Angels Rumors

Angels Designate Reggie Willits For Assignment

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | August 17, 2011 at 5:24pm CDT

The Angels designated outfielder Reggie Willits for assignment, according to Bill Shaikin of the LA Times (on Twitter). They're calling up journeyman right-hander Jerome Williams, according to Mike DiGiovanna of the Times (on Twitter), and optioning Trevor Bell to the minors in a related move.

Willits, 30, placed fifth in the 2007 Rookie of the Year balloting after stealing 27 bases and posting a .293/.391/.344 line for Los Angeles. He hasn't matched that level of productivity since and has just one double and four walks in 28 MLB plate appearances this year. He has spent most of this season in the minors, where he has a .255/.378/.296 line in 305 plate appearances.

Revisiting The Mike Napoli Trades

By Tim Dierkes | August 16, 2011 at 10:49am CDT

Typically when you take on most of one of the worst contracts in baseball, you don't have to give up anything of value. However, the Angels did just that by including catcher/first baseman Mike Napoli in their January trade with Toronto for outfielder Vernon Wells.

The Halos probably weren't keen on paying Napoli $5.8MM in 2011. They were never big on his work behind the plate, and at the time of the trade probably expected first baseman Kendrys Morales to be ready for Spring Training. The Angels were committed to Bobby Abreu and understandably wanted to move him to DH, another role Napoli can fill. Still, even at the time, it seemed plausible that the Angels would have found Napoli 400 plate appearances at his various spots. He'd hit 20+ home runs for three consecutive years, and it's surprising the Angels felt they could spare the power bat. Even if the Angels were dead set on acquiring Wells, I doubt Napoli was a requirement for the Blue Jays.

The Angels failed to get value for Napoli, but the Jays didn't consider him an ideal fit either. In theory, Napoli could have complemented Adam Lind at first base, backed up J.P. Arencibia behind the plate, and filled in at DH for Edwin Encarnacion or Juan Rivera when needed. Perhaps if the Blue Jays had found an immediate taker for Rivera, they would have kept Napoli.

Instead, Napoli was quickly sent to the Rangers for reliever Frank Francisco and less than $1MM in cash. The Rangers were perhaps the worst fit for Napoli of the three teams, as they had Yorvit Torrealba and Matt Treanor behind the plate, Mitch Moreland and Chris Davis as first base options, and Michael Young to DH and rove around the infield. Acquired as a bench player in January, Napoli has started all but nine of his 77 games to date with Texas (he missed almost a month with an oblique strain).

It's only been 285 plate appearances, but Napoli has flourished with the Rangers, hitting .290/.386/.592 with 19 home runs. His chance of being tendered a contract after the '11 season was once in doubt, but now seems like a lock. Depending on how many plate appearances he ends up with, a salary approaching $8MM for 2012 is possible for Napoli. Unlike the Angels and Blue Jays, the Rangers are happy to have him.

Photo courtesy of Icon SMI.

American League Over Slot Signings

By Tim Dierkes | August 16, 2011 at 12:50am CDT

Most teams will exceed MLB's slot recommendations on at least a few players. Here's the latest on such signings from the American League:

