The Angels announced they’ve released shortstop José Iglesias. The move clears active and 40-man roster space for right-hander Janson Junk, whose previously-reported promotion to the majors has now been made official.
It’s a somewhat surprising move, as Iglesias has served as Los Angeles’ regular shortstop for the majority of the season. Acquired from the Orioles over the winter, the 31-year-old has started 111 of the Angels 134 games to this point. But he’s proven unable to sustain last year’s small sample offensive output, as Iglesias is hitting .259/.295/.375 with eight home runs across 447 plate appearances (85 wRC+). That’s a bit below his career .276/.316/.380 mark and well off last year’s .373/.400/.556 pace.
As evidenced by his career production, Iglesias has never been a particularly fearsome hitter. He’s instead long been regarded as one of the game’s top defensive infielders, which has led to regular opportunities as an everyday shortstop with the Tigers, Reds, Orioles and Angels in recent seasons. As MLBTR’s Mark Polishuk recently examined, though, Iglesias’ defensive metrics have tumbled this season — a problem that has plagued much of the club.
Defensive Runs Saved has pegged Iglesias as 21 runs below average at shortstop this season, the league’s worst mark for a player at any position. Ultimate Zone Rating and Statcast’s Outs Above Average aren’t quite so bearish, but both systems also peg Iglesias as below average with the glove. Single-season defensive metrics can be variable, and Iglesias is being compared to his peers at shortstop — who tend to be among the game’s best overall infielders. So there remains some hope of him turning things around somewhat, but his unanimously poor ratings this year also likely suggest that his days as one of the sport’s most valuable defenders could be behind him.
Whether Iglesias can right the ship defensively will be determined elsewhere, as he’s apparently not in the future plans for the Angels. At 66-68, Los Angeles is almost certainly going to miss the playoffs this season. Iglesias was due to reach free agency this winter, and the Angels were evidently prepared to move on and look for other options at the position.
For the season’s final few weeks, it seems they’ll give a look to utilityman Jack Mayfield, who has flashed some power potential in recent weeks and has ample long-term team control. Mayfield is hitting just .216 with a .262 on-base percentage overall and is soon to turn 31 years old, though, so it’d be a surprise if Los Angeles is content to roll into 2022 with him pencilled in as the regular shortstop. More likely, they’ll turn to free agency or trade this winter with Mayfield reassuming a depth role moving forward.
Iglesias is playing out this season on a $3.5MM contract. Around $600K of that salary is still owed through the end of the year. Unless another club claims Iglesias off release waivers, the Angels will remain on the hook for the rest of that sum. If he passes through waivers unclaimed, Iglesias would be free to sign with any team for the prorated portion of the league minimum, which would be subtracted from the Angels’ tab. Because he is being cut loose after September 1, Iglesias wouldn’t be eligible for a new team’s postseason roster if he were to latch on somewhere for the stretch run.
Red Sox???
I guess he didn’t reach the expectations of 2020 when he had a .373 BA with Baltimore.
@Jmi1950 i hope the sox bring him back! Play him at short while xander is out. When they are healthy, let him play around the infield and be a defensive replacement. The sox defense is miserable. On paper anyways, it’s a match made in heaven the way the sox are structured right now
Idk if you read the article but his defense has been atrocious this year
My guess is he didn’t read or at least comprehend when this guys defensive metrics pegged him at -21 runs on defense…..and he thinks that’s a good fit for a defensively challenged team?
Interesting. Not sure how many contenders could use a SS.
None since he’s ineligible for postseason rosters.
Has anyone notice that they purposely released him after August 31st post season deadline. They must have been quite bitter about his play, and did it on purpose. I’m sure they released him august 30-21st some playoff team would grab him if only for a clubhouse guy, or change of scenery.
Obviously they tried to send him through waivers in August.
He may have lost his job on the infield but I hear his new album is terrific.
@blue
I left my heart in Anaheim
And it seems Iglesias left his bat in Baltimore.
No one cares about his bat, his defense was awful.
Angels not my home team, so obviously don’t see many games, but was his defense really that bad? The 3 games I saw against the Tigers he was fantastic. Maybe just good against old team?
