The March 24, 2016 edition of Los Angeles Angels news includes Tyler Skaggs pitching in a game for the first time in 20 months, the (un)likelihood of a trade before Opening Day, and more…
The Story: Tyler Skaggs returns to the mound Thursday after lengthy rehab
MWAH Says: Skaggs isn’t expected to start the game, but he’ll get two innings in at some point. Gotta imagine the adrenaline will be flowing pretty freely when he takes the hill, which hopefully won’t cause him to overdo it too much. The southpaw is pegged for a late-April return to the rotation.
The Story: Odds of Angels adding an another player before Opening Day are slim
MWAH Says: Jon Heyman made some noise on Wednesday morning with a tweet about the Angels still being on the lookout for a “bargain” “everyday” left fielder, which sounds a lot like something only Indiana Jones could find at this point in spring—i.e. it’s mythic. No matter, though, as Alden Gonzalez was quick to (indirectly) shoot down Heyman, citing Nava’s strong spring and their sudden need to hang onto all the pitching depth they have.
The Story: Competition still on for final Opening Day roster spots
MWAH Says: Well, at least one roster spot is up for grabs. The last rotation spot is probably Nick Tropeano’s and the final bench spots are likely going to Craig Gentry and Ji-Man Choi, at least to start the season, so that leaves the final bullpen spot to fill. Most of the beat writers are (informedly) speculating that Al Alburquerque has the inside track, but I don’t see why they’d dole out $1.1 million for the last guy in the ‘pen when they could pay closer to the minimum for Greg Mahle, Deolis Guerra, or Javy Guerra, especially given how tight with the purse the team is at the moment. I normally don’t consider salary with these kinds of decisions—just go with the best guy, for goodness sake—but it’s obvious the front office is, so…
The Story: Interpreter Jae Park helps Ji-Man Choi stay in the conversation
MWAH Says: Very cool story. I hope Park enjoys his time traveling around with the team and getting accustomed to the baseball clubhouse environment, even if it ends up not lasting past Opening Day.
The Story: A-Rod might retire after his current contract expires
MWAH Says: The only way I see A-Rod hanging up his cleats after 2017 is if he’s still more than 25 home runs away from the all-time record. He’s 77 dingers shy at the moment with two seasons left on his deal. If he can come anywhere close to the 33 HR he hit last season in each of the next two, he’s got a pretty great chance. Well, at least a chance. Not sure how many guys can hit 15+ homers at age 42, but he’s probably one of them.
The Story: Last Hope: Matt Bush
MWAH Says: A lot of people seem torn about how to feel about Matt Bush returning to baseball after nearly killing a man with a car while intoxicated in 2012. I’m totally fine with it, but your mileage may vary. He served his time in jail (three years) and has worked hard to get back to where he is now—against age and the demons of alcoholism—so why not give him a chance? Even the victim of his horrific hit-and-run believes Bush deserves one.
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