The Angels announced that they’ve designated right-hander Luis Madero for assignment and released lefty Adalberto Mejia after he cleared waivers. Madero’s spot on the 40-man roster will go to the newly acquired Matt Andriese, whose trade to the Angels is now official. Mejia was designated for assignment last week.
Madero, 22, split the 2019 season between Class-A Advanced and Double-A but scuffled to the tune of a combined 5.03 ERA with 8.3 K/9, 2.6 BB/9 and a 47 percent grounder rate. Scouting reports on Madero peg his curveball as his best pitch and credit him with a low-90s heater as well. Eric Longenhagen and Kiley McDaniel of FanGraphs tabbed him as a potential fifth starter heading into the 2019 season, although that was before the the 6’3″, 185-pound righty endured a rough season.
The 26-year-old Mejia was unscored upon in 9 1/3 minor league innings across multiple organizations this year but was hit hard in the Majors, logging a 6.61 ERA (4.97 FIP, 5.98 xFIP) with an ugly 30-to-21 K/BB ratio in 31 1/3 innings. He did make 21 respectable starts for the Twins in 2017 (4.50 ERA, 7.8 K/9, 4.0 BB/9) at just 24 years of age, creating some optimism that he could settle in as the fourth starter he’d been projected as in the upper minors. But blister issues and a left wrist injury shortened Mejia’s 2018 season, and he wasn’t able to regain his footing in 2019. He’ll now be free to sign with any club.
Bold moves like this really gonna swing their entire season
Sarcasm alert!
Mets should sign Mejía to a minor league deal. Former high prospect who could be a part of the AAA rotation or at least compete for a spot. Absolutely no risk to take a flyer
Angels have been trying to get him into the minors. This is the 3rd or 4th time this off-season they have designated him. He gets claimed, then designated by the claiming team and claimed by the Angels again. They would really like to be able to outright him but can never get him through. He doesn’t have enough service to refuse and become a minor league free agent.
They really want him to be their 40th man but apparently not the 39th.
Angels have been trying to get him into the minors. This is the 3rd or 4th time this off-season they have designated him. He gets claimed, then designated by the claiming team and claimed by the Angels again. They would really like to be able to outright him but can never get him through. He doesn’t have enough service to refuse and become a minor league free agent.
They really want him to be their 40th man but apparently not the 39th.
Angels have been trying to get him into the minors. This is the 3rd or 4th time this off-season they have designated him. He gets claimed, then designated by the claiming team and claimed by the Angels again. They would really like to be able to outright him but can never get him through. He doesn’t have enough service to refuse and become a minor league free agent.
They really want him to be their 40th man but apparently not the 39th.
Angels have been trying to get him into the minors. This is the 3rd or 4th time this off-season they have designated him. He gets claimed, then designated by the claiming team and claimed by the Angels again. They would really like to be able to outright him but can never get him through. He doesn’t have enough service to refuse and become a minor league free agent.
They really want him to be their 40th man but apparently not the 39th.
So nice of you to say it 4 times
Glad he did cuz I didnt get it the first 3
This is the first time this off-season he’s been DFA’d
So not sure what to think about this trade. I agree we need more arms and innings but this doesn’t really move the needle or improve the rotation. 1M for a mediocre long reliever is a bit much. Hopefully we don’t need him in the rotation. But for how things have gone the last few seasons….I wouldn’t be surprised if he starts at some point. Who knows tho…can’t be mad at Billy for trying.
Perhaps you would like some bagels?
I am good on your bagels. Thanks tho. I was told don’t take food from strangers
Depth moves like Andriese are underrated. Not every move is going to be for a TOR stud. Andriese gives you a swing man when One of the Angels pitchers inevitably hits the DL. His xWOBA and ground ball rates looked pretty good last year. Looked as if he was a bit unlucky. Not crazy to think he could improve some under Mickey Callaway.
Makes sense from AZ’s perspective because they’re pretty good with starters and Andriese is only so interesting as a middle reliever. Getting a decent prospect with a set up man ceiling isn’t a bad snag for that.
It wasnt that he was unlucky, it’s that he doesnt have stuff to be average.
And moves like this (trading/cutting 3 pitching prospects to make room for one poor mid reliever) does not make sense when the farm depth is pitiful, to say the least.
And this comes after similarly trading 4 pitching prospects for a BOR guy that is no better than other similars which could have been signed off the FA market. That make 7 pitching prospects removed from the system to make way for just 2 mediocre at best roster fillers.
Doesnt make any sense at all. Throwing away what few resources the club has for no real reason at all.
Alright Darkstar. I see you failed to look at any data and just drew your own conclusion that he can’t even be average. Alrighty then. Not much anyone can say with that POV.
Oh, well he was average for part of a season one time, and in only 5 years of trying – yes, that clearly proves it was a great move to throw away another 3 pitching prospects on top of the 4 Bundy cost.
Seriously, I dont get other Angels “fans” either- get whizzed on constantly by the club, but always saying how amazing the free wine they are getting is…
I don’t know what to tell you. The guy you gave up wasn’t going to bring back Noah Syndergaard. Neither were the 4 for Bundy. As an O’s fan I feel like we got nothing but crap in that deal. It was a bunch of 8th round college signings…. You’re acting like these were serious prospects. I’ll be happy if one of them develops into a #4.
