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Angels Prioritizing Offensive Upgrades

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The Angels are not aiming to make a big splash in the pitching market this offseason, general manager Billy Eppler tells Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register. While the team will be “keeping an eye open” on available starters and relievers, Eppler’s focus is on upgrading an offense that finished 22nd in the majors in runs last season.

The Angels will “look for value, similar to what we did last year,” with regard to pitchers, Eppler said. The Eppler-led Halos only handed out two guaranteed contracts to pitchers last winter – $5.75MM to swingman Jesse Chavez and $1MM to reliever Andrew Bailey – neither of which worked out as hoped. On the other hand, Los Angeles struck gold when it claimed reliever Blake Parker off waivers and signed fellow relievers Yusmeiro Petit and Bud Norris to minor league contracts. Only one of those three, Parker, remains under club control heading into next season. Eppler isn’t sure whether the Angels will bring either Petit or Norris back, per Fletcher, who notes that they already have most of their 2018 bullpen in place with Parker, Cam Bedrosian, Jose Alvarez, Keynan Middleton, Noe Ramirez and Blake Wood on hand.

The Angels also have a variety of in-house rotation possibilities in Garrett Richards, Andrew Heaney, Tyler Skaggs, Matt Shoemaker, Nick Tropeano, Parker Bridwell and J.C. Ramirez, leading to Eppler’s confidence that a big-money addition isn’t necessary (notably, Eppler wasn’t willing to discuss a potential Shohei Ohtani pursuit, as he’s technically not a free agent yet). Although injuries marred the seasons of Richards, Heaney, Skaggs, Shoemaker, Ramirez and Tropeano (who didn’t pitch at all while recovering from 2016 Tommy John surgery), Fletcher relays that the only member of that group who hasn’t yet gotten medical clearance going into next year is Ramirez – whose 2017 ended in August on account of elbow soreness. The 29-year-old right-hander, who led all Angels holdovers in innings last season (142 1/3), will undergo an ultrasound on his elbow late this month, according to Fletcher.

While the Angels seem largely content with their pitchers, they could add at least one notable outsider to their group of position players, even after they managed to prevent left fielder Justin Upton from leaving in free agency. Along with Upton, center fielder Mike Trout, right fielder Kole Calhoun, shortstop Andrelton Simmons, designated hitter Albert Pujols and catcher Martin Maldonado figure to reprise their starting roles in 2018. That leaves the corner infield (either first or third, depending on where Luis Valbuena slots in) and second base ripe for upgrades.

The keystone looks like an especially big need, Fletcher observes, after Angels second basemen limped to a ghastly .207/.274/.318 batting line and a major league-worst 60 wRC+ last season. With Eppler looking for players who are adept at getting on base, previous trade target and current free agent Neil Walker (.362 OBP in 2017, .341 career) looks like someone who may pique the Angels’ interest, as MLBTR’s Mark Polishuk previously suggested when previewing their offseason in late October. And there are several possibilities LA could acquire via trade, including the Marlins’ Dee Gordon, whom it was interested in over the summer.

As for the corner infield, Eric Hosmer, Carlos Santana Logan Morrison, Yonder Alonso, Lucas Duda are at the top of the free agent class at first base (MLBTR projects the Angels to land Alonso). Alternatively, tthe Halos could hand the reins to Valbuena and C.J. Cron at first and and go for a third baseman, whether it’s Los Angeles native Mike Moustakas, Todd Frazier, Eduardo Nunez or Zack Cozart (if he’s willing to move off shortstop) in free agency or another player via trade.

Minor MLB Transactions: 11/4/17

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Here are some of the day’s notable minor moves:

