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Los Angeles Angels
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Ken Rosenthal Names 1 Team In Play ‘For A Number Of Free Agents’
Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/ken-rosenthal-names-1-team-in-play-for-a-number-of-free-agents/
(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
The Los Angeles Angels missed the postseason for a 10th straight season after finishing with a record of 63-99 and last in the American League West.
Since 2009, the Angels have made one postseason appearance, which resulted in them being swept in the American League Division Series.
The tough stretch comes despite having one of the best players in MLB on their roster, Mike Trout, although his injury issues have been a bit of a problem.
It appears the Angels are trying to be aggressive this offseason as they have acquired a few notable players including pitcher Yusei Kikuchi, outfielder Jorge Soler and catcher Travis d’Arnaud.
MLB insider Ken Rosenthal recently revealed what he expects from the Angels for the rest of the offseason.
Rosenthal appears to believe that the Angels are committed to trying to get the team back to a competitive level in 2025.
While some people think the Angels should have taken a step back and started a rebuild, it doesn’t appear that is the route they want to take.
Rosenthal said he expects the Angels to make some moves with the weeks remaining in the offseason, and they will likely need more help if they want to compete for an AL West title.
The Angels haven’t won the division since 2014, which was the last year they made a postseason appearance.
The post Ken Rosenthal Names 1 Team In Play ‘For A Number Of Free Agents’ appeared first on The Cold Wire.
Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/ken-rosenthal-names-1-team-in-play-for-a-number-of-free-agents/
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Analyst Says 1 Rumored Pete Alonso Destination ‘Doesn’t Make Sense’
Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/analyst-says-1-rumored-pete-alonso-destination-doesnt-make-sense/
(Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
The Los Angeles Angels took last place in the American League West after finishing with a record of 63-99 and missing the postseason.
After missing the playoffs again, the Angels have failed the make the postseason for ten straight seasons as the struggles of the team continued in 2024.
The Angles have made a few moves this offseason including signing left-handed pitcher Yusei Kikuchi, trading for outfielder Jorge Soler and signing catcher Travis d’Arnaud.
Reports have indicated that the Angels may be interested in pursuing free agent first baseman Pete Alonso, but MLB Analyst Kevin Frandsen doesn’t believe the move would make sense.
The #Angels are reportedly considering Pete Alonso.@KevinFrandsen is skeptical about the fit between the two sides.#RepTheHalo
https://t.co/fGPbvbjGlC pic.twitter.com/sqDNi0iWTE
— MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (@MLBNetworkRadio) January 4, 2025
Frandsen mentions that when the team is built around Nolan Schanuel, Mike Trout, and Jorge Soler, the addition of Alonso just wouldn’t make sense.
Schanuel plays first base for the Angels and came into the league in 2023.
In 2024, Schanuel played 147 games for the Angels where he batted .250 with 13 home runs, 54 RBIs, and a .706 OPS.
With Schanuel only 22 years old and Alonso 30 years old and wanting to sign a large contract this offseason, Frandsen doesn’t believe it would make sense for the team.
In 2024 with the Mets, Alonso played in 162 games where he batted .240 with 34 home runs, 88 RBIs, and a .788 OPS.
The Angels appear to have their first baseman of the future, and it will be interesting to see how hard they pursue Alonso this offseason.
Although injuries have been an issue for the Angels in recent years, their lineup on paper could make them a team to watch in 2025.
The post Analyst Says 1 Rumored Pete Alonso Destination ‘Doesn’t Make Sense’ appeared first on The Cold Wire.
Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/analyst-says-1-rumored-pete-alonso-destination-doesnt-make-sense/
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Angels Are Reportedly Doing Their Homework On One MLB Free Agent
Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/angels-are-reportedly-doing-their-homework-on-one-mlb-free-agent/
(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
The Los Angeles Angels have not fared well in recent years and in 2024 they finished last in the American League West with a record of 63-99.
After missing the playoffs for a 10th straight season, the Angels need to add some talent if they want to be competitive in 2025.
The Angels have made a few acquisitions this offseason, including starting pitcher Yusei Kikuchi, outfielder Jorge Soler and catcher Travis d’Arnaud.
Though these players could be helpful, they don’t have the talent to turn around an organization, but the Angels could be interested in a bigger-name free agent who is still available.
The @Angels are reportedly doing their homework on Pete Alonso – would he be a good fit?
pic.twitter.com/eHvWa2Tuov
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) January 3, 2025
The 30-year-old first baseman debuted with the New York Mets in 2019 and has played all six seasons of his MLB career with the organization.
While most people believe Alonso will end up re-signing with the Mets, the Angels reportedly are at least giving him a look and could potentially pursue him.
Alonso is known for his home run power but is also a leader in the clubhouse and could form a powerful 1-2 punch with a healthy Mike Trout.
In 2024, Alonso played in all 162 games and batted .240 with 34 home runs, 88 RBIs and a .788 OPS.
