The Angels have announced the signing of a one-year, major league deal with outfielder Ryan LaMarre. He’ll receive $50K above whatever the league minimum salary ends up being, per SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo (via Twitter). The club designated infielder Gregorio Petit for assignment to clear roster space.
[RELATED: Updated Angels Depth Chart]
LaMarre, who just turned 28, saw brief action in each of the last two seasons at the major league level with the Reds and Red Sox. He quietly produced his best season as a pro at Triple-A last year with the Boston organization, batting .303/.369/.445 over 358 plate appearances.
The former second-round pick, a right-handed hitter, also swatted ten home runs and swiped 17 bases for Pawtucket. He’s capable of playing center field, increasing his function as a possible fourth outfielder.
Petit, meanwhile, saw his most extensive major league action last year with the Halos. Over 223 plate appearances, he slashed .245/.299/.348. Soon to turn 32, the journeyman has spent time at second, short, third, and (briefly) the corner outfield in parts of five MLB campaigns.
TheMichigan
Prospective 2017 champs? Or is it to early to call?
Melvin McMurf
AAA stats looks good
bradenbaseball18
He has pitched much better in the majors than he has hit. Maybe also a backup bullpen option as well? Haha
kimball0401
[insert comment about Mike trout trade here]
gmflores27
Yea no way the Angels trade him
bigcubsfan
Trout to Cubs for Baez, Soler, Eloy Jimenez, Dylan Cease, and Jeimer Candelario. Cubs get a CF to more than replace Fowler, Angels get a young player for their 2B need and some top 100 prospects to start a revuild.
MySoxAreRed
I like your username
But I think it played a bit of a role in this comment
bigcubsfan
True. I would include Montgomery in the trade too if Cubs feel like they can get a more proven young starter for the prospects left (Happ, Clifton, Zagunis, Underwood, others), So Angels get an MLB pitcher to possibly start, at the least be a bullpen piece.
Philliesfan4life
Um it will take more then that to get Trout, Schwarber + Baez + Happ + one of the pitching prospects. plus Montgomery.
lazorko
Right, because Ian Happ should be untouchable in a trade for Mike Trout.
Except of course, if the Angels also add a young MLB starter. Because we all know the Angels are going to have to be willing to part with some additional controllable talent to offload Trout.
And you also forgot to tell us how much money the Angels would have to eat in the deal. That Trout contract is such an albatross of a deal.
wiggysf
Every comment on MLBTR eventually turns into speculation about a mike trout trade.
However, any trade for trout would leave trout’s new team in the position the angels are in now.
notagain27
I respectfully disagree, every comment eventually will turn into a Julio Tehran trade proposal.
24TheKid
That was last June and July.
GeoKaplan
Albatross? Seriously?
If one buys into the whole WAR x $xM = Value math, using the 2015 value of $8M for 1 WAR and Trout’s BRef 27.9 WAR for 2014-16 (the first three years of the deal), that projects to $223M of value for a contract that is worth $144M from 2014 through 2020. 4 more years under contract and he’s already supplied far more in value than the total deal.
And when this deal runs out, he won’t even be 30.
You clearly don’t have a clue who Trout is, what he can do, or what he’s worth.
lazorko
Kaplan, I think your sarcasm detector is turned off. 🙂
You should re-read my entire reply once it’s turned back on. It will make sense then.
GeoKaplan
So I’m supposed to give up drinking AND detect sarcasm?
Umm…sorry. Too many “trade Trout” memes out there, especially for really weak returns. I fell for the bait. I’m going to get an ice-cold glass of paint thinner and gather myself.
urnuts
The Angels could get more in three years than the offer you suggested. I understand the champagne is still flowing. Congrats
davidcoonce74
I’m glad you’ve given up on the racism of previous posts. But even if the Angels were to trade Trout – which they aren’t – that package is woefully inadequate. That conversation begins with Baez, Happ, Schwarber and either Rizzo or Bryant, plus a few other pieces. The Cubs wouldn’t ever do that either. Adding Montgomery, a middle reliever, doesn’t move the needle at all.
Trout should probably be traded, but he almost certainly will never be. Especially not for a bunch of spare parts and b-level prospects.
bigcubsfan
Um… first of all what racism? And I know Trout is the best player, but if the Angles asking price is really as high as you’re saying Rizzo, Happ, Baez, Schwarber, plus more, no team would want Trout if they give up that. I think my deal is more fair Baez starting 2B, Soler starting RF, Montgomery possible #3 starter as soon as next year, top 20 prospect in Jimenez, Cease potential ace and also top 100, Candelario MLB ready top 100, I think that would get the Angels at least talking.
davidcoonce74
What racism? Unless there are two “bigcubsfan” on these comments sections I think you know what I’m talking about.
davidcoonce74
What racism? Hmm. Perhaps you’ve forgotten your Alex Guerrero posts.
