Veteran catcher Robinson Chirinos is “close to making a decision” on his next team, according to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand (via Twitter). He has drawn wide interest to this point of the winter.
It’s still totally unclear where Chirinos will land. He has at times been connected to the Rockies, Rangers, Astros, Rays, and Pirates over the course of the winter. The Tigers have also been mentioned, though they’ve probably filled their opening. It’s certainly possible there are other suitors out there as well.
Chirinos and Jason Castro stand out among the remaining open-market options behind the dish. Both graded within the fifty best free agents entering the winter. We predicted they’d each secure two-year, $10MM deals, but robust spending and ongoing demand could potentially push those numbers higher.
Teams pursuing Chirinos will value him as a sturdy-enough presence behind the dish who can add real value offensively. He has been average or better with the bat for every one of the past five seasons, including a 122 wRC+ in 2017 and a 113 wRC+ over a career-high 437 plate appearances in 2019 with Houston. Chirinos actually trended up defensively as well, drawing better (albeit still below-average) framing grades while rating as an excellent blocker of wayward pitches.
Do the Authors read the comments on their stories?
They do because sometimes they respond…..
…but not yours.
Interesting.
/s
$20 says the Angels miss out on him and Castro.
#fireeppler
a mid-tier catcher isnt saving the Halos season.
True. But it shows how incompetent the GM of the Angels is where he missed out on every FA that could help improve the team. That includes the trade market.
Angels are a pathetic franchise. Signing Mike Trout was a complete waste if they’re going to sell Dylan Bundy as their big offseason pitching move.
If inepler fails to land either of these guys he must go! #Inepler
I could have sworn the Angels signed the best hitter on the market, but maybe I’m wrong?
He failed to land any pitching. Instead overpaid for Rendon who will make loses 8-7 instead of 8-5.
Nice going.
You can’t sign someone who doesn’t want to play for your team. Money isn’t everything.
They also got Julio Teheran, but yeah, neither of those will put the Angels near a Wild Card berth. Their lineup will be great but the pitching staff is still crummy
Sorry but Rendon isn’t enough to make up the 30+ games they were behind Houston. They needed starting pitching, and there were at high level starters available in FA, and the best they could do is land a #4 type starter in Tehran? Another wasted year of Trout in his prime.
“he missed out on every FA that could help improve the team.”
While Rendon doesnt make the Angels contenders, he does make them better.
Id strongly consider trading him if this is the product they are going to put out on the field. They wont make the playoffs in the next 5 seasons–especially with Texas on the rise, Oakland always a solid team, and Houston has a great farm system. The Mariners and the Angels will be finishing in the basement for the entirety of Trouts prime.
With the Yankees running things as well in the East, the Rays, A’s WhiteSox, Twins will all edge out the Angels for the wild card.
@Epstein Don’t underestimate the Bundys. He could very well be related to Al Bundy
As legend has it… in 1966, Al Bundy scored four touchdowns in a single game while playing for the Polk High School Panthers in the 1966 city championship game versus Andrew Johnson High School, including the game-winning touchdown in the final seconds against his old nemesis, Bubba “Spare Tire” Dixon.
Rendon is not enough, but it’s not just Rendon.
It’s Ohtani and Canning and Heaney and Upton and Simmons and Teheran and Bundy and Adell and hopefully a catcher and another pitcher, and less Pujos and more La Stella.
And you are not talking about 30 games you are talking about 20 games.
If those players are simply worth two additional wins each, which is very easily accomplished, they are right there.
It’s why faragraphs has them 7th in projected WAR next year.
So you are relying on Bundy and Tehran in big games? Theres a reason Bundy/Tehran were dumped.
Tehran couldnt keep the ball in the park against NL teams, you really think hes going to go to Houston, NY, Boston, and be lights out?
How does that fix their pitching staff?
Eptein, I’m relying on Bundy and Teheran to take the starts of:
Cahill (5.98), Harvey (7.09),. Suerez (7.11), Baria (6.42).
You don’t think replacing those innings with Teheran and Bundy will net the team 5 wins? I think that’s a conservative estimate.
