Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Angels Rumors

Angels Have Early Interest In Didi Gregorius

By | at

The Angels have done some “advance work” on shortstop Didi Gregorius, George A. King III of the New York Post writes.  Gregorius won’t officially hit free agency until five days after the completion of the World Series, of course, but it’s safe to assume the Halos and every other team in baseball are already preparing offseason shopping lists.

In the Angels’ case, shortstop will be a clear need since Andrelton Simmons is also headed for free agency.  While Simmons suffered through an injury-shortened season, Gregorius played in all 60 of the Phillies’ games and hit .284/.339/.488 with 10 home runs over 237 plate appearances.  It was a nice bounce-back season for Gregorius, who missed over two months of the 2019 campaign while recovering from Tommy John surgery.

The left-handed hitting Gregorius would add some balance to a predominantly right-handed Angels lineup, and represents a hitting upgrade over Simmons, though not a big upgrade.  Since the start of the 2017 season, Gregorius has hit .270/.318/.477 with 78 homers over 1720 PA to Simmons’ 32 home runs and .281/.329/.401 slash line over 1798 PA.  On the flip side, Los Angeles would making a trade-off on defense — while Gregorius has wielded a generally solid glove over his career, he obviously isn’t in the league of Simmons, who is one of the more celebrated defensive shortstops of all time.

Despite his down year in 2019, Gregorius was still offered multi-year contracts last winter before opting to sign a one-year, $14MM deal with Philadelphia.  He should be in line for a multi-year deal this offseason, albeit with the uncertainty of the sport’s tighter financial picture hanging over the free market.  Gregorius’ free agent stock could also be impacted by qualifying offer compensation, should the Phillies choose to issue him a QO and if Gregorius turned down the one-year, $18.9MM offer.

The Angels would certainly find Gregorius more attractive if they didn’t have to give up a draft pick to sign him, though Gregorius isn’t the only shortstop available.  Marcus Semien is also a free agent, and some intriguing options (Francisco Lindor, anyone?) exist on the trade market.  Plus, Los Angeles could opt to just use David Fletcher at shortstop and instead turn its attention to second base additions.

Front Office Notes: Phillies, Angels, Marlins

By | at

Checking in on the league’s front office landscape:

  • Previous reports suggested the Phillies might not be in a hurry to replace former GM Matt Klentak, potentially relying on interim GM Ned Rice to run their day-to-day baseball operations until the end of 2021. That still might be the case, but Philadelphia’s at least doing their due diligence already. Royals assistant general manager J.J. Picollo is under consideration for the job, per Jon Morosi of MLB Network (Twitter link). He was also in the mix for the Phillies’ GM vacancy back in 2015, when the position went to Klentak. Picollo joined the Kansas City organization in 2006 and has been an AGM under Dayton Moore since 2008.
  • The Angels fired GM Billy Eppler after the season. In their search for a replacement, owner Arte Moreno is looking for an executive with experience leading a scouting or player development department, Morosi reports. Los Angeles is in the very early stages of the process, but Morosi runs down a handful of names already under consideration.
  • After parting ways with president of baseball operations Michael Hill, the Marlins are set to embark on an executive search as well. One person worth keeping an eye on when the hiring process kicks off, according to Sportsgrid’s Craig Mish (Twitter link): Yankees special assistant Jim Hendry. The 65-year-old has been in the New York organization since 2012. His tenure has overlapped with Marlins CEO Derek Jeter’s playing career, as well as Miami director of player development and scouting Gary Denbo’s time in the Yankees’ front office. Hendry is most well-known for his stint as Cubs general manager from 2002-2011.

AL Notes: Yankees, Voit, Orioles, Angels, GM Timeline

By | at

Luke Voit’s plantar fasciitis is under control after receiving a platelet-rich plasma injection, per the Athletic’s Lindsey Adler (via Twitter). Voit will be in a walking boot for a week or two, but the Yankees expect him to be healed by the end of that time. Voit didn’t miss any time to the issue, and he certainty didn’t appear to be overly affected while slashing .277/.338/.610 and leading the majors with 22 home runs.

