The Angels are expecting some major reinforcements to their lineup, though the exact timing of at least two of those bats is still up in the air. GM Perry Minasian told MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger (Twitter links) and other reporters that the team hasn’t yet determined a start date for Mike Trout’s minor league rehab assignment, while Justin Upton might need a rehab assignment of his own before he is activated from the 10-day injured list.
A right calf strain sent Trout to the injured list back on May 18, and a subsequent shift to the 60-day IL meant that Trout won’t be able to return until July 17 at the earliest. Given the long layoff, a rehab stint certainly seems necessary for Trout, and the exact length of the assignment will be determined by both the condition of Trout’s calf and how long it will take the superstar to get fully ramped up for big league game action. Trout has already been participating in baseball activities, so if the rehab assignment gets underway soon, it is possible he might be ready to go when first eligible to be activated from the IL a week from today.
Upton has been on the IL since June 25 due to a sore back, and he has already missed more time than expected with what was initially thought to be a fairly minor issue. The outfielder will now be sidelined through the All-Star break, though there still isn’t yet any indication that Upton won’t be eligible for reinstatement in time for the Angels’ first second-half game on July 16. (Upton could do any necessary rehab work in minor league games during the break.)
In better news for the team, Minasian said Anthony Rendon should be ready to return by the time the second half begins. Rendon was retroactively placed on the 10-day injured list on July 5 due to a left hamstring strain, so he’ll end up missing a minimal amount of time if he does indeed get activated on July 16.
Needless to say, getting Trout, Upton, and Rendon back as quickly as possible will go a long way towards determining the Angels’ fate for the 2021 season as a whole, and in the more immediate near-future of their trade deadline plans. Despite multiple key injuries and well-documented pitching and defensive problems, Los Angeles still has a 44-43 record, and is a modest 4.5 games back in the AL wild card race. No deadline addition could compare to getting Trout and the red-hot Upton (with an 1.020 OPS in 112 PA since becoming the Angels’ leadoff hitter) back in the lineup, and while Rendon has struggled with injuries and inconsistency this year, the third baseman has a superstar track record.
With this in mind, Minasian said his front office is considering adding players before the trade deadline, though the GM stopped short of using a traditional “seller” or “buyer” label to describe his team. All options appear to be under consideration, however, as Minasian said the Angels were open to acquiring rental players under contract only for the remainder of the 2021 season.
Fangraphs gives the Halos a 16.5% percent chance at reaching the playoffs, though the x-factors of Trout, Upton, and Rendon could change the equation considerably. If all three are in form upon returning from the IL, the Angels will have one of the scariest lineups in baseball, so Minasian surely has to be focusing on pitching upgrades in his trade explorations. One would imagine that the Angels might still lean towards buying at the deadline even if they’re still hanging around the .500 mark come July 30, though Minasian isn’t likely to make a full-on shopping spree if L.A. is still something of a longshot for the postseason.
Rendon sucks trade that bum
Nobody is taking that contract lol
Can rendon play first ? Bet Padres would kick in some prospects if angels took hosmer and Myers back
Padres wouldn’t have interest.
Hosmer makes significantly less and is a free agent sooner. Myers is most likely a free agent after 2022 as the Padres probably decline his club option for 2023.
Hosmer is making
20 mill this year
20 mill next year
13 mill 2023
13 mill 2024
13 mill 2025
Rendon is making
27 mill this year
36 mill next year
38 mill in 2023
38 mill in 2024
38 mill in 2025
38 mill in 2026
Doubt the Padres are willing to take on that much additional salary in 2023, 2024, and 2025 (25 mill more than Hosmer) when guys are up for extensions.
You’d think that the Angels would’ve learned their lesson with the Pujols monstrosity of a contract.
Or the Josh Hamilton contract?
Or the Cj Wilson contract
That one wasn’t quite as bad. At least he was a decent pitcher for a couple seasons. But Vernon Wells works.
Let’s not forget Gary Matthews Jr.
Or the Vernon Wells ontake?
CJ Wilson made the all star team and pitched a ton of innings the first three years. Do you people not understand anything? Or just don’t understand baseball.
Cj Wilson signed a 5 year deal and gave them 2 years worth of what they paid him at the time.
His 3rd and 4th year weren’t good and he didn’t pitch the 5th year of the contract.
His 3rd year he gave them 175 innings….while pitching like a #4/#5 FIP 4.31, xFIP 4.11
His 4th year he gave them 135 innings of 4.02 FIP, 4.24 xFIP
2 out of 5 years is a bad contract, especially when the player doesn’t even finish the contract. He only played 4 seasons.
