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Pitcher Notes: Ohtani, Urena, Cole

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Shohei Ohtani threw what Los Angeles Times reporter Maria Torres described as a “high-intensity bullpen session” on Saturday, and one spectator, Angels manager Brad Ausmus, walked away impressed. “He looked easy and free,” Ausmus said. “He threw about 40 pitches, I think. He was good. No complaints, so that’s good.” Ohtani relayed through an interpreter that he was throwing up to 82 mph during the pre-game workout, which, in his estimation, places him at about the “80%” point in his recovery process from Tommy John surgery. Of course, the Japanese import is known for ratcheting fastballs well in excess of 80 mph, so the Los Angeles org will likely have to wait until 2020 to see their prized two-way talent back on a big league mound.

More pitcher-focused frottages from around the web…

  • There are few sports-related injuries that are conceivably more painful than a herniated disc, but, after two months spent recovering from such an injury, Marlins starter Jose Urena is soldiering onward in his recovery, according to a report from Wells Dusenbury of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. Urena, a veteran of five big league seasons, threw a bullpen session yesterday that manager Don Mattingly described as “really good”. According to the skipper, the team expects their homegrown hurler to return to the team in September, possibly in a bullpen capacity.
  • According to a tweet from Mandy Bell of MLB.com, the Indians have placed pitcher AJ Cole on the 10-day injured list, with a recall of pitcher Hunter Wood as a consequent move (link). Cole, a 27-year-old righthander, has been generally effective out of the Cleveland pen this year. His 10.38 K/9 rate over 26 innings has helped catalyze a solid 3.81 ERA rate, although his strikeout-geared repertoire could go a long way toward explaining the shoulder impingement that has now landed him in injury trouble. On the year, Cole has thrown a slider on 45.9% of his offerings, far, far above the usual 15% usage rate generally seen among pitchers utilizing that breaking ball in their repertoire.

Angels Release Jose Briceno

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According to a morning announcement from the PR Department of the Angels, 26-year-old catcher Jose Briceno has been released from the organization following his waiver clearance. After a 46-game big league debut with the Anaheim-based club in 2018, Briceno had been stationed with the Salt Lake Bees of the Pacific Coast League for the entirety of 2019. This move comes in conjunction with the reinstatement of Andrew Heaney from the injured list, and the send-down of pitcher Jaime Barria.

Given the constant demand for passable catching options at the game’s highest level, it would not be a shock to see Briceno latch on with a big league club looking for battery depth–that is, of course, if only Briceno can prove he’s healthy. As it is, the Venezuelan-born catcher has been sidelined for the majority of the Triple-A season with shoulder issues, following a 2018 campaign in which he logged a respectable 91 wRC+ as a member of the Angels.

Angels Acquire Miguel Del Pozo

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The Angels and Rangers have announced an intra-division swap that will send lefty Miguel Del Pozo to the Los Angeles organization. Cash considerations are going back to Texas in the deal.

Del Pozo was not on a MLB deal, which meant he could be swapped despite the fact that we’ve moved past the July 31st trade deadline. The 26-year-old reliever will help bolster the Halos’ upper-level pitching depth.

While he carries only a 5.12 ERA through 45 2/3 Triple-A innings this year, Del Pozo has racked up 65 strikeouts against 21 walks. The former Marlins farmhand is still awaiting his first crack at the big leagues.

Angels’ Billy Eppler On Upcoming Pitching Market

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With the Angels hard up for starting help and Astros right-hander Gerrit Cole a pending free agent who hails from Southern California, they’ll be a speculative landing spot for the Cy Young candidate. Cole tossed a bit of fuel on the fire after dominating in Anaheim on July 17, saying (via Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times): “I grew up here, watched games when they still had bleachers. It’s a really unique park. Driving up the 57 today, seeing the Big A, it’s always cool. It’s always special. In an industry where you don’t always get to see your family as much as you would like, getting to hug your mom after the game is nice.”