While the Dodgers drub the Braves in game three of the NLDS, let’s stay in the junior circuit and check in on some non-playoff teams…

  • The Baltimore Orioles laid off 11 workers and furloughed 35 more, per Nathan Ruiz of the Baltimore Sun. At present, those furloughed employees are set to return to work on February 1st to match the timeline for spring training. Teams all across MLB have laid off large portions of the their staff because of revenue lost to the coronavirus pandemic. No fans were allowed in Camden Yards for the 60-game season, very much complicating the revenue picture for the Orioles (as with other clubs) moving forward. Ruiz provides a quote from GM Mike Elias that sums up the 2020 season, saying: “Baseball teams do a lot of planning, looking ahead, and just all of that is just totally out of the window because of this event that came in and turned the world upside down.”
  • Unsurprisingly, the Angels will not be filling their GM vacancy until after the World Series, per Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register (via Twitter). The Angels aren’t particular close to finding their next hire, per Fletcher. It certainly makes sense that they might take some time. On the other hand, given how much work there is to be done in the offseason, some urgency to set a clear organizational direction prior to the impactful events of the offseason also makes sense. Eppler was hired in early October of 2015, though in that case, Jerry Dipoto, the previous GM, had stepped down in July.

 

Max Stassi Undergoes Hip Surgery

By | at

The Angels announced that catcher Max Stassi underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left hip. He should take around four to six months to recover from the procedure.

Considering the timeline for Stassi’s surgery, it’s possible the Angels won’t have him for at least the early part of next season. That would be a blow for the team, as Stassi was its primary option at the position in 2020 and performed well in the role. While the defense-first Stassi typically hasn’t offered much offensively, he did slash .278/.352/.533 with seven home runs in 105 trips to the plate this year.

Stassi’s absence would leave the Angels with Anthony Bemboom as the No. 1 option on their roster, but it’s possible they’ll look elsewhere for help during the winter. Jason Castro’s a pending free agent, and he spent the first part of 2020 on the Angels’ roster before they traded him to the Padres at the end of August. If the Angels want to aim higher, though, J.T. Realmuto and James McCann are also scheduled to hit the open market. It also seems possible the Yankees will part with Gary Sanchez in a trade, so the Angels could inquire about his availability.

Angels Finalize Deal To Buy Angel Stadium Site

By | at

TODAY: Shaikin has some more information about the sale, including details of the Angels’ commitment to remaining in Anaheim.  The Halos will spend the next 30 seasons in Anaheim “with options to stay through 2075.”

TUESDAY: Anaheim’s city council took a secondary vote tonight to finalize the sale of a 150-acre portion of land that includes Angel Stadium to SRB Management, a company owned by Angels owner Arte Moreno.  Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times reported on the council’s initial vote last week, which approved the deal and made tonight’s vote something of a rubber stamp on the project.

The city of Anaheim will receive $150MM in cash in the deal, while the Angels will agree to keep the team in Anaheim through at least the 2050 season and also include affordable housing projects and a community park as part of SRB’s development plans for the land surrounding the ballpark.  As well, any development projects will follow “a labor agreement…which provides for union jobs and prioritizes local hiring.”

The deal wasn’t without controversy, however.  The city council had initially agreed on a $325MM deal for the land last December, though the housing and park projects will now effectively serve as very sizeable credit in taking that $325MM price tag down to $150MM.  Two members of the city council voted against the deal, arguing that SRB should have paid the full initial $325MM since the extra money would have been better spent on projects throughout the city, not solely on the Angel Stadium property.

It now seems all but official that the Angels will remain in Anaheim for years, as the deal includes “language to explicitly limit the Angels’ options to playing in a renovated Angel Stadium or a new stadium that would be built on the adjacent parking lot.”  Furthermore, Anaheim mayor Harry Sidhu said that the team would be paying for any renovations or a new ballpark in the future, rather than the city.

Angels President John Carpino On GM Search

By | at

Having parted ways with GM Billy Eppler, the Angels are looking for a new top baseball operations decisionmaker. Club president John Carpino discussed the situation with reporters including MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger.

While it could be tempting to move quickly, before other teams consider front office changes, the Halos intend to take things slowly. Carpino indicates that the organization doesn’t have much of a timeframe at all, saying only that it would “ideally” have a new hire installed by late November.

That’s not to say the club hasn’t begun the process. Carpino says that he and owner Arte Moreno have already started compiling and honing a “large list” of candidates. It’s still possible at this point that the Angels will hire a general manager or instead add both a president of baseball operations and a GM to share some of the primary duties.

It certainly sounds as if the Angels are ready to shake things up after a brutal run of disappointing results. Despite big budgets and a roster highlighted by the game’s greatest player, the Halos are simply “not winning games,” says Carpino. “Something is not right in our organization,” he explained, adding that “there are things in here that aren’t working.”

While an incoming executive will be tasked with revamping the team’s process, he or she will also face immediate expectations when it comes to fielding a winner. In Carpino’s estimation, the Halos already possess “the base of a strong team” and are “not that far away” from contending.

