The Angels aren't talking to the Rangers about a deal for Michael Young, but the Halos are busy on other fronts, as Bill Shaikin of the LA Times reports (all links go to Twitter):
- The Angels will start top prospect Mike Trout at Double-A. GM Tony Reagins says it's "unlikely" that Trout makes the majors this year. The 19-year-old hit .341/.428/.490 with 56 stolen bases last year in his first full season as a pro.
- Reagins did not offer to meet Jered Weaver at the midpoint before the sides went to an arbitration hearing yesterday. The Angels' decision paid off when they beat the Scott Boras client and saved themselves over $1.4MM.
- Arbitration hearings can be uncomfortable for teams and players alike, but Reagins points out that some players are still open to extensions after going to arbitration with their clubs. Corey Hart of the Brewers is one player who agreed to an extension soon after going to arbitration (though he won his hearing with Milwaukee).
- The Angels are not in discussions with any free agent leadoff hitters, Reagins said. The Angels were interested in Scott Podsednik earlier in the winter.
Doesn’t actually sound like they are too busy to me…
Sounds like a nice work load for a GM – doing nothing
I, for one, have been utterly shocked at all the conjecture about Trout making his MLB debut this year. The kid is 19 years old and put up big numbers in an offensive league that breeds big offensive numbers. Let’s see what he does for the next year-and-a-half at the higher levels, against stiffer competition, in ballparks that don’t cater to batters, and then we can start talking about his major league debut. Jeez…
This
Trout spent most of the year in Cedar Rapids, which is a pitcher’s park. There he put up a line of .362/.454/.526. He spent much less time at Rancho, the hitter’s park you are mentioning. But when he was there, he was the youngest player in the league by far, at the wee age of 18.
So your point is apt that he is young and needs more seasoning, but your point is daft that his numbers are inflated by park factor.
There’s a reason people are so hyped-up about Trout. Sure he tore it up in minors, where most decent Major League players do too, but he did at the incredibly young age of 18/19. The fact that he dominated the minors is not the main thing that makes him a highly-touted prospect, its just that he’s way ahead of schedule and if he keeps improving, which is what the Minors are for, he can be an elite player. He has many tools, so his whole future is not just based on BA, or speed, or power.
I share the same sentiments with you about not rushing Trout up to the big leagues, but you have to understand its hard for fans not to get excited when their team’s prospect is rated the best in the country.
It’s hard to imagine he was rated higher than Harper.
And yet many publications did just that…
Does anyone else feel like the Angels aren’t giving Weaver what he deserves just to prove a point to Boras??? Who cares who his agent is the guy should not be making less money than every other pitcher on the staff. I have been an Angels fan my whole life and this just makes me want to stay home this season and MAYBE watch on TV. If your not going to give money to the guy helping pay the bills already why should I spend my money to help your organization???
When the arb committee rules in your favor I’m pretty sure he’s getting paid what he deserves. That’s the whole point of the process. Understand that players go through arbitration because that is part of the MLB, it’s not worth it for a team to give a guy 20 million dollars just because he’s great. I’d imagine your happy that Vernon Wells is making 23 million dollars because of the great season he had 4 years ago. If the Angels were paying Weaver more, then they wouldn’t be able to afford other players who help the team too.
As a fellow Angel fan, your statements make me feel disgusted.
So you think Santana and Kazmir!!! deserve to make more than Weaver ???!!! And as a matter of fact no I don’t think Vernon Wells should be making 23 mil. Does anyone really need to make that much money to play ball?? Not really. But if you are going to pay all these other people big bucks then take care of your own. With that small of a difference between what the player is asking and what the organization offers they are trying to make a statement. It goes right along with the public anouncement of Moreno not wanting to deal with Boras.
Santana and Kazmir made less than what Weaver is making at the same points in their careers. The player comps the Angels submitted in the arbitration case were Felix Hernandez, Justin Verlander, and Josh Johnson. King Felix made 7.2M in his fifth full year of service, Verlander made 6.85M in his, and Johnson will be making 7.75M in his sixth year of service in 2011.
Do you agree that those are plenty fair comps for Weaver at this point in his career? See how this works?
actually Kazmir is younger than Weaver, and Santana is the same age as Weaver.
You cannot blame the angels for for Kazmir is being paid, he got that contract from the Rays
I know how arbitration works but thank you for the info on the comparisons…My point is that why did it even go that far??? If you call someone your ace they are your ace pay them like an ace. I wouldn’t want to go to work and do my job well and have everyone else doing the same job as me get paid significantly more… They could have at least went 8.
stay home
The Angels may have saved themselves $1.4M, but the decision could very well bite them in the ass when it’s time to discuss an extension/FA contract with this Scott Boras client…
I see no reason for the Halos not to arbitrate with a Boras client, if they think the player’s number is too much.
Why worry about antagonizing the player? With Boras extension negotiations are usually, indeed practically always, a non-starter.
If Weaver stays healthy and productive, he’ll get a big free agent payday when the time comes. The Angels may trade him before that: see Edwin Jackson’s gypsy odyssey as team after team takes what it can get for a Boras client who they know they can’t keep at a reasonable price.
If you like travel, living in temporary quarters, and changing teams multiple times despite productive performance, sign with Boras. Edwin Jackson is a good guy and a good teammate everywhere he goes: he’s not a gypsy because he’s disruptive.
Jered Weaver’s older brother, also a Boras client, is a cautionary tale. He turned down an extension to pitch in Dodger Stadium, only to see his performance decline in less pitcher-friendly venues. He will never see the money he turned down in LA, and he turned it down because his agent ALWAYS turns down extensions.
Sometimes it works out, Boras has satisfied clients too. But it can swing both ways.
Nice point with the Jeff Weaver case. But after all that’s happened with his clients, players still sign with him because he is still the best at getting players the most money they can.
I can’t wait until Trout is in AAA and they play the Las Vegas 51’s!!!
I was lucky to see him play last year. It was like watching a pro play with little leaguers. He was that good. Trout was like miles ahead of his teammates and the other team in like every way. He’ll be too far away for me to see now till he hits the majors.
Here is the problem with the Angels offesason so far. THEY HAVE NO PLAN or standards. They went after and OBP guy in Crawford and failed, so Beltre came up and they did the same. Then when they didnt get their OBP guy they took on a bigger commitment to a guy who hits for extra bases but didnt fill the problem they were trying to solve.
Crawford is not an “OBP guy”. He has a career on-base percentage of .337. League average OBP over the time he’s been in the MLB? .336.
Crawford doesn’t take pitches, and he doesn’t walk. He’s had more than 50 BBs in a season only once in his career.
(10 minutes after Weaver and Boras shoot a mean stare at Reagins after the arbitration hearings) “Hey Artie, I’m going to need another pooch. I’ve completely worn the heck out of this one”. (Heard loudly “Aye carumba. Ay dios mios Tony!”).
-T.Reagins
Thank god for the Angels and market value.
Sincerely,
Brandon Wood, Scott Kazmir, and Fernando Rodney
I’m feeling sorry for Podsednik, even though he skruude himself by not taking the Dodgers option. As a White Sox fan, I would like to see him land somewhere – although I am glad we have Juan Pierre instead…