Albert Pujols tops the list of the 25 biggest payroll albatrosses in baseball, as compiled by ESPN’s Dan Szymborski (Insider subscription required). The Angels still have six seasons and $165MM remaining on their ten-year, $240MM contract with the slugger. Szymborski figures the Halos needed at least five years of Pujols matching his 2011 production “for this contract to not be a disaster” before the inevitable decline in his last 30’s, but Pujols has hit a comparatively underwhelming .266/.326/.478 and 115 homers over his first four years in Anaheim. Injuries have played a role in Pujols’ performance, though it’s hard to see him suddenly revisiting his Cardinals-era prime as he enters his age-36 season. Here’s more about the Halos…
- Joe Smith tells MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez that the Angels have yet to approach him about a contract extension, which the veteran reliever understands given how the club is busy with other needs. Smith is a free agent after the season and he’s encouraged about finding another nice contract given how several non-closers (i.e. Darren O’Day, Tony Sipp, Ryan Madson, Joakim Soria) all received healthy multi-year deals this winter.
- In another piece from Gonzalez, Hector Santiago relates how he spent most of the offseason figuring he would be traded. The speculation added to what was already a busy winter for the left-hander, who got married in November. The Angels reportedly received lots of trade interest in Santiago, and his agent even called him in November to say that a trade to the Orioles was imminent.
- While the three-team deal that would’ve brought Michael Saunders to the Halos is apparently off, Pedro Moura of the L.A. Times notes that the attempted trade revealed that the club is still focused on left field upgrades. The platoon of Craig Gentry and Daniel Nava is tentatively set to share the left field duties, and while the Halos at least checked in on big-name free agent left fielders (i.e. Justin Upton, Yoenis Cespedes) this winter, payroll constraints have led them to explore cheaper options. GM Billy Eppler didn’t specifically state that the Angels were focusing on left field, just saying “I’m looking for any reinforcement at any single position we can find, wherever we can improve this club.”
Team is mediocre. Worst farm system in baseball. Traded for a new SS and 3B based on defense, which is the first tool to regress. Budget was destroyed by Albert and Hamilton. Won’t go over cap, which is why they didn’t sign Fowler, who was had by the O’s for a reasonable sum. And the best player in the game never gets to sniff the WS.
I’m not happy with Arte not going over the luxury tax to sign cespedes or upton. I would of been happy with Parra but Arte still wouldnt budge. I hope maybe small ball can win them the west this year
What exactly is so bad about exceeding the luxury tax as it applies to Angels’ ownership? Does Arte’s wallet get lighter? Does it prevent the team from spending on FAs in the future? I don’t get it
Yes it may prevent Angels from signing free agents for 2018 due to being over the tax and having no flexibility to sign other players. 2018 can be a huge free agent class with a name we all know known as Harper leading the pack. Harper+Trout is a lot more enticing than Trout+Cespedes, you just never know if it can happen or not. Had we signed Cespy to a big contract though we would have no chance. Artes wallet does get lighter too.
Isn’t Donaldson the best player in the game? 😉
Whaaa! You know that the Royals are projected to have a losing seas right?
Fowler gave the Cubs the #14 pick this year signing with the O’s. QO free agents are making teams 2nd guess since 2012.
Orioles lose their first pick, but the comp pick(to the Cubs) is rewarded after the first round, I believe. Everyone behind the Orioles moves up one, till the end of the first round/they get to the comp picks.
Okay, so the Orioles lose the 14th pick with signing Fowler as the Cubs gain the sandwich pick with their conceding Fowler’s QO. My mistake for misinterpreting the guys at MLB Network this morning.
I’ll take the Angels pitching to the Dodgers.
the common issue with everything you have listed is arte
Thank you Arte!
I definitely appreciate the Angels centered rumor post, but there’s only so many ways to say nothing is imminent and nothing is rumored haha.
Sometimes the best signings are the ones you don’t make, I never would believe the Cards would ever let Pujols walk, I mean he’s “The Machine” you expect production to be there, but some how they made the right call, didn’t extend their budget and are clearly in better shape for having not made that deal.
To trade or not to trade.
If CarGo Nava > Cron Nava, then trade Cron and Santiago to Colorado for CarGo as Colorado needs both starting pitching and 1B. Nava plays 1B, compliments the lineup well, and CarGo is the stellar player glove and bat for 2 more years, maybe extended, with the Halos.