Angels Fire Billy Eppler

By | at

The Los Angeles Angels have fired General Manager Billy Eppler, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (via Twitter). Eppler had one year remaining on his deal after the Angels gave him a one-year extension this past summer, notes The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya.

The Angels announced the decision on Twitter with a statement from team president John Carpino: “The Angels Organization would like to thank Billy for his dedication and work ethic over the last five years. We wish him and his family all the best.”

Owner Arte Moreno signed a 40-year-old Eppler in October of 2015 from his executive role with the Yankees to be the 12th General Manager Angels’ history. Previous GM Jerry Dipoto had resigned in July amid tension with then-manager Mike Scioscia. The Angels failed to make the playoffs over Eppler’s five-year tenure, having last made the postseason in 2014. Over those five seasons from 2016 to 2020, the Angels went 332-375 for an overall .470 winning percentage. The team’s high-water mark during Eppler’s tenure was back-to-back 80-82 seasons in 2017 and 2018.

The organization made many positive strides in Eppler’s time — namely winning the bidding for two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani and signing all-time great Mike Trout to a long-term extension. He also steadily improved the organization’s farm system after years of ranking near the bottom of the league in that regard, writes Jeff Fletcher of the Orange-County Register. He brought Andrelton Simmons into the organization via trade and signed MVP-caliber third baseman Anthony Rendon to a free agent deal this past winter. The Angels also succeeded with under-the-radar success stories in recent seasons with the development of players like Tommy La Stella, Brian Goodwin, and Dylan Bundy.

With Trout already on the roster and big money committed to Albert Pujols, Eppler never got a clean slate in Los Angeles and had to do his best to rebuild the team on the fly. Still, five years of Trout’s prime without a playoff appearance colors his legacy with the club. Eppler’s Achilles heel would prove to be the building of a pitching staff worthy of contention. Since Eppler took over, Angels’ pitchers have accumulated the second-lowest fWAR in the majors (Marlins are last). A 4.49 team ERA ties with the Padres for 19th best over that span, while a 4.60 FIP ties with the Royals for the 24th-best mark overall. He made a number of trades that benefited the organization, but until the Bundy deal this past winter, it’s hard to find an impactful trade that brought pitching into the organization.

Rumors in recent weeks had suggested that Eppler was perhaps on the hot seat in Anaheim, and veteran baseball operations executive Dave Dombrowski was rumored as a potential replacement for Eppler before he’d even been formally let go. The Halos may consider other options in their search, but Dombrowksi’s name will surely be heavily linked to the now-official Angels vacancy in the days and weeks to come.

Angels Place Luis Rengifo On 10-Day Injured List

By | at

Prior to tonight’s game, the Angels announced that infielder Luis Rengifo had been placed on the 10-day injured list due to a right hamstring strain.  Righty Jaime Barria was also optioned to the team’s alternate training site, while the two open roster spots were filled by infielder Jahmai Jones and right-hander Luke Bard, both called up from the alternate site.

It’s been an altogether tough year for Rengifo, who hit only .156/.269/.200 over 106 PA and also had another IL stint due to hamstring problems at the start of the season.  Rengifo didn’t do much with quite a bit of regular playing time this year, as he was needed at second base since Tommy La Stella often played at first base and Andrelton Simmons’ injury meant David Fletcher moved over to shortstop.

This performance came after Rengifo was on the verge of being traded back in February, as the Angels walked away at the last moment from a deal that would have sent Rengifo to the Dodgers as part of a trade package for Joc Pederson and Ross Stripling to Anaheim.  While Rengifo is only 23 and has less than two years of MLB service time to his name, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see his name again surface in trade talks this winter.

Jones is back in the big leagues after a one-game cup of coffee earlier this season that saw him make his MLB debut as a pinch-runner but not actually take the field or receive an at-bat.  (Jones was in the Angels’ starting lineup and doubled in his first plate appearance tonight, however.)  A second-round pick for the Angels in the 2015 draft, Jones was a consensus top-100 prospect as recently as the 2017-18 offseason, though a pair of unimpressive years at Double-A lowered his stock.  The 23-year-old Jones has a career .258/.338/.386 slash line over 2159 PA in the minors, and has mostly played second base over the last two years but has plenty of experience in the outfield.

Andrelton Simmons Opts Out Of Remainder Of Season

By | at

6:01pm: The Angels have placed Simmons on the restricted list and selected infielder Elliot Soto in a corresponding move. Soto, whom the Angels signed to a minor league contract last offseason, is a former Cubs, Marlins and Rockies farmhand who has batted .272/.346/.389 in 1,323 Triple-A plate appearances.

