The November 20, 2015 edition of Los Angeles Angels news includes Mike Trout making some bittersweet history, the club potentially adding a few players to the 40-man roster, and more…
The Story: Mike Trout finishes 2nd in MVP voting
MWAH Says: Just as expected, sadly. Trout is now one of just four players ever to finish in the top two in MVP voting in four consecutive seasons—joining Yogi Berra, Barry Bonds, and Stan Musial—and is without a doubt still the only player to win the award in his worst full season. It’s almost like he has to show some mortality for the voters to realize how incredible he is on a consistent basis. If he’s amazing all the time, it somehow becomes ordinary. Or something.
The Story: 40-man rosters need to be locked in on Friday
MWAH Says: Well, for players who are Rule 5 Draft eligible anyway. So if the Angels don’t want players like Alex Yarbrough, Victor Alcantara, Chris O’Grady, Austin Wood, Tyler DeLoach, Nate Hyatt, or Austin Adams to be available to other teams come the end of the Winter Meetings, they need to roster them today. There are six open roster spots currently, but I imagine they’ll add only two or three of the above players. Just because they leave a guy exposed to the draft doesn’t mean they lack faith in that player, only that they doubt another team would be willing to carry him on their 25-man roster for all of 2016, Taylor Featherston-style.
The Story: Continued snubbing of Trout is Ted Williams all over again
MWAH Says: Jeff Passan hits on what I mentioned above, just with like hundreds of more words and actual historical context. Kind would love if Trout has another worst season next year—read: like, between 7-8 WAR—and wins the MVP unanimously again.
The Story: A look at Trout’s adjustments at the plate in 2015
MWAH Says: Pedro Moura taking a dive into Angels stats is always a good read. This one is framed with the MVP in mind rather than just a straight analysis of Trout’s adjustments, but it still brings up some interesting quotes and tidbits.
The Story: Solar Sox drop final AFL game, finish 9–21
MWAH Says: Man, this team must have been painful to watch. The Angels hitters weren’t so bad—all four guys finished with a .729 OPS or better—but their pitching was pretty atrocious. Of that quartet, only Harrison Cooney finished with a better than 8.74 ERA. Ouch. The team as a whole ended the short season with a 5.95 ERA.
The Story: MLB agrees on three-year deal with FOX for in-market streaming
MWAH Says: Good news! You can now stream the Angels’ Fox Sports West games on your computer even if you’re in the normal blackout area. Bad news! You still need a cable provider subscription (or a login, at least) to get around the blackout. Opening Day is on ESPN 2, though, which will be blacked out. Baby steps.
The Story: MLB to expand safety netting in ballparks
MWAH Says: Finally. No detailed description yet of what the expansion will entail, but any extended safety measures are good at this point. The #hottake idea that the netting will obstruct views and keep fans from buying those seats is absurd. No one seems to mind purchasing the most expensive seats in the house to sit behind netting, why would it matter anywhere else?
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