The Angels were aggressive within the opening weeks of the offseason. They acquired Jorge Soler as soon as the trade market reopened. They made the first MLB free agent acquisition of the winter when they added Kyle Hendricks. They signed Travis d'Arnaud and Yusei Kikuchi to multi-year contracts before any other team signed anyone from outside the organization for multiple years.
They've been virtually silent since then. They haven't signed a major league contract since finalizing the Kikuchi deal on November 27. Their only trade pickups since they landed Soler are utilityman Scott Kingery and depth catcher Chuckie Robinson. After identifying a few priority targets, they've taken their foot off the gas.
That isn't because the roster is complete. Soler, d'Arnaud, and Kikuchi are upgrades, but the Halos had a lot more to fix if they're serious about battling for a Wild Card spot. With a handful of high-profile free agents potentially stretching into February unsigned, the Halos should be positioned to bookend their winter with another strike or two.
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Stroman seems like a great trade target for Anaheim. NYY wants to shed some salary and the Yanks might kick in some $ to make it happen.
the angels need to get rid of a lefty starting pitcher. they have too many. marcus stroman would be a great pickup
Tyler Anderson for some good prospects or a left fielder and trade ward?
I don’t think they get anything more than a mid level prospect for Anderson.
You forget how (relatively speaking) cheap Anderson is.
Trade Arte for Stroman. When Stroman crashes and burns, it will be a wash.
the looming vesting option makes it more unattractive
Angels need pitching, sure. But I’m not sure a Stroman at that price point makes much sense when they have much cheaper options
Exactly. I’m tired of grabbing players in decline.
Correct.
The key to the rotation is a guy they already have: Detmers.
We have all seen the flashes but not the consistency. If (again, we’re tired of saying “if”) he ever figures it out, he’s a top of the rotation talent.
The Angels, as noncontenders (despite what Arte says) are in a perfect position to let the Detmers saga play out one way or another.
Based on some of the FA deals I think Anderson has a tiny bit more value, say eat $3-4M of his owed $13M. He’ll probably give 150+ innings and 2+ WAR and for a team needing reliable guys filling out the rotation he checks out. Flaherty and Estevez look like good fits being no QO therefore no draft pick. I think you move Soler (poor defense) for a better bat, if you can. I would’ve liked them to move Anderson sign Lorenzen for possible upside and not sign Hendricks. FA is their best bet to add pitching which they were poor at last yr. Make trades for hitting. Curious if Angels have pieces to trade for Gray. But if they do that, that means you go for it, as with any of the other aforementioned moves. The problem with the Angels is they’re never fully out or fully in from a directional stand point.
Theyre not trading any pieces at this point unless its Taylor Ward. I’m sure they’d be amenable to moving Moniak as well, but his value isn’t great.
They’re not moving Soler after just picking him up, they got him for his bat, not his defense.
Flaherty at this point is the only thing I’d be happy with. Picking up Alonzo is a terrible idea.
Hendricks was signed for veteran help, and its a cheap one year deal, so I have no issues with it if he doesn’t continue with how he picked things up in the second half of 2024.
Yup!
I agree about Hendricks. Hendricks will be in the rotation until Dana is ready.
Much like Rendon can hold down a spot until Moore is ready.
But these two strategies are of a team that knows it’s not going to contend yet, but knows that the two younger players are part of a long term solution.
Halos.
Profar and Heaney seem to be a pair that could address their most pressing needs without breaking the bank. Of course if Yankees will eat a lot of Stroman’s deal, that might do, too.
Gawd no, Heaney would be a step backwards.
Heaney is what he is. League average.
There’s IS some value in not sucking.
My guess is that Kochanowicz could “not suck” for a lot less money, though.
johnnyangel-Kochanowicz has upside. Adding a new pitch and working on his fastball, as well as sequencing differently could make a world of difference, Most pitchers would have been eaten alive in the MLB. His bread and butter was so good and he threw strikes. If he can make them guess a little about what zone or speed. He could be very good. These are not earthshaking changes, He already has the overpowering pitch and pounds the zone.
I agree!
I don’t understand why this team sees itself as a contender nearly every year. I guess you can admire they are spending money, and while they aren’t trading prospects, has anyone told them their team really isn’t close to competing? Like, what is it all for??
Arte is delusional, that’s why the team thinks it can contend every year while most fans who actually pay attention could tell him how he’s done the wrong things.
This off-season feels different. Theyve added a few pieces that improve the bottom and top end of the team. The yougins have a better idea of how to play the game and several will perform better this coming season.
The two worst positions last season were 2nd base and DH and both have been fixed with the inclusion of Soler and Newman (for the short term). I wouldn’t be surprised to see Christian Moore in the majors at some point this year.
Yeah I agree. For the most part I am all for teams trying to compete even when they don’t have a great team on paper. But the Angels aren’t even close to being good. I said earlier in the offseason they could be the most improved team in baseball and still finish 500 and miss the playoffs.
That late season push for 3rd place in the AL West should be fun to watch!
I’ll be shocked if they manage better than 4th, would be surprised if they even manage that to be honest
3rd? I do not expect them even finish 4th.
JD Martinez is only one year removed from 33 hrs in 400 abs….
…Soler is one year removed from 36 HRs and he is already on the roster.
yeah you’re not getting even half of that out of him…
LMAO
ZIPS has him at 28 HR’s for 2025, which sounds reasonable enough.
Good for the Angels. There’s so much randomness built into the MLB structure— might as well push for success and cross your fingers. Hope they at least grab some pieces to potentially sell for prospects at the deadline.
Angels: rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.
The Angel’s are a sinking ship and they’re using bubble gum to patch holes.
Angels need to clean house…from president down. Arte willing to spend…get so smart executives.
Arte needs to step away.
Arte is an awesome dude.
Arte broke his promise. He said he would spend more this year than last year. Angels need a new owner.
Johnny Bravo: “Arte broke his promise. He said he would spend more this year than last year. Angels need a new owner.”
Arte has been stringing along Angels fans for a very long time now. He’s laughing all the way to the bank.
Arte is the problem. He has the highest GM turnover in the MLB because he dictates moves that only prioritize marketing. He skimps everywhere else, like quality free agents, scouting, player development, etc. There is a reason the big market team with very good fan support hasn’t won a playoff game in 15 years. The team lost 99 games last season and have one of the lowest rated farm systems in the MLB. Arte is making a boatload of money, so he has no reason to change his “business model.” He is our Frank McCourt.
Angels COULD pull an off-brand Dodgers style and start throwing cash on deferrals and clean out a nice B Grade haul.
it takes two to tango…
Of course it does. Players and Arte Morenos checkbook.
I’d LOVE Arte to sign more Anthony Rendon, Gary Matthews Jr., Josh Hamilton, and Albert Pujols types…
It’d be hilarious if went out and signed Bregman, Alonso, and Flaherty.
BITE YOUR TOUNG, Arte is capable of such lunacy.
He is…and watch the Angels make the playoffs in that weakened division lol
I keep coming back to Cease for Adell. Pads want to move salary (even though it isn’t much) and they need an OF. Adell was a GG finalist (can’t believe I just wrote those words) and is a perfect change of scenery opportunity guy with a bunch of controll left and relatively cheap.
There is a better chance that the Padres deal Cease for the Loch Ness monster than there is of them dealing him for Jo Adell. Every team in MLB (including the Angels) can beat that offer.
Lordy, this is the single dumbest article I’ve ever read here, sorta “there are players out there, just sign some”.
I expected more from Anthony Franco, having the expectation that he should know more than most fans.