The Mariners signed second rounder Brad Miller for $750K, according to Callis (on Twitter).
The Orioles signed sixth rounder Nicky Delmonico for $1.525MM, according to Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun (on Twitter). Earlier on, the Orioles agreed to sign second rounder Jason Esposito for $600K, according to MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo (on Twitter). Before that, the Orioles signed 26th round pick Zach Davies for $575K, reports Baseball America's Jim Callis. The high school righty has drawn some Mike Leake comparisons, writes Callis. Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun was told last night that this deal isn't done, but it could be headed in the right direction.
Red Sox seventh rounder Cody Kukuk signed for $800K, according to Callis (on Twitter). Boston also signed fourth rounder Noe Ramirez, according to Alex Speier of WEEI.com. The right-hander obtains a $625K bonus, according to Speier and Callis.
The Blue Jays signed seventh rounder Christian Lopes for $800K, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America (on Twitter). The Blue Jays also signed 13th round pick Matt Dean, tweets Callis. The high school third baseman signed for $737.5K, tweets ESPN's Keith Law. BA considers him the best prep third base prospect in the draft.
The Yankees signed Greg Bird for $1.1MM, according to Zoodig, an athlete digital media platform, on Twitter. The Yankees signed sixth rounder Jake Cave for $825K, according to Callis (on Twitter). The Yankees also signed third rounder Jordan Cote for $725K, according to Callis. The high school right-hander has a fastball in the 90 mph range and stands 6'5". Earlier today, the Yankees signed 20th round pick and high school lefty Daniel Camarena for $335K, tweets Kendall Rogers of Perfect Game USA.
The Indians signed 18th rounder Shawn Armstrong for $325K, according to Rogers (on Twitter). The Indians also announced that they have signed second round right-hander Dillon Howard. He gets a $1.85MM bonus, according to Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com (on Twitter).
The Royals signed 16th rounder Jack Lopez for $750K, according to Callis (on Twitter). The Royals have also signed third rounder Bryan Brickhouse for $1.5MM, reports Callis. The high school right-hander received the second largest bonus outside of the top 18 picks so far. Earlier today, the Royals signed fourth round pick and high school righty Kyle Smith for $695K, reports Callis. The Royals also signed 29th round pick Jake Junis for $675K, reports Callis. Junis, an athletic high school righty from Illinois, is represented by Frontline.
The Angels have agreed to terms with sixth rounder Austin Wood, tweets Mike DiGiovanna of The Los Angeles Times (on Twitter). The USC righty got $150K.
The Twins signed tenth rounder Brett Lee for $150K, according to John Manuel and Jim Callis of Baseball America (on Twitter).
The Tigers signed 15th round pick and high school outfielder Tyler Gibson for $525K, tweets Rogers.

Draft Links: Angels, Purke, Nimmo, Blue Jays, Cubs

By Steve Adams | August 14, 2011 at 4:07pm CDT

We're closing in on Monday night's deadline to sign picks from the 2011 Draft. Remember you can see our updated list of first and supplemental round picks who have signed on MLBTR's sidebar, and here's some more of the latest news:

Baseball America's Jim Callis tweets that the Angels signed fourth-rounder Michael Clevinger for a $250K bonus — about $50K over slot. Clevinger is a junior college right-hander who throws 93-95mph.
Nationals GM Mike Rizzo spent the weekend in Houston, negotiating with Peter Vescovo, the representatitve for third-round pick Matt Purke, writes the Washington Post's Adam Kilgore. Purke was originally drafted by the Rangers 14th overall in 2009 but elected to pitch at TCU and had some shoulder troubles this year.
A Mets official told ESPN's Adam Rubin that the organization is confident a deal with first-rounder Brandon Nimmo will be completed prior to the deadline. The Mets selected Nimmo, a high school outfielder from Wyoming, 13th overall.
The Blue Jays announced in a press release that the club has agreed to terms with three right-handers: third-round pick John Stilson, sixth-round pick Anthony Desclafani, and eighth-round pick Matt Biggs.
Baseball America's Jim Callis tweets that the Cubs agreed to terms with their 41st-round pick, Austin Urban, on a $100K bonus.

Quick Hits: Tigers, Angels, Rhodes, Pirates

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | August 10, 2011 at 4:41pm CDT

Ubaldo Jimenez makes his Cleveland debut tonight as the Indians look to gain more ground on the division leading Tigers. Here are today's links…

Justin Verlander and Rick Porcello tell John Lowe of the Detroit Free Press that they were pleased to see the Tigers extend the contracts of GM Dave Dombrowski and manager Jim Leyland.
Former Angels scouting director Eddie Bane told Bill Shaikin of the LA Times that GM Tony Reagins fired him last winter because of a personality clash and because Reagins wasn't happy with the Angels' recent drafts. Bane, now a scout with the Tigers, drafted Garrett Richards, Mike Trout and Tyler Skaggs in 2009 and Tyler Chatwood in 2008.
Aaron Rowand told John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle that he has enjoyed his time in San Francisco, downplaying speculation that he would prefer to be in Chicago again.
The Yankees have some interest in signing recently-released left-hander Arthur Rhodes to a minor league deal, according to George A. King III of the New York Post.
Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports says the Pirates have improved this year, despite their recent skid. They aren't better than the Brewers or Cardinals, but they're better than they used to be.

