The October 12, 2015 edition of Los Angeles Angels news includes the passing of a franchise great, the first transaction of the Billy Eppler era, and more…
The Story: Dean Chance passes away at 74
MWAH Says: Chance was an Angels legend. He was franchise’s first Cy Young winner (at just 23!) and was elected into the team Hall of Fame in September. The big right-hander was on a trajectory to the Cooperstown HOF as well, but the heavy workload on his young arm—a whopping 1,794 innings pitched between his age 21–27 seasons—led to injuries that cut his career short. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends. He will be missed.
The Story: Angels claim Todd Cunningham on waivers
MWAH Says: Billy Eppler’s first move as a GM is to add to the team’s outfield depth. I like it. Cunningham is a glove-first player who can man all three outfield positions, making him like a switch-hitting version of Daniel Robertson or Collin Cowgill. He has to make it through waivers for the Angels to keep him in the organization (if they don’t want him on the 40-man), so there’s a chance he won’t be around long. If he clears waivers, he could be in competition for a fourth or fifth outfielder spot come spring. Jo-Jo Reyes was DFA’d to make room on the roster.
The Story: Yankees scouts won’t be joining Eppler in Anaheim
MWAH Says: If there’s an exodus in the Angels front office this winter, Billy Eppler might have a tough time bringing in his former coworkers. Two long-time scouts rumored to be coming to Anaheim, Tim Naehring and Jay Darnell, will definitely not be leaving the Yankees. They’re reportedly under contract for at least next season.
The Story: Scott Servais among Padres manager candidates
MWAH Says: Speaking of the front-office exodus… it seems pretty clear Servais won’t be back next season. Not only is he on the table for joining Jerry Dipoto in the Mariners front office, he’s also in the running to be the new manager in San Diego. Would be kind of funny for the guy who famously doesn’t get along with Mike Scioscia to take over for Bud Black.
The Story: Matt Klentak in the mix for Phillies GM job
MWAH Says: This one’s been swirling around the rumor mill for a while. Now that it’s official he’s not going to be promoted to Angels GM, it should be interesting to see where he ends up. He and Servais leaving right when the winter kicks off could make things tough for Eppler and company.
The Story: Matt Joyce to play winter ball in DR
MWAH Says: Dude’s gotta do whatever it takes to try getting his career back on track. He went into 2015 as a potential qualifying offer candidate and went out of it as a long shot to get an MLB contract at all. I’m pretty confident he’ll end up getting a shot somewhere, but it might be one of those conditional deals where it hinges on his spring performance.
The Story: Qualifying offer set at $15.8 million
MWAH Says: Qualifying offers get a $500,000 bump this winter. When the 2015 season began, the Angels had one surefire QO guy—Huston Street—and three maybes: Chris Iannetta, Matt Joyce, and David Freese. Thanks to Street’s extension and the latter three’s lackluster performances, they now have none. Four years in, the Halos have still never given a player a qualifying offer. Good job, good effort, everyone.
The Story: Enter to win a baseball signed by Hector Santiago
MWAH Says: A clever promotion. If you want to win a ball signed by the All-Star lefty, you have to either follow him on one of his many social media accounts or vote for him for this year’s Roberto Clemente award. There have been over 1,700 entries thus far with 20 days to go, so the odds are low.
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