His defense was misleading this season. He still makes the occasional flashy, nearly unbelievable plays, leaving passive viewers with the impression that his defense is as good as its always been, But he’s also fumbled a lot of routine plays and is 4th in errors committed by SS. I also suspect his range and arm isn’t what it used to be, so he isn’t able to make plays he once could.
Detroit reunion
Sox reunion. Arauz and Jack Lopez are the current starting middle infield. And the team currently holds a wild card spot
We don’t need a loser like him on the team
Don’t call him a loser. He happens to be a very good person, and excellent defensive player. When he was in Detroit, he played some of the best SS since Alan Trammell and even hit .300 one year. Any playoff bound team with a need at SS, will be lucky to have a guy that can make a play that could save a run. The Tigers do not need him or want him but he’s not a loser.
Hell no. I hated him. I’d rather see that playing time go to Kriedler if someone not on the roster is added.
A Detroit reunion
Shohei’s best friend released!
Poor Angels man… can’t catch a break. I’d bet they will fill the void left by the Mariners as the dumpster dweller’s of the AL West, although Texas is some stiff competition in that regard as well. Jerry Dipoto sure did run the Angels organization into the ground. Or did he?
Dipoto resigned in 2015, which actually was there last above .500 season. You’d think 6 years would be enough time to fix a team. Although 2017, 2018 they did have 80 wins each, so they weren’t terrible. But yeah, so far, waste of trouts seasons and ohtani thus far, to have not made playoffs
Yup. I’m always seeing Angels fan’s bashing Dipoto constantly. They hate the guy. I think Seattle fans are generally very happy with what he has done for the Mariners.
Owner of the angels ran it while dipoto was there. Dipoto has more freedom in Seattle
I don’t care if you’re playing Little League or MLB, you don’t quit on your team. I actually liked Dipoto until he walked out. He should have finished the season instead of throwing a biiitch fit and storming out.
LAA fans. DiPoto’s been gone for 6 years. C’mon, face it. Time to rebuild.
DiPoto arrived in Seattle to an aging roster and a farm system decimated by Jack Zduriencik. Yeah, Trader Jerry made some bad trades early…losing Walker & Marte stung, but eventually getting mainstays like Haniger & JP Crawford via trades help DiPoto’s reputation.
BUT, he’s rebuilt a farm system from one of the worst to one of the best.
So LAA, time to stop blaming DiPoto. Seattle’s future looks bright because of DiPoto.
I hate it when people say o he rebuilt there farm no he didn’t. He freaking lost year after year so bad they got good draft picks its all it is. I don’t get why we make pedestals for this gms when all they do is lose badly for a few years then get good picks its so stupid that not every team does this the right way I wish the yankees did I wouldn’t mind being the last place team for 4 or 5 years if it means well draft a good team for years to come why be a middle of the pack team not good enough to win it all just to get to the postseason isn’t enough.
Seattle’s farm was only partially built through the draft. Much of the farm system was built through trades and international signings. Sure the Mariners lost a lot of games in Dipoto’s early years with the club. A club largely consisting of players and minor leaguers carried over from the previous regime.
Another 80 win season for 2021. Not terrible however not good either. Joe Maddon mastermind of the shift only in his own mind might be responsible for some of the defensive gaffs.
I am one of the people most critical of Jerry Dipsnot years with the Angels. He seemed to learn from his mistakes he made with the Angels. Now 2014 and 2015, the Angels mostly were playing players from the previous management. My biggest criticism of Dipsnot, you don’t create 3 holes to try to fill one. The Wite Sox wanted Trumbo and Peter Borges. Chris Sale, after 2013 was that, he is going to be a 500 starter or what question. The Angels had the opportunity to get him. Dipsnot wanted Skaggs instead. Traded Clevenger for a guy who was out of baseball less than a year later. Put Sale and Clevenger at the front of the Angels rotation the past 5 years. That completely changes what the Angels have been the past 5 years. Jordan Walden wasn’t a lights out reliever, but would have helped the Angels more than Tommy Hansen did. You trade your best second base prospect to get Street, then trade your starting second baseman. For a pitcher which if you take out his rookie year. Been a below average starter his entire career. You can’t blame GM’s for FA signings. But they 100% responsible for trades.