Andriese has some solid underlying numbers if you bother to dig a little deeper. And Mickey Callaway is an excellent pitching coach. The best teams in baseball are excellent talent developers. Short of trading Jo Adell; I don’t know how you think that TOR arm is coming in. But it’s going to be really hard
You do love attacking straw men in your desperation to protect the club from reality
Never said the 7 prospects were going to bring a stud – in fact, my argument has been that its idioic for a club with almost no minor league depth (especially pitching) to trade them period.
Of those 7, if 2 of them develop into very useful pieces for 2-3 years from now, all of a sudden we will not reap those benefits because we removed them for 2 mediocre at best fillers that could have instead been bought off the FA market without having to lose any prospects at all.
As far as him, I’m assuming you’re looking at FIP, but may not know how its actually calculated and what it actually does. Andriese does not have the stuff to take advantage of any supposedly there numbers. It’s kind of like if you were to take a mound for 100 innings – I’m sure your FIP would be atrocious, but your ERA is go to be even worse. Its similar to how a guy like Archer can not get to his FIP any longer since loosing that 2-seam and no longer having the stuff to fool at an average rate.
And it is almost silly to say Calloway is magically going to fix him when 5 years in the Rays system did nothing to help. But despite years in a system known for maximizing returns, and despite not having the stuff, and despite never showing even average results …well, he’s still magically going to transform into being worth throwing away lottery tickets the club desperately needs for the futures solely because the Angels traded for him.
Jesus you’re an angry little fella. I’m not really sure where you count 7 prospects. Adalberto Mejia was released after clearing waivers. And the 23 year old was DFA’d today. I imagine you’re adding them to the bunch. But I’m the one with a straw man? Alrighty then.
And I’m not looking solely at FIP if you bothered to read my response instead of hard charging ahead with your negativity—you would’ve seen that I quoted his GB rate and quality of contact (xWOBA) which dipped considerably last year.
Which is why I said he was a bit unlucky. You then proceeded to ramble on about bad he was. And all your other negative junk. If that’s how you think, cool. I have nothing to say to you. Nobody is going to. You’ve made your mind up.
Your argument against FIP is laughable.. FIP is a mathematical equation. I know the formula. You’ve decided to be a smug D-bag about FIP when I never even mentioned it. You aren’t the only one who can comprehend a math formula. Well, it appears you really can’t because you’re picking an outlier like Archer to bash FIP. FIP will not hold for every pitcher, like any other stat it’s not great in isolation. However, it has been proven to be a better predictor of ERA moving forward than prior ERA itself. Imagine that?
Darkstar61
You win the Blowhard of the Day award for your made up argument against FIP. Keep on spewing hot garbage, buddy boy!
I actually like it for the Angels. They seem to go through about 20 starters every year, and every capable option they acquire means there’s less of a chance that they need to rely on someone like Odrisamer Despaigne. It doesn’t hurt that Andriese is decent out of the bullpen too.
I wonder who will be our general manager next year I hope the angels get someone with experience l Hope Arte Moreno doesn’t cut corners on a general manager next year Bill Eppler He gone I was surprised he didn’t get fired after the 2019 season With the disaster free agent signings
Good addition. Hope we could keep Madero, i like watching him pitch and think he’s got mob potential. Nothing special, but i think he can be a spot/5th starter type so hope he makes it
If the season started tomorrow , can anyone tell me who the top- two starters are for the Angels? I’ve been an Angels fan since the PCL days and Wrigley Field on Avalon Bl.
They had a better starting staff in 1956 , then they do now .
All I read was Cole was going to be an Angel ! Instead, we sign multiple journeymen and a third baseman . We didn’t need Rendon – he doesn’t pitch .
As if this comment , they have zero chance to compete in their division .
As of now, I would say Heaney and Ohtani are the top 2 pitchers on our team. Then out of all starters I would say Canning and Ohtani have the highest ceiling. And I agree and thought we needed Cole but I honestly think it’s best that we didn’t get him. We would have had to top the Evil Empire’s offer and then pay him as much or more than Trout. Which is crazy money for a player who only plays every 5 days and will naturally decline with age. I think Rendon was to finally get an elite 3rd baseman in place and have another stud with Trout. We will see how it shakes out but I think we have a shot at a WC at least. If pitching holds up for a season…
Ok well that’s a question an Angels fan doesn’t want to answer. I know Heaney is mentioned allot however I don’t think he is in the top 2. No we do not have an ace closes to me is Ohtani but unless his pitching schedule changes he will pitch once a week and I think he has to start 20 games at DH before he can even start pitching this season if I’m understanding the new rule correctly, hope I’m wrong. Unfortunately as of now I would say Ohtani 1, Tehran is the number 2, Heaney and Bundy interchangeable at 3 and 4. Canning 5. They are still working on it and their pen and closer is good. This is no doubt a field defense and offensive orientated team right now.
According to Jeff Fletcher:
Some of you have asked how the #Angels could DFA Luís Madero, who is currently ranked 11th on MLB Pipeline. Those rankings are not updated much during the year. Baseball America just released its Angels top 30 for 2020 and Madero was not ranked. Madero had a 5.03 ERA in 2019.
MLB pitching depth is always needed. Madero is not pitching depth.