The Angels have returned right-hander Jose Alberto Rivera, their pick in the most recent Rule 5 Draft, to the Astros, according to a club announcement.
Rivera, 24, pitched just one inning in an official spring game for the Halos, though he’d spent the entirety of camp working out with the club. He ranked as Houston’s No. 18 prospect at Baseball America in the 2019-20 offseason and was tabbed 11th among Angels farmhands by BA this winter. However, Rivera also hasn’t pitched above A-ball, and carrying him for a full season would give the Angels five bullpen arms who can’t be optioned to the minors (joining closer Raisel Iglesias and relievers Mike Mayers, Alex Claudio and Junior Guerra).
It’s common for Rule 5 picks to be returned this time of year, particularly by clubs with postseason aspirations, as the Halos have. The Angels also hadn’t signed either Claudio or Guerra at the time they selected Rivera, and both moves further restricted their ability to experiment with keeping the hard-throwing righty on the roster. Rivera’s most recent minor league action came in the Class-A Midwest League in 2019, when he tossed 75 2/3 frames of 3.81 ERA ball with a 29.8 percent strikeout rate and an 11.3 percent walk rate.
He pitched one inning? A 1-2-3 inning? What was up with that?
He wasn’t worth pitching three innings?
maybe health related or didnt show well in B-games
His velocity was down and there’s not a lot of room in the new pen. Before all you animals “the angels pen could use any love bodies” they have a few pitchers that are optionless and it’s causing roster problems
Ok. So we took a kid in the Rule V draft but didn’t give him enough time to sink or swim in real games. Doesn’t make sense unless he was horrible in B games.
What really sucks is we lost a promising arm in Rule V.
Roster Resource had him as the Angels 12th best prospect.
The good news is this was the Angels choice. They were not forced to do it because they didn’t have any bullpen spots available.
With Pena being hurt and Barria having options, they were not forced to cut him. They chose to cut him.
He arrived to camp late due to visa issues and his velocity was not close to where it was the last time it was recorded
Angel fan. I’m just glad it was a choice and they were not forced to do it. If he had a shot, and didn’t earn it, that’s one thing. If he had to be cut because of a roster crunch caused by Claudio and Guerra, I would have been unhappy.
Because of the injury to Pena and the decision on Barria, there were opportunities to make this team.
guess he’s not one of maddon’s old friends!
Angels would have had 5 guys they wouldn’t be able to send directly to the minors if they faltered and this kid would have had to stay on the MLB roster all season, even if he was over his head and crashing. It’s always a risk taking Rule V guys, this one didn’t pan out for the Angels with how the rest of the pitching staff was filling out.
Story was pretty clear. A player selected Rule 5 has to be carried on the 40-man roster for the full year. As the story states, the Angels roster is full of pitchers who can’t be optioned/sent down, which includes a Rule 5 player like Rivera. That restricts roster flexibility during the season.
A determination was made that other, similarly inflexible players offered more upside for the entire season than a kid with no experience beyond A ball. This isn’t about winning a lottery, it is about winning a championship, and that requires the 40 best players available.
So the Astros have him back plus 50k. Seems like a good deal to me
Doesn’t every club have postseason aspirations? I just dont see the angels as contenders. This team continually buys its big time players in free agency. It has only one homegrown pitcher in its starting rotation ie. griffin canning. Who is a huge question mark btw. Arte moreno is an embarrassment of an owner. If it wasnt for ohtani choosing the angels this team would be irrelevant. Oh and watching mike trout play baseball is incredible. This guy is mickey mantle
Who gives a leap what you think.
Your owner condoned cheating and you comment about Moreno?
Go back on your little Astro threads and talk about how the Astros are not cheaters and how Altuve didn’t want his shirt ripped off because he was afraid it would expose his tattoo and not his buzzard.
Or do you want me to do it. Oh wait, unlike you, I don’t go on an Astro thread and talk about how despicable the Astros are.
1st this is technically about the Astros too. 2nd chill out
I had no problem with your comment. But for an Astro fan to come here and say Moreno is a disgrace and taking shots at the Angels? Sorry, not going to chill out about an Astro fan coming on a thread and speaking about morality.
If an Astro fans wants to go there… bring it.
Morality? I was not speaking to the man’s character whatsoever. Im saying hes a terrible owner. The most important person in every sports organization is your owner. He decides team success more then anyone. He is in charge of everything and puts people he/she believes can be successful in places to do so.
Altuve has a buzzard tattoo?
No, he keeps a buzzard with him at all times. It works as a good luck charm. That’s well documented
Stros18.
Now that’s darn funny.