Quick Hits: Astros, Bell, Tigers, Angels, Rays

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | August 9, 2011 at 9:06pm CDT

On this date last year, the Brewers sent Jim Edmonds to the Reds. Tonight, Milwaukee starter Shaun Marcum will look to extend his club's division lead against Edwin Jackson and the Cardinals. Here's the latest from around MLB…

Zachary Levine of The Houston Chronicle reports that the official transfer of ownership of the Astros from Drayton McLane to Jim Crane is likely to take place on August 22nd if the other 29 owners approve the sale at next week's owners' meetings.
Executives believe Wandy Rodriguez will clear waivers, but not Heath Bell, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter). Neither player had been sent through waivers yet as of this morning.
The Yankees, Red Sox and Phillies are in one tier and the rest of MLB is in another, Tom Verducci writes at SI.com.
The Tigers’ deep rotation and strong attendance led to extensions for GM Dave Dombrowski, John Lowe of the Detroit Free Press writes.
Yahoo's Tim Brown suggests Mike Scioscia deserves credit for keeping the light-hitting Angels in the race (they trail the Rangers by 1.5 games).
It's unlikely that the Rays will make any moves this month, ESPN.com's Buster Olney writes.

Quick Hits: Leyland, Phillies, Trumbo, Taylor

By Mark Polishuk | August 8, 2011 at 11:49pm CDT

Some notes from around the majors as Casey Kotchman is a walkoff hero for Tampa Bay….

Jim Leyland is fine with his contract being extended for just one year by the Tigers since he isn't sure how long he'll keep managing, reports Chris Iott of MLive.com. "I want to make sure that I'm giving the Tigers everything they're paying for, and when that day comes that I'm not, I'm going home," Leyland said. The manager also said that a year from today, he hopes he'll be signing another one-year extension.
Meanwhile, Drew Sharp of the Detroit Free Press thinks the Tigers were wise to extend Leyland and GM Dave Dombrowski.
The Phillies don't plan to look for outside help at third base if Placido Polanco misses a lot of time with his sports hernia, reports MLB.com's Todd Zolecki. Ruben Amaro said that the Phils will use Wilson Valdez and Michael Martinez at third in Polanco's place.
Mark Trumbo was never a highly-regarded prospect, and the Angels first baseman tells Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times that he uses those scouting reports as incentive to prove the critics wrong.
Michael Taylor called the trade deadline "the toughest day of the year for me," reports Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. The Athletics' prospect was disappointed that the team didn't move any of their outfielders, thus creating room for him on Oakland's Major League roster.
The Nationals aren't yet sure when Tom Milone and Brad Peacock will be called up from Triple-A but the team definitely wants to give both pitchers some Major League experience, reports Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post.
The Dodgers are on pace to lose at least $27MM this season and Steve Dilbeck of the L.A. Times predicts that figure may be a conservative estimate.
Baseball America's Jim Callis answers questions relating to minor league prospects and draft signings in the latest edition of "Ask BA."
The Braves "were heavy in on getting either" Carlos Beltran or Hunter Pence at the trade deadline but their unwillingness to part with top prospects Julio Teheran, Mike Minor or Randall Delgado halted both deals, tweets Stephen Goff of the Houston Examiner. The fact that Atlanta was able to acquire Michael Bourn without giving up any of those prospects is a nice deadline win for the Braves and GM Frank Wren.

Quick Hits: Nationals, Reyes, Red Sox, Upton

By Zachary Links | August 7, 2011 at 9:57pm CDT

Sunday night linkage..