I can’t blame people for not following the Angels, but those same people write about them as if they do.
Rendon was the big free agent
Exactly
you’re putting a lot of stock in someone (Adell) who had a fairly meh showing in AAA, which also happened to be in the PCL…
Yap – weird signing. I would say they must trade for pitching now.
March to Cubs for Quintana and Chatwood. Horrible trade but a must do.
My bad Marsh
I’m sorry, but Canning wasn’t that good and neither were the other “prospects” the Angels think are so special. Adell isn’t even that good on paper. Angel fans are so deluded into thinking mediocrity is the way to win. Simmons isn’t that good with a bat, Upton is fading… fading fast, Heaney is always injured, and who knows what to expect from Ohtani as a pitcher… But hey, they got Rendon to play with Trout, that’ll put butts in the seats, and that’s t all Arte really cares about. Oh, and their bullpen is a joke. They should’ve traded Trout and start their rebuild.
@fastpitchlife They do not need to make up 35 games. The Angels were over .500 after 100 games even with injuries to the Ohtani and Uptun to begin the season. The pitching staff was a disaster and often injured. Upton is not injury prone. He just had a freak injury when running into the wall and got turf toe during the freeway series and was out 10-12 weeks to begin the season. Injuries will happen this year as they do with every year. Maybe it is not the Angels turn for a change to be bitten by the injury bug., Signing Bundy and Teheran doesn’t sound sexy on paper, but they may be able to convert some wins by outperforming last year’s staff. They also will be able to give the bullpen some rest.by being reliable inning eaters The lineup with Trout, Rendon, Ohtani, and Upton is formidable and capable of scoring some runs.
You need to factor in that Gerrit Cole is no longer with the Astros. He had a tremendous 2019. Can Verlander win back to back Cy Youngs.? Will he be the same when he does not have a teammate like Cole for competition? These pitchers feed off each other. We seen it with the Atlanta Braves for years. Can McCullers replace Cole’s production? There are no sure things.
On paper the Astros dont appear to be as good as last year, but still better than anyone in the division, but you never know with baseball. It may all be a mute point in September and the Angels are the same MASH unit they have been and out by 25 games and Verlander is 20-4, but it is January and I have the optimism of your typical off season fan. Looking forward to the end of March.
What big name free agent ISN’T considered an overpay?
I’m putting some stock in the 3rd best prospect in baseball. How much did Roberts, the 18th best prospect, just sign for?
Are you putting no stock in Adell? Fine, that’s one of ten players.
Also don’t forget removing Peter Bourjos and Justin Bour adds about 25 wins to any team.
Canning wasn’t that good? He did nothing to show he wasn’t ready. He started the year as the 56th best prospect, struck out a batter an inning, Had a better than 3 to 1 K to walk ratio,
His last three starts he had a 2.12 ERA, I don’t think this guy is going to have trouble improving on his 1.1 WAR?
The number three prospect isn’t that good on paper?
As I said, it’s one thing to not know much about the Angels, it’s another thing to write about them pretending you do.
The Angels are not playing this year hoping the catch the Astros, they are playing this year in hopes of playing meaningful games in late September.
If they stay reasonably healthy, I have no doubt they will. I have doubts they’ll stay reasonably healthy.
It would sure help if they added Wood and Castro
Yeah, this is the most overused criticism every season. X top free agent should not have received the contract he did, because it’s an albatross contract…… blah, blah, blah.
If you want to talk about an overpay, like Heyward, okay, that’s pretty legit. They’re all overpaid though.
On Dave Letterman in the 80s, Mickey Mantle discussed how much Reggie Jackson made @ 2MM per year, and how he would immediately return to baseball for that much money. We are going into 400MM / year contracts within the next few offseasons.
I don’t know much about Trout other than statistics but I can’t understand WHY he would re sign with this team? They are terrible
I think it’sTrout’s intrinsic values. Trout is dedicated and committed to the team and fan base; sort of a glimpse of players of generations past.
Plus, Angles management/ownership probably guaranteed him they would build the team around him to win a championship, now that some of their bad contracts are going off the books. They obviously failed to do that this year. Another prime year wasted for Trout – dang shame.