The Angels haven’t won a division title since 2014, and they will need to add some pieces if they want to seriously compete for the AL West crown in 2025.
The post Angels Are Reportedly Doing Their Homework On One MLB Free Agent appeared first on The Cold Wire.
Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/angels-are-reportedly-doing-their-homework-on-one-mlb-free-agent/
Los Angeles Angels
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Analyst Believes 1 MLB Team Will Stay Aggressive This Offseason
Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/analyst-believes-1-mlb-team-will-stay-aggressive-this-offseason/
(Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire)
The Los Angeles Angels have been one of the worst teams in Major League Baseball over the past few years as they haven’t made the playoffs since 2014.
Last season was no different as they finished with a 63-99 record, which left them in last place in the AL West.
The Angels appear to be trying to turn the tide thus far in the offseason as they already have made plenty of moves.
MLB analyst Sam Blum revealed his thoughts on how the Angels will approach the rest of the offseason.
The Angels have made more moves so far this offseason than any other MLB team.
Some free agent signings include Kyle Hendricks, Travis d’Arnaud and Kevin Newman, and they traded for Jorge Soler and Scott Kingery.
Those frequent moves continued as the biggest free agent to date, pitcher Yusei Kikuchi, signed a three-year deal worth $63 million.
Blum said he believes the Angels will remain active, but he thinks it will include trades more so than signing free agents.
Some players he mentioned they would be willing to deal include Tyler Anderson, Taylor Ward and Luis Rengifo.
Blum also said the Angels would be willing to deal some of their top prospects but would need a big name in return, such as Garrett Crochet or Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
The Angels have won one World Series title in franchise history, and they will need to make some more major acquisitions if they want to contend in 2025.
The post Analyst Believes 1 MLB Team Will Stay Aggressive This Offseason appeared first on The Cold Wire.
Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/analyst-believes-1-mlb-team-will-stay-aggressive-this-offseason/
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Former MLB GM Really Likes What 1 Team Has Done So Far In Offseason
Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/former-mlb-gm-really-likes-what-1-team-has-done-so-far-in-offseason/
(Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
The Los Angeles Angels finished the 2024 season with a record of 63 wins and 99 losses which resulted in them missing the playoffs for the tenth straight season.
With their last American League West title and playoff appearance coming back in 2014, the Angels have struggled for the past decade.
Losing Shohei Ohtani to the Los Angeles Dodgers and Mike Trout battling injuries hasn’t helped the Angels, but they are already making moves this offseason.
Former MLB General Manager Steve Phillips revealed his thoughts on the Angels signing catcher Travis d’Arnaud.
“I really like what they’ve done so far,” Phillips said.
D’Arnaud signed a two-year deal worth $12 million with the Angels as he comes over from the Atlanta Braves.
In 2024, d’Arnaud played 99 games where he batted .238 with 15 home runs, 48 RBIs, and a .739 OPS.
Phillips points out that d’Arnaud was a part of a tandem at catcher in Atlanta along with Sean Murphy.
Now that he is a part of the Angels organization, d’Arnaud could potentially be involved in another catcher tandem with Logan O’Hoppe.
Phillips likes the leadership qualities that d’Arnaud possesses and points out his ability to come up with the big hit when his team needs it the most.
D’Arnaud is a 12-year veteran of the league and will give the Angels a seasoned catcher while also allowing them to use him as the DH to keep his bat in the lineup on days O’Hoppe catches.
The Angels have had a good start to the offseason, and it will be interesting to see if they make more moves as the offseason continues.
The post Former MLB GM Really Likes What 1 Team Has Done So Far In Offseason appeared first on The Cold Wire.
Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/former-mlb-gm-really-likes-what-1-team-has-done-so-far-in-offseason/
Los Angeles Angels
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1 Key Player Could Miss Start Of Season For Angels
Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/1-key-player-could-miss-start-of-season-for-angels/
(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
The Los Angeles Angels missed the postseason for a 10th straight season in 2024 after finishing with a record of 63-99.
Recent history hasn’t been kind to the Angels as they haven’t made the playoffs or won the AL West since 2014.
With the loss of superstar Shohei Ohtani, and superstar Mike Trout dealing with a variety of injuries, the Angels need their young guys to step up.
One Angels player who has done just that is Zach Neto, although the team received some tough news regarding the shortstop’s status for the start of the 2025 season.
“Zach Neto had shoulder surgery this week. He tried to rehab but still felt some issues. Perry Minasian said he might miss the start of the season. Didn’t specify beyond that,” Jeff Fletcher of SoCal News Group wrote on X.
Neto is 23 years old and played his second season with the Angels in 2024.
In his first season as a full-time starter, Neto batted .249 with 23 home runs, 77 RBIs and a .761 OPS in 155 games played.
The Angels have not had a winning record since 2015, and they have regularly been out of playoff contention early in seasons.
Neto was one of the few bright spots for the Angels in 2024, and they hope he will be ready shortly after next season gets underway.