There’s no reason for Colorado to accept that trade. Santiago is a fifth starter, and Cron is barely passable as a first baseman. I don’t see aby way that the Angels get Gonzalez without trading off of their ML team (probably Heaney), and he would push them well over the tax threshold regardless
Any*
I look at each teams needs and strengths with the possibility.
Colorado: 1B and SP
Angels: LF
They meet and match for a trade.
Then, I look at whether Cron, a controllable slugger for several years, fits into the Angels’ long-term plan, unless he could play OF. Might as well put Nava there, a Scott Hatterberg type defender, and trade Cron.
Cron rather seems to yield for substantial interest to Colorado under the circumstances. They’re not far off. Meanwhile, the Angels have money falling off the books after 2016 (Weaver and Wilson), 2017 (Hamilton). By that time they’ve freed up some money whether to extend CarGo or re-invest of free agency, which they need too to replenish their farm with in upcoming years.
Getting Cargo would ruin this team more.
…or be a saving grace. We don’t know with either, only that CarGo gives some indication to be quite impactful of an alternative to the free agents they missed signing for that position.
Not worth the risk. Keep the money and save it for 2018 for a much better and younger player.
Never mind I take it all back. It wouldn’t ruin the Halos further (financially speaking) Cargo is a free agent for 2018. This tells me a trade may be made for him. None of the free agents this year were worth it expect for Span and Heyward. I think what we have in the platoon can work we will just need Cron to really turn it up for the offense to flow, a trade for Cargo could be made if the platoon doesn’t work.
We also still have Cowart, Choi and Kubitza who could shine and take over. We just need to wait and see what happens, which is why I think Billy didn’t just pull a trade for a player with a big contract.
Santiago led the American League in home runs last year, has suspect control, at best, and has a career 33.2 GB%. And you think Colorado would be okay with letting him pitch in Coors Field?
They need an SP and a 1B, that’s all that matters.
Re-Sign Freese and move Escobar to 2nd base and see what happens with the LF platoon. If it isn’t working at the deadline make a move for a LF if they are still in the race.
I like your thinking. Maybe Johnny G. can learn to play left field during spring training.
Anyone that read the article about albatross contracts, I’m just curious, did Homer Bailey and/or Joey Votto make the list and if so what number? Personally I think Bailey should be on the list for sure, and I think Votto’s contract was as reasonable as you can get for a contract that big, but I know some analysts still didn’t like it.
Bailey was 25th, Votto didn’t make the list. There are plenty of worse contracts in baseball than Votto. One I found hilarious on the list though was Ian Kennedy at 8th. I mean I hope he pans out for the Royals given that he represents one of their largest FA signings ever, but it’s just such an ill-advised contract.
I think there has be a much greater bust rate with free agent big signings overall than a success as it is. Let’s not put Arte on the pedestal alone here!
Angels are quite bad enough to be awful, but bad enough not to be a realistic threat to make the playoffs. Nice job Arte.
Those are the worst kinds of teams. If a team is a threat to make the playoffs, like the Cubs, it gives their fans something to look forward to. If a team is just plain bad, like the Braves, at least at they get one of the top picks in the upcoming draft the following year. But a team that wins somewhere in the neighborhood of 78-84 games is torturous, as they usually don’t make the playoffs and they get stuck with a middling draft pick that isn’t protected from the qualifying offer. And with the Angels farm system as depleted as it is, and with the Pujols and Hamilton contracts weighing them down, once they finally do start losing games, it’s going to take a really long time for them to rebuild and contend.
I agree with you. They can go the free agent route, which clearly is not their desire meaning they have to rebuild through the draft and flip their vets for young hopefuls. This scenario will take years and Trout likely gone before they are good again.
Season hasn’t even begun lol. I’m a Halo fan and I’m going into the season with the same exceptions as the past years, to win a World Series. This team is a threat to make the playoffs and they will make it in.
Can’t even watch the Angels play anymore, the management is horrid and fat Mike needs too go. Trout probably won’t see a WS with the way this team is run.
You know, for a team that fell 1 game short of the playoffs last year, having Skaggs come back to a pretty loaded pitching staff, relatively speaking, the pessimism brews like none other with Angels fans. Meanwhile, if they surprise with an upcoming successful season, these same fans say, GO HALOS!!
Some of those people aren’t even Angel fans and some are like spoiled little brats. They want MORE! MORE! and as we have witnessed MORE doesn’t necessarily turn into MORE wins. I personally prefer it this way, small ball is the name of success, its what got Phat Mike where he is today and how we won our first championship.