What was Cannings ERA before he got hurt? Adell wasn’t that impressive in AAA but everyone is acting like he’s the second coming of Trout.
Mick.
I’m curious, who do you think is the best free agent position player to hit the market in the last decade?
I’ll put my money on Rendon.
you’re completely missing the point…just because he’s the 5th best (not 3rd, that was actually Robert) prospect does not make him ready to handle MLB pitching, especially the pitching that the AL West is going to boast alone…
@macstruts—LOL!
So many seriously uneducated takes here.
Well if they are so uneducated, then you must able to logically challenge any of them.
I find it humorous that people who insult me never have an intelligent counter point to make.
sacball, Go look at Roster Resources fangraphs. By the way. If #5 is MLB dot com, I would rank their rankings lower than any major site.
I like BP the best.
The Angels think he’s ready. Everyone thinks he’s going to be called up sooner rather than later.
And if you don’t think he’ll contribute… fine. That’s one of ten.
By the way, last year BA #6, BP #2., And that was before the start of the 2019 season.
And Ohtani taking up 25 plus of those starts. That adds several more wins most likely.
And Cole and perhaps “gamesmanship” being gone from Houston could easily drop them 10-20 games. And better competition in the form of better Angels team, better White Sox team, several other arguably better teams (Blue jays, Yankees, bounce-back Red Sox) will likely chip a few more wins away from Houston.
Going into 2019 how many people had the Rays finishing 12 games up on the Red Sox, or would have thought it more than 5% likely? It’s baseball, there is so much variance, Angels could easily top the Astros (not that it’s likely.) People sound so goofy thinking one season will carry over into the next so cleanly.
I wouldn’t count on Ohtani pitching more than 120 innings, if that.
That’s why I think Alex Wood would be a really good addition. A nice goad for he Angels would be to have their six best starters can throw 825+ innings,
That’s doable if they add Alex Wood.
175 for Bundy and Teheran
150 for Heaney
125 for Canning
100 for Wood and Ohtani
Epstein… he didn’t overpay for Rendon. That’s an absolutely absurd take.
He’s one trade away from salvaging his job. He has improved the woeful pitching a bit already. Land smith and quality 2 starter and our teams ready to compete for the West. Stros are taking a step back and we were already very competitive against the A’s the last few years with our weak, injury riddled roster.
Bad take.
@Macatruts: i won’t insult you because I think your opinion is just as valid as mine; however, I don’t think you can convince me Rendon is the best FA this decade. You could argue this year, and may buy in, but this decade?
I think your fandom has a tendency to skew your perspective and prohibit you from objectively viewing the Angels. That’s not meant to be a disparaging remark, and it applies to a large number of fans, but in certain instances you begin to cross fact with opinion, as it pertains to the Angels. In fact, I agree with a lot of your comments in different threads.
The reason I asked is I couldn’t come up with a batter one. But I just now did a little research.
I..M.O the answer is Robinson Cano. I think Rendon is #2. Not Harper, Not Machado. Even at the time not 32 year old Puljos..
I don’t think you could convince me that Machado, Harper or Pujols beat out Rendon. I don’t think Rendon has the warts.
When they hit the market, I think it’s Cano, then Rendon.
I agree with you, but you’re forgetting about someone in the same position – Beltre
But your others are straight on point, imho.
I didn’t forget about Beltre, he was great after his free agent signing, but going into it, there were question marks.
He was a good player, but he signed with Boston to regain some value. He did of course, he was coming off the great Boston year but also coming off a relatively disappointing free agent contract in Seattle.
That’s a very fair point. Nonetheless, I joke about the Angels sometimes, but I would really like to see Mike Trout in contention for the WS, so they piss me off a bit.
My opinion is that Trout is the best player of our generation. He may also end up being argued as the best player of all time, statistically (for advanced metric totals like WAR). He will, imo, finish as one of the best ever.
So, I’d like to see him go as a fan, but also to quell the inevitable critics who will forever question what he would’ve done in the postseason and hold that against him when deciding just how good he is.
