The Angels announced Friday that they’ve selected two of their top prospects to the 40-man roster: outfielder Brandon Marsh and righty Chris Rodriguez. Both would’ve otherwise been eligible for selection in next month’s Rule 5 Draft. The Angels’ roster is now up to 38 players.
Marsh, 22, has been considered the Angels’ best prospect behind Jo Adell for some time now. The 2016 second-rounder spent the 2019 season in Double-A, where he posted a hearty .300/.383/.428 clip in an overwhelmingly pitcher-friendly setting — good for a 137 wRC+. He entered the 2020 season as a consensus Top 100 prospect and still holds that designation, ranking 30th at FanGraphs, 38th at Baseball America and 73rd at MLB.com. He draws praise for plus speed, a plus arm and plenty of range to play center field, although he obviously won’t be manning that position for the Halos. Marsh also draws good marks for raw power that he’s yet to tap into, as well as an above-average hit tool. There was never any doubt that he’d be protected from Rule 5 status.
Rodriguez’s selection to the roster is similarly unsurprising. Although the 2016 fourth-rounder has barely pitched since 2017 due to a back injury that eventually required surgery, FanGraphs’ Eric Longenhagen writes that when healthy, Rodriguez has better stuff than any pitcher in the Angels’ farm system. He’s pitched just 77 2/3 frames since being drafted and has a lackluster 4.75 ERA to show for it, but scouting reports on Rodriguez praise him for possessing a true four-pitch mix, including a plus heater and a pair of potentially plus breaking balls, as well as the command to locate that arsenal.
Trade Marsh and Adell now!
The Angels could probably get White Sox young pitching for Marsh.
I feel like Justin upton and jahmei Jones are going to be traded as a package to unload on his contract and give marsh/adell a shot
That would be a blessing.
I would hate to lose Jones so early in his career, but if it means Upton no longer takes ABs from better options, I’m all in.
Unfortunately Upton has a full NTC along with being bad at baseball activities
Jam Jones has very little value….. and Upton has a NTC
You feel? It’s good to feel, but it’s not based on logic or reason.
Upton is not going anywhere.
And I don’t think Upton is done. You can throw out 2019. So people are saying he’s done based on one horrible month, yet they ignore the one great month.
Pretty much the quintessential litmus test for optimist vs pessimist.
Halo11 – I respectfully disagree. As an Angel, Upton batted .245 .257 .215 .204 from part of 2017 through 2020. During that same span, his OPS was .887 (good) .808 .724 .711. Upton’s batting has been on the decline since he joined the Angels. (I understand his injuries so no need to mention)
Also as an Angel, his fielding % was less than .980 except for 2018 when it was .987. In fact his career fielding % is .974, not lighting any fires.
In my opinion, Upton is an average player with some moments of above average-ness (made up word). He wasn’t worth the contract when it was signed, and he certainly hasn’t lived up to it.
I’ve never been a fan if you can’t tell. Cheers.
You are looking at the wrong data.
Upton had an OPS+ of 129 in those two years. He hit 265. Not that I care, about OBP and slugging more than average (353/503)
He’s not a good defender. It’s a good thing he’s playing perhaps the least or second least important defensive position on the spectrum.
The wrong data? It’s data that MLB keeps track of and relies upon for statistics. And it shows he is an average player. You can’t only rely upon stats that tend to support your argument and throw out those that don’t.
The best data I have, however, is watching him as an Angel over the last 4 years. He has been a rally killer for us more than he has come through.
I have never understood the Upton hype. We can agree to disagree. I think he hurts the team.
You are taking a partial of 2017? Sorry, I thought you were saying for the year. 901 OPS overall in 2017. 887 with the Angels. Do you think a 245 average in 115 ABs is relevant? Add three hits, hes batting over 270.
His OPS was 808 in 2018.
The Upton hype is based on the fact that he has been a very good player overall throughout his career and had possibly his best season in 2017, which is why the Angels extended him. He still had a good year in 2018 for him, but it all went downhill as soon as he got hurt in 2019. In 2021, since Upton aged a few years since the Angels first acquired him, he could very well just be average player now regardless of his performance with the Angels up to now.
As I said above, Upton could still just be an average player now, based on age alone, regardless of whether he was productive or not with the Angels. Same way that Reggie Jackson lost his legs throughout his tenure with the Angels after winning the HR crown in his first season with them.
Chris Rodriguez will be the best pitcher added to the starting rotation, for 2021. Yes I would like Bauer, but that might be unrealistic. I would like Marquez from the Rockies. But unlikely that the Angels could get a deal done without Marsh and Yan being the centerpieces going to the Rockies. Add Richards, or Paxton. Go with
Bundy
Canning
Richards/Paxton
Heaney
Barria/Rodriguez
Then deepen the bullpen. Shorten the games. Then go after the someone from a deeper FA market for starting pitching next year.