With the August 15th deadline a week away, the Nationals have yet to make any real progress in reaching agreements with their top four draft picks, GM Mike Rizzo told Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post. The Nats are satisfied that infielder Anthony Rendon, pitcher Alex Meyer, supplemental round pick outfielder Brian Goodwin and third round pick Matt Purke are all in good health.
One Mets official last week told Andy Martino of the New York Daily News (via Twitter) that he expects the Red Sox, Angels, and Nationals to be the top competition for Jose Reyes this winter.
Back in November when the Diamondbacks were shopping Justin Upton, it was rumored that they would likely request Daniel Bard and Jacoby Ellsbury from the Red Sox in a deal. Today, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic writes that it looks like a good no-deal for Arizona.
It took a little bit of time, but outfielder Kosuke Fukudome appears to be getting used to life with the Indians, writes MLB.com's Jordan Bastian. The Tribe acquired Fukudome and roughly $3.9MM from the Cubs for minor leaguer outfielder Abner Abreu and reliever Carlton Smith.

Quick Hits: Hairston, Angels, Pirates, Phillies

By Luke Adams 2 | August 7, 2011 at 12:12pm CDT

On this date in 2009, the Indians sent Carl Pavano to the Twins for a player to be named later (Yohan Pino). Pavano won five games down the stretch for Minnesota and has worn a Twins uniform ever since. Pino, meanwhile, now pitches for the Blue Jays' Double-A affiliate in New Hampshire, having been dealt for cash considerations earlier this year. As we wait to find out whether we'll see any major August trades this year, let's check out today's links….

The Mets came very close to trading Scott Hairston to the Braves in July, but ultimately nixed the deal, according to Andy Martino of the New York Daily News (via Twitter).
A club official tells Peter Gammons (Twitter link) that the Red Sox and Yankees are blocking waiver claims on relievers and starters, respectively.
Newsday's Ken Davidoff identifies a few August trade candidates and a few contenders with outstanding needs.
The Angels are one team named by Davidoff as an August buyer, and GM Tony Reagins agrees. As he says to Kevin Baxter of the Los Angeles Times, "We think there will be some opportunities later on that may materialize."
GM Neal Huntington tells Michael Sanserino of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that the Pirates hope to become a "consistent championship caliber organization," rather than merely finishing above .500. Unfortunately for the Pirates and their fans, the team's current nine-game losing streak has put them on pace for a 19th straight losing season.
Despite frequently moving prospects for impact players, the Phillies haven't depleted their farm system, writes Marc Narducci of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Los Angeles Notes: Loney, Kershaw, Pineiro

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | August 4, 2011 at 8:15am CDT

On this date in 1948, the Brooklyn Dodgers acquired announcer Ernie Harwell from the Atlanta Crackers for catcher Cliff Dapper in an unconventional trade that the Dodgers won easily. Here's the latest on L.A.'s two teams…

James Loney tells Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times that he loves playing for the Dodgers and hopes the team wants him back in 2012. The first baseman is under team control next year, but would earn a raise from $4.875MM if the Dodgers offer arbitration, which makes him a prime non-tender candidate.
Clayton Kershaw was the National League's pitcher of the month in July and his season numbers are now more impressive than ever. The 23-year-old has a 2.68 ERA with a league-leading 177 strikeouts, a career-best rate of 2.3 BB/9 and a career-best 13 wins. It should all translate into a salary of $5MM or more next year, when Kershaw is arbitration eligible for the first time.
Angels GM Tony Reagins tells Mike DiGiovanna of the LA Times that having lots of powerful bats at first base is a "good problem." Kendrys Morales, Mark Trumbo and C.J. Cron give the Angels an abundance of power at first base and Reagins says situations like this "have a way of working themselves out."
The Angels are considering replacing the struggling Joel Pineiro in the rotation, according to Mark Saxon of ESPNLosAngeles.com (on Twitter). It's not clear whether the Angels will look to the bullpen, the minors or outside of the organization.

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