  • Right-hander Deolis Guerra has elected free agency, as per the Angels’ official Twitter feed.  Guerra was outrighted off the Halos’ 40-man roster on Thursday.  The righty posted a 4.68 ERA, 7.9 K/9 and 1.83 K/BB rate over 25 relief innings for Los Angeles last season
  • Infielder Phillip Evans is heading back to the Mets on a minors deal that includes a spring invite, per a club announcement. He made it up to the majors for the first time and had some success in a brief run. Evans spent the bulk of the year at Triple-A — his first action at the highest level of the minors — and ended with a .279/.341/.418 slash over 510 plate appearances.
  • Outfielders Shane Robinson and Eric Young Jr. have elected free agency, the Angels announced. Both will likely end up with minor-league deals and camp invites, though perhaps Young in particular could land in a situation where he may have a shot at earning a bench role in camp. Robinson has struggled in his limited MLB time over the past two seasons, though he slashed .319/.379/.425 in 385 trips to the dish at Triple-A. Young had a productive run in a 125-plate appearance sample in the majors, slashing .264/.336/.418 while swiping a dozen bags. Like Robinson, he also showed well in precisely 385 plate appearances for Salt Lake, posting a .305/.375/.449 bating line while hitting the ball out of the park at an unprecedented personal rate (eight dingers in about half a season of work).
  • Former big leaguer Ryan Feierabend will continue to pitch for the KBO’s KT Wiz, according to a Yonhap News report. The southpaw appeared in three-straight MLB campaigns beginning in 2006 (when he was just twenty years of age), but didn’t make it back until a brief showing in 2014. From there, it was on to the KBO. The 32-year-old emerged in 2017 as the league-leader in ERA. He’ll earn a bit over $1MM after providing 160 frames of 3.04 ERA ball with 7.4 K/9 and 1.7 BB/9.
  • The Marlins have added lefty Miguel Del Pozo to their 40-man roster. Miami is evidently interested in protecting the 25-year-old lefty from minor league free agency (and the Rule 5 draft). Del Pozo returned from Tommy John surgery this year and briefly reached Double-A for the first time. He spent most of the season at the High-A level, where he allowed only one earned run while striking out 17 and issuing five walks in 16 2/3 frames.
  • Likewise, the Nationals moved young right-hander Wander Suero onto their 40-man. Fresh off of being named the organization’s minor league pitcher of the year, the 26-year-old could conceivably compete for a pen spot in Spring Training. He worked to a 2.48 ERA, with 9.0 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9, over 65 1/3 innings of pitching in the upper minors in 2017.

Angels Decline Options Over Huston Street, Ricky Nolasco

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The Angels have declined their club options over righties Huston Street and Ricky Nolasco, per a club announcement. Fellow right-hander Deolis Guerra was outrighted off of the 40-man roster, the team also announced.

While the news hardly comes as a surprise, it nevertheless sends some notable names onto the open market.

Street, 34, will receive a $1MM buyout in lieu of what would’ve been a $10MM salary for the coming season. Thus ends the extension he signed in May of 2015 — a two-year, $18MM pact (plus the option) that kept him from hitting free agency at the end of that year.

Owing to injury, Street has thrown only 26 1/3 frames over the life of that contract. Never a hard thrower, Street has dropped to the 88 mph range more recently. While he managed four scoreless appearances in 2017, and could yet engineer a return, it seemed clear that there wasn’t enough promise for the Halos to pick up the option.

Nolasco is also now 34 years of age and past his prime. His four-year, $49MM contract — signed with the Twins and sent to Los Angeles last summer — included a $13MM club option for 2018, but he’ll settle instead for a $1MM buyout.

Clubs will no doubt value the fact that Nolasco has managed to take 65 starts over the past two years, tallying 378 2/3 frames. But a palatable 2016 effort — he pitched to a 4.42 ERA with metrics suggesting he had been a bit unlucky — gave way to a rough showing in the most recent season. While averaging a fairly typical 7.1 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9, with his velocity and whiff rates largely holding steady, Nolasco surrendered 1.74 homers per nine and ended with a 4.92 ERA in his 181 innings.

As for Guerra, 28, he failed to follow up a solid showing in 2016, in which he rode a stingy 1.2 BB/9 walk rate to a 3.21 ERA. This year, he managed only a 4.68 ERA over 25 frames while coughing up 4.3 free passes per nine — though he was much better (1.98 ERA, 9.0 K/9 vs. 1.8 BB/9) in 41 Triple-A frames. Since he has previously been outrighted, Guerra will have the right to elect free agency.

Angels Sign Justin Upton To Five-Year Contract

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After spending the past several weeks weighing an opt-out clause that would’ve allowed him to forgo the remaining four years and $88.5MM on his contract, Justin Upton has reached a compromise with the Angels. The Halos announced on Thursday that they’ve signed Upton to a new five-year contract that runs through the 2022 campaign, in essence extending his current deal by one year in exchange for tearing up the opt-out provision. Upton, a client of Reynolds Sports Management, will reportedly earn $106MM on the five-year deal, which contains a full no-trade clause.

