The Angels announced that Touki Toussaint cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Salt Lake. He was designated for assignment yesterday when the club called up Héctor Neris and Connor Brogdon. While Toussaint has the right to decline the assignment in favor of free agency, the team did not indicate he planned to do so.
It was a brief big league stint for the 28-year-old righty. The Angels selected his contract on Saturday. He pitched the following day, allowing two runs in as many innings with a trio of strikeouts and one walk. It was Toussaint’s second stint with the Halos. He allowed a 4.62 ERA in 25 1/3 innings for them three years ago.
A former first-round pick by Arizona, Toussaint has pitched in parts of eight big league seasons as a swingman. He owns a 5.42 ERA in 282 1/3 MLB frames. He has recorded a roughly average 23.1% strikeout rate while walking more than 14% of opposing hitters. Toussaint has allowed 4.84 earned runs per nine over parts of seven seasons in Triple-A. He’s worked in long relief this year with Salt Lake, walking 14 of 96 batters faced with a 5.32 ERA.
The Angels have cycled through middle relievers as their bullpen has struggled to the worst results in the league. Entering play Wednesday, only Washington had a higher bullpen ERA than the Angels’ 6.95 mark. They’ve given up an MLB-leading 24 home runs. The Angels don’t have a single reliever who has logged a sub-4.00 earned run average.
Are MLB teams using a system that uses player movement data and smart tech to help pitchers like Touki throw strikes more consistently?
Technology can’t change a lack of talent.
@prov356
For someone like Toussaint, with a live arm and a nasty curve, the raw talent’s there; it’s about consistency. Maybe it’s an attitude issue?
I’d be surprised if they didn’t, but a player has to apply that or it does no good. I knew guys in the minors who were too stubborn to change, at least until they got released.
It appears the Angels don’t have the coaching and training staffs in place to help guys improve. The most recent example of that is Canning, who is thriving in New York with a great start to the season.
@prov356. Maybe they can trade detmers for canning. I’m waiting for the news today about him getting optioned.
That is a bit of a broad statement considering Touki has been with 5 different organizations.
I hope I am wrong, but as far as Canning, he has had many runs where he’s looked good, then falls off. Besides this is such a small sample size to say the Mets have turned him around.
Maybe trade Rengifo as well.
@teamspirit. I think they should angels need depth. Even if it doesn’t work out, but perry has been pretty decent with trades. I would like kenley, ward, tyler Anderson, and rengifo moved. They can do the same next year and just sign stop gaps, but that should boost the minor league depth.
Hud – Who’s getting optioned? Detmers or Canning?
@prov356. Detmers for canning was more of a joke, but I would take it. Detmers is probably getting optioned Washington was saying the problem is the bullpen and was talking about detmers saying he needs to get out of his head. Sounds like it’s a signal for a move to be happening soon, but question is who takes his spot. Maybe silseth I think the other pitchers need to stay down for a bit.
hud – I agree. Detmers is one of those typical Angels’ pitchers who had a couple of flashes of greatness so they hang on to him for years thinking that’s his new normal. We’ve had several others with the same story over the years. It always turns out that the flashes were just an anomaly and their normal is mediocrity or worse. That’s what we get with an owner who doesn’t value pitching.
@prov356. Agree its definitely a arte thing. Dipoto did the opposite when he went to Seattle built a solid rotation and dipped in free agency for offense. He obviously has spending limitations the offense isn’t great but I wouldn’t mind that because that’s the big problem with the angels been for awhile. I can say eppler sucked his picks haven’t hit besides marsh, and I’m not sure if was much better with the Mets. Perry atleast got neto. Just feel like he’s capped by Arturo
I completely get why people are frustrated with Detmers, but some players need time to figure is all out. Randy Johnson is a good example. There was no doubt he had “the stuff” but it took until his age 26 season to put it all together.
I am not saying Detmers is going to have a Randy Johnson type career, but there are plenty of examples where players need to learn to get out of their own way and let their talents take over.
I definitely would not trade Detmers for Canning. Canning has had plenty of ups and downs himself. Seven starts is not enough to make me think he is going to be any better.
@angelsfan. I was joking, but also pointing out that the coaches suck for development. I agree with detmers he has two options left so at this point you ride it out, but he definitely needs to get sent down to build his confidence up. The question is who takes his spot maybe silseth.
@This one belongs to the Reds
We’ll never know but if the guy has been released so many times, I guess he just isn’t motivated enough?
Have you ever seen him pitch?