5:29pm: Angels shortstop Andrelton Simmons announced Tuesday that he has opted out of the remainder of the season.

“At this moment, I feel this is the best decision for me and for my family,” Simmons said in part to Maria Torres of the Los Angeles Times. “We don’t know what the future holds, but we would like to sincerely thank the Angels organization and Angels fans for welcoming and making us feel at home.”

Simmons’ decision comes amid ongoing COVID-19 concerns that have caused others to opt out, though the 31-year-old has played the majority of the 2020 campaign. He spent time on the injured list with a sprained left ankle but has otherwise appeared in 30 games and slashed a respectable .297/.346/.356 in 127 plate appearances. That represents a nice bounce-back effort by Simmons, who was unable to complement his superlative defense with a decent offensive showing during an injury-limited 2019.

Of course, considering he’s a pending free agent, Simmons’ time with the out-of-contention Angels may be over. He originally joined the Angels in a trade with the Braves prior to the 2016 season, and while Simmons has been quite successful since then (15.5 fWAR in 2,281 plate appearances), the Angels haven’t gone to the playoffs since they acquired him.

Going forward, the Angels could try to re-sign Simmons or even issue him a qualifying offer before potentially losing him in free agency during the upcoming offseason. However, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him reach the open market unfettered. Simmons is on track to join Marcus Semien and Didi Gregorius as the best shortstops available in free agency.

Multiple Reports Link Angels To Dave Dombrowski

By | at

Angels general manager Billy Eppler is in the final season of his contract, and with the Angels assured of a fifth straight losing season, multiple reports have linked the team to veteran executive Dave Dombrowski as a potential replacement. The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal calls the Halos the “most likely” team to make a switch at GM, adding that Dombrowski is the most frequently mentioned replacement option. Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times writes that the “widely held belief” is that the Angels are in for yet another front-office regime change and that the “industry consensus” is that owner Arte Moreno will pursue Dombrowski.

It’s been five years since Eppler took over for Jerry Dipoto, who resigned from his post in the wake of a highly publicized rift with then-manager Mike Scioscia. Los Angeles has yet to return to the postseason or even put together a winning record in that time. Instead of postseason wins built around the game’s best player, Mike Trout, much of the focus has been on the Angels’ perennial struggles to keep an underachieving pitching staff healthy enough to take the mound.

Since Eppler took the helm, the Angels rank 23rd among MLB teams in rotation ERA (4.74), 27th in FIP (4.84) and 29th in overall innings pitched. Angels starters have tallied just 3490 1/3 innings over those five seasons — a mark trailed only by a Rays club that has used openers more aggressively than any team in the Majors. The trade to acquire Dylan Bundy looks superlative at the moment, but most of the other attempts to patch the rotation have fizzled. Free agents Julio Teheran, Matt Harvey, Trevor Cahill, Doug Fister and Tim Lincecum didn’t bear fruit. Landing Shohei Ohtani was a clear feather in Eppler’s cap, but Ohtani has been far more impactful at the plate than on the mound thanks to numerous injuries.

From acquiring Andrelton Simmons in his first winter on the job to Bundy this past offseason, Eppler has made his share of strong moves while controlling the Halos’ baseball ops outfit. However, the team is still in need of upgrades both in the rotation and bullpen. The salaries of Trout, Albert Pujols, Anthony Rendon and Justin Upton weigh down next year’s payroll already, though the Pujols deal will finally be off the books post-2021. Supplementing the many holes on the roster could prove difficult with $118MM already on the books and a sizable arbitration class. Whether Eppler will make those additions seems cloudy at best.

Hiring Dombrowski or any other experienced front office exec would be something of a departure from the norm, Shaikin points out. The Angels’ past three GMs have all been rookies — Eppler, Dipoto and Tony Reagins — and each had something less than 100 percent autonomy over baseball operations decisions. It is well documented that Moreno spearheaded the team’s acquisitions of Pujols, Josh Hamilton and Vernon Wells, and Shaikin adds that it was Moreno who made the decision to dump Brad Ausmus (Eppler’s chosen skipper) after just one season in order to pursue Joe Maddon.

Dombrowski, of course, knows plenty about putting together win-now rosters with an “at all costs” mentality, as evidenced by a lengthy run of contending Tigers clubs and his quick World Series win with the Red Sox. In both instances, Dombrowski had an owner who was willing to spend money and sacrifice young talent for short-term gains on the trade market. That seems likely to be the position in which the Angels find themselves this winter, as pressure to win will build considerably following a six-year playoff drought.

Show all

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

hide arrows scroll to top