Justin Upton | Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

Upton’s deal can technically be viewed as a one-year, $17.5MM extension of his current contract, then, which brings the total value of the deal to $150.5MM over seven years. He’ll now reportedly earn $16MM in 2018, $18MM in 2019, $21MM in 2020, $23MM in 2021 and $28MM in 2022 on a contract that carries through his age-34 season.

[Related: Updated Los Angeles Angels payroll outlook and depth chart]

Los Angeles acquired Upton from the Tigers on Aug. 31 in exchange for pitching prospect Grayson Long and a player to be named later, hoping that Upton’s bat would help fuel a run at an American League Wild Card berth. While the Angels ultimately fell short of that goal, it was through no fault of Upton; in 115 plate appearances with the Angels, Upton nearly matched his OBP and slugging numbers with the Tigers, hitting .245/.357/.531 with seven homers in the season’s final month. Overall, he finished out the year with a .273/.361/.540 batting line, a career-high 35 homers and 14 steals.

Upton’s first year with the Tigers got off to a poor start, prompting many to question the initial six-year, $132MM contract before Upton righted the ship in Detroit about halfway through that 2016 campaign. Dating back to July 1 of last season, Upton has batted .270/.352/.548 with 58 home runs in 946 trips to the plate — good for a park- and league-adjusted wRC+ of 137. (In other words, his bat has bee about 37 percent better than that of a league-average hitter.)

Beyond his excellence at the plate, Upton turned in yet another solid year on the defensive end of the equation. Defensive Runs Saved pegged him at +8, while Ultimate Zone Rating had him at 2.1 runs above average. Statcast’s new Outs Above Average metric was a bit less bullish, grading him at -1 outs. Despite the variance in those respective metrics, the Angels can reasonably expect at least average defensive contributions from Upton next year in addition to strong offense and above-average baserunning.

For the Angels, left field was a clear need whether a deal with Upton was worked out or not. The Halos are lacking in upper-level bats that can be relied upon to contribute to a big league lineup, but Upton will now join Mike Trout and Kole Calhoun in the Angels’ outfield and in the heart of their order. Aging slugger Albert Pujols, of course, remains a fixture in the lineup as well, though the soon-to-be 38-year-old struggled through the worst season of his Hall of Fame career in 2017.

The Pujols commitment remains an onerous financial obligation, but the Angels now have Josh Hamilton’s massive contract off the books, which will effectively be replaced by the Upton deal. Upton’s contract , though, will come with a lesser luxury tax obligation — $21.2MM annually if the contract is viewed as a five-year, $106MM deal or $21.46MM if it’s viewed as seven years and $150.25MM. The Angels will also see both Ricky Nolasco and Huston Street come off the books this winter once their options are declined, further creating some payroll flexibility, both as it pertains to the luxury tax and the 2018 roster.

The backloaded nature of Upton’s new contract structure should allow the Angels to be a bit more aggressive in filling out their 2018 roster this winter. Between Upton, Trout, Pujols, Calhoun, Andrelton Simmons and Luis Valbuena, the Angels have about $105MM in guaranteed 2018 salary on the books. That figure will rise into the $128MM range after Garrett Richards, Matt Shoemaker, Tyler Skaggs, Andrew Heaney, Martin Maldonado, Blake Parker, Jose Alvarez, Cam Bedrosian and J.C.Ramirez are tendered contracts (and potentially more if C.J. Cron and Blake Wood are also tendered). That should leave the Angels with some spending money to address needs at second base and at an infield corner (whichever Valbuena does not play) in addition to stabilizing their injury-plagued pitching staff.

USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported the total guarantee of the contract (Twitter link). ESPN’s Buster Olney tweeted the annual breakdown of the deal, and MLB.com’s Jon Morosi added that Upton received a no-trade clause.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Offseason Outlook: Los Angeles Angels

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MLBTR is publishing Offseason Outlooks for all 30 teams.  Click here for the other entries in this series.

The Angels were almost the definition of a perfectly average team (80-82 record, 710 runs scored to 709 runs allowed) in 2017, and they stuck around the AL Wild Card race for most of the season.  Much of the Angels’ offseason business will hinge on Justin Upton’s situation, though the team will have some money to spend in addressing several holes on the roster.