Thank you, Macstruts, for your engagement in a cordial conversation without the all-to-common devolution to insults that are commonplace in the chats.
Look we all know the Angels had crappy season we get it. How much the passing of Skaggs caused the season to blow up is debatable.It could have been a rallying point. But sadly it wasn’t You and guys like you.jump all over the Angels for signing a Rendon That’s the way it is on this site. If a paticular player signs with any team but yours, he’s crap. Cole used the Angels and the Dodgers to get a better contract with the Yankees.The Yankees were his 1st choice .Wheeler and Strasburg didn’t want to play on the West Coast. Talk trash all you want about the Angels. You don’t follow the team day in and day out. This team with Maddon as manager and Calloway as PC are a lot better off. I like our position players. Are bullpen is good. There’s a lot of time between now and opening day.
HaloHonk: Apparently you don’t read my posts. Regardless, you’ll probably change your opinion once you do because I’m objective in my criticism. I also use statistical analysis to support my positions, typically.
But “guys like.You” (sic) get all too mad and cannot, as a subjective, biased fan admit when your team doesn’t do well. So, before you generalize or put individuals into a category, you should do research, please.
In fact, if you read my above posts, you’ll notice how I compliment Trout and merely questioned the individual who posited the Angels could simply trade for a #1 or #2 pitcher without it counteracting its very purpose. But it validates my point that you cannot handle a simple question without devolving into, well, you.
Who didn’t want to play there? Cole? The guy everyone swore wanted to be in Southern California. Ryu didn’t want to pitch there? Kuechel? I’ve heard the Wheelers wife wanted to be close to home narrative too but I also haven’t heard of an offer he left on the table to stay closer.
Who didn’t want to play there? Cole? The guy everyone swore wanted to be in Southern California. Ryu didn’t want to pitch there? Kuechel? I’ve heard the Wheelers wife wanted to be close to home narrative too but I also haven’t heard of an offer he left on the table to stay closer. Some people act like somehow nobody would sign there when they were simply outbid. They spent their money on Rendon it’s that simple
I get your point of replacing really bad players but I think the same overall issue remains. People hating on position players and lineup I can’t excuse. Any downslide Rendon makes up for. But the division is out of the question we know that. That being said I don’t see any way for the Angels to just mash their way to a wild card birth. So much competition in the AL for those two spots and many teams vastly improved. If they’d signed or acquired a top tier starter it would have helped a ton.
How much money? Just curious how much money you’re out
Where do you come up with “The Yankees were his 1st choice.”? I’m not trying to hate on Angels fans but I have no idea why I keep hearing you had no chance to sign a top free agent starter. All the talk was Cole was looking for Southern California but when he signed with the Yankees for a bazillion dollars all of a sudden that’s where he always wanted to be. I don’t know of a single report out there saying Cole, Wheeler, Kuechel, Ryu, etc took less money to sign where they did. I think it’s safe to assume most if not all signed for the money.
DarkSide830
Health will save the Angels this year. But what good is health if you are sending out Max Stassi every night?
they cant ever keep their staff healthy. im not 100% sold Maddon will magically keep them all off the IL.
DarkSide, I have no problem with that take. But Callaway might.
I don’t know of another team that is being talked about like the Angels are being talked about. Which basically is, “The Angels stink because they can’t stay healthy.”
No one is saying the Indians or Twins or Rangers or A’s or White Sox or Red Sox are going to stink because I don’t think they’ll be healthy. But everyone is saying that about the Angels.
DrDoom Fake news
Angels will be a lot better than you think There still time to improve or pull off a trade
They’re improved, but there’s work that needs to be done to get them in the playoffs.
Geno55. If they are reasonably healthy, they will be.
So basically people are saying the Angels wont be any good because they won’t be healthy. Do they say that about any other team?
Even if they stay healthy, they’re still a 3rd place team.
Why do you think the A’s will stay healthy. Do you think Puk, Luzardo and Manaea will stay healthy? Do you think a guy who got busted for PEDs, had a negative WAR coming into last year and only pitched 96 innings is going to be great again?
