The November 23, 2015 edition of Los Angeles Angels news includes stuff that’s mostly tangentially related to the Halos because it’s nearly Thanksgiving and most front offices are already home baking pies and such.
The Story: A.J. Griffin designated for assignment by the A’s
MWAH Says: File this one under “Transactions you never expected to see in 2015.” Not just that Griffin and his balky elbow were DFA’d, but that it was done to make room on the roster for Rich Hill. Griffin was supposed to be healthy by June this past season, but setbacks in his Tommy John recovery kept him off the mound all year. Definitely a guy worth taking a flyer on for the Angels, especially with so much room to spare on the 40-man roster.
The Story: Getting Mike Trout to 168.4 WAR
MWAH Says: What would it take for Mike Trout to pass Babe Ruth on the career leaderboard and become the most valuable player (by fWAR) in baseball history? A LOT. He’d have to be healthy almost every season from now until 2034, for starters. Pretty dang fun to imagine, even if it’s WAY premature.
The Story: Dodgers to name Dave Roberts manager
MWAH Says: I am legitimately surprised Gabe Kapler didn’t get the job. That’s not to take anything away from Roberts, who I think is a great choice. I just assumed the whole process was window dressing to make Kapler’s hiring look legit rather than like nepotism. Happy to be wrong.
The Story: Weaver had worst velocity drop in baseball in 2015
MWAH Says: Not a surprise, but still painful to see Jered Weaver alongside guys like Dan Haren and Tim Lincecum, who are more or less done with baseball. Never want to see a guy’s fastball described as “high-school level velocity.” Still holding out hope that his return to flexibility training this winter will earn him a few ticks back on the radar gun.
The Story: Pirates are shopping Neil Walker
MWAH Says: I don’t mind having Johnny Giavotella at second, with upgrades in left field and third base much more pressing, but the Angels should still at least put feelers out to see what the Pirates want for Walker. He’s a solid offensive player (114 wRC+) with only a slightly below-average glove—as opposed to Johnny G’s atrocious defense—and he’s not prohibitively expensive for a rental, at ~$10 million. If the Halos could get Hector Santiago in as part of a deal, they’d only add about $5 million to the books.
The Story: There’s a rumor the Braves will be sold
MWAH Says: This could explain why ownership is dropping players left and right. If Liberty Media wants to sell the franchise before the new stadium opens, I imagine they’ll get higher bids if there’s less payroll to take into account. At the same time, though, you’d think inheriting an awful on-the-field product would drive the price down some. Who knows.
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