Guaranteed Contracts

Arbitration Eligible Players (service time in parentheses; projections via MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz)

Contract Options

  • Justin Upton, OF: $88.5MM through 2021 (Upton can exercise player option and become a free agent)
  • Ricky Nolasco, SP: $13MM club option for 2018 ($1MM buyout)
  • Huston Street, RP: $10MM club option for 2018 ($1MM buyout)

Free Agents

Los Angeles Angels Depth Chart | Los Angeles Angels Payroll Information

Upton has been in talks with the club about his opt-out clause, which would allow him to test free agency and walk away from the four years and $88.5MM remaining on his contract.  Upton just turned 30 last August, and coming off his big season, should be able to find a somewhat larger and longer-term deal on the open market.  That said, the Angels could be floating the idea of extending his current contract by an extra year or two in order to keep the outfielder in Anaheim.  Despite generally strong performance, Upton has played for five different franchises since the start of the 2012 season, so he could welcome the chance at simply staying put.  For what it’s worth, Upton would be playing close to his offseason home in Arizona and he reportedly had an interest in the Angels two winters ago.

If Upton stays in the fold, that checks one major bit of business off GM Billy Eppler’s to-do list.  Upton enjoyed one of the best seasons of his 11-year career, hitting .273/.361/.540 with 35 homers over 635 PA with the Angels and Tigers.  He would both fill a big hole in left field and give the Halos a big bat to pair with the incomparable Mike Trout in the lineup.

If Upton opted out of his deal and left town, it would be a disappointment for the club, but the Angels accepted that risk when they surprisingly acquired Upton on the last day of August.  The silver lining of Upton’s departure would be another big salary off the books, giving the Angels even more of what they haven’t had in several winters — financial flexibility.

Counting Upton’s deal and a projected $30.2MM in arbitration costs, the Angels have just over $142MM committed to 19 players next year.  (Josh Hamilton’s contract is finally off the team’s books.)  While the club has traditionally stopped short of the luxury tax threshold during Arte Moreno’s ownership, that still gives Eppler plenty of room to address the Halos’ many needs.  This doesn’t necessarily mean that the Angels will return to their old ways of splurging on big-ticket free agent deals, however, especially given how often those contracts failed to work out for the team.  Still, there is room for one big salary to be added, and maybe two if Upton were to depart.

Looking around the diamond, Los Angeles is set in center field (Trout), right field (Kole Calhoun), shortstop (Andrelton Simmons), catcher (Martin Maldonado) and DH (Albert Pujols).  “Set” is not really the right word in Pujols’ case, as the veteran’s -2.0 fWAR was the lowest of any qualified player in baseball last year, though the Halos have no choice but to ride out the final four seasons of Pujols’ contract and hope for a late career renaissance.  Catcher could technically also be an area of need, though the Angels love Maldonado’s defense and they think his bat will improve now that he is more used to the rigors of regular catching duty.  First base could also potentially use an upgrade, though the likeliest scenario is a platoon between C.J. Cron and Luis Valbuena.

Yunel Escobar and late-season trade acquisition Brandon Phillips are both free agents, leaving the Angels with holes to fill at third and second base.  The latter position has been a long-standing problem area for the Halos, and I’d expect the team to try and finally make a solid fix by pursuing Neil Walker in free agency.  Walker is the top second baseman on the market this winter, and L.A. has tried to land Walker in the past, falling short in trade talks with the Pirates two offseasons ago.

If Walker again can’t be acquired, the Angels could pursue a reunion with Phillips, or check in on other free agent options like Eduardo Nunez, Asdrubal Cabrera (if the Mets don’t pick up his club option), or Jose Reyes.  On the trade front, the Angels had some interest in the Marlins’ Dee Gordon before the July deadline, plus the likes of Ian Kinsler, Josh Harrison, Cesar Hernandez, Scooter Gennett, Yangervis Solarte or Jed Lowrie could also be available in deals.  The Angels’ much-maligned farm system still doesn’t have much in the way of prospects that would facilitate trades, though the team’s extra payroll space could help them in this regard.

A multi-positional player like Harrison or Nunez could also help out at third base.  As per Pedro Moura of the L.A. Times, Escobar isn’t expected to be re-signed, leaving the Angels thin at the hot corner.  The team could turn to Valbuena at third base in lieu of an external addition, as while Valbuena’s first season in Anaheim was underwhelming overall, he did hit quite well after the All-Star break.  The big-ticket add, of course, would be signing Los Angeles native Mike Moustakas for a grand homecoming.  Moustakas would fill a particular need for the Angels in adding a big left-handed bat to a heavily right-handed lineup — one would think that if the Halos do make a big acquisition for third, second or left field, that player would swing from the left side.