The Angels have won one World Series title in franchise history, back in 2002 when they were known as the Anaheim Angels.
It will be interesting to see if the Angels are aggressive in free agency this offseason in an attempt to get their roster back to a more competitive level.
The post 1 Key Player Could Miss Start Of Season For Angels appeared first on The Cold Wire.
Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/1-key-player-could-miss-start-of-season-for-angels/
Los Angeles Angels
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Insider Calls Mike Trout’s Season-Ending Injury ‘Bad For Everybody’
Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/insider-calls-mike-trouts-season-ending-injury-bad-for-everybody/
(Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
On April 30, the Los Angeles Angels placed star outfielder and three-time AL MVP Mike Trout on the 10-day injured list with a left knee meniscus tear.
He had surgery and was expected back at some point later in the season.
Unfortunately, just when he was closing in on a return, Angels general manager Perry Minasian announced Trout would miss the rest of the season with the injury after suffering a few setbacks along the way.
Executives, managers, coaches, fellow players and, of course, fans, have all expressed their disappointment after hearing the news.
The generational talent has been showered with support but is devastated by the news.
As analysts discussed on “MLB Now,” no one benefits from Trout being out for the season.
No one.
“It’s bad for everybody,” insider Jon Heyman said.
Heyman added that it’s especially bad for Angels fans, who lost Shohei Ohtani to the Los Angeles Dodgers in free agency before the start of the campaign, and now Trout to injury again.
Over the past five full MLB seasons, Trout has finished on the active roster once, in 2022.
He has been limited to 266 out of a possible 648 games over the past four years due to multiple injuries.
The Angels hope the 11-time All-Star can be ready to return for a full spring training in 2025, but this is devastating news for everyone who follows the team. In addition, as Heyman said, he has six years and more than $200 million remaining on his contract.
Now, fans again won’t be able to watch arguably the best player of his generation until next season.
The post Insider Calls Mike Trout’s Season-Ending Injury ‘Bad For Everybody’ appeared first on The Cold Wire.
Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/insider-calls-mike-trouts-season-ending-injury-bad-for-everybody/
Los Angeles Angels
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Angels Place Potential Trade Piece On Injured List
Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/angels-place-potential-trade-piece-on-injured-list/
(Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images)
The Los Angeles Angels are one of the worst teams in the American League, and, as a result, they are expected to be sellers with the trade deadline approaching at the end of the month.
One of the players they could flip to get a nice package of prospects in return is infielder Luis Rengifo, who is having the season of his life with a .315 batting average, 36 runs scored and 22 stolen bases.
Rengifo, however, has landed on the injured list with a wrist injury.
“A wrist injury interrupts Luis Rengifo’s career year,” Talkin’ Baseball tweeted.
Rengifo suffered the injury on Wednesday against the Oakland Athletics. He fouled a ball off his right arm near his wrist and had to leave the game.
The Angels sent him for X-rays, which didn’t show any fractures, but an MRI showed inflammation in the area, and the team placed him on the 10-day IL. There is still no word on how long he actually will be out, but the injury comes at the worst possible time with the trade deadline quickly approaching.
Even if he is recovering, teams should be lining up for Rengifo’s services, as he is not expected to be sidelined for too long.
He has some pop (12 doubles, six homers this season) and can play multiple infield and outfield positions, making him a versatile piece for any contender.
It doesn’t make sense for the Angels to keep him, as he is relatively close to free agency and they aren’t expected to contend in 2024, or in 2025, for that matter.
The post Angels Place Potential Trade Piece On Injured List appeared first on The Cold Wire.
Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/angels-place-potential-trade-piece-on-injured-list/
Los Angeles Angels
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The Angels Recently Held A Notable Team Meeting
Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/the-angels-recently-held-a-notable-team-meeting/
(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
The Los Angeles Angels are one of the worst teams in baseball.
By record (26-41), the Angels are better than just five squads in the whole league.
If this were an isolated event, fans wouldn’t be so worried.
However, the team hasn’t made the postseason since 2014.
Since that year, they have had some star-level players, including the Mike Trout – Shohei Ohtani pairing from 2018 to 2023.
The organization is flawed from top to bottom and it has been proven time and time again.
After their mediocre play this season, manager Ron Washington said that there was a team meeting on Wednesday to clear up some stuff related to the squad.
“Angels manager Ron Washington said they held a team meeting today to go over things they’ve been seeing recently and to bring some accountability. He said four players spoke and he also gave a brief speech,” team insider Rhett Bollinger tweeted.
Accountability is a must in every aspect of life, not just professional sports.
In that sense, the exercise should start at the top, from the ownership to the front office, to the coaching staff and then the players.
However, since there is a lack of accountability at the top, there haven’t been any advances for almost a decade.
Players hold part of the blame, yes, because they are the ones on the field.
There are people who put them there, though.
They also have to own up to their failures and come up with better strategies to show improvement.
So far, the Angels look like non-contenders and nobody knows when they will be really competitive again.