AddisonStreet
LMAO Bryant AND all that stuff too? Trout is great, but Bryant is just about as good. Bunch of goofballs on both sides of this talk.
lazorko
No, the goofballs are the fans dreaming of getting Trout on their favorite team for below his value while saying “so-and-so is untouchable on our roster”.
You’re trading for the best player in the game. Yet a bunch of your players/prospects are untouchable in such a deal. That’s goofball.
Angels fans know we’re not trading Trout. We’re not goofballs.
We’ll be happy to make a trade with the Cubs, but Trout is untouchable. There, see how that works? We can play the same game.
ryanw-2
The farm system is saved!
HaloShane
Concur Ryan.
GeoKaplan
Glad Eppler picked up someone capable of playing CF, since Trout is clearly just dead weight in the lineup, and Maybin has no experience in the position to cover the odd day at DH for Trout.
I expect one or two more RH 1B to be snagged by Eppler soon, too.
lazorko
Maybe Eppy is trying to get Salt Lake into the PCL playoffs…or just out of last place.
Possibly they just grabbed the wrong contract blank off the “major league contract” stack when he meant to grab one off the minor league stack. LaMarre’s agent told him to just sign it, quick!
saintguitar
We should sign Vernon Wells while we are at it… oh wait..
NineChampionsips
He’s retired but I believe Josh Hamilton is available!
SashaBanksFan
Don’t forget about Hideki Matsui, Steve Finley, and Gary Matthews Jr!
halos101
gary matthews jr lol
_kherz23
I don’t think it would ever happen, but if the BoSox wanted to swing a deal for Trout, I think they could pull it off without affecting their major league roster too heavily. Start with JBJ, who trout would replace, E-Rod, Moncada, (who I really think will bust) Kopech, Dubon, and work from there.
BoldyMinnesota
Benintendi and one of Vazquez/Swihart would have to be included. Probably Groome and Travis too
NineChampionsips
A Trout deal would have to include Benintendi, Devers, Moncada and Groome along with one of Betts/Bradley. Probably one of the other young arms too like Kopech and/or Johnson. The Sox could do it if they wanted to. Just wait til next fall after the angels have another cellar dweller season in the AL.
lazorko
Trout is not being traded. End of story.
However, for academic interest only, it is worth noting that the Red Sox are one of the few teams probably who have the assets to make a fair offer.
NineChampionsips
Pretty much. I mean let’s pretend just for a moment that Trout never signed his extension putting him 2 years away from free agency. If the Red Sox offered something like this package for Trout the angels would be foolish to say no knowing that they can’t resign him.
So what happens in two years when the angels are still at the bottom of the ALWest and Trout is 2 years away from walking?
The angels will probably hold on to Trout, fail to resign him, and he walks as FA and the angels get nothing. Not even a draft pick. That would be a fitting end to his tenure as an angel.
lazorko
I’m getting fairly tired of all these other team fans who have now decided that the Angels are perennial cellar dwellers based on one season of 14 games below .500 ball in 2016.
A season that saw them have close to their full rotation on the DL for a majority of the season.
It’s worth remembering they are only one year removed from a season which saw them miss the playoffs by a single game, that came down to the last day of the season.
And now the fans of the other 29 teams are on here telling Angels fans, “you’re garbage, blow up your roster, and trade Trout to us while you’re at it”.
It’s tiresome and infantile.
halos101
my goodness, an article about a waiver pickup and next thing you know people talking about trout. stop talking about him, he is NOT going anywhere
HalosPost
Just wondering why so many people think the Angels will be at the bottom of the AL West?
How quickly we forget they won 98 games just a few years ago. With healthy pitching they would have won many more games last year.
Additionally this Trout trade stuff is silly. To get fair value a team would have to move its top 3 young MLB players and at least 3 top 50 prospects. If the Cubs want to send Baez, Bryant and Schwaber and 3 prospects I would say trade him, but we all know they aren’t.
halos101
both points here i agree with.
queensmike
Halos should bring back FA Chris Ianetta for catcher platoon w/ Jett Bandy. Carlos Perez will fetch best return coming off his Gold Glove finalist year. Ianetta is +11 Runs Created and +.063 OPS upgrade over Perez 2016 production.
halos101
if you mean perez would get a good return in a trade, he won’t. i’d much rather have him over ianetta