The November 13, 2015 edition of Los Angeles Angels news includes a bunch of (predominantly positive!) reactions to the acquisition of Andrelton Simmons, another Silver Slugger award for Mike Trout, and more…
The Story: Angels smart to snag Simmons quickly
MWAH Says: MLB.com’s Phil Rogers says to give Billy Eppler “credit for hitting a home run with his first deal as Angels’ general manager” and calls Simmons a “godsend” on defense. This is a good start.
The Story: The Angels get better, Braves get weirder
MWAH Says: Grant Brisbee thinks the trade is a no-brainer win for the Halos: “Simmons just might be the closest we’ve come to Ozzie Smith since he retired. Omar Vizquel just might make the Hall of Fame because of his fielding, and it’s possible — probable? — that Simmons is even better.” Go on…
The Story: Braves return for Simmons fair, not overwhelming
MWAH Says: Keith Law is merely “whelmed” by Atlanta getting Sean Newcomb and Chris Ellis in return for Simmons, indicating that maybe we’re all a little too close to put the value of Angels prospects in proper perspective. He doesn’t call this an outright win for the Halos, but it’s not a steal for the Braves either.
The Story: Andrelton goes to Disneyland
MWAH Says: Our first (and only?) analysis that is more puzzled by what the Angels did than the Braves. R.J. Anderson isn’t just worried about the decline of Simmons’ bat and the potential erosion of his defense, he’s also worried about how the move will negatively impact the rest of Billy Eppler’s first offseason with the Halos. He’s certainly limited his options going forward, with several holes still to fill.
The Story: Andrelton Simmons: Everything’s going to be OK
MWAH Says: A reasoned fan perspective from the folks over at Halos Heaven. If you’re still pessimistic about the deal, this is a good one to maybe talk you over to the other side.
The Story: How did previous Andrelton Simmonses age?
MWAH Says: I’m not convinced there’s ever really been another Andrelton Simmons—dude is 6’2″, not the sub-6′ of Ozzie Smith, Ozzie Guillen, and Omar Vizquel—but the idea of looking at other elite young defenders is still a good one. As you might expect, players like Simmons tend to lose a step in their late 20’s but are still valuable because their defense started as such a high level. Worth noting that the only guy on the list who played in the last decade is Andruw Jones, who remained a five-win player through age 30.
The Story: Mike Trout wins another Silver Slugger
MWAH Says: Trout becomes just the second player in baseball history to win a Silver Slugger in his first four seasons. The other? Soon-to-be Hall of Famer Mike Piazza. I like where this is headed.
The Story: Korean left fielder Hyeon-soo Kim plans on signing with MLB team
MWAH Says: The Angels should be all over this guy. He’s a free agent, meaning the whole posting fee process doesn’t apply here. That means things will probably be more competitive for his services, but with Justin Upton, Alex Gordon, Jason Heyward, Yoenis Cespedes, and Gerardo Parra also out there, teams probably won’t put much focus on Kim. Eppler should, though. He’s just 27, hit .326/.438/.541 with 28 home runs last year, and will be cheaper than any of the aforementioned options. Yes, please.
The Story: Colby Rasmus accepts qualifying offer
MWAH Says: So maybe it wasn’t a bad thing after all that the Angels didn’t offer Freese the one-year, $15.8 million deal. Rasmus isn’t really going to set the Astros back by being the first to accept the offer, but it’s notable in that it actually happened. Whoever came up with the idea must be thrilled someone accepted one.
The Story: How frequent are drug suspensions in baseball?
MWAH Says: Not all that frequent, but still too often. A little over 1% of all players in organized ball were suspended for drugs this year. Steroids still lead the pack (38.3%), but drugs of abuse (35.9%) weren’t far behind. The seemingly growing number of drug-of-abuse violations in the minors is troubling, though it should be noted these violations include marijuana, which is just the dumbest.
The Story: MLB has a big money problem
MWAH Says: This is about the disparity in how the league’s record revenue is being split between owners and players. It might not seem like it with the $200 and $300 million contracts being thrown around, but the players’ chunk of the pie is smaller than it’s been in decades. One thing the article doesn’t address is how several owners—i.e. the Wilpons—are now indebted to banks, which can make revenue disappear pretty quickly.
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