As one of the game’s preeminent aces, the soon-to-be 29-year-old Cole is a solid bet to land a $200MM-plus contract in the coming months. However, as DiGiovanna points out, the Angels have never even handed out a $100MM deal to a pitcher. But that doesn’t mean the franchise that signed off on (ill-fated) contracts worth a combined $365MM to hitters Albert Pujols and Josh Hamilton several years ago will shy away from a gargantuan outlay for a pitcher.

“We haven’t secured one, but that doesn’t mean we haven’t explored one,” general manager Billy Eppler told DiGiovanna on Wednesday. “There is not a philosophy or a directive in our organization to avoid sizable investments in pitching. The circumstances need to warrant such an investment.”

The Angels did think one starter, Patrick Corbin, was deserving of that type of investment last winter. They offered Corbin a little over $100MM, per DiGiovanna, though that still fell well short of the winning bid for the left-hander. The Nationals ended up securing Corbin on a six-year, $140MM guarantee, and he now looks as if he’ll help pitch them to the playoffs in his first season in D.C. The Angels took less risky routes, inking Matt Harvey and Trevor Cahill to one-year commitments worth a combined $20MM. The phrase “no risk, no reward” applies in those two cases. The Angels released Harvey on July 23 after he tossed a dreadful 59 2/3 innings for the franchise. Cahill’s still a member of the Angels, but he’ll also go in the books as a failed signing. He lost his place in their rotation weeks ago and has logged a 6.28 ERA in 81 2/3 innings.

Thanks in part to the abysmal performances of Harvey and Cahill, the Angels are on track for their fifth straight non-playoff season. Their rotation has been a sore spot, ranking 28th in the majors in ERA (5.45) and 29th in FIP (29th). Heading into 2020, two-way star and 2018 Tommy John patient Shohei Ohtani will return to the mound, which will be an invaluable boost. Tragically, though, the Angels lost a key part of their staff and team last month when Tyler Skaggs passed away. Now, in all likelihood, Ohtani, Andrew Heaney and Griffin Canning are the only surefire bets for next season’s rotation.

The Angels’ dearth of quality starters could lead them to free agency – not necessarily just to Cole – as “the market will have some pitching on it,” Eppler said. “I’m sure we’ll be sitting with [free agents] and seeing if something can be worked out.”

Cole may end up as the lone starter to break the nine-figure barrier during the offseason, but he won’t be the sole high-profile arm available. Lefties Madison Bumgarner (Giants), Hyun-Jin Ryu (Dodgers), Cole Hamels (Cubs) and Dallas Keuchel (Braves), as well as righties Zack Wheeler (Mets), Jake Odorizzi and Kyle Gibson (both Twins) could represent other options for the Angels. While Cole’s the ultimate prize, anyone from that group should be able to upgrade the Angels’ rotation and give them a better shot at a playoff berth in 2020.

Angels To Reinstate Andrew Heaney From IL On Saturday

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The Angels are set to bring Andrew Heaney back from the injured list on Saturday to start that day’s game against the Red Sox.  (MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger was among those to report the news.)  Heaney has been sidelined with shoulder inflammation for a little more than three weeks, as per a retroactive IL placement for July 17.

Between this injury and an elbow issue that kept him from debuting until May 26, Heaney has been limited to just 46 innings this season.  The southpaw has a 5.09 ERA over that brief stretch, as his career-long problems with home runs have again surfaced — Heaney has surrendered nine big flies.  The home runs have obscured some otherwise decent numbers, as he has a 10.6 K/9, 2.84 K/BB rate this year.

2018 marked the first full and healthy season of Heaney’s career, as he pitched 180 innings after missing virtually all of 2016 and 2017 due to Tommy John surgery.  A return to that 2018 performance (4.15 ERA, 4.00 K/BB rate, 9.00 K/9, albeit with a 1.4 HR.9) would be a big help for an Angels team that has been desperate for any type of consistent starting pitching.

A strong finish to his 2019 campaign would also allow Heaney to get a bigger raise on his $3.4MM salary from this season.  As a Super Two player, Heaney is eligible for arbitration two more times before hitting the free agent market after the 2021 season.