Considering that Trout and Rendon will have missed more than half a season, the entire starting OF missed considerable time, Bundy and Quintana forgetting how to pitch, Id say the Angels being so close to .500 is a very good season. They have also allowed many young players to get MLB experience. They are well positioned for 2022 if there is a season.
He did
Damn shame he would do the Angels dirty like that, but do the complete opposite in Seattle. Something doesn’t add up.
And to think Dipoto left LA 6 years ago and the Angels still stink. Even after spending boat loads of money. Damned Dipoto.
Yep that’s what decimating the farm system of pitching will do for you.
I think DiPoto made some questionable trades & signings as an Angel, but the one that sticks in the fan’s craw is DiPoto’s international signing of Roberto Baldoquin … Which cost the team any chance of trying to sign Guerrero Jr. No guarantee that Vlad Jr would’ve signed with the Angels, but you never know.
@Paolo1900 You’re right. Dipoto’s $8M signing of Baldoquin limited the Angels to a max signing of $300k for international signings for the next 2 years, which just happened to be the years the Vlad Jr and Tatis Jr were available.. This may have been Dipoto’s biggest gaffes next to trading Clevinger for Vinnie Pestano. Not to mention, he left the Angels with the worst farm system in baseball.
Dipoto is doing better in Seattle, with lower expectations. The Mariners have never been to the WS and Dipoto is the perfect guy to not lead them there.
DiPoto didn’t run the LAA org into the ground. Scioscia and ownership are responsible, mostly ownership. That’s exactly why Jerry resigned. Now he’s proven his worth by rebuilding the Seattle club.
My thoughts exactly.
DiPoto ran the Angels into the ground he’d make the perfect host for the new
let’s make a deal show
Arte Moreno And DiPoto both to blame
He ruined their farm system
Yeah it’s been 6 years since he left and what has that shown for the Mariners? Thus far neither teams prospects have broken out, Rodriguez is the last notable prospect from the 2 systems. Difference is bad Dipoto contracts locked up one teams salary, and the other got bailed out by the Mets.
He took Seattle’s farm system from dead last in rankings to top 2 or 3, in 3 years time. That is an incredible accomplishment. Especially considering Seattle has fielded a fringe playoff contender over the past two seasons also.
If the Angels don’t sign one of the big free agent SS, what are they even doing?
Signing a SP? Breaking their almost yearly cycle of handing monster contracts out to position players and still failing? Being smart?
Who are they going to sign? I always laugh at posts that assume there is some awesome SP available in FA every year. I’ve done the legwork, and in the past ten years there are very few (less than five) FA SP signings that have propelled a team to the postseason. Starting Pitching must be developed or traded for. FA SP signings are almost always a disaster.
And “yearly cycle of handing monster contracts out to position players” is ridiculous hyperbole. They signed nobody last off season. They signed Rendon in 2019-2020 off season after they lost out on Cole. They signed nobody in 2018-2019 off season. Signed nobody in 2017-2018 off season.. In fact prior to Rendon, their biggest FA signing was Albert Pujols 10 years ago.
They need to find the right SP signing, not just look at a list, shrug and give up like you’re doing. Yes, I was being a bit hyperbolic, but sinking another chunk of payroll commitment into a position player would be more of the same nonsense more or less. Here’s a plan: spread. the. money. out!… maybe have a plan to fix the problems with the roster rather than just sign another big name and hope for the best?
Okay, so you were a “bit hyperbolic”. Understatement of the year. Now Who should they sign? Who should they have signed over the past 10 years? And they took a huge step to fixing the problem in this draft. Like I said, you cannot build a staff through FA. You either trade for it or draft it.
What are these “huge chunks of payroll” you talk of? They extended Upton ONE year and lowered his AAV for the tax threshold. They signed Rendon who finished 10th in MVP voting in 2020 and had an injury plagued 2021, that happens., They extended Trout in what might be the best contract signed in the history of baseball. Again, I request all the pitchers they should have signed.
My being “a bit hyperbolic” is the “understatement of the year.” You wanna let the irony of that set in on ya for a bit?