Lance Lynn and Nick Solak for Marsh and Hector Yan. Who says no?
Angels
Definitley the Angels
What if I throw in, not 1, but 2 free My Pillows?
2 free My Pillows?! Shoot, this just got serious!
Perry, what say you?
Dude that my pillows comment had me keeling over laughing. My stomach hurts. Mike lindell would be proud of your proposal.
So during the chat that just occurred I proposed Lynn, Solak, and Demarcus Evans to the Astros for Forrest Whitley, and Connor said the Rangers would probably say no. Does that change with Marsh because he’s a position player? Is it because I threw in Yan to go with it? By changing the trade up some, I could say Lynn, Solak, and Evans for Marsh and Yan or just take out Yan completely. What would have to change to get that done?
It would take more than Yan to get Lynn. The Rangers are not getting a top prospect for Lynn. If they could have, it would have happened at the trade deadline. The Angels are loaded at middle infielders. Evans, looks like a guy who could be a good starting pitcher for the Rangers, so I doubt that they were be interested in trading him.
Evans is actually a high profile reliever. He isn’t projected to be a starter by any means. Very heavy fastball, and looks like if Reid Detmers was a closer.
BTW, I think they could pull out one top 100 guy for Lynn. I think the reason nothing materialized at the deadline was because JD wanted MORE than that. He has also said that he wants more quality over quantity in a Lynn trade this off-season, so a guy like Marsh would do that.
I think a Lynn, Solak, Evans bundle could harvest a good return for them, but it’s just a matter of who wants them.
I think you have to understand what these guys are currently, and what they project to become in order to accurately assess that trade.
Brandon Marsh is not only best friends with Adell, both of which may join Trout in the OF, but he’s 6’4″ and runs like a gazelle. And he’s built like an NFL WR or Safety, which makes sense given his football background. He’s just beginning to tap into his power potential, which is immense. It’s typically the final tool to develop. Marsh developing into a Charlie Blackman level all-star OF is well within his range of outcomes, and he’s set for AAA or the majors. That’s an immensely valuable asset.
And Hector Yan is a sidearm lefty that sits in the mid-90’s. He’s untouchable against LHB and for some reason, RHB can’t pick up his breaking ball. He’s set for AAA next year and could be an effective bullpen option for years to come.
Now contrast that with Lynn, who is going to be 34 with only one relatively expensive year of control left. He should be good in 2021, but pitchers break down in their mid-30’s all the time, so it wouldn’t surprise anyone to see Lynn lose his effectiveness. It’s a rarity that a SP remains effective past their mid-30’s, and you have to think Lynn is likely to be the rule, not the exception. And even if he were, he’d cost a lot of money after 2021. He isn’t cheap in 2021 to begin with.
Nick Solack is likely done developing, in which case he’s a decent second division starting OF or 4th OF on a good team. The Angels have a ton of outfield depth to begin with so he really doesn’t carry any value there.
Demarcus Evans is pretty awesome when he throws strokes, which he’s shown limited ability to. And even if he harnesses his control, he’s still just a reliever, not an integral cog like Marsh.
So the answer on the Angels part would be a HECK NO.
I’m trying to make this deal work lol. Take out Yan then.
Lynn, Solak, Evans for Marsh. Lynn is a cheap, one year ace to pair with Ohtani and Bundy. Solak is a good hitter and a surprisingly average defender in left. Solak did have a bad 2020, but what he did in the minor plus what he did in his brief 2019 stint would suggest that he is an .850 ops, line drive hitter that has a great contact ability. Evans, as we have stated, looks to be a high profile reliever.
All of that for Marsh, who at his best looks to be Charlie Blackmon (good comp btw). I think this is fair for both sides. If Texas gives up any more than this, I think it’s an overpay.
Unfortunately baseball entails more skill than running like a gazelle or being built like a WR. Gary Matthews Jr. says hi.
Projecting the ceilings of prospects is discretionary. I see Marsh being more of a Randal Grichuk type than a Charlie Blackmon, a serviceable, but unspectacular Major Leaguer.
The Angels have had Grichuk. Marsh is a much much better prospect.
Of course they’ve had Grichuk. Point is they should do the same as they did with him and trade.
And it was not a good trade for the Angels. They didn’t get what he was worth and Marsh is worth a lot more.
.
That’s exactly what the Angels said when they signed Upton. Get baseball people in the front office, not marketing guys.
The sides have to line up. Unfortunately I just don’t think the Angels and Rangers are a trade match right more. Sure, Texas would love to have Marsh and I think Lynn probably has 1-2 good seasons left in him.
But 6 seasons of Marsh for one costly season of Lynn, and Solak who doesn’t carry value to the Angels, and Evans, who as good as he may be, still can’t really find the strike zone. It just doesn’t really work.