Angels Claim Adalberto Mejia (Again)

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The Angels announced Thursday that they’ve claimed lefty Adalberto Mejia off waivers from the Cardinals. It’s the second time this season that the Halos have claimed Mejia, whom they lost to the Cardinals on waivers in late July after designating him for assignment themselves. To make room on the 40-man roster, the Halos requested unconditional release waivers on catcher Jose Briceno.

A former top 100 prospect who profiled as a fourth starter, Mejia never established himself with the Twins and has now bounced from Minnesota to Anaheim to St. Louis and back to Anaheim this season. He’s posted a 7.54 ERA in 22 2/3 innings, though he’s only a season removed from solid numbers as a starter with Minnesota’s Triple-A affiliate a season ago. Mejia is out of minor league options, so the Angels will have to keep him on the big league roster or else expose him to waivers for what would be the fourth time this season.

Mejia was designated by the Angels at the conclusion of a 16-inning marathon game that depleted their ’pen, and the club was perhaps reluctant to make that move. They’ll now get a second look at the big lefty as they evaluate whether he can be a potential piece of the pitching staff moving forward — be it in the ’pen or in the rotation. He has experience in both arenas.

As for Briceno, the 26-year-old has spent the season in Triple-A Salt Lake, where he’s managed a tepid .215/.262/.405 slash in 84 plate appearances. He’s shown a bit of pop in limited Triple-A action over the past couple seasons but has a sub-.300 OBP at every level above Class-A ball in his career.

Jonathan Lucroy Clears Release Waivers

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Aug. 7: Lucroy has cleared release waivers, the Angels announced. He’s now a free agent and can sign with any team for the prorated league minimum.

Aug. 5: The Angels announced today that they have requested release waivers on veteran backstop Jonathan Lucroy. He had been designated for assignment recently.

Any team can place a claim on the veteran backstop, stepping into his contract rights if awarded. The order of priority is based upon inverse record, without reference to league.

Lucroy, 33, is guaranteed $3.35MM this season, so it’s far from certainly any team will choose to take on the remainder of what’s owed. But that’s the surest way to gain control over a player during the month of August. If Lucroy clears waivers, interested orgs will be competing for his services based upon opportunity and any other considerations he values (location, for instance).

While Lucroy struggled badly at the plate with the Halos, sporting an ugly .242/.310/.371 batting line, he remains a trustworthy veteran receiver. For a team that needs depth, an improved backup situation, or a temporary replacement, there may not be a better option.

Angels Acquire Drew Hutchison

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The Angels have acquired right-hander Drew Hutchison from the Twins, according to the Pacific Coast League transactions page. Cash considerations went in return, per Morrie Silver of the Rochester Red Wings (via Twitter).

Hutchison, who’ll soon turn 29, will add to the depth for an Angels organization that has had to work to keep its MLB staff afloat. The staff has been taxed again recently by more injuries.

Conditions are tough for hurlers in the International League, where Hutchison has pitched all year long. He owns a 5.55 ERA in 108 2/3 frames, with 9.4 K/9 against 3.7 BB/9. Through 460 1/3 career innings at the game’s highest level, Hutchison carries a 5.10 ERA.

Angels Promote Patrick Sandoval

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AUGUST 5: The move is official. Roster space was created by moves involving a pair of right-handers. Luke Bard was placed on the 10-day IL with a right triceps contusion, while Pena was moved to the 60-day IL — no surprise given the recent diagnosis of a torn ACL.

AUGUST 3: The Angels are set to promote pitching prospect Patrick Sandoval to take the ball for Monday’s game in Cincinnati. Ryan Falla of Halo Hangout initially reported that Sandoval was due to be called up (Twitter link), and this report was confirmed by Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic (Twitter link).

A corresponding roster move has not yet been announced, but the Angels may have a ready-made fill-in in the event that Felix Pena–who was injured in tonight’s contest–ends up needing an IL placement.

Sandoval’s ascension to the big league represents something of a homecoming for the 22-year-old, who was developed at nearby Mission Viejo High School before being drafted by the Houston Astros in the 11th round of the 2015 draft. Acquired by Los Angeles in a 2018 deal involving Martin Maldonado, Sandoval has been identified by evaluators as a lefty with a reasonable ceiling as a back-end starter. Fangraphs has him ranked 15th in Los Angeles’s lightly regarded system.

