The November 12, 2015 edition of Los Angeles Angels news includes preliminary trade talks involving a defensive wizard, teams asking the new GM which pitchers are available, and more…
The Story: Angels one of three teams asking about Andrelton Simmons
MWAH Says: The more I think about this, the more I like it. I have no idea who the Angels could possibly offer that the Braves would bite on, seeing as they’re asking for one of the Mets’ four young aces in return from New York, but it’s fun to dream. Erick Aybar is still under contract for another year, but he’s lost a step or two defensively and could potentially benefit from a shift over to the keystone. Simmons is signed to a team-friendly deal through 2020, so if they acquired him the Halos wouldn’t have to worry about shortstop again this decade.
The Story: Several teams inquiring on Angels pitching
MWAH Says: Billy Eppler maintains that he’d like to hang on to all of the team’s pitching depth this winter, but I don’t really see any way that happens that doesn’t end in the Angels not putting the best roster together they can. Pitching depth is really the only leverage the club has in trade talks. If they don’t use that to their advantage, they’ll be backing themselves into a corner—forcing them to use very limited funds to add three or more players on the open market.
The Story: Angels reportedly “in” on Joakim Soria
MWAH Says: It seems weird to write that Soria has been sneaky good the last couple years, but it certainly feels that way. He hasn’t been the lights-out closer he was in his KC days pre-Tommy John, and his rough outings in the 2014 postseason stick out, but he’s still got a 2.99 ERA and a 9.3 K/9 in 135 IP over the last three seasons. I would not be against a two-year deal for Soria, is what I’m saying.
The Story: Angels, others crunching new StatCast data this winter
MWAH Says: Not really sure this is going to give the Halos much info they didn’t already know. Sure, it can be cool to know things like exit velocity or first-step time, but value what do those exact numbers really give you that “he hits the ball hard” and “he has quick feet” didn’t? Nuance can be nice, but at a certain point it’s just splitting hairs. That Yoenis Cespedes might throw the ball 2 MPH harder on average than Gerardo Parra doesn’t mean much in the big scheme of things—they’re both great defensive outfielders either way.
The Story: The American League’s Weakest Positions
MWAH Says: Based on FanGraphs’ current projections for 2016, the Angels boast three of the AL’s 10 worst positions: Left field is #10; the bullpen is #8; and third base is #5. The Angels rotation also gets an honorable mention. You can just throw out the bullpen and rotation stuff, because FIP always hates Halos pitching. Left field and third base are real issues, though, which is a surprise to no one. What matters is whether the club is still on this list come March.
The Story: Weaver to work on range of motion this winter
MWAH Says: I’ve been sitting on a theory regarding Weaver’s velocity drop for a while now, but really have had no way of testing it. The hypothesis is that his velo drop isn’t just the inevitable result of time and wear, but also a side effect of his decision to bulk up and incorporate more heavy lifting into his workout routine the last couple years. The strength training seemed to boost his velo initially, but then perhaps worked against it as his range of motion decreased over time, resulting in less torque in his delivery. I don’t expect his flexibility work this winter to return him to his glory day velo-wise, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it bumps up over 85 again.
The Story: Korean closer Seung-hwan Oh meeting with MLB clubs
MWAH Says: Oh has probably the best nickname of any closer ever. In South Korea, he goes by “The Final Boss.” Would love for the Angels to be in play for a guy like him—any activity on the international market would be welcome, really—but it would be kind of weird to have the Final Boss pitch the seventh and eighth.
The Story: McGee’s big day at the plate helps Solar Sox to rare win
MWAH Says: Stephen McGee had himself a nice afternoon Wednesday, going 3-for-4 with a double and 4 RBI. Chad Hinshaw and Eric Aguilera had less success, going a combined 1-for-9, but Mesa still managed to eke out a 7-5 win. Greg Mahle got his first hold of the fall, surrendering one run in two innings.
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