Angels GM Billy Eppler has confirmed today that Mike Scioscia will manage the team in 2017, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register tweets. The news comes as no surprise, since both Eppler and owner Arte Moreno suggested in August that Scioscia would return. The Angels had a poor 74-88 record in 2016, although that was in large part because of a number of injuries to key starting pitchers. Scioscia still has two years and $12MM remaining on the $50MM deal he signed with the team all the way back in 2009. Here’s more from the West divisions.
- Wil Myers and Yangervis Solarte are the only Padres guaranteed starting spots in 2017, manager Andy Green tells MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell. The Padres have had other position players who did well in 2016, such as second baseman Ryan Schimpf and outfielder Travis Jankowski, but it appears they’ll all have to fight, at least to some degree, for starting spots. “I can’t look at another position on the field and say, ’That guy’s going to start at second base,’ or, ’That guy’s going to start at shortstop,’ or, ’That guy’s going to start in center field,'” says Green. “Some guys have made some strong cases — Schimpf has, Jankowski has. But we’ll let it play out in Spring Training.” Cassavell suggests the team could look outside the organization for rotation, relief and shortstop help this winter.
- Athletics exec Billy Beane is happy about the team’s young pitching depth, but he could still look outside the organization for a veteran starter, Comcast SportsNet California’s Joe Stiglich tweets. The team figures to have a healthy Sonny Gray leading its rotation in 2017, and Sean Manaea and Kendall Graveman took steps this season to establish themselves as reliable big-league starters. Jharel Cotton also got good results down the stretch. There are any number of other options on the Athletics’ 40-man roster, but injuries and performance issues cloud the picture. The team’s success last season with Rich Hill last season could perhaps also help convince them to add a veteran as a low-risk, high-reward proposition. The Athletics signed Hill for just $6MM, and he (along with Josh Reddick) ultimately landed them Cotton, plus low-level prospect Grant Holmes and the hard-throwing Frankie Montas (who missed most of the season with a rib issue but could become a 2017 rotation option if he’s healthy).
Heard many rumblings about how Beane is going to go all-out for Rich Hill this offseason, maybe even going to 4 years on him, based on low milage on his arm and Hill’s similarities to Bartolo in later-years greatness. I’d be looking for a CF if I were he, but what do I know – he might get both?
One thing I know about Oakland and being a fan for my whole life is that when they like someone there is almost no one who they can’t beat. Examples: Yoenis Céspedes and Lazarito
God, can’t wait for Lazarito! Puk too, he even looks like Kershaw and his ceiling might be close to his if everything breaks for him!
Dunno if I would call Holmes a low level prospect. Hes lived on top 100 lists for the last 2-3 years
So did Lee, but prospect rankings change. Holme’s control problems and performance have limited his upside especially concerning the doubts about him to being able to stick as a starter. But the reference to low level appears to be referring to his A status. He has yet to play in the upper minors.
Low level in minors, not low in prospect ranking!
Solarte has been worth 4.7 WAR the last 2 seasons. Who would trade such an all around solid infielder?
Um…. Preller?
And yet he’s still just a “nice little utility player.” Right Pads fans?
Solarte? Yeah. He’s a utility player in the Josh Harrison mold – should get 400 at-bats playing second and third and maybe some first. Solarte does a lot of things well but nothing great, and his biggest deficiencies are on the defensive end. He’s not a good third baseman or second baseman and can’t play short at all. He’s also one of the slowest infielders I’ve ever watched run. He doesn’t really hit enough to play anywhere else, but he’s certainly been a useful player for the Padres. I like him as a bench guy for sure.
NO HE IS NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Solarte is an everyday player through and through. He led the Padres with an .808 OPS this year. That is EASILY good enough to start. And he should NEVER, EVER be playing 1st base. Solarte at 1st base is a thing in the same way that Alexi Amarista pitching is a thing. What he needs is to be kept at 3rd base every day, where he is at least adequate defensively. How in the heck is he a bench guy!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?
IMO we need to give the SS job to Sardinas and concentrate on pitching in the offseason.
The Pads could be really dangerous if they let some of those guys that they ended the season with get some mlb time – especially renferoe, shimpf, margoe. It looks like a lot of the guys they got back when they traded all the guys that they traded a bunch of guys for are working so maybe that is the new formula
draft guys
trade those guys away for big names
don’t trade them when they are valued high
deal them to guys who are desperate for those positions
WINNERS!
Hill and Reddick should be priority targets for the Dodgers. Deeper pockets than the A’s and larger cast of players with talent. Hoping they start negotiating right after they’re fitted for the World Series rings. Go Blue!
Yeah, sign those guys to long term deals and add to all the great moves this group has made, good this the majority of the roster was in place
As an Angels fan, I find it ridiculous that Artie would bring Scioscia back…. This justifies my thoughts, on that the Angels have become arguably the worst organization in the MLB.
It wasn’t scioscias fault
I think it is fair to say Scioscia got as much out of the roster he was given as any manager could. Richards, Heaney, Tropeano, rehabbing Skaggs, Street, Shoemaker taking a ball to the head, Caron’s broken hand, Pujols plantar fasciitis…it’s been a brutal season.
Yes, injuries are part of the game, but the speed and frequency of them was still overwhelming. Can’t blame a manager for that; I imagine the players feel he kept their clubhouse loose and encouraging.
Get Scioscia out of here already
Scioscia is bad, but his contract is massive for a manager so they really are stuck with that until next season (his last under his current contract) when they can let him go mid-season after another bad year.
How about the genius that made all those moves?
Janko is not starting OF
Sure he is
Freddie’s defense and speed alone warrants starting.
If he can keep his OBP over .330 all the better.
I’d prefer to see our starting OF as Jankowski-Margot- Renfroe on opening day with Dickerson and Blash as #4-5
Switch Schimpf and Solarte with Schimpf taking 3B.
U less of course Spangy can stay healthy!!
I could see jankowski starting. They’ll probably be putting Renfroe and Margot in the starting OF as well. Then someone like Dickerson could be the 4th OF.
Scioscia might as well get a lifetime contract cause he’s never gonna leave as long as his dad owns the team.