The post The Angels Recently Held A Notable Team Meeting appeared first on The Cold Wire.
Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/the-angels-recently-held-a-notable-team-meeting/
Los Angeles Angels
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The Angels Are Dealing With A Familiar Problem
Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/the-angels-are-dealing-with-a-familiar-problem/
(Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
Do you remember when the Los Angeles Angels were actually off to a decent start in the first couple of weeks of the season?
Well, that wasn’t going to last, not with their current roster, without Shohei Ohtani, and now with an injured Mike Trout.
At the moment, they are fourth in the AL West with a mediocre 11-19 record.
Even the 14-17 Oakland Athletics have been better than them, and it’s only a matter of time before the 10-19 Houston Astros surpass the Angels in the standings.
The problems are the same as always: Ohtani is gone, they were overly dependent on Trout, and the pitching is just not good enough.
Oh, and they are the same dysfunctional franchise they have been since Arte Moreno took over as the owner.
In other words, nothing has changed for the Angels.
The bullpen has been particularly atrocious.
“The Angels bullpen currently has the highest ERA (5.61) in the Majors,” MLB writer and researcher Brent Maguire tweeted.
It’s impossible to go anywhere with a bullpen that is allowing a 5.61 ERA.
No lead would be safe under those circumstances, and no game can be kept close.
It’s simply unfathomable.
The Angels’ pitching staff as a whole has a 5.08 ERA as of Wednesday afternoon.
Only the Colorado Rockies, at 6.05, have been worse.
For starters, their closer Carlos Estevez has a 6.23 ERA.
In fact, the Angels have multiple relievers (and starters, for that matter) with an ERA over 6.00.
With that being the case, and seeing how they will be without Trout for at least more than a month, there are many losses in the Angels’ short-term future.
The long-term outlook is actually not much better.
The post The Angels Are Dealing With A Familiar Problem appeared first on The Cold Wire.
Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/the-angels-are-dealing-with-a-familiar-problem/
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Mike Trout Announces Position Change With Angels
Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/mike-trout-announces-position-change-with-angels/
(Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images)
The Los Angeles Angels quietly had a nice little offseason for themselves by bringing in Jorge Soler, Kyle Hendricks, Yoan Moncada, Travis d’Arnaud, and Kenley Jansen, and there is reason for excitement in SoCal for the first time in a while, even though Anthony Rendon is already on the 60-Day IL again.
As nice as the offseason has been, none of it matters unless future Hall-of-Famer Mike Trout can stay healthy, and he recently announced a position change that should help him do just that.
MLB Network shared a clip of Trout doing some press prior to Monday’s Spring Training work.
Trout announced that he will be moving to right field full-time this season, saying, “I like it. We’ll try it out. See where it goes. I just want to be on the field…I’m with it.”
Trout added that he’ll talk to former teammate and current Special Assistant to the General Manager Torii Hunter when he gets to camp since he made the same change to accommodate Trout playing center field back in the day.
Trout hasn’t played in more than 140 games in a season since 2016 and hasn’t played more than 82 games in four of the last five years, so keeping his bat in the lineup is the No. 1 priority for the Angels this season.
It’s a shame how much of Trout baseball fans have been robbed of due to injuries in recent years, but he says he is healthy and feeling good in camp, so hopefully playing right field with some designated hitter mixed in can help him play his first full season in a long time.
The post Mike Trout Announces Position Change With Angels appeared first on The Cold Wire.
Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/mike-trout-announces-position-change-with-angels/
Los Angeles Angels
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Angels News and Notes: Arbitration agreements, new Ohtani rule, trade rumors, and more
Source: https://www.halosheaven.com/2022/3/...eements-new-ohtani-rule-trade-rumors-and-more
Pool Photo-USA TODAY Sports
Catching up on some news items out of Angels camp in recent days
After more than three months with no baseball whatsoever, we’re finally back to business as usual. Spring Training games have been going on for almost a week now, and Opening Day is on all of our collective radars just a few weeks away.
After staying quiet for the first couple of days post-lockout, the Angels jumped back into the mix with a couple of moves of their own. They’ve also been in the news for a couple of other things as well, some of which you might have missed. If that’s the case for you, we’ve got you covered right here, as we’ve compiled some of those news items into a handy roundup for your viewing pleasure:
Halos avoid arbitration with all three eligible players
One of the many things around baseball that was thrown off schedule by the 99-day lockout was the arbitration process, which got put on hold following the last date to offer contracts to players all the way back on November 30. The new deadline for teams to finally file for arbitration was set for Tuesday after the new CBA was enacted about two weeks ago, and ahead of that time, the Angels reached agreements with Max Stassi, Mike Mayers and Tyler Wade, all three of their eligible players.
The most expensive of the three deals is Stassi’s, which came in at $3 million (an increase of $1.4 million from last season) in his final year of arbitration. Following that was Mayers at $2.15 million (up from $1.2 million) in his second year, and Wade got $825,000 in his first year.