Beginning the year with his second stint in Double-A, Sandoval overwhelmed hitters across his first five appearances, logging a 14.40 K/9 and 1.76 FIP in 20.0 innings before receiving a promotion to Triple-A. The PCL has been less kind to the southpaw, as his 6.41 ERA through 60.1 innings isn’t all that much better than his 4.97 FIP mark. Nevertheless, in a season challenged by pitching injuries, the Angels will look to provide MLB opportunity to this college-aged hurler.

AL West Notes: Mazara, Mariners, K. Calhoun

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Nomar Mazara has gone from an expected foundational piece with the Rangers to a platoon outfielder whose future is somewhat up in the air, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News writes. Texas is committed to getting lengthy looks at Willie Calhoun and Scott Heineman in the outfield, and when Joey Gallo returns from the IL, he’ll reenter the outfield mix as well. Mazara, meanwhile, has the worst OBP against left-handed pitching of any qualified hitter in the AL and ranks near the bottom in terms of average and slugging as well. He’s nearing the conclusion of his fourth full year in the big leagues, and while he’ll likely put together his fourth 20-homer season — he’s at 15 presently — he’s never produced even a league-average offensive season based on OPS+ or wRC+. He’ll be arbitration-eligible for the second time this winter and earn a raise on this year’s $3.3MM salary. Texas has some in-house alternatives and the ability to spend in free agency, and Mazara drew some interest prior to the July 31 trade deadline. It’d be painful to sell low on the former top prospect, but it’s clear that his stock has dropped considerably.

Some more news and notes from the AL West…

  • Asked during a conference call about the Mariners’ plans in free agency this winter (link via Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times), general manager Jerry Dipoto replied: “We don’t expect to go into the offseason scouring the free-agent market at the top of the food chain.” That shouldn’t be a particularly surprising stance for anyone to see, as the Seattle club has made it abundantly clear that its rebuild will be a multiyear process. With Felix Hernandez’s contract coming off the books and just over $86MM committed to next season’s payroll at present, the Mariners will have plenty of money to spend, but those funds seem likelier to be allocated to stopgaps, potential summer trade chips and/or mid-range free agents than to any top-tier talent. As Divish points out, Seattle would have overpay (substantially, most likely) in order to sway any free agent to join a club that just lost 90-plus games and is publicly rebuilding.
  • The Mariners will consider moving to a six-man rotation in the near future, MLB.com’s Greg Johns writes. Well-regarded pitching prospects Justus Sheffield and Justin Dunn, acquired in the offseason deals for James Paxton and Edwin Diaz, respectively, will likely join the club by September. Felix Hernandez, too, could return in September. Such an arrangement could help Seattle in monitoring the workload of rookie Yusei Kikuchi and also preventing Marco Gonzales from a radical increase in his innings count from 2018. Sheffield was given a reprieve from the comically hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League recently and has dominated Double-A opposition with a 1.64 ERA and 65-to-14 K/BB ratio in 60 1/3 innings of work. Dunn has also spent the year in Double-A, compiling 100 1/3 innings of 3.59 ERA ball with 10.7 K/9 against 2.8 BB/9.
  • Angels right fielder Kole Calhoun knows that with Jo Adell looming, the team has an affordable alternative to his $14MM club option, but he tells Mik DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times that he’s focused more on his current play than his contractual status. “I’m worried about playing now, and what happens will happen,” said Calhoun. “[Adell] is definitely a great player. He’s a young guy, and we’ll see how he continues to develop, but the talent is there. He’s going to be a big league player for a long time.” Calhoun has been the Angels’ primary right fielder since 2014 and, with the exception of a down season in 2018, has been a generally underrated player. Still, it’s questionable whether the Angels or another club would value him at a net $13MM — the option has a $1MM buyout — in advance of his age-32 season. Free agents entering their mid-30s haven’t fared well in recent years, and corner bats in particular have struggled on the open market. Calhoun’s case is surely helped by the fact that a good bit of his value is tied to his glove and a 10.2 percent walk rate across the past four seasons.
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