Who should they sign? No one I guess. You looked at a list and, in your genius, couldn’t find anyone worthwhile so, the off season hasn’t even begun, but there is literally no pitcher who could help them. Ok. So just give up I guess? Ridiculous.
You saying that you were a bit hyperbolic was the understatement of the year genius. No irony necessary.
You are the one saying they missed the boat on all the great FA SPs available over the past ten years not me. As for next year who would you recommend they sign? mlbtraderumors.com/2021/08/2021-22-mlb-free-agent-…
How many of these people wanted to sign Strasberg last year.
Most of the names fans want to sign would have been terrible signings. It’s easy to say they should have signed so and so pitcher after the fact.
I never blame an owner for not spending big money on free agent pitchers. The chance of getting it right are very low.
They tried in vain to sign all the ones worth signing and guys just ended up signing elsewhere. That happens. It’s not like you can FORCE a player to sign with your team because you want them to.
Plus the fact that Stras was never leaving the Nats.. And that was 2019-2020 class. not last year.
True but didn’t Strasberg sign last year…2020?
I just looked it up, he signed December 2019.
nbcsports.com/boston/red-sox/top-20-free-agents-20…
One of the perfect examples of why FA SPs are a probable bad investment. The Nats signed Stras to the same contract the Angels signed Rendon to. 7yrs $245mil. Angels already got a an MVP10 year out of Rendon while WAS has got 7 starts and a 5+ERA out of Stras.
I guess the irony went over your head, hoss
Unless a pitcher is on his last lifeline in MLB he probably doesn’t want Joe Maddon to be his manager.
They get Trout back next year.. they need pitching pitching pitching
More offense you said??
Did you miss that they played better while Trout was injured this year? Maybe they will play better, but there is evidence to the contrary.
It’s funny, the Angels called Wheelers agent, got told that he was only going to to sign with a team on the East Coast. Went after Strasbourg, he wanted to stay with the Nationals. Offered Garrett Cole a 7 year deal for 300 million, he got 8 years 324 million from the Yankees. Tried trading for Scherzer, he was only willing to be traded to the Angels if he could get an extension. The Dodgers swooped in while the Angels were negotiating with his agent. Tried getting Corbin and Eovaldi, the off-season before that. Both got way more money than anyone expected them to get. Corbin was good in 2019, hasn’t been good since. Eovaldi hasn’t been good since signing that contract. People wanted the Angels to give up Adell, Marsh, Deitmers, along with others for Snell and his 6 ERA last off-season. Pitchers always get worse once the leave Tampa. Other than the Rockies getting Marquez, I can’t tell you any other team winning a trade getting a pitcher from Tampa. Bauer wouldn’t be helping the Angels right now either.
I offered Adell for Luis Castillo 2 years ago and got laughed off this board by Angel prognosticators. Lol,, these people!
after the end of August? quite inconsiderate.
Won’t be playoff eligible but wouldn’t be a bad depth defensive guy to help a team these last 4 weeks
Yeah honestly if you’re going to make this move do it a few days earlier, maybe you get something back for him too.
Doesn’t matter.. he has already been on major league roster.. rules have changed
not saying trade him. designate him then
It’s funny how I’d you watch highlights of him you would think he is Ozzie smith with the glove. I never knew he was that bad.
Until the Angels, he wasn’t. He was well above average.
Just means they’ll give story 1 billion next year
Sad state when teams would rather have Junk than you.
Look I’m not an Angels fan like I used to be in the 60s and 70s. But, with a solid off-season and picking up a couple of sold SPs – and assuming (I know about ASSuming) their 3rd baseman and Trout can stay healthy they could give Houston a run for their money in 22. If they play as tough against the Dodgers as they do against the rest of the league they will win their division.
Oops if they play against the rest of the league as they do against the Dodgers.
But they play the rest of the league like they played Baltimore.
back to Baltimore!
Jack Mayfield? Certainly they have something else in mind, they have to
Wow, this move makes no sense.. Lets replace a decent SS with a power hitter that doesn’t have as good of an average. Maybe they will go after a beter short stop in the off-season.. but honestly as everyone else has already said, pitching?
I wouldn’t be so sure.