It’s fine if you do, but I’m always surprised by people who think the Angels will run into problems, but don’t give the A’s a second thought.
I think a lot of these guys are jealous of the Angels because they have Trout. He’s not on my team so F u guys.
A lot of people are slamming the Angels this year if you remember last year around June 28 the angels were one game above 500 before all the injuries and Tyler Skaggs death The angels will be as good as the pitching takes them but that goes with any other team
Dr Doom14
Are you a psychic?
I am more critical of the Angels for having Trout and not being a playoff contender.
The Angels’ biggest problem is “health.” Their pitching staff isn’t bad if they can stay healthy. And that would make their bullpen really good (BP was great 1st half until they were super overworked).
People don’t talk about Mickey Callaway enough. Arguably the most successful pitching coach in baseball right now.
Trade who? And for whom? Angels can’t get what they need, which is a #1, or even a #2 without creating additional roster issues for themselves by selling of their other talent. What they need to do is rebuild, or bite the bullet and spend.
@DRDoom The Angels need more left hander hitters, so Castro would be a better fit than Chirinos. There is no guarantee that we will get Castro. I am not sure what we will do if we cant land Castro. Stassi couldn’t hit water if he fell out of a boat. He makes Peter Bourjos look like Babe Ruth.
Stassi is Jeff Mathis 4.0
Doom- Jeff Mathis is the only version of himself.
God how’d that swing get past high A pitching is BEYOND ME.
Agreed. Too bad, because they need a catcher
You lose.
Rays 2 Y 12 m
I’m hoping it’s the Rangers. Think your contract terms will be fairly close to accurate.
No one cares
Great input man. Glad you’re here.
[Upvote]
Return to Rangers?
Angels need both honestly that bullpen is shaky and they have no answer behind the plate. Not sure whats taking so long to get a deal done on there end.
Catcher is a black hole at the moment. I’m baffled it hasn’t been addressed. Hopefully it is soon.
They should’ve gone full-bore in Grandal and pitching. Or, just trade Trout and get yourself a future playoff team.
Frosted Flakes …… or Raisin Bran?
I know this is unrelated to this article but I am surprised MLBTR has not mentioned the passing of Don Larsen. RIPP (rest in perfect peace)
Hopefully with the Rangers
Yep. Come back home to Arlington, Robbie. JD should have never let him leave.
if he signs with the Rockies I will eat a tissue
Used or unused?
depends on who used it I guess lmao
I could hope for the Pirates. But they have virtually done nothing this winter player wise.
When they hired Cherington I was excited because I thought he wouldn’t take this job just to do nothing. So far, I’ve been wrong.
Before I get attacked, I’m well aware the Pirates are in rebuild mode, yet they haven’t made any moves whatsoever.
Id rather then make fewer, better moves as opposed to some of the garbage trades NH made like Walker for Neise. Im ok with laying low and making small moves this off-season. Probably need to move Marte though.
I’m okay with playing all the young guys, but catcher is a glaring need. Stallings is a solid backup, but I really dont wanna go into the season with just Stallings and Maile.
Agreed, though I think Chirinos and Stallings would be fine. I really like Stallings if we can get all of our offense from elsewhere because that dude can’t hit.
Castro is the fit for PIT, not Chirinos. However I suspect they’ll do something more low key to generate a little fan support without really doing anything, like bringing back Russell Martin and having all three catchers on the roster to take advantage of 26th spot to use Martin as PH and his, albeit limited, defensive versatility. I also wouldn’t be surprised to see Neil Walker back if Adam Frazier gets moved. Both those guys would provide veteran leadership and bench/role productivity at prices FO likes, as well as a little nostalgic goodwill with fan base.
There’s no reason to bring in Walker even if Frazier is moved. Trading Frazier clears a spot for Cole Tucker, who shifts Newman to 2B.
Reds or Angels for Chirinos, I predict
Pinstripepride: Do you see the Yanks picking up another catcher? I’d really like to see them get one because Higgy makes me a bit nervous for big games. Imo, the need someone who has experience and high on-base/average (which they lacked in the postseason’s big moments because they were trying to HR) &/or really strong D.
