2K24: Los Angeles Angels

[cleo]

I live in SoCal and am an Angels fan since the early 80's. We go to a few games each month and this team is unwatchable. I have a strong dislike for their owner Arte Moreno as he has proven since taken ownership that he sees players as marketing tools only, as a way to promote a product.....

It is odd to have so many fans dislike a owner that is willing to spend big money on their team, as I am sure that many fans of small market teams would love to have Moreno as their owner. But you can see the main issue is that he blows a large % of his budget on big name players and does not provide much else. He is actually very cheap in the way he treats team employees and minor league players.

The Angels have no depth and the slightest injury to a starting player will have a large impact. Their defense is putrid right now and the lower part of their batting order is pretty much an automatic out. Even with Trout, Rendon and Ohtani this team is going nowhere.

I would love nothing more than to see this team blown up and start a rebuild. Trout has peaked and looking to have lost some bat speed this year, so he would be my first choice to trade followed by a Ohtani deal that would have to include Rendon as a salary dump. What teams out there would have the $ and prospects to trade for Trout and Ohtani/Rendon? I don't think the Angels would want to send any of them to the Dodgers, but other than both NY teams I do not have any ideas.

Even if the Angels would get out of the Trout and Rendon contracts, ownership would probably just blow it again and overpay for the next crop of free agents instead of building up a team from within. Moreno does not care about putting a winning product on the field. He only wants to have 3-4 players that will bring in fans and sell their jersey's.

[cleo]

Angels are 3-16 over their last 19 games and the 3 wins are when Ohtani pitches.

[Sour Masher]

A blow up makes sense, but it would be crazy to deal Ohtani right now. His value to a team is absurd--I can't imagine a package that would make sense. They should move any and all else to build a contender around him ASAP.

[The Feral Slasher]

A blow up makes sense, but it would be crazy to deal Ohtani right now. His value to a team is absurd--I can't imagine a package that would make sense. They should move any and all else to build a contender around him ASAP.

I had to look, it sounds like he will be a free agent after next year. The Angels clearly aren't competing this year....so I guess they have to contend next year. Or resign him.

[Sour Masher]

I had to look, it sounds like he will be a free agent after next year. The Angels clearly aren't competing this year....so I guess they have to contend next year. Or resign him.

They have the money to resign him and aside from his on field value, if they blow up the team and sell all else, they will need a face of the franchise to build around. Ohtani is the best one you can get right now. I get keeping Trout too, as a 1st ballot HOF lifer, but try to dump all else for a quick rebuild. I don't think the Cali fanbase would take too kindly to trading everyone and waiting years like the Angels were a small market team.

[GwynnInTheHall]

They have the money to resign him and aside from his on field value, if they blow up the team and sell all else, they will need a face of the franchise to build around. Ohtani is the best one you can get right now. I get keeping Trout too, as a 1st ballot HOF lifer, but try to dump all else for a quick rebuild. I don't think the Cali fanbase would take too kindly to trading everyone and waiting years like the Angels were a small market team.

If they don't deal Trout or Ohtani, who else has any trade value in a true rebuild?

[Sour Masher]

If they don't deal Trout or Ohtani, who else has any trade value in a true rebuild?

Not much, but if they can dump Rendon, even if they have to pay or include prospects or relief pitchers to do it, that would free up funds to sign some players to help. I just think there is no way their fanbase would respond well to them dealing Ohtani.

[madducks]

[cleo]

A blow up makes sense, but it would be crazy to deal Ohtani right now. His value to a team is absurd--I can't imagine a package that would make sense. They should move any and all else to build a contender around him ASAP.

At the end of last season, Ohtani said "I really like the team. I love the fans. I love the atmosphere of the team,” Ohtani said via an interpreter. “But, more than that, I want to win. That’s the biggest thing for me. I’ll leave it at that"

He has made it pretty clear that his number 1 priority is to win and I don't see the Angels going in that direction anytime soon. Yes, the Angels are making a huge amount of $ off of Ohtani and will probably try to re-sign him to a huge contract. But I think he want to play elsewhere. The Angels were one of the few teams that gave him a chance to be both a pitcher and hitter and Ohtani has shown what he can do, but I don't think he will re-sign a contract with the Angels no matter what the amount is. The smart move would be to trade him this year or during the off season, but the Angels do not make smart moves.

[revo]

This sounds pretty ominous:

Angels head athletic trainer Mike Frostad revealed Wednesday that Mike Trout has been diagnosed with a rare back condition called costovertebral dysfunction.
It is somewhat related to the right ribcage inflammation that sent Trout to the injured list earlier this month. He is not currently doing any baseball activities following a recent cortisone injection and there is no mapped-out timetable for his return. "This is a pretty rare condition that he has right now in his back," Frostad said. "The doctor (Robert Watkins), who is one of the most well-known spine surgeons in the country, if not the world, doesn’t see a lot of these. ... We do have to look at this as something that -- he has to manage it, not just through the rest of this season, but also through the rest of his career probably." Yikes.

SOURCE: The Athletic
Jul 27, 2022, 2:09 PM ET

[Ken]

This sounds pretty ominous:

Angels head athletic trainer Mike Frostad revealed Wednesday that Mike Trout has been diagnosed with a rare back condition called costovertebral dysfunction.
It is somewhat related to the right ribcage inflammation that sent Trout to the injured list earlier this month. He is not currently doing any baseball activities following a recent cortisone injection and there is no mapped-out timetable for his return. "This is a pretty rare condition that he has right now in his back," Frostad said. "The doctor (Robert Watkins), who is one of the most well-known spine surgeons in the country, if not the world, doesn’t see a lot of these. ... We do have to look at this as something that -- he has to manage it, not just through the rest of this season, but also through the rest of his career probably." Yikes.

SOURCE: The Athletic
Jul 27, 2022, 2:09 PM ET

If you own Trout in dynasty don't read this unless you are sitting down.

[virgonomic]

Janson Randall Junk is one of the top 3 names in baseball ever.

[Sour Masher]

If you own Trout in dynasty don't read this unless you are sitting down.

After reading a bit more about it and hearing Trout, it may not be quite as dire as initially feared. It seems like something he can manage, even if it means he is somewhat diminished and goes on the IL once in awhile, which is kind of who he has been the last couple of years.

[revo]

The Angels hit 7 HRs today vs. Oakland......and lost 8-7.

[revo]

Since July 1, Jared Walsh is hitting .144 with 1 HR and 3 RBI in 143 PAs.