Tagged: Angels
AFL 10.14.15 Glendale at Mesa
Notable Performances:
— Athletics prospect Sean Manaea got the start for Mesa. The left-hander, ranked as the No. 3 prospect in Oakland’s organization, was a big piece in the trade that sent Ben Zobrist to the Royals at this year’s Trade Deadline.
Manaea missed the first half of 2014 with injuries, but over the second half of the year he showed why expectations are so high. In 14 starts, Manaea posted a 2.66 ERA and struck out 51 batters in 42 2/3 innings.
On Wednesday, the left-hander got off to a bit of a shaky start — allowed one run on two hits in the first — but set down 10 in a row to finish his outing. Manaea finished four innings and allowed one run on two hits.
Best Play(s):
— Angels prospect Eric Aguilera made a diving stop at first base to take away a hit in the first inning. He also had two hits and two RBIs.
— Pirates No. 2 prospect Austin Meadows made an impressive throw from right field to home plate. The throw was right on line and one-hopped the plate. On the 20-80 scouting scale, one scout gave it a 55, another a 60. However, later in the game he had a similar opportunity and the throw wasn’t nearly as impressive.
The arm strength is there, the consistency needs some work.
Worth Mentioning:
— Angels catching prospect Stephen McGee hit just two home runs in 68 games this season, but he tapped into that power in the second inning with a home run to left. The prospect later doubled and caught a runner stealing with a real quick pop and perfect throw to second.
— Cubs No. 19 prospect Jeimer Candelario two well hit singles to right in first two at-bats. Then showed a little bit of pop with a ground rule double to right-center in his third trip to the plate.
Betting Odds for the 2015 Baseball Season
With Spring Training just about to begin, it’s that time of year where every fan base believes their team has a shot to win the World Series.
While some teams are more likely to win it then others, anything can happen and that’s what makes sports so enjoyable.
However, the odds of every team hoisting a trophy in late October are not all equal, which makes those surprise runs by teams no one saw coming all the more enjoyable to witness. But how do we know who the favorites and underdogs are? Well…
Bovada.com – a gambling website – has released its odds to win the AL, NL and World Series.
Bovada gives the Angels and Red Sox the best odds to win the AL, but the best odds to win the World Series are given to the Nationals and Dodgers.
Here’s a look at every team’s odds to win the World Series:
Washington Nationals 13/2
Los Angeles Dodgers 17/2
Boston Red Sox 10/1
Chicago Cubs 10/1
Los Angeles Angels 12/1
St. Louis Cardinals 12/1
San Diego Padres 14/1
Chicago White Sox 16/1
Detroit Tigers 16/1
San Francisco Giants 16/1
Seattle Mariners 16/1
Toronto Blue Jays 22/1
Oakland Athletics 25/1
Baltimore Orioles 28/1
New York Mets 28/1
New York Yankees 28/1
Cleveland Indians 33/1
Kansas City Royals 33/1
Miami Marlins 33/1
Pittsburgh Pirates 33/1
Houston Astros 50/1
Texas Rangers 50/1
Atlanta Braves 66/1
Cincinnati Reds 66/1
Milwaukee Brewers 66/1
Tampa Bay Rays 66/1
Arizona Diamondbacks 100/1
Minnesota Twins 100/1
Colorado Rockies 150/1
Philadelphia Phillies 150/1
Odds to win NL:
Nationals 13/4
Dodgers 19/4
Cubs 6/1
Padres 13/2
Cardinals 13/2
Giants 8/1
Mets 14/1
Pirates 14/1
Marlins 16/1
Braves 28/1
Reds 28/1
Brewers 33/1
Diamondbacks 50/1
Rockies 75/1
Phillies 75/1
Odds to win the AL:
Red Sox 11/2
Angels 11/2
White Sox 7/1
Mariners 7/1
Tigers 15/2
Blue Jays 10/1
Yankees 12/1
A’s 12/1
Orioles 14/1
Indians 14/1
Rangers 22/1
Astros 28/1
Rays 33/1
Twins 50/1
Quick Thoughts:
– I wonder when the last time the Mets and Yankees began the season with the same odds to win it all.
– Five of the top seven teams are in the NL, but three of bottom four are in NL as well.
– A World Series between the Angels and Dodgers isn’t too far fetched.
– In Bovada’s view, the NL appears to be top heavy, with the AL being the more balanced league. This is also reflected in the odds to win each league.
– The Cubs off season moves have certainly grabbed everyone’s attention.
– Not a ton of confidence in the Giants going back-to-back.
10 Things I’m Watching In 2015: American League West
As we count down to Spring Training, here’s the sixth installment of my ’10 Things I’m Watching In 2015′ series. Today’s topic: the American League West.
Ultimately the Angels ran away with the AL West in 2014, but things could be very different this time around. Yes, the Angels have another great squad, but several AL West teams made big moves over the off season and it looks as if this may be the best division in baseball. The NL Central will rival the AL West for that title, but either way the race out West will be fun to watch and will likely come down to the season’s final days.