If left field does become a need with Upton gone, the Angels could aim for a splash like trading for Andrew McCutchen, signing J.D. Martinez or (again with a left-handed bat in mind) signing Jay Bruce.  Alternatively, shorter-term options like Curtis Granderson, Jon Jay or Howie Kendrick could be explored.  Teams like the Marlins and Cardinals have outfielders available in trades this offseason, so expect to see the Angels check in on those options if Upton is no longer in the picture.  The club could also look for a backup outfielder, if the Angels aren’t satisfied with Eric Young Jr. and/or Shane Robinson.

Injuries have crushed the Angels’ pitching staff over the last two years, though the team finally appears to have things back on track, health-wise.  Garrett Richards will headline the 2018 rotation, with Tyler Skaggs, Matt Shoemaker, JC Ramirez, Andrew Heaney, Parker Bridwell and Nick Tropeano all on hand as starting or depth options.

This is still a pretty unproven rotation even if everyone is healthy, so Anaheim is likely to explore adding at least one more arm.  This is another area where Eppler could again splurge on a free agent, as a Yu Darvish or Jake Arrieta would go a long way towards stabilizing a staff with a lot of question marks.  Lance Lynn and Alex Cobb are less expensive options, though either hurler would still come at a significant price.  It could be that the Angels are okay with their current options and simply want a veteran to purely eat innings, which opens their search to any number of free agent arms available on short-term contracts.  To this end, the team could look for a reunion with Jesse Chavez or Ricky Nolasco, though in Nolasco’s case, the Angels would decline their $13MM club option on his services and pursue a lesser deal.

Shohei Otani, of course, could be had at a league-minimum salary and for what’s left of the Angels’ $4.75MM international bonus pool, though the Halos will be competing with every other team in MLB for Otani’s services.  While little is known about Otani’s decision-making process as he prepares to jump to North American baseball, the Angels (a big-market west coast team with Mike Trout on the roster) certainly have some selling points.  On the other hand, Otani wants the opportunity to hit, and the Angels can’t offer regular DH at-bats thanks to Pujols’ presence.  As much as the Angels or any other club may want Otani in the fold, it seems unlikely that a prized starter would be allowed to regularly play the outfield or at first base in between starts.

Turning to the bullpen, the Halos won’t be exercising their club option on Huston Street, thus ending the former closer’s injury-riddled stint in Anaheim.  Even with Street out for virtually all of 2017, however, the Angels’ bullpen was quietly one of the game’s more effective relief corps.  Yusmeiro Petit’s outstanding season was a big factor in the pen’s success, and with the Angels putting importance on the value of multi-inning relievers, it stands to reason that the team will look to re-sign the veteran righty.  Other teams will surely also be interested, and Petit will have one of the more interesting free agent cases of any reliever on the market this winter, given such factors as his age (33 in November) and his value in this era of teams prioritizing bullpen depth.

Blake Parker is the current favorite to be the Angels’ closer next season, as his breakout year earned him save chances down the stretch in 2017.  Parker’s potential makes it less likely that Los Angeles would go after one of the big-name experienced closers on the market (i.e. Greg Holland, Wade Davis) but I can see the team adding a veteran reliever to supplement the young bullpen corps of Parker, Keynan Middleton and Cam Bedrosian.  One option might be old friend David Hernandez, who posted excellent numbers for the Angels before being dealt to the Diamondbacks at the July trade deadline.

The Angels will be a fascinating team to watch this offseason, as they have a lot of question marks to address but also several proven or intriguing building blocks.  Eppler has been much more active in the trade market than in free agency in his first two offseasons as general manager, so more deals could be in the offing, or this could be the winter where Moreno again opens the checkbook for another big signing.

Angels Hire Eric Hinske As Hitting Coach

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The Angels announced today that they’ve hired former big league slugger Eric Hinske as their new hitting coach. Hinske, 40, has spent the past three seasons serving as the Cubs’ assistant hitting coach.

A former 17th-round draft pick (Cubs, 1998), Hinske broke out as the 2002 American League Rookie of the Year with the Blue Jays and went on to enjoy a 12-year Major League career. In 4310 plate appearances as a big leaguer, Hinske hit .249/.332/.430. Hinske appeared in four straight postseasons from 2007-10 with the Red Sox, Rays, Yankees and Braves, taking home a pair of World Series rings during that stretch (2007 Red Sox, 2009 Yankees). The Halos had already announced that former hitting coach Dave Hansen would not be returning to the team.