I can only hope the Angels sign a pitcher that throws close to 600 with an above average ERA with a reasonable salary. Fifteen million a year was not a big deal.
2012, 9 years ago, it was. Because that was #2 money. #1/aces made around 20 mill a year back then.
Wilson gave you 2 years worth of what you paid him. Gave you 3 years of underperforming his contract.
Which makes it a bad contract.
You can spin it however you want but he did not live up to the contract he was paid.
Cozart
@SodoMojo90 Agree almost. I would never 100 percent rule out New York.
I never thought giving 30 year olds 200 300 million was a good idea.
The Mets? NYY got a cheap 3rd base already as well as Stanton & Cole’s contract & they are 2 years away from having to pay Judge. I doubt they take Rendon without the Angels eating 80% of the contract.
You don’t watch the angels. The Angels lost another game last night because they don’t have a 3rd baseman. Rendon led the Angels in WAR last season.
You probably one of the clueless who thought Ohtani sucked.
Rendon and Fletcher both had a 1.9 WAR
So. Baseball Reference list Rendon #1. And this team needs a third baseman.
Rendon was CRUSHING before he went on the DL.
They won’t trade him, and no one is taking that contract. Also, he doesn’t suck, he’s one of the best defenders in the game. I agree it’s been a big disappointment, but the Angels made the mistake of signing another position player on the wrong side of 30.
The halos offense will get an obvious boost, but the pitching needs front-end SP and bullpen. The latter allows way too many inherited runners to score. Some teams have stayed in the race due to BP help. C’mon Perry, make it happen!
They need a staff ERA in the low 4’s. That’s it. They could absolutely achieve that without any help, but they certainly don’t need a front end starter and a bullpen overhaul to do so. One more reliable, middle of the rotation arm and a 7-8th inning guy would more than do the trick
Unpopular take. Just dropping Bundy and Quintana makes the Angels rotations top 1/3rd in the AL. They def need bp help though.
I think you’re right about top 1/3rd if you don’t account for the 6th slot. 1-5 are definitely good enough for the offense. They need a starter to either step up or be acquired if they want to get through the end of the season. But I agree, they 100% need a 7th-8th inning lock down setup guy.
Agreed. It would be better to continue on with Suarez, Sandoval and call up Barria to start. Like Sandoval, Barria is not very good in the pen, but solid as a starter. Rays and Twins are looking to make trades for position prospects, and now would be the time to move Adell for pitching.
Angels are gonna sign Kevin gausman to the contract they wanted to pay Cole and Bauer and gausman is gonna proceed to pitch like he did as a brave ! Book it like Devin
Ha! Gausman not leaving SF but I guess was fun to type…
I think farhan and the giants will try to find more guys like gausman and disco that they can rehabilitate ! Paying big bucks long term to Kevin gausman is asking for disaster
Need to get some reliable innings and never allow Cishek into a game with inherited runners.
There should be tons of rental bullpen pieces. But with limited trade chips getting a starter will be tough. Danny Duffy would be a nice boost but as one of the few known arms will likely be too expensive prospect wise.
Lmao you people are ridiculous. Cishek’s been phenomenal.
Not with runners on base.
Era doesn’t factor inherited runners
Highest inherited runners score rate in MLB by a good ways.
His ERA is fine. But he’s screwed up his teammates roughly 50% of the time.
Slegers inherited runners score rate has to be bad, as well.
As a side note, probably best not to bring in a former SP like Quintana with runners on 1B and 3B. Some guys just need to come in to start an inning.
Quintana gave up the grand slam that lost the game on Friday. He should not be an MLB pitcher.
You don’t fix a broken bull pen by filling it with broken starting pitchers. Any Angels representative who says we can look in house for answers is lying.
Problem is Quintanna hasn’t been worth a squat coming in with bases empty
He’s been phenomenal? Thanks for the laugh.
Don’t let any Angel reliever come into a game with men on base.
Cut Quintan..useless! Id rather see Rodriguez ..Should have taken a flier on Bedrosian
Need max schezer type player or barrios. I’d trade adell+ for a young pitcher like barrios, Castillo (down year) or marquez/grey plus story.
Bugs bunny meme saying “noooo”
Even without Trout and Rendon in the lineup, the Angel’s lineup looked quite solid when they recently played the Red Sox at home. Which makes me wonder if the Angels would be better off trading Trout to the Mets or Yankees for pitching and a prospect or two. Even if it meant eating a part of Trout’s annual salary it could be a good deal for both teams.
