The December 28, 2015 edition of Los Angeles Angels news includes the team claiming two relievers and an infielder off waivers, two players being moved off the 40-man roster, and more…
The Story: Angels claim LHPs Bobby LaFromboise and Rob Rasmussen, INF Rey Navarro
MWAH Says: A little late getting to this one due to the holiday, but also this is the only Angels-related thing that’s happened in the last week so it’s not really that late. Adding depth to the edges of the roster is never bad, but it’s kinda like getting the present at the very bottom of your Christmas list—you’re appreciative, but more eager to seen the next one. LaFromboise and Rasmussen are strong candidates to eat some of the low-leverage LOOGY innings that Cesar Ramos covered last season, but like Ramos don’t really have a track record of being super effective against lefties. They’re relievers, though, so who knows what they might do in a 20-30 inning sample. Navarro is a switch-hitting middle infielder who will likely bump Taylor Featherston another rung down the depth chart ladder. Should Cliff Pennington get hurt, then, it should be Navarro getting the call for reserve infield duty. That’s good, I think.
The Story: Angels outright RHP A.J. Achter, release C Rafael Lopez
MWAH Says: The Halos had like six open places on the 40-man roster three weeks ago, but quietly filled those spots with fringe players through waiver claims, free agency, and the Rule 5 Draft. All that movement meant the club had to drop two players from the roster to add the trio mentioned above. Enter Achter and Lopez. Why the Phillies put Achter on waivers instead of outrighting him to Triple-A like the Angels just did is a mystery, but thanks, Klentak. Lopez was secretly the club’s third-string catcher for the second half of 2015, but never got a call-up and was quickly usurped by Jett Bandy.
The Story: Astros claim RHP Danny Reynolds off waivers from Dodgers
MWAH Says: I thought the Halos might try bringing Reynolds back into the fold when the Dodgers DFA-ed him, but I guess they were more focused on lefty relievers. Now that he’s on a division rival, the hope is that letting him go doesn’t come back to haunt the club.
The Story: Honduras trip holds special place for Andrew Heaney
MWAH Says: Alden Gonzalez goes in-depth with Heaney about his (re-)visit to Honduras that was covered a few weeks back. Some great quotes.
The Story: MLB’s Strange But True Feats of 2015
MWAH Says: The only Angels mention in Jayson Stark’s annual breakdown of baseball weirdness was the Spring Training game that got delayed by bees. A fun read nonetheless.
The Story: Behavioral Economics and the Rise of the Player Opt-Out
MWAH Says: A heady look at what factors may be causing the recent influx in mid-contract opt-outs. While I appreciate the deep dive, I really think it just comes down to the opt-outs being a new way for teams to separate themselves from other suitors now that money is so flush league-wide. Not sure it’s more complex than that.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