This is probably an indication that Arte will jump into the SS market and overpay for another bat while continuing to nickle and dime the pitching staff
I think it’s a chance to evaluate Mayfield at short. I don’t think they care if he hits, I think they care if he can field. Iglesias didn’t field this year. If Simmons didn’t give up on the Angels last year, I’d say he would be a target this year.
Mayfield is a soon to be 31 year old career minor leaguer. There is no upside here. Livan Soto could potentially be an option next season, and will probably get a long look in winter ball. If the Angels think he’s an option maybe you sign a Freddy Galvis til the kid is ready, if not the Angels are probably going into the Correa/Seager/Baez/Semien market.
No offensive upside. But he’s always been considered a good defender. That’s all the Angels need from the position.
As a Twins fan it has been positively painful to watch Simmons nonchalance and high school level batting.
Despite what defense metrics mightn say he has looked very ordinary save for a svattered handful of great plays.
Tne guy basically quit as soon as it was clear the Twins would miss the postseason. And that was very early this year
Simmons has never been much with the bat but was always stellar defensively but it does seem he is disinterested in this season. Twins might be better letting him walk and let Nick Gordon or Polanco play SS if they don’t get into the SS market this winter
Nah, they’re only evaluating Mayfield at short as a backup (and it looks like he’ll be a solid defensive/backup option 3B, SS, 2B). This 100% means Artie will be going after the SS in this off season’s FA class. With the amounts coming off the Angels’ books after 2021 and 2022 (over $100 million/season coming off), this doesn’t necessarily impact their search for FA starting pitching or an Ohtani extension.
why, arte moreno? why?
-21 DRS!? Does Carmen Suite no. 1 play every time the ball is hit to him?
Kirk.. Exactly.
Here comes Corey Seager in 2022. Another Artie hail mary.
That’s my fear.
DODGER JR Seager has very good offensive WAR numbers. But not defensive. Also he has only played 150 games once. A big gamble on a long term contract for big bucks. But I am sure someone will take a flyer. Probably not the Dodgers, but who knows. I certainly wouldn’t give him a long term contract anywhere near what Lindor received. Maybe 22-25 million. Not for ten years either. Health is too risky.
That would be an extremely Angels-esque signing. Arte and Co. should go after Chris Taylor, if anybody. Gimme Chris Taylor for at least half the price of all these big name (and mostly overrated) SS’s this off-season. That might make too much sense for the Angels though.
redsox
If your BA and OBP are 20 points apart, it doesn’t bode well for long term success haha
340/360?
Who cares? It indicates they don’t walk much and are fully reliant on the ball dropping. Add in hes 120 pounds soaking wet, the power isn’t carrying him
Dumb of the Angels to wait until Sept 3rd to release him. If they had done so on 8/30 or 8/31, chances are one contending club would have claimed him off of waivers and picked up his remaining salary to see if he’d be good enough to help them somehow in the playoffs. Now, the market is real thin since Iglesias is not eligible for the playoffs. With all the Covid issues Boston is facing, they could roll the dice on him to see if he can help them stay in a wild card position. I’m not sure any of the other contenders would be willing to shell out $600K for a Sept only player, especially with rosters expanded to 28 now.
Agreed. They might as well have traded him at the trade deadline even if for just one or two A/AA relief arms.
Iglesias would only get them cash. He’s had a bad season and is probably getting a minor league deal next year.
So this winter will consist of low ball offers to good pitchers that sign elsewhere, a collection of rebound-hopeful pitchers being signed instead, and a bloated FA shortstop contract.
I hope your crystal ball is cloudy but I’m fearful it’s not
I hope I’m wrong too but the past is the best predicter of the future.
Yep, I hope the cycle is broken, buuuuttt…
The Angels almost assuredly will overpay for a starting pitcher this offseason. I could see them overpaying for Gausman and then he reverts back to Baltimore Gausman. It would be the classic Angels move.
No, overpaying for Gausman who then needs TJ surgery would be a classic Angels move!
If they can acquire a solid shortstop, the Angels offense is looking at least decent for next season, but that pitching staff needs so much work that it’s hard to envision them competing any time in the near future. They need almost an entirely new pitching staff.