And here, we see a fundamental misunderstanding of prospects, and their value in today’s game.
As a Blue Jays fan, I have a trade idea:
Jordan Groshans to the Angels for Brandon Marsh in a straight up prospect swap. MLB.com has Groshans ranked 70th and Marsh 73rd. The Blue Jays are lacking in quality OF prospects, and the Angels already have Jo Adell and Jordyn Adams. Any thoughts?
Interesting trade but with the Angels currently hoping to compete before Trout and Rendon have gray hair I doubt it gets made. One of Marsh or Adell gets traded for MLB ready pitching, I think.
The Angels are deep at SS prospects. If the Angels were to trade Marsh for another prospect, it would be t get someone like Hunter Green, Baez from the Reys or Grey from the Dodgers.
MLB is the worst evaluator for rankings. BP in my opinion the best, but you can use BA if you like.
Marsh ranks 53 and 41 respectively.
Groshans ranks 29 and 43,
Pitchers are higher risk. But such a comparison is very interesting.
Groshans doesn’t project to stay at SS at the big league level, making him a 3B, and the Angels already have one of those named Anthony Rendon. He’s pretty good.
Not only that but Marsh is either set for AAA or is big league ready and Groshans is likely headed for A Ball.
Marsh for Pearson would be a much closer trade in value than Marsh for Groshans.
I had no idea who he was. I assumed he was a pitcher. The Angels don’t need a 3rd baseman. How long has it been since the Angels have said that?
I’m impressed with you posts.
Anxious to see Marsh and Rodriguez at the MLB level. In limited Spring Training ABs, Marsh seemed to be more selective than Adell. He seemed to have a plan at the plate whereas Adell appeared to just be up there hacking.
As for Rodriquez, he offers a lot of promise provided he can stay healthy. However after logging so few innings the last several years, its going to take time to build his innings up.
No brainer on these two. Marsh has a higher floor, I believe, than Adell. Rodriguez might be moved to the bullpen until he can stay healthy as a starter but, IF health permits, I could see him in Anaheim down the stretch.
Rodriguez isn’t close to being mlb ready. He needs more cooking time in AA and AAA.
This means Kevin Maitan will be exposed to the Rule 5 draft. Wouldn’t it be cool if the Braves picked him?
It would be cool if any team picked Maitan. What a ridiculous bust he has been, but well-paid along the way.
It would be hilarious watching the Braves use a major league roster spot on him
I’d trade Adell over Marsh any day. I’d bet the farm Marsh will produce more value than Adell because his 5 tools will be better. Marsh looks much more polished defensively and a more balanced (left handed!) hitter. The power will come but that is the only thing Adell has on him today.
Virtually every talent evaluator disagrees with you. But If Marsh is that good, the Angels should be a pretty good team over the next five years.
I hope I’m wrong Halo11 because it seems he is the most likely to be shipped out.
I also thought I read that a lot of GM’s prefer Marsh. No?
adell seems to need to cut down his swing a bit for the mlb. his bat stays way too behind to react to pitches.
Too much movement also. Needs to chill at the plate.
Vizion, he does seem to have a lot of swing and miss in his game, but he’s still very very young. And he’s very very coachable and very very talented.
I like his odds… a lot.
I’m with you MC Homer. I prefer Marsh to Adell based on what I have seen and read. Time will tell…
I really like the LH bat too.
Just to Add. Adell is younger than Marsh by more than a year and out hit him when they were teammates at AA.
I’d like for the Angels keep both of them.
The Angels need to add a SS, two RPs and a starting pitcher. They have about 30 million to spend in a depressed market. I don’t think they need to get rid of talent.
Now that’s a breath of fresh air in this conversation. Agreed. Keep both.
But what if YOU are the other GM in a trade scenario and you ask “how about Adell”, Perry says “nope”. You counter “how about Marsh”, Perry says “nope”. Would you not back out of the negotiations and hang up? Who else could we dangle for an impact pitcher?
Always depends who it is. The Angels need young good controllable pitching,
Not a one year rental
.
Yeah, if I trade either one, has to be for a young controllable STUD.
My point is i’m sure our trade options would be limited without these 2.
Are you talking building exclusively through free agency?
The Angels starters were OK last year. It was their Bullpen that stunk.
I think the Angels can add a starter, Two RPs and a Shortstop for 30 million dollars.
I don’t want to go with Fletcher at short, but if they had to, then they could definitely do it.
1) Who do you think our best candidates of demoted young starters would be for bullpen use if we landed a new free agent starter?
2) With the 3 batter min. rule, a RP’s vs. LH/RH hitter splits are now very pertinent.
How does a guy like Sandoval or another candidate fit in regards to said splits?
M.C.Homer, Sandoval. He struggles the second time around facing a lineup. He could be a good long reliever slash spot starter. Use him in like Stripling or Peacock way.
Seems like Sandoval has potential to also be part of the back end solution then.
The Angels need to create a package with Adell and other prospects and bring Lindor to the Angels. Pujols would be a FA next year and Upton in 2022. So you can sign Bauer this year and use Pujols salary cap space to extend Lindor!
1-Fletcher 2B
2-Lindor SS
3-Trout CF
4-Rendon 3B
5-Othani RF/DH
6-Upton LF
7-Walsh 1B/LF
8-Pujols DH/1B
9-Stassi C
That is a good looking lineup with out much holes.
We need more bullpen pieces pcord901.
What’s your thoughts?
Looks like we lost Middleton already.
On one social media account profile he lists himself as a “former Angels pitcher”.
The Angels will non-tender about 7 million dollars worth of players. Andriese, Justin Anderson, Robles and Middleton.
That gives them about 30 million to spend.
Is it necessary to non-tender Anderson? Isn’t he on the IL for 2021 with UCL surgery?
I’m not an expert in the rules, but if he’s on the ML Roster, they have to tender him. So, they are not going to tender him.
The Angels need to create a package with Adell and other prospects and bring Lindor to the Angels. Pujols would be a FA next year and Upton in 2022. So you can sign Bauer this year and use Pujols salary cap space to extend Lindor!
1-Fletcher 2B
2-Lindor SS
3-Trout CF
4-Rendon 3B
5-Othani RF/DH
6-Upton LF
7-Walsh 1B/LF
8-Pujols DH/1B
9-Stassi C
That is a good looking lineup with out much holes.
The Angels need to create a package with Adell and other prospects and bring Lindor to the Angels. Pujols would be a FA next year and Upton in 2022. So you can sign Bauer this year and use Pujols salary cap space to extend Lindor!
1-Fletcher 2B
2-Lindor SS
3-Trout CF
4-Rendon 3B
5-Othani RF/DH
6-Upton LF
7-Walsh 1B/LF
8-Pujols DH/1B
9-Stassi C
That is a good looking lineup with out much holes.
The Angels need to create a package with Adell and other prospects and bring Lindor to the Angels. Pujols would be a FA next year and Upton in 2022. So you can sign Bauer this year and use Pujols salary cap space to extend Lindor!
1-Fletcher 2B
2-Lindor SS
3-Trout CF
4-Rendon 3B
5-Othani RF/DH
6-Upton LF
7-Walsh 1B/LF
8-Pujols DH/1B
9-Stassi C
That is a good looking lineup with out much holes.
The Angels need to create a package with Adell and other prospects and bring Lindor to the Angels. Pujols would be a FA next year and Upton in 2022. So you can sign Bauer this year and use Pujols salary cap space to extend Lindor!
1-Fletcher 2B
2-Lindor SS
3-Trout CF
4-Rendon 3B
5-Othani RF/DH
6-Upton LF
7-Walsh 1B/LF
8-Pujols DH/1B
9-Stassi C
That is a good looking lineup with out much holes.
No matter how many times you post the same exact thing, the Angels would NEVER trade Adell for Lindor. It’s not going to happen.
NOT TO MENTION. If they traded for Lindor, there goes almost all the 30 million they can spend on Free Agents AND they’d lose Adell.
I really hope our GM is smarter than that. Actually, I know he is.
Lindor is not coming to Anaheim.
Bauer is not coming either
No he is not. When they have about 30 million bucks and they need to add two RPs and a Starter and maybe a Shortstop, it wont happen.
Arte feels an urgent obligation to Mike.
Arte is always the wild card.
Damn the tax for one year and open the wallet?
The Angels need to create a package with Adell and other prospects and bring Lindor to the Angels. Pujols would be a FA next year and Upton in 2022. So you can sign Bauer this year and use Pujols salary cap space to extend Lindor!
1-Fletcher 2B
2-Lindor SS
3-Trout CF
4-Rendon 3B
5-Othani RF/DH
6-Upton LF
7-Walsh 1B/LF
8-Pujols DH/1B
9-Stassi C
That is a good looking lineup with out much holes.
Tanaka, Kluber, ______ ?
I say we do t trade Marsh. He is a part of our OF starting 2021, 2022 at the least. Jahmai Jones could be added to a trade with little impact to our Halos. Uptown’s not going anywhere, even though I don’t like watching him play LF (can he pick up a 1B glove?). I say we bring back Simba for 2 years while we build up our younger SS prospects. Doubt Lindor will end up here. I do have high praise for our guy Fletcher. And if they were to sign Wong then Fletch could be our SS.
1 Get Happ and Tanaka. 2 Hendricks. 3 Hand. 4 Wong. See you in October. Wasn’t that easy.