I wouldn’t put it past the Astros to bring him back and then use one of the three other catchers they have in a package deal for a starting pitcher …
Not a word about the Angels in the story and virtually every comment is about them.
Not sure exactly what that says, but it’s interesting.
A 35 year old catcher with a lifetime .234 average…it’s interesting that there would be more than 1 team interested in his services.
espn.com/mlb/stats/batting/_/position/c/sort/WARBR…
4th in WAR by catchers last year.
Decent defense.
Decent OBP
Decent pop
Not a lot of good catchers
There’s a lot of interest in him
ANGELS???
Hey, it’s H O L L Y W O O D … ya gotta flash that Star Power.
Has nothing to do about winning or even competing… In-Epler.
@Shoeless Wrong. We are Orange County, not Hollywood. Big difference.
Tell that to Arte. You might have to place that memo under his cocktail. The guy has no clue how to put a winner on the field
Cross the Pirates off that list. Not when you can get a guy who hit .191 for the minimum.
Mets will get him
Split time with Ramos
I agree. Ramos is in his contract year. If Chirinos get 2 years, he could be the top starter next year.
I was initially hoping the Reds were interested until I saw his age. If they did sign him, it shouldn’t be for more than two years. I don’t think he comes to Cincinnati. Reds were not even mentioned in the article.
The angies need to worry about who is going to throw it.Not catch it.Go Rangers!
yeah, there are reasons why trolls are so hating on the angels. beautiful beaches and pretty girls! money everywhere. then there is the best player who is married to a beautiful wife.what the trolls have? bug-infested beds in mamas’ basements. yeah, keep on trolling and waste time on earth!
It will be alright dude.LOL.
Cole wanted to play for the Yankees.
Strasburg wanted to return to the team which drafted him, the Nationals.
Wheeler wanted to play for a team close to South NJ.
Ryu wanted to play for a team which would guarantee a 4th $20M season to an age 36 season, for a player with injury issues.
Keuchel chose a team which would give him a vested 4th year at $20M at 35 years old.
But please…continue with the narrative that Eppler has “failed to land” the top SP. The first three made their choices for obvious reasons, the latter two because some front office made questionable financial decisions no other team would make.
Lol it’s not just this season! The guy has made nothing but horrible moves, apart from Ohtani.
You forgot the bullpen. Unless you think it’s terrible.
You don’t give him credit for Ohtani, OK. I happen to like the fact he signed one year contracts last year, if he went for it, then we can’t sign Rendon.
I get it you hate the Cozart signing. I get you hate the fact the Angels haven’t won. And I get you want him fired. If you still feel that way in eight months you may get your wish.
That is a popular myth among uneducated observers of the Angels, Doom, but your repeating that myth doesn’t make it true.
The Angels’ bullpen was Eppler-built, and highly effective until wilting from overuse in the season. It figures to be very good again in 2020.
Upton of 2019 was an anomaly, and a power hitter without his legs isn’t hitting for power. Upton without the toe and leg issues is Upton of 2016-2018. Eppler both traded for Upton (for a minor-leaguer who went nowhere for the Tigers), and then extended his contract for one additional year, deferring much of the money his Tigers deal would have paid him through 2022 into an additional season in 2023. That deferral helped to provide the space to sign Trout to his extension.
Eppler likewise traded for Simmons, and signed Ohtani, which was based in large part on the personal relationship he had developed with Ohtani over the years. Canning was drafted by Eppler, as was Jo Adell (who figures to be the RF of the team’s future) and Brandon Marsh (who figures to be the LF of the team’s future).
He turned Ian Kinsler into Ty Buttrey, and Martin Maldonado into Patrick Sandoval. He found Hansel Robles in the discard pile.
He’s done his job pretty well.
When you said there were so many uneducated takes, I thought you were talking about my takes.
Then I read this thoughtful post, I was wondering how someone could write such a post and consider my knowledge of the Angels lacking.