Angels:
After posting a 98 win season in 2014, it was not all that surprising that the Angels didn’t go out and completely retool their roster over the off season. The Angels 2015 lineup will look a lot like the one that ended the 2014 season.
A healthy Garrett Richards will be a welcomed face to the rotation, but it also looks like the Angels may start the season without Josh Hamilton.
Although the Angels didn’t make a ton of big moves over the off season, the team did trade Howie Kendrick to the Dodgers, so second base will be a position to watch both offensively and defensively.
A’s:
The A’s got off to a strong start last season and looked like they would easily win the division, but ultimately struggled down the stretch.The late season collapse was followed by a whirlwind of an off season and now the 2015 season will begin with an Oakland roster that hardly resembles that of 2014.
Across the infield the A’s began 2014 with Brandon Moss, Eric Sogard, Jed Lowrie and Josh Donaldson, but this season the projected Opening Day lineup consists of Ike Davis, Ben Zobrist, Marcus Semien and Brett Lawrie, with Billy Butler at DH.
Billy Beane completely changed the makeup of the team over the off season, but the A’s have been to the playoffs in three consecutive seasons so it’s hard to count them out.
Also, it’s important to note that the Athletics will once again feature a strong pitching staff – a fact that will keep them in a lot of games.
Despite losing Jon Lester (not that anyone thought he’d resign or stay in Oakland) and trading away Jeff Samardzija, the A’s will still have a rotation that consists of Sonny Gray, Scott Kazmir, Jesse Chavez, Jesse Hahn and Drew Pomeranz.
Oakland’s rotation may be impressive, but it might not even be the best in the division.
Mariners: With arguably the best pitcher in the American League in Felix Hernandez, it’s quite possible the Mariners have the best rotation as well. Hernandez and Hisashi Iwakuma are a nasty 1-2 punch and will win the Mariners in a lot of games.
While the pitching was there last season, Seattle often struggled to score runs in 2014 – a problem the teams hopes will be solved with the addition of Nelson Cruz.
Cruz hit 40 home runs a season ago and will make the top of the Mariners line-up, along with Austin Jackson and Robinson Cano, a lot more potent than it was just a season ago.
Astros: Just as the A’s made several changes, so did the Astros. The 2015 Astros will look a lot different than the 2014 version – including new manager A.J. Hinch – and appear to be in a much better position to compete.
To bolster the offense, the Astros added Evan Gattis, but most of the reshuffling happened in the bullpen as the Astros added Luke Gregerson and Pat Neshek.
Gregerson and Neshek – both right-handers – are coming off some of the best seasons in their careers. Gregorson posted a career-best 2.12 ERA last season while Neshek posted a 1.87 ERA and was selected to his first All Star game.
Jed Lowrie will also be a nice addition to the middle of the infield as he returns to Houston after a productive two seasons in Oakland.
Rangers: Every team deal with injuries, but the amount the Rangers faced last season was crazy.
First and foremost Rangers fans have to be excited about starting 2015 with a healthy Prince Fielder. That fact alone should be a boost to the offense, but regaining Fielder is not the only significant move the Rangers have made.
Late in the off season the Rangers made perhaps their most significant off season move when they traded for Yovani Gallardo.
Gallardo figured to fit into the middle of the Rangers rotation and has started 30 or more games in six straight seasons – a good sign for a team that has struggled with injures and had a hard time keeping players on the field.
Previous Entries:
Trade Deadline Revisited
As soon as the July 31 Trade Deadline was completed, the A’s and Tigers appeared to be the big winners.
The Athletics had acquired Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel a bit before the Trade Deadline and then acquired Jon Lester in a blockbuster move while the Tigers landed David Price.
As it turned out, those teams went a combined 0-4 in the postseason and the real prize of the Deadline may have been a 31-year old pitcher from Mobile, Alabama.
The San Francisco Giants acquired Jake Peavy, for a couple of pitching prospects, a few days before the Trade Deadline. Peavy went 8-4 with a 2.17 ERA in 12 starts for the National League champions to finish the regular season and is 1-0 with a 1.86 ERA in two postseason starts.
Now it remains to be seen whether or not the Giants will resign Peavy next season, but after winning the National League pennant and reaching a third World Series in the past five years, it’s hard to argue the move wasn’t a success for the Giants.
In addition to the Peavy trade, plenty of other teams were active at the Trade Deadline. Here’s a quick rundown on how everyone performed with their new teams:
A’s acquired Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel: In 16 starts with the Athletics, Samardzija went 8-8 with a 3.14 ERA. Hammel went 2-6 with a 4.26 ERA in 12 starts.
Cubs acquire Addison Russell, Billy McKinney and Dan Straily: Russell, the No. 5 prospect according to MLBpipeline.com, was the prize of this trade for the Cubs and he hit .294 in 50 games with the Cubs AA affiliate.
The Athletics acquired Jon Lester, Jonny Gomes and cash from the Red Sox for Yoenis Cespedes: Lester went 6-4 with a 2.35 ERA in 11 starts, but was also on the mound when the A’s collapse began in the AL Wild Card game. Gomes played in 34 games for the A’s and hit .234 Cespedes hit .269 with five homers and 33 RBI for Boston.