With all three of those figures added into the equation, the Angels’ payroll for 2022 now sits at approximately $188 million, with their luxury tax payroll coming in a bit higher at $203 million. The former figure sits just above the $182 million mark they came in at the end of last season, and the latter is around $30 million below the new luxury tax threshold put into place by the new CBA.
Settling all of these cases without going to a hearing was the expected outcome, as the only time the club failed to reach an agreement with a player before the deadline in the past decade was with outfielder Brian Goodwin in 2020. Goodwin ended up winning his case in that hearing and was awarded $2.2 million for that season, up from the $1.85 million that the Halos offered him.
MLB enacts new “Shohei Ohtani Rule” for 2022 and beyond
Negotiations between MLB and the MLBPA have been ongoing even after the lockout ended, and on Tuesday afternoon, the two sides agreed on a couple of different items that would go into effect this season. Some of these—expanded rosters in April, the return of the runner on second rule in extra innings, and reverting back nine inning doubleheaders—affect every team around the league, but one of them looks to be a huge boost to the Angels in particular.
According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the league has put a new “Shohei Ohtani Rule” into effect for 2022 and beyond. The rule states that a starting pitcher who is also in the batting lineup, like Ohtani was on a regular basis last year, can stay in the game as a hitter even after being pulled on the mound, and it was reportedly put in place to encourage more two-way players in the future.
One of the drawbacks to giving up the designated hitter during Ohtani’s starts last year was that the Angels always ran the risk of losing his bat in the lineup and blowing through their bench pinch hitting for the pitcher’s spot if he couldn’t work deep into the game, but because of the new rule, this scenario will no longer be an issue for them going forward.
The club—and manager Joe Maddon in particular—had been lobbying for this to happen since the end of last year, and now that they have gotten their wish, the benefits that they will now enjoy because of it are pretty significant. If the rule had been in place in 2021, it would’ve given Ohtani at least 22 more at bats than he ended the season with, a total that doesn’t even include games where he pitched but didn’t hit at all because of the risks mentioned earlier. Any extra Ohtani plate appearance is a good thing for the Halos, and it looks like we’re going to see a lot more of them in 2022.
Angels interested in Oakland’s Montas and Manaea
The Athletics have already gotten through the majority of their long-awaited fire sale over the last week or so, shipping off longtime contributors Matt Olson, Matt Chapman and Chris Bassitt to the Braves, Blue Jays and Mets respectively. They don’t appear to be completely done, however, as a pair of the pitchers still left in their rotation—righty Frankie Montas and lefty Sean Manaea—are still drawing pretty significant interest from clubs around the league.
One of the these teams, according to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, is none other than the Angels, who have reportedly checked in with their division rivals on the availability of those two names:
As Rosenthal is quick to mention, the likelihood that the Halos manage to swing a deal for either Montas or Manaea isn’t very high, as trying to complete an inter-division trade with their subpar farm system will probably prove to be a difficult task. Either one of them would be pretty significant additions to the club’s rotation, though, and both could be had at pretty manageable prices payroll-wise.
Out of those two, Montas would be the biggest get, as he was the better of the two and has an extra year of control over Manaea. The 29-year-old righty was excellent in 2021, posting a 3.37 ERA and FIP while striking out 207 hitters in 187 innings. Manaea was no slouch, though, posting a 3.97 ERA and 3.66 FIP of his own while racking up 194 strikeouts in 179.1 innings.
In a tweet on Wednesday morning, Rosenthal mentioned that the A’s are more likely to work things out with Manaea before shifting their attention to Montas. Either way, a deal likely has to get done pretty soon considering that Opening Day is just over two weeks away, so the situation is worth monitoring at the very least.
Pair of pitchers DFAd to make room for Tepera and Bradley
When the Angels brought on relievers Ryan Tepera and Archie Bradley last Thursday, it left them needing to make a pair of roster moves into bring their 40-man roster down to the correct amount of players. These moves came earlier this week, with pitchers Packy Naughton and Kyle Tyler both getting designated for assignment.
Naughton debuted for the Halos back in August last year and pitched to a 6.35 ERA in seven games (five starts) toward the end of the season. He ended up getting claimed by the Cardinals. Tyler debuted a month after Naughton in September and pitched to a 2.92 ERA across five relief appearances down the stretch. He was claimed by the Red Sox.
Source: https://www.halosheaven.com/2022/3/...eements-new-ohtani-rule-trade-rumors-and-more
Los Angeles Angels
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Halos Heaven Podcast - March 2022 #13: Angels Bullpen Beefs Up As Spring Training Begins
Source: https://www.halosheaven.com/2022/3/...podcast-march-2022-archie-bradley-ryan-tepera
RHP Ryan Tepera (Left) & RHP Archie Bradley (Right) acquired via free agency by the Angels on Thursday, March 17. | MLB.com
A Dynamic Bullpen Emerges Out Of Free Agency As Archie Bradley And Ryan Tepera Join The Halos On The Eve Of Cactus League Opening Day
Dominick, David and Cole react to Archie Bradley (1-year/$3.75 Million) and Ryan Tepera (2-years/$14 Million) signing via free agency with the Angels and how these moves solidify the back end of the bullpen entering the 2022 season. This episode also features an in depth look at how Matt Duffy effects the starting shortstop battle, who makes the jump in the starting rotation for the sixth slot and if the Angels need to make any other moves before the start of the regular season.