If they really want to compete next year, they’re going to have to spend a lot of money on pitching in free agency AND be willing to trade a good chunk of their top young talent (Marsh, Adell, Rodriguez, Detmers) for additional pitching. Their staff is that bad.
They are at the point where they either need to go all-in next season, or commit to a mini rebuild in the hopes that they’ll be legitimately competitive again in a couple seasons, while Ohtani and Trout are still hopefully playing at or near the level they are now.
Red Sox could use his glove with all the positive Covid-19 cases they have .
Angels must be making way for SS prospect Will Wilson. Oh wait, never mind.
Janson Junk might be one of the best pitcher names
I don’t really understand this move for the angels. Maybe there is some money he would be owed if he got to certain metrics, but I mean, you’re already on the hook for the money. At worse, he’s a decent bench bat that in general is solid with his glove
Had this happened before 8/31 the Reds should have been all over it. No point now.
Iglesias has been going the wrong way and his defensive numbers have been horrible this year. I totally agree with waiving him and let another team have a shot at him. At the deadline they had a slim chance at thr post season so I get why they kept him. Now it’s tryouts for IF/ UTL for next season.
He looks like Mike Trout compared to Kevin Newman.
Making room for Junk by releasing other junk
Yet another garbage move by the Angels.. should of at least got a low level relief pitcher for a decent shortstop with decent contact. Galvis got picked up by the Phil’s right? 2 stint released Mayfield gets the go? Ok
Letting Ward, Thaiss, Regnifo and Rojas eat up roster spots for nothing
I normally like the majority of your post but that take sucks.
You don’t think they tried? He’s a free agent who is so bad defensively he can’t be used as a shortstop.
You think he’s going to latch on with a contender? A contender who thinks they can use him is the only team that would trade anything for him and no contender should want him.
Ok so I will crush your pointless comment with this. Jack Mayfield. That’s who is replacing him. Might as well play Fletch there and let the names mentioned above play elsewhere instead.
Yes like I said Phil’s picked up Galvis. There are things known as injuries in baseball. So yeah.. the cardinals rolled with pete Kozma at short bc their everyday SS was hurt.
Also thought the dude was a decent SS. Seen some great plays come from him this year. Nerd stats say otherwise
How dare you insult the great Pete Kozma?
Pete is that you?
Pete Kozma had an OBP .275 in 2014 and his slugging percentage was… .273!
I don’t think I have ever seen a Slugging percentage lower than their OBP for a player who played a majority of the season At one postion? Pretty legendary if I say
The have learned Rengifo cannot play short. Fletcher cannot play short. Knowing who cannot play short is an important part of the 2022 season.
Iglesias had to go and no one wanted to give the Angels anything for him.
Iglesias is with Boston now. A playofff contending team. So yeah someone wanted him and yet we couldn’t even swing a deal for a dollar.
And yet the one season the Angels made the playoffs (2014) was when Dipoto finally gave in to Scioscia’s philosophy and spent money on the bullpen. The conflict started because Dipoto fired Mickey Hatcher for no reason and then insisted on pushing players like Grant Green, and was proven wrong every time. Dipoto was also trying to push Scioscia out so he could replace him with Scott Servais, and then he finally got that with granted in Seattle. Dipoto came in with an agenda instead of just being a GM, and it cost him. The nail in Dipoto’s coffin was giving Arte the him or me ultimatum. Scioscia and Arte being responsible because of a power struggle was just the easy narrative for the media to prey on the ignorance of the average fan to get readership. Glad Dipoto is gone and now he’s stuck in Seattle while Scioscia just took the US Olympic team to a silver medal.
Welcome to the Angels Javi Baez!
Janson Junk….great name for a pitcher.
Not surprising at all if you’ve watched him play all season. Would make the amazing play and then routine ground ball He boots. I’m a look for next year again and we just can’t have that especially when he’s not even hitting
I don’t think I saw a single other comment suggest this, but he needs to go to Oakland. Andrus has been abysmal for them
Indeed.
Giants? If Crawford goes down they’d only have the rookie Estrada…
Where did Kevin Maitan go? I see he hasn’t played in 2022. Is he still an Angel? Hurt? He was a top prospect for a while.