Then, the A’s traded Tommy Milone to the Twins in exchange for Sam Fuld:
Milone appeared in six games, five starts, for the Twins while Fuld played in 53 games and hit .210 for Oakland.
The Cardinals acquired John Lackey from the Red Sox for Joe Kelly and Allen Craig: Lackey went 3-3 with a 4.30 ERA in 10 starts for the Cardinals while Kelly went 4-2 with a 4.11 ERA in 10 starts for Boston and Craig hit .128 in 29 games.
The Brewers traded a pair of minor leaguers (outfielder Mitch Haniger and pitcher Anthony Banda) to the Diamondbacks for Gerardo Parra: Parra hit .268 in 46 games for Milwaukee.
The Padres continued selling and traded Chris Denorfia to the Mariners for Abraham Almonte and minor league pitcher Stephen Kohlscheen: Denorfia hit .195 in 32 games with the Mariners.
A day after trading Justin Masterson to the Cardinals, the Indians traded Asdrubal Cabrera to the Nationals for Zach Walters: Masterson was a disappointment with the Cardinals as he went 3-3 in nine games, six starts, with a 7.04 ERA. Cabrera hit .229 in 49 games with the Nationals and Walters hit .130 in 70 games for the Indians.
The Red Sox traded Andrew Miller to the Orioles for minor league pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez: Miller appeared in 23 games for the Orioles and posted a 1.35 ERA.
Boston was very active at the deadline and concluded its day after trading Stephen Drew to the Yankees for Kelly Johnson: Drew hit .150 in 46 games with the Yankees.
In addition to Drew, the Yankees acquired Martin Prado. In order to get Prado, the Yankees sent Peter O’Brien and either cash or a player to be named later to the Diamondbacks: Prado hit .316 in 37 games as a Yankee.
The Braves acquired Emilio Bonifacio, James Russell and cash from the Cubs in exchange for minor league catcher Victor Caratini: Bonifacio appeared in 41 games for the Braves and hit .212, while Russell posted a 2.22 ERA in 22 appearances with Atlanta.
The Marlins sent outfielder Jake Marisnick to the Astros in return for Jarred Cosart and Kike Hernandez: Marisnick hit .272 in 51 games with his new team and Cosart went 4-4 with a 2.39 ERA in 10 starts with his new club.
The Tigers acquired David Price, the Mariners picked up Austin Jackson and the Rays received Drew Smyly and Nick Franklin: Price went 4-4 with a 3.59 ERA in 11 starts for the Tigers while Austin Jackson hit .229 in 54 games with the Mariners. He also stole 11 bases. In Tampa Bay, Smyly went 3-1 in seven starts and posted a 1.70 ERA and Franklin hit .206 in 11 games.
Obviously these stats do not tell the whole story of who won or lost a trade or whether it was even for both teams as contract situations, cash, prospects and plenty of other factors are up for consideration, but in the break between the championship series and the World Series, it is interesting to look back and see how all those Deadline deals stacked up.
Quick Roster Breakdown of the A’s And Angels
With the Trade Deadline looming and a lot of talk about roster construction, I though it’d be interesting to take a look at the rosters of the top two teams in baseball – the Oakland Athletics and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
Using info obtained from baseballreference.com I looked at the current 25-man rosters of each team and put the numbers – in a variety of categories – side by side.
| Category | A’s | Angels |
| Average Age | 28.96 | 28.88 |
| Players 30+ | 9 | 11 |
| Players Acquired Via… | ||
| Trade | 12 | 9 |
| Free Agency | 6 | 6 |
| Draft | 2 | 10 |
| Waivers | 3 | 0 |
| Purchased | 1 (Jesse Chavez) | 0 |
| Conditional Deal | 1 (Stephen Vogt) | 0 |
| Making $3 million + | 7 | 10 |
| Highest Paid | Yoenis Cespedes ($10 Million) | Albert Pujols ($23 Million) |
| Average Experience | 5.96 | 6.48 |
| Average Attendance | 24626 | 38121 |
What do all these numbers mean? I guess we will find out at the end of the season when one team has won the American League West and the other is likely playing in a Wild Card game.
While this data may not necessarily mean all that much I thought it was interesting to look at and a few things jumped out at me:
- I was not surprised that the Angels had more players over 30 than the A’s, but I was surprised to find the Angels average age slightly below Oakland’s.
- It was also surprising to see how much of the A’s roster is the result of trades. Of course a lot of these trades take place in the lower levels when Billy Beane is wheeling and dealing prospects, but nearly half the roster has been acquired via trade which I found interesting.
- Everyone knows the A’s don’t have a big payroll and the Angels certainly haven’t been shy about throwing money around to coveted free agents. Albert Pujols is the Angels highest paid player, but CJ Wilson ($16 million), Jered Weaver ($16 million) and Josh Hamilton ($17 million) are all making more than the A’s highest paid player – Yoenis Cespedes.
Trout Is The New Face Of Baseball
It’s not news to anyone the 2014 All-Star Game, just like the entirety of the season, will be a celebration of Derek Jeter.
The Yankees shortstop has certainly earned everything