Source: https://www.halosheaven.com/2022/3/...podcast-march-2022-archie-bradley-ryan-tepera
Los Angeles Angels
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Angels Fall To Oakland In Cactus League Opener
Source: https://www.halosheaven.com/2022/3/...s-oakland-athletics-jo-adell-michael-lorenzen
Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports
Adell And Lorenzen Impress As The First Game Of Spring Goes Off Without A Hitch In the Valley Of The Sun
It’s been 166 days since the last Angels game (October 3 @ Seattle) and having baseball return to Arizona for Spring Training could not feel anymore perfect. With the assortment of moves made in the bullpen of the past few days, much anticipation has gone into this Angels team and what to expect during this 20-game Spring Training schedule.
Kicking things off at Hohokam Stadium against the new look Oakland A’s (who have traded away Matt Chapman, Matt Olson and Chris Bassitt over the past week) was newly acquired right-hander Michael Lorenzen. However, before the former Cal State Fullerton Titan could take the field, it was Jo Adell who greeted the Mesa, AZ crowd with a behemoth blast off A’s starter Brent Honeywell Jr. The two-run home run with pure sound off the bat flew just left of the batter’s eye towards the “Hohokam” sign where fans were residing to watch the game.
With a 2-0 lead, Adell tacked on another RBI hit in the third inning, scoring Brandon Marsh (1-2, R) from third base on a one-out single. The former first round pick completed the day after playing four innings in right field and going 2-for-3 with a Home Run, 3 RBI and a run scored at the plate.
Lorenzen’s debut in an Angels uniform went swimmingly as well, coasting through two innings with two strikeouts and delivering 22 pitches. His fastball velocity stood between 92-96 MPH and his mechanics proved to be very fluid and clean. It was noted that the plan was to stretch him out until the third inning, but manager Joe Maddon decided against that idea since it was still early in spring.
Other notable developments from the game this afternoon was the shortstop competition. Tyler Wade picked up the start with Luis Rengifo at second base and Jack Mayfield at third. All three recorded at least one hit, with the exception of Mayfield who had two, while Wade flashed his speed around the basepath by stealing second in the first inning. Andrew Velazquez checked into the game in relief of Wade in the fourth inning and wasted no time slashing a line drive two-run double, which at the time increased the Halos lead to 5-0. Velazquez played the rest of the game at shortstop going 2-for-3 with 2 RBI and a run scored. Another infield vying to get recognized is fan favorite Michael Stefanic. The standout utility infielder with Triple-A Salt Lake last season went 1-for-1 with a walk, with the lone hit being an RBI double in the sixth inning that added to the Angels lead 7-4.
Unfortunately in recent Angels fashion, a late game lead would be tossed to the wayside as the A’s rallied for runs in their final five innings at the plate. The biggest gut punch happened in the bottom of the eighth, courtesy of a three-run home run by Skye Bolt to give Oakland a 10-8 lead, which would inevitably be the final score.
SCORING PLAYS
2-0 LAA (T1) - Jo Adell 2-Run HR
3-0 LAA (T3) - Jo Adel RBI Single
5-0 LAA (T4) - Andrew Velazquez 2-Run Double
5-1 LAA (B4) - Sean Murphy RBI Double
5-3 LAA (B4) - Chad Pinder 2-Run Double
6-3 LAA (T5) - Chad Wallach Solo HR
6-4 LAA (B5) - Christian Bethancourt RBI Single
7-4 LAA (T6) - Michael Stefanic 2-Run Double
8-4 LAA (T6) - Kean Wong Sac-Fly
8-5 LAA (B6) - Jonah Bride Sac-Fly
8-6 LAA (B7) - Christian Bethancourt RBI Single
8-7 LAA (B7) - Wild Pitch (Buddy Reed scores)
10-8 OAK (B8) - Skye Bolt 3-Run HR
Plenty of positives came out of this first game through the eyes of Maddon, who made it known during the postgame show:
The Angels continue Cactus League action tomorrow afternoon in their home opener at Tempe Diablo Stadium against the Arizona Diamondbacks. RHP Daniel Ponce de Leon will get the starting nod as the Angels will trot out a more “normal” looking lineup that will feature Mike Trout, Shohei Ohtani, Jared Walsh and Justin Upton, amongst others. Game time will be at 1:10pm PT on Bally Sports West.