I’m now of the belief you were not saying my takes lacked knowledge, just some others. I agree, I think people who don’t know the Angels talk about them like they do. And of course, the Angel fans that do know the team are frustrated about what they haven’t done.
Yeah, I referenced Doom in the first sentence, but the threads and replies on MLBTR—especially the mobile version—are pretty difficult to follow. By the third branched comment, all additional comments are in the same column.
Geo Kaplan,
Let me preface by saying that I am an Angel fan. I see Eppler’s performance much differently than do you. You pointed out some of his good moves, but you neglected to mention a bunch he made last season that were simply awful. You may remember Justin Bour, Trevor Cahill, Allen, Harvey (you get the point). All of these were Eppler’s disasters. And of course, he hired Ausmus. The one good move he did make was to not resign Mike Scioscia.
The number one need this off-season was pitching. He failed to sign or trade for any significant pitching upgrades. This was the number one priority. The Angels draw 3 million fans every year. They are not serious about winning, just content to fill seats.
Scioscia retired. He was asked to come back but he declined. Not because he wasn’t resigned.
@Freespool Unless you condone kidnapping and blackmail, there isn’t much a GM can do when the player he seeks actively wants to play elsewhere.
Cole wanted to be a Yankee
Strasburg wanted to return to the Nationals
Wheeler wanted to play close to southern NJ
Bumgarner wanted to play in AZ
Keuchel and Ryu both took deals which no other team with financial sense would offer. You can complain about Harvey, Cahill and Allen, but those were all one-year deals. The Jays will be spending 2022-23 figuring out how to get pitching help while paying the ghost of Ryu $20M a year. Same with White Sox and Keuchel. Saying “yes” and writing bad, bloated contracts is easy. That’s how a team gets Josh Hamilton. But negotiating for players with knowledge and discipline takes time and talent.
The Angels have improved their club, while the Astros have taken a step back and the A’s haven’t made any significant upgrades. The Rangers have made some pitching additions, but their offense is still weak. The AL West is as wide open as it has been in years, and Eppler is making smart, strategic moves to get this squad ready for 2020. It isn’t like he signed Dexter Fowler or Jason Hayward to fat, long-term deals.
@Freespool Eppler was not convinced of this moves. Hence why they were all one year deals for the most part.. The team can be rid of the contracts and look at the next free agent class. The players were all bad last year, but the Angels are rid of them now. There was no long term commitment.
Freespool, you’re correct, but there are some delusional fans on here that refuse to admit anything wrong with the Angels. They want to fill seats and are happy to let Trout do that while they keep making money off his name. They may want a playoff berth, but they are certainly not trying to win a WS.
Every excuse is “well Eppler didn’t know Harvey was gonna suck” when everyone else did. Or, “well we experienced injuries” which means you didn’t plan and have no depth. Or, “well, we picked up all the other sucky pitchers thinking they would have a comeback year” blah, blah, blah. All excuses, nothing genuine. I have nothing against fans that are okay with losing. In fact, that’s pretty…admirable? It’s all the shifting of goal posts that are annoying.
Every year, every free agent says the same thing: I’ll go wherever I get the most money. Angels don’t pay and their fans give an A for effort. Smh. Truly befuddling.
Wait… Cole now wanted to play for the Yankees? Sounds like… Yankee envy, or Cole envy, you pick. Geokaplan: Nearly every Angels commenter on this site mocked Yankees fans for saying he would sign with them, yet you continue with your hindsight 20/20 excuse-making. Your ineptitude is glaring, so stop trying to posit arguments you cannot win, and just admit your teams’ faults. You sound desperate when you say these silly things and then use what you all are doing to project onto everyone else.
Plus whether another team is not as good this year should have no bearing on the Angels FO. It’s the teams that are BETTER that you should be trying to beat. No one cares if you had the best record in baseball if you can’t win in the postseason.
Not to many basements here in Gods country.Aka Texas.
leaking chemicals and explosions but nobody to take the responsibility. oh, cow dungs and tea-trashes!
I’d like to see the Mets involved in his market but Castro would also fit like a glove defensively and he mashes RH pitching. Ramos only has a year left on his deal.