Maitan is looking like a bust. Hitting under .200 in the minors this year. Not even that great of a fielder. I wasn’t happy when the Braves lost him to the Coppy scandal (he was about the highest rated prospect they lost). Maitan isn’t even listed on the Angels top 30 prospects anymore.
Hasnt played in 2022… good god, I’m a year ahead. It was late when I wrote that. I’m also getting old. I have excuses.
I saw he wasnt even in their top 30. Goodness he has been a bust. I was thinking he was the next big prospect when he was a brave.
LOL
The Angels are a joke. Moreno throwing money away to washed up players. Pujols, Hamilton, Upton Rendon it never ends.
Trade Trout and Ohtani for lots of top prospects.
It’s time to rebuild not patching up the roster with mediocre pitchers.
TRADE TROUT AND OHTANI.
#MakeAngelsGreatAgain.
The Angel’s have been a couple players away from being a potential top team. They try, but they keep picking the wrong couple players.
Trout and ohtani even rendon make a solid lineup on their own. Add in Walsh and they are a top lineup. They need a few good pitchers maybe sign a top shortstop… they could be there.
They are close.
The offense really isn’t the problem. Especially if their young guys pan out over the next couple of seasons, they could have quite a productive offense going forward.
But to say they are only a “couple players away” is a huge stretch. They need at least three good starters and an entire bullpen.
they are potentially very good team if they addrd 2 more late inning relief pitchers instead of duds maddon liked.
When your career goes so far south, you’re replaced by Junk.
His 2020 was a BABiP-fueled mirage, so regression was expected. I’m sure the Angels factored that in. What they didn’t expect was for his fielding to collapse. A low-power, .260 contact hitter but who is a solid defensive SS has a place. A low-power .260 contact hitter, but with poor range at SS gets…DFA’d.
Ohtani, Sandoval, Detmers, Rodriguez, Suarez, Barria and Canning are seven internal SP options for next year. And additional internal SP like Bachman will be knocking at the door next year, as well. Thats a pretty good starting place heading into the off-season.
The same can be said for the BP – lots of cost controlled RP bubbling up thru the minors.
The Angels are getting close…
Would you package Detmers, Canning and a couple other lesser prospects for someone like German Marquez or Zac Gallen? I think the Angels need to make a move like that for a proven, young, controllable starter even if it costs them some of their top prospects. Get bold.
angels should get a better pitching coaches. new manager. new owner would be great.
Agreed. Maddon let Ohtani throw 117 pitches last start. Has no idea about protecting assets.
I hear Maddon even lets him DH on days he’s not pitching!
HBan22, I would prefer not to trade any pitching for a Marquez or Gallon type SP as the Angels need all the quality pitching depth they can acquire.
I would try to center any return package around middle infielders and outfielders – of the Angels top 15 prospects, six are SS (including 3 of the top 6) and three are OF (excluding Marsh and Adell). If I had to give up a SP, I would prefer to move on from Barria or Suarez.
Where we differ is that you would center the return package on Detmers and Canning with some lesser prospects added as needed. I would lead the package with high end SS/OF prospects and add lesser SP as needed.
Your package, headed by Detmers and Canning, could net a solid controllable SP. Mine may not as it would be dependent on what other teams think of the Angels top prospects.
The Twins might consider him as an inexpensive, one year bridge to Royce Lewis or Austin Martin.
He can’t possibly be worse than Andletron Simmons was this year and would probably cost about 1/3 as much.
The worst defensive SS in MLB is Jose Iglesias. Is this a crazy year for LAA?
he will be league best defensr next season. that is angels luck.
Reds should pick him back up
This is when I wish Franklin Barrero were healthy, to try him out for the final month and see if he’s got what it takes.
Angels will sign Max 10 years 35 million.
Cubs are so bad, every player is an option
All you have to do is look at OPS:
Iglesias .650
Mayfield .755
Mayfield has also been the better defender. We could look at WAR but this should be enough.
Angels should have kept him. His salary is low enough and they could make him a qualifying offer. and get draft pick compensation if he elects free agency. With his defensive history, I would expect a bounce back season.
Jose Iglesias seems to be doing just fine in Boston, and looks to be helping them to the playoffs. If the Angels let him go, he probably has some value. Iglesias is proving it. Good for him!