NEWS & NOTES
- Maddon confirmed Shohei Ohtani will pitch Monday (3/21) against the Kansas City Royals
- Angels officially announced the signing of RHP Archie Bradley to a 1-year deal
Source: https://www.halosheaven.com/2022/3/...s-oakland-athletics-jo-adell-michael-lorenzen
Los Angeles Angels
Just Drafted
Angels reportedly sign reliever Ryan Tepera to a two-year deal
Source: https://www.halosheaven.com/2022/3/...-sign-reliever-ryan-tepera-to-a-two-year-deal
Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
The second bullpen upgrade of the day is a big one
After bringing in Archie Bradley earlier in the day, the Angels made another significant upgrade to their bullpen on Thursday afternoon, as they reportedly reached an agreement on a contract with free agent reliever Ryan Tepera. According to Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors, the deal is for two years and $14 million.
Tepera split time with the Cubs and White Sox last year, and he quietly put up one of the better campaigns for a reliever in all of baseball. The 34-year-old righty logged 61.1 innings across 65 games in 2021, where he posted a 2.79 ERA and a 2.73 FIP while striking out 74 batters and walking 19. Over the last two seasons combined, he ranks 14th among all qualified relievers in fWAR, and his 71 ERA- over that time puts him 29 percent above the league average.
As mentioned earlier, this is just the latest in a long line of moves that the Halos have made in an effort to significantly upgrade their bullpen. They signed Aaron Loup and re-signed Raisel Iglesias prior to the lockout, and in just the last few hours alone, they have supplemented that duo with both Bradley and now Tepera. Those four alongside holdovers Mike Mayers, Austin Warren and José Quijada look to form the bulk of the ‘pen for next year, and at least on paper, it looks like a group that should be able to lessen the pressure on a starting rotation that has more than its fair share of question marks associated with it.
The two-year deal that the Angels gave Tepera is the third multi-year contract the Angels have given to a pitcher this offseason (joining Iglesias and Loup), a fact that is made notable when you remember that they hadn’t even given out one such contract since all the way back in 2013 when they inked Joe Smith for three years.
General manager Perry Minasian looks to be committed to fixing the pitching staff in both 2022 and beyond, though, and with today’s moves, he appears to have built the best bullpen the club has seen in quite some time.
Source: https://www.halosheaven.com/2022/3/...-sign-reliever-ryan-tepera-to-a-two-year-deal
Los Angeles Angels
Just Drafted
Angels reportedly plan to sign reliever Archie Bradley to one-year deal
Source: https://www.halosheaven.com/2022/3/...portedly-plan-to-sign-reliever-archie-bradley
Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports
More reinforcements for a much improved bullpen
A day after general manager Perry Minasian said that he was still looking to further improve the Angels’ pitching staff, the club made a move to do just that, reportedly reaching an agreement with free agent reliever Archie Bradley on Thursday morning. According to Sam Blum of The Athletic, the deal and its terms are not final just yet, but Bradley is on his way to Arizona in hopes of getting it done soon.
The 29-year-old Bradley spent last year with the Phillies, where he appeared in 53 games and posted a 3.71 ERA with 40 strikeouts in 51 innings. He has also pitched for the Diamondbacks and Reds during his seven-year big league career, and since becoming a full-time reliever in 2017, only six relievers—Josh Hader, Kenley Jansen, Blake Treinen, Chad Green, Brad Hand and new teammate Raisel Iglesias—have thrown more innings with a lower ERA than his 284.1 and 2.98 marks respectively.
Bradley figures to join the back end of the bullpen for the Angels, where he, Iglesias and Aaron Loup look to form one of the better relief trios the club has seen in quite some time. Considering the fact that the group behind those three, which includes Mike Mayers, Austin Warren and José Quijada among others, all had some level of success at the big-league level last year as well, we could potentially see the Halos bullpen be considered an area of strength for the team for the first time since at least 2017 and perhaps further back than that if things go according to plan.
Source: https://www.halosheaven.com/2022/3/...portedly-plan-to-sign-reliever-archie-bradley
Los Angeles Angels
Just Drafted
Angels sign infielder Matt Duffy to one-year deal
Source: https://www.halosheaven.com/2022/3/16/22982007/angels-sign-infielder-matt-duffy-to-one-year-deal
Image via @Angels
The veteran last played for the Cubs in 2021
The Angels added some infield depth to their roster on Wednesday afternoon, bringing in veteran infielder Matt Duffy on a one-year deal worth $1.5 million.
Duffy played in 97 games for the Cubs in 2021, hitting .287/.357/.381 with eight home runs and 30 runs batted in, which was good for a perfectly average 100 OPS+. He also stole eight bases in nine attempts on the basepaths, and he racked up three defensive runs saved in the field while playing five different positions (3B, 2B, SS, LF and 1B).
It is unclear what type of role Duffy will play with the Angels as of now, but he at least figures to compete with Andrew Velazquez, Tyler Wade and Luis Rengifo for the vacant spot at either shortstop or second base. Even if he doesn’t win that spot, though, he’ll likely stick around on the roster as a versatile super-utilityman of sorts.