West Notes: Rockies, Darvish, Rangers, Padres, Angels

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Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post tackles a number of topics pertaining to the Rockies’ offseason in his latest Rockies Mailbag column. Among the more interesting items of note, Saunders opines that Carlos Gonzalez’s days in Colorado are through, noting that it’s unlikely that he’ll receive a qualifying offer. Saunders also notes that the ascension of prospect Ryan McMahon, who has been working out at second base, could also cloud DJ LeMahieu’s future with the club. LeMahieu is a free agent after the 2018 season, and McMahon has little left to prove in the minors. McMahon cut his teeth as a corner infielder, however, so it seems possible that the Rox could yet view him as an option at first base, where they’re currently a bit unsettled. Ian Desmond, of course, is an option there, though he could also be utilized in the outfield or elsewhere on the diamond (perhaps even at second base, speculatively speaking, though he has hasn’t played there since 2009 with the Nationals).

A bit more from the game’s Western divisions…

  • Dodgers righty Yu Darvish reached out to Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News with an unprompted message to praise Rangers pitching coach Doug Brocail and recently fired bullpen coach Brad Holman. As Grant notes, Darvish’s recent improvements and changed mechanics have led to criticism for his coaches with the Rangers. “…There should be no criticism of Doug Brocail or Brad Holman,” said Darvish. “They are both very good coaches without a doubt. They are also great people. I’m not the kind of person who lies, so please trust me when I say this.” Darvish goes on to explain some of the alterations that he’s made since changing teams and eventually comes back to the point that there’s “no major difference in coaching or philosophy” that has led to his rebound following his trade to Los Angeles.
  • Following up on Evan Drellich’s recent report that Red Sox hitting coach Chili Davis will interview for the same position with the Padres, Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune adds that the Padres have also interviewed four other candidates for the currently vacant post. Lin also notes that the Friars won’t bring infield coach Ramon Vazquez back to the coaching staff next year, though rather than making a new hire, his duties could potentially be absorbed by third base coach Glenn Hoffman. “We decided to go in a different direction to work with and lead our infielders,” manager Andy Green tells Lin.
  • The Angels will be on the hunt for multiple relievers that can pitch multiple innings this winter, writes MLB.com’s Maria Guaradado. “I believe every bullpen needs at least two guys that can pitch multiple innings,” GM Billy Eppler said this month, per Guardado. “At least two.” Yusmeiro Petit excelled for the Angels in that capacity this year, tossing 91 1/3 innings of 2.76 ERA ball with 10.0 K/9 against 1.8 BB/9. Eppler wouldn’t comment on the possibility of retaining Petit, though it stands to reason based on Eppler’s outspoken interest in players of his skill set and Petit’s success in Anaheim that the team would at least have interest.

Minor MLB Transactions: 10/16/17

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Here are the day’s minor moves from around the league…

  • The Angels announced that left-hander Jason Gurka has cleared waivers and been assigned outright to Triple-A Salt Lake. The 29-year-old was designated for assignment when the Halos picked up right-hander Felix Pena from the Cubs. Gurka appeared in just three games for the Angels late in the season, facing only five batters and recording two outs. The former Orioles draftee (15th round, 2008) has seen big league time with the Rockies both in 2015 and in 2016 but has struggled in a small sample in the Majors; through 18 innings, he’s yielded 18 runs on 34 hits and five walks with 14 strikeouts. Gurka does come with a strong track record as a left-handed reliever in Triple-A, where he’s posted a 3.27 ERA with 9.6 K/9 against 2.4 BB/9 in 118 1/3 innings across parts of four seasons.

AL West Links: Angels, Davis, Keuchel

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It was on this day in 1929 that the Athletics (then based out of Philadelphia) won the World Series after a walkoff comeback in Game Five against the Cubs.  Down 2-0 doing into the bottom of the ninth, the A’s tied it on Mule Haas’ two-run homer, and then Bing Miller later delivered an RBI double for the game- and Series-winning run.  This comeback came just two days after the A’s scored 10 runs in the bottom of the seventh in Game Four, erasing an 8-0 Cubs lead.