Bruh, it’s a message board. Nobody gives a “leap” what anyone thinks… everyone just wants to hear themselves talk. Sounds like you’re lettting the Stros live rent free in your head though lmao
Then bring it Stros 94 fan. If he wants to talk crap. I’m there.
I can return it just fine.
And that’s your response, “rent free”?
The Stros are such a big target, I can’t believe a stros fan is dumb enough to throw a punch.
Lol the Astros get this dude so triggered.
The Astros don’t get me triggered. I get triggered when an Astro fans write stupid things.
And an Astro fan calling the Moreno an embarrasement is the stupidest thing I have ever read on this board. Number one!!!
I am with Halo11Fan on this! He is a genus and has good smart thought.s. Everyone who doesn’t agree with us should take a chill pill. Right Halo 1 Fan?
Moreno is an embarrassment
he kept cocking his head to the right shoulder. maybe he had a bug in his ear?
Jim Crane is an embarrassment of an owner not only because of the trash cans but because he tried to lose in 2011-2014 to get good draft picks.
The quickest way to being great is being very bad man. Its the way these sports leagues work. Its a simple market inefficiency. Being mediocre is proven to keep u mediocre.
What are you talking about. Top 5 offense and a rotation with two pitchers who took a huge step forward in the shortened season + Quintana and Ohtani looking nice.
Angles will only make the playoffs if someone is playing as them in MLB The Show21.
Or if the Astros can’t find another way to cheat.
The Astros are so good at cheating, I’m sure they’ll figure out another way.
Oh, because the Astros have such a rich history with legendary ownership. Get real!
Last year the Angels had 14 blown saves and finished 10games back in the division. Iglesias has blown 16 saves his whole career. With him alone we prob make the playoffs last year.
Unlike you i dont lose my emotions when someone gives their opinion. You dont have to agree with it. Judging by your vitriol you absolutely know its true though. And i didn’t realize altuve owned a pet buzzard and keeps it under his shirt! Does it chirp when a slider is coming?
You literally said “unlike you I don’t make emotional conclusions, but also here’s my emotional conclusion based on you being a meanie.” Houston public schools ftw.
My opining is the entire Astros team is a disgrace. My opinion, which is not really an opinion, but a fact, is the two biggest Astro stars of all time are roid users.
My opinion is the Astro players acted disgracefully when the world found out they were cheaters.
My opinion is Altuve knew what pitch was coming when he homered against Chapman. Although that’s not an opinion either, it’s a fact.
Do you really want people to give their opinions about the Astros. I’m honestly sick of it. I’d rather just move on… but when some delusional Astro fan gives the opinion that Arte Moreno is an embarrassment, all I can do is shake my head in bewilderment.
It was the dumbest most tone deaf “opinion” I’ve ever read on this board.
So lets just give arte moreno his participation trophy then. Who cares his team stinks and its his fault. Hes trying and thats all that matters. Who cares that aroldis chapman couldnt locate his fastball and his secondary pitch was a slider up which altuve crushes. Who cares the red sox and yankees were both fined for sign stealing and the yanks have paid thousands to keep their transgressions under wraps in superior court. Who cares that the entire mlb was on roids and bud selig didnt care. I look forward to watching trouts career wither away on a bad team
Unless you know an up and in pitch is coming, it’s insanely difficult to hit that pitch.
Have you ever played the game? Do you have any idea how hard it is to get your barrel on that pitch? Another clueless thing you said.
And we’ll see how good the Astros are without pine tar affecting spin rates and without players wearing buzzers. But they can always find different ways to cheat. They are very good at that.
The Angels also had the second highest win percentage with Moreno as an owner the decade before, so don’t let the facts get in the way of a giant public L
Up and away not up and in. He knew that was an off-speed pitch and that’s why he was able to wait on a pitch from a guy who can throw 100 MPH,.
It’s obvious he hasn’t let the facts get in the way of his narrative. He’s delusional and in denial.
If I was an Astros fan, the last thing I would be doing in calling another team or another owner a disgrace.
Did Artie know y’all were drugging, and eventually killed, a player?
Asking for a friend Mr Moral police
Another ignorant Astro fan. Arte cut Hamilton for using cocaine. Arte has never signed a known PED user. You can say a lot about Arte, but one thing you can’t say is he condones drug use. He had no idea Skaggs was using.
You missed the trash can signal. Your comment was a swing and a miss. Go to your pitching coach and get some pine tar so you can get a better grip on the bat and better luck next time.
If Altuve were hit by a pitch… Would his buzzard explode ala Randy Johnson vs the pigeon fame?
No because he wasn’t wearing a buzzer, Just stop with your tinfoil hat nonsense and grow up.
And he was more afraid of someone seeing his tattoo than celebrating a HR.
You people are delusional.
The Angels suck and Moreno is an embarrassment. Go take a Midol.