Source: https://www.halosheaven.com/2022/3/16/22982007/angels-sign-infielder-matt-duffy-to-one-year-deal
Los Angeles Angels
Just Drafted
Angels re-sign catcher Kurt Suzuki to one-year deal
Source: https://www.halosheaven.com/2022/3/12/22974436/angels-re-sign-catcher-kurt-suzuki-to-one-year-deal
Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports
Their first move post-lockout is to bring back a familiar face
The Angels reportedly made their first move post-lockout on Saturday afternoon, as according to Robert Murray of Fansided.com, they brought back catcher Kurt Suzuki to a one-year deal worth $1.75 million.
The 38-year-old Suzuki seemed headed for retirement after the end of the 2021 season, but now it looks like he will be back with the Halos for a second straight year. He figures to reclaim the backup catcher role behind incumbent starter Max Stassi that he previously occupied, as well as potentially serving as Shohei Ohtani’s personal catcher once again.
Last year wasn’t the most productive of Suzuki’s 15 major-league campaigns by any measure, as his typically reliable production at the plate took a pretty significant step backwards. He slashed .224/.292/.342 with six home runs and 16 RBI in 72 games at the dish, good for a wRC+ of 76, and his defense behind the plate graded out as below average by most metrics. The club did not have a clear replacement for Suzuki’s role, though (Matt Thaiss was penciled into that spot before, but he is still getting re-acclimated with the position after many years away), so amid a weak free agent catcher market, they opted for a sense of familiarity by bringing the veteran back.
Source: https://www.halosheaven.com/2022/3/12/22974436/angels-re-sign-catcher-kurt-suzuki-to-one-year-deal
Los Angeles Angels
Just Drafted
2022 Spring Training Schedule Revealed
Source: https://www.halosheaven.com/2022/3/...angels-2022-spring-training-schedule-revealed
Tempe Diablo Stadium - Tempe, AZ | Michael Chow / USA TODAY NETWORK
March 18 Will Be The Magical Day The Angels Hit The Field Once Again
Following yesterday’s MLB & MLBPA new CBA Agreement to end the 99-day lockout, Major League Baseball this afternoon released the revised 2022 Spring Training schedule for all teams in the Cactus and Grapefruit League.
With the revised schedule now in place, the Angels will play 18 games in a 20-day period with off days on Thursday, March 17 and Wednesday, March 30. Seven games with be played at Tempe Diablo Stadium, while eight will take place at other spring training complexes in the Cactus League area. Per usual, the Angels and Los Angeles Dodgers will conclude the preseason with a three-game Freeway Series from April 3-5 with the first game at Angel Stadium and the final two at Chavez Ravine.
Here is the complete list of games with times still listed as TBD:
- 3/17: OFF
- 3/18: @ Oakland A’s (Hohokam Stadium - Mesa, AZ)
- 3/19: vs. Arizona Diamondbacks (Tempe Diablo Stadium - Tempe, AZ)
- 3/20: @ Seattle Mariners (Peoria Sports Complex - Peoria, AZ)
- 3/21: vs. Kansas City Royals (Tempe Diablo Stadium - Tempe, AZ)
- 3/22: vs. Colorado Rockies (Tempe Diablo Stadium - Tempe, AZ)
- 3/23: @ San Diego Padres (Peoria Sports Complex - Peoria, AZ)
- 3/24: vs. Chicago Cubs (Tempe Diablo Stadium - Tempe, AZ)
- 3/25: @ Arizona Diamondbacks (Salt River Fields at Talking Stick - Scottsdale, AZ)
- 3/26: @ Chicago White Sox (Camelback Ranch - Glendale, AZ)
- 3/27: vs. San Francisco Giants (Tempe Diablo Stadium - Tempe, AZ)
- 3/28: vs. Oakland A’s (Tempe Diablo Stadium - Tempe, AZ)
- 3/29: @ Colorado Rockies (Salt River Fields at Talking Stick - Scottsdale, AZ)
- 3/30 - OFF
- 3/31: @ Milwaukee Brewers (American Family Fields of Phoenix - Phoenix, AZ)
- 4/1: vs. Cincinatti Reds (Tempe Diablo Stadium - Tempe, AZ)
- 4/2: @ Chicago Cubs (Sloan Park - Mesa, AZ)
- 4/3: vs. Los Angeles Dodgers*
- 4/4: @ Los Angeles Dodgers**
- 4/5: @ Los Angeles Dodgers**
*Angel Stadium / **Dodger Stadium
As a reminder, the Angels regular season begins on Thursday, April 7 with a four-game series against the Houston Astros, followed by a mini two-game series against the Miami Marlins at Angel Stadium. A full 162-game season is planned with the first two series of the season (4 games @ Oakland and 2 games @ Seattle) being made up as part of 9-inning doubleheaders throughout the regular season.
Source: https://www.halosheaven.com/2022/3/...angels-2022-spring-training-schedule-revealed