Here’s the latest from around the AL West…

  • The Angels aren’t likely to pursue any high-priced pitching upgrades this winter, MLB.com’s Maria Guardado writes as part of a reader mailbag.  Assuming their rotation is finally healthy after a pair of injury-plagued years, Guardado projects Garrett Richards, Andrew Heaney, Tyler Skaggs, Matt Shoemaker and Nick Tropeano as the Halos’ starting five, with Parker Bridwell as the top depth option.  The club could add some further arms on minor league deals or trades, and I’d argue that one more solid innings-eater is required given the number of health question marks on the Angels’ staff.
  • During an appearance on MLB.com’s Newsmakers podcast, Khris Davis tells Bill Ladson (audio link) that he enjoys playing in Oakland but doesn’t necessarily anticipate remaining over the long term, given the Athletics’ penchant for trading established players for prospects.  “I see myself year by year. I don’t know what the longest streak for a player to be in Oakland is, but I know that it’s a business, and one day I’ll have to leave,“ Davis said.  The team at least explored the possibility of an extension with Davis and Marcus Semien last year, and Billy Beane recently discussed how the A’s are looking to lock up some core pieces, so one would assume that the club will re-open talks with Davis at some point this winter.  Davis has done nothing but mash since joining the A’s two years ago, delivering a pair of 40+ homer seasons and improving his walk rate last season, en route to a .247/.336/.528 slash line over 652 PA.  That big year has put Davis in line for a projected $11.1MM salary in 2018 via arbitration, so an extension would also give the A’s some cost certainty over Davis as his price tag will rise again during his final arb-eligible offseason in 2018-19.
  • Dallas Keuchel hopes to remain with the Astros over the long term, and the ace southpaw tells NBCSports.com’s Evan Drellich that “winning is going to be the biggest factor” in deciding his future, whether that involves signing an extension with Houston or leaving in free agency after the 2018 season.  The Astros certainly seem well-positioned to be long-term contenders, though they’ll face some interesting decisions about keeping their core together over the coming years, with Keuchel being the first of their cornerstone players to reach the open market.

Angels Engaged In “Dialogue” With Justin Upton

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Angels outfielder Justin Upton is still weighing his opt-out decision, which promises to have widespread ramifications for the free-agent market. But as Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reports, the club isn’t just sitting back and waiting to learn Upton’s fate.

Rather, Halos GM Billy Eppler says “there is dialogue going on” between the sides, citing a “positive conversation” with Upton and his agent, Larry Reynolds. He did not divulge details beyond that, quite understandably, so it’s not entirely clear just what was discussed. But it certainly seems as if the team is taking a proactive approach in the hopes that Upton will remain in an Angels uniform for 2018 and beyond.

Upton can choose to enter the open market — which he’d do free and clear of any qualifying-offer-related draft compensation — or elect instead to keep the four-year, $88.5MM guarantee remaining on his contract. The Angels are surely hoping to convince Upton to stay, though we don’t know anything else about the substance of the chatter. Beyond pitching Upton on the organization, it’s not known whether some additional inducement has or could be contemplated. In theory, though, the sides could completely re-work the contract, modify it in some way, or instead just continue their discussion into free agency.

Unusual circumstances surrounded the 30-year-old Upton’s move out west. Despite the presence of the opt-out provision, the club acquired him from the Tigers at the last possible moment — during the revocable trade period, on August 31st, the last day that teams could add outside players who’d be eligible for the postseason. Righty Grayson Long and a player to be named or cash went to Detroit in the deal, which included no assurances or future considerations regarding Upton’s remaining contract (or lack thereof).

Upton played well in Los Angeles, though the club fell shy of the postseason. Through 115 plate appearances, he slashed .245/.357/.531 with seven home runs — good for a 137 OPS+ that matched his output over his first 125 games on the year with the Tigers. Though Upton has had a few productivity dips in his eleven-year career, he carries an excellent .269/.348/.479 cumulative batting line through more than six thousand trips to the plate at the game’s highest level.

Youth is still mostly on Upton’s side. So are defensive metrics, which see him as a solid-to-excellent fielder in left. In the aggregate, it’s fairly easy to make out a case for Upton commanding a guarantee of $20MM or more annually for a five- or six-year term — as he received the last time he went to the open market. Now that the risks of playing out the season are in the past, he doesn’t have much reason to take a (hypothetical) offer from the Angels before testing the broader market, though perhaps he could try to gain a sweetener if he’s at all inclined to avoid the risks of free agency by declining the opt-out opportunity.

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