The March 11, 2016 edition of Los Angeles Angels news includes the team’s pitching depth getting tested much earlier than expected, David Freese finally latching on with a new team, and more…
The Story: Jered Weaver gets MRI on neck, has ‘nerve tightness’
MWAH Says: I’m no doctor, but I’m pretty sure nerves themselves can’t tighten. More likely they’re being compressed by Weaver’s vertebrae, causing the sensation of tightness/weakness. It really doesn’t matter what they call it, of course, so long as the doc can provide a remedy that doesn’t involve going under the knife. Nerve damage is typically tricky business, so this one may take some time to alleviate.
The Story: David Freese signs one-year deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates
MWAH Says: Finally. I was really worried he’d miss all of spring and be forced to jump in with a team midseason. Signing a week into game action isn’t great, but it’s a heck of a lot better than not getting any spring training at all. Just how Freese will find playing time in the Steel City is a bit of a mystery. Jung Ho Kang is still recovering from knee surgery, but he’s supposed to be back by May at the latest. Maybe Freese can share time at first with John Jaso?
The Story: All 22 of the Angels’ pre-arb players agreed to their 2016 contracts
MWAH Says: So this is a semantics thing. That these players and the front office “agreed to” new deals means that none of the players followed Jacob deGrom’s lead and opted not to sign off on their contracts for 2016. Since pre-arb players are under team control no matter what, the only thing deGrom did was force the Mets to “renew” his contract (with or without his signature) for whatever they decided they wanted to pay him. Most clubs have a sliding scale for pre-arb players that’s based solely on MLB service time, starting from the league minimum. However, given actions like deGrom’s, that policy may be altered to include performance markers when the new CBA is devised this winter.
The Story: Can Andrew Heaney sustain success for a full season?
MWAH Says: I sure hope so! He held up pretty dang well over 184 innings last season (between AAA and MLB), so no reason to think he can’t do that again this year.
The Story: Roberto Baldoquin, Alex Yarbrough, Chad Hinshaw reassigned to minor-league camp
MWAH Says: This winnows the Tempe roster down to… 51? Something around there. Baldoquin looked pretty good in his brief time with the big-league club, tallying three hits and four RBI in 8 ABs. His glove was suspect at times, but he at least seems healthy and raring to go. Yarbrough went hitless in 6 ABs, while Hinshaw had a double in 6 ABs.
The Story: Al Alburquerque no longer plagued by Chikungunya virus
MWAH Says: Well thank goodness for that. Sounds absolutely awful. Alburquerque is a long shot to make the Opening Day roster, but at least he’s got his health now. If he doesn’t stick with the Angels, he’s sure to stick in a bullpen somewhere else.
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