really do need sarcasm punctuation.  I have no idea if you're serious about this.

Applaud the owners?  Seriously?  

The owners have been ridiculously recalcitrant throughout this whole negotiation... and we are fans of one of the three teams that are the baddest of the bad guys in this labor dispute.  It's not a good feeling.

Four teams voted against Steve Cohen as the new owner of the Mets, presumably because he'd spend too much money: Angels, Diamondbacks, Reds, White Sox. 

Now there's this:

3 of the same 4 teams.  Welcome to the Asshole Caucus.

15 minutes ago, Chuckster70 said:

@Capital_Dave I've been wanting to get over to Louisville Slugger where they make the bats and do the Bourbon Trail.

I'm just 15 or so minutes from the Kentucky border in Robertson County, just 35 min north from Nashville. 

 

Beautiful home Chuck.  We, too, were astounded by property values here vs. in the West.  We doubled our square footage too, when we moved... while actually paying less than our house in Vegas.  Unreal.

We're an hour away from Louisville, so a Bats game would be awesome... also I have season tickets to UK Baseball, if you'd like to come up and check out an SEC baseball game someday.  (Sounds like we also have to connect with @pattimelttoo!). I'll circle back once the season is underway and we'll make some plans.  It'll be good to reconnect!

Edited to add: the Louisville Slugger museum is definitely worth the trip.

Welcome to the neighborhood, Chuck!  What part of Tennessee are you in?  I moved from Las Vegas to Lexington, KY about 6 years ago.  About 3 hours from here to Nashville and my daughter is attending college in Memphis.  We might need to take in a Nashville Sounds game together someday.

Gotta hand it to the New York Times, they have figured out ways to stay relevant in ways that no other print newspaper has.  Their puzzle content (Spelling Bee having gone viral), the really innovative things they've done with data visualization through The Upshot, now this acquisition of a really high-quality digital news operation... the "Old Gray Lady" doesn't seem so old or gray.

It's bizarre that he only got three years.  And even more bizarre that the Angels couldn't/wouldn't beat that offer.  MLBTR had him pegged for 5/$110M... and they've been low on most of the estimates so far.  I just do not understand.

What is this feeling?  The Angels did something… right?  

I think I'm changing jobs and I'm going to become a baseball beat reporter.  Apparently you can just make stuff up.  "Not close to a decision" "Formal meeting with the Angels hasn't happened yet" -- these guys know NOTHING and just post stuff for clicks.

Yes, I am just now figuring this out.  What do you mean there's no Easter Bunny?

How in the world did we not beat a 5/$115 offer?

I'll miss Chuck.

Love it.  Let's become the destination for two-way player aspirants.  Hell, we've got the right manager for it!

What if the solution to the Angels' pitching woes can be found in the bullpen instead of on the mound?

It seems like Arte Moreno has an aversion to big contracts for starters.  He hasn't been willing to allow his GMs to match the biggest contracts given to the most coveted pitchers in recent years.  Fine.  Instead of signing 2 pitchers for 9-figure contracts, why not corner the market on elite bullpen arms?  Instead of signing 2 starters for $25-30M per season apiece, sign 5-6 elite relievers for $10M per season apiece (likely on shorter guaranteed contracts)?  Then your rotation could be: Ohtani - Opener - Sandoval - Opener - Suarez - Opener.  I can't remember if the Rays' use of the Opener goes back to the Maddon days, but even if he doesn't have experience managing in that environment, surely this strategy would appeal to Maddon.  And the Angels have enough interesting bullpen arms (Chris Rod, Warren, Barria, Detmers) that this strategy might well work.

11 minutes ago, True Grich said:

I think dropping too many guys with expiring contracts is a bad precedent to set.... you eliminate any depth you have - if the young guys fail.

Well, yes, but from a pure business perspective this is such a huge win for the Angels.  They're no longer responsible for a pro-rated portion of the contract.  29/162 games = 17.9% = $1.43 million in savings.  Notwithstanding that the owner is a billionaire, that's not nothing in a baseball business' bottom line.