STOP
Angels will not trade Trout. Hall of famer still in his prime. No way, not even for front-end pitching. Stop dreaming.
Trade the best player in baseball at age 30 for one or two minor league pitchers? Pass the good stuff around my man.
LOL. First lets entertain your acid trip. Who are you thinking? Rodriguez for Trout? Jeter Downs for Trout? Devi Garcia? C’mon dude.
Someone lives in New York
You “trade Trout-ers” act as though it’s even an option.
1-You don’t make a team better by trading the best player in the history of baseball.
2-Trout chose to be in Anaheim and has a full no trade clause to prove it.
3-No team would give up what it would take to even afford Trout in a trade.
4-You don’t make a team better by trading the best player in the history of baseball.
5-You don’t make a team better by trading the best player in the history of baseball.
So let me get this right, the Angels have a dynamic offense, but pitching is holding them back??? That’s new for the team isn’t it?
How many years can you have the exact same problem and not address it? Seriously, it’s not hard Angels brass. You spent big money on Rendon when the offense was already good, and ended up under .500 again last year because there was not enough pitching on the team.
Mike Trout could be one on the 10 most complete players in MLB history, but he doesn’t pitch, he just languishes outside of the playoffs year after year.
It’s been the same story and they have attempted to rebuild the pitching staff with other team’s castoffs.
Ohtani has been above average. Cobb and Heaney have been okay.
The need a top of the rotation guy. Let Bundy and Canning move to bullpen.
Iglesias has been pretty good as a closer, but I think they should sell high and let Watson or Suarez close.
Let Quintana go.
do your mothers know you are lowly trolls?
Until the Angels actually prove that they’re able to field even a mediocre pitching staff, I won’t buy them as legitimate contenders. They haven’t been able to do that over multiple front offices, coaching staffs, and huge player turnover. So what’s really the issue here?
ARTIE
Arte.
Carpino
Yes please. And thank you
It all starts with a competent gm.
And owner.
Sandoval has been killing it this year. Anxious to get a good look at Suarez and Rodriguez in a SP role. And perhaps Detmers in August or September?
Sando is a legit 3, you heard it here first.
I am truly amazed we dodged the Bauer bullet..Would have been like one of our signings!
Not an Angels fan but I think they’ll go on a run in the second half. Playoffs could be attainable.
Tough loss last night in game 2. You don’t want to squander to many of the well pitched games, it’s not like the Angels have been getting a ton of them. 😉
The D let them down again, back to back. No errors in the latter, but u have to turn those taylor made DP’s. It would be 0-0 and extra innings.
You to find a way to punch across a few runs when your pitcher is dealing. I know they’re down 2 of the big 4 thou, but u still have the 2 best hitters on the field for either team.
Just get the last game, and all is good, reinforcements are coming real soon, very soon.
The Angels need one thing – A bull pen.
I really like the addition of Matt Vasgersian to the announcer’s booth because he tells it like it is. He pointed out our lack of a solid pen at least twice last night.
Yes and no Prov, Halo11 and I have beating this drum all year. Both are lacking for sure, but I cut the BP a lot more slack than the SP’s. Only because they’ve been in there in the 3rd/ 4th innings way to much.
For a happy medium, I never thought either would be lights out, but it starts with the SP’s to give the pen a chance. Let’s hope it comes together in the 2nd half, with a few new young starting options.
FYI, we need to be healthy hitting, I don’t think there is any better if so… Oh and get that mediocre pitching that we haven’t had consistently.
And the reason I cut the starters a lot more slack than you do is because compared to building a starting staff, building a bullpen is comparatively simple and Perry did less than nothing after he obtained Iglesias.
This start and struggle can 100 percent be blamed on Perry.
I never ask a GM to spend 100 million on a starting pitcher, I do ask them to at least try to find competent relief pitchers. He did not.
I lean towards Halo11 on this one. We have had issues with the rotation for sure in Bundy, Quintana, and others. However, even when a starter makes a solid showing, the BP has more times than not lost the lead in a close game. I don’t know the exact stat but we have to be near the bottom in inherited runners scoring. When Perry cleaned out the BP last winter, I truly thought it was the signal that the BP overhaul was underway…then nothing meaningful happened.
I give Perry credit for making some bold decisions during the season, like ditching Pujols, moving Bundy and Quintana to the pen, etc. But he has failed to acquire pitching that is an actual improvement. Considering that has been the story for years, I put the blame on Moreno. Seattle is a great example of how important a good bull pen is.
I believe we have the lineup and defense necessary to compete. If we can acquire pitchers who are not looking for a bounce back, we can be in the running this year.
Prov, I don’t look at the inherited runners stat as a meaningful stat to look at, when comparing your own teams deficiencies. Most of those runners, are the BP’s runners that scored. There’s only 1 Starter, and 5 RP’s used per game, and when there constantly coming in, in the 3/4th innings. That’s why most would cut the bp a heck of a lot more slack… The Pen has actually been ok, when a rare starter goes 6 innings.
One things for certain, if the Starters improve the 2nd half, the Pen will to.
.500 team at best not making the playoffs. Watch Joe burn Ohtani out on the mound in meaningless September games.
BTW on Rendon, let the haters, hate. He’ll be just fine. He’s a professional hitter as it gets.oh, and premium D At the hot corner, it translates.
At the end of the day, even still with no 3b prospect coming up. It was a good sign, you have have to pay for a guarantee, and he’s legit. It will be a little less AB’s as normal in his last 5 years, but stop it, he’s fine.
Some might question the Angels plan the last 4/5 years, but it all comes down to pitching talent coming up. None of it came thru, a new crew is coming thru, and if there league average just like the Astros this year. Look out! We’ll score just as much as them playing in a real stadium, not a tiny band box for 81 games. 😉
Just another Pujols contract.
Not even close. You’re paying Rendon thru his 37 year old year, not 41. It was just the last 5 years that were tough watching Pujols.
Yea the angles are close, LOLOL the just need 4 more SP behind ohtani(and pray he doesn’t get hurt), a bullpen, a SS, to ditch upton and build a farm system worth anything. So be able to do that by the end of the month. .
A SS? Iglesias isn’t doing poorly..
The Angels 2nd half lineup can be impressive. Fletcher is hot and on a 23 game hit streak. Ohtani is the first half MVP.. Trout is the best player in the game. Rendon has been on of the best hitters in the game though is having trouble staying on the field. He is one of the best in the game when he is right.. Walsh rapid advancement has shown that he is our first baseman for years to come. Upton was raking after a slow start. This coincides when he began to hit lead off.. Adell may be coming at some point. We are not getting much out of RF other than errors with Ward and Rehgifo playing out of position. The lineup looks good for the 2nd half and for years to come. On paper, it can be the best. If all of these guys perform to how they were right before they were injured, we are in good shape.
Pitching on the other hand needs help. Sandoval looks improved. Suarez is hopeful. Detmers 91 strikeouts in 50 innings for the Trash Pandas is cause for optimism. My hope on Canning in waning. He is just too inconsistent. Something I have been way too accustomed to with pitchers like Skaggs and Heaney.
Rodriguez looks hopeful as a SP, as well.
ANGELS JUST DRAFTED A PITCHER..First thing they asked him was of he could be in Anaheim by next Thursday!
And EVERYBODY forgot about that one reds SS that we converted to 3B! Like 2019 I think & I Can’t even remember his name
Oh yeah..I forgot about Cozart..lol as well as I an Kindler and Juan Castro..
Ian Kindler.
The Angels FIRED Daron Sutton!!! I am soooooooooo happy!!!!!
Now I can watch the second half of the season with the sound ON.
Just curious,what was wrong with Sutton??..Ever hear a Cardinals Game or Yankee Game on Radio? Cardinals guy,Shannon,sounds drunk..Yankees girl announcer sounds like Ellen calling a game
I’m not saying he’s the worst out there, but as far as Angels announcers go, he was like nails on a chalkboard. Besides his whiny, nasally tone of voice, he always spoke to the viewer as if it was their first game ever watched. No one who is not an Angels fan is watching them in July. Plus he drags poor Gubie and Jose into his basic musings…Plus he called the viewers “folks”, which with his lisp sounded like “folthkths”. Good riddance
Folks! Lol good point! I’m old.. I remember Drysdale and Emberg… and across town Scully.. I’m spoiled! Lol
Welp, some promising progress in that in the first 5 rounds, the Angels picked 5 pitchers.
Make that 10 pitchers in the first 10 rounds now. now let’s hope 5 work out down the line.
Should have drafter 10 Japanese players
Also,Angels have good luck with Fish named players
I can’t wait for Cleveland to play in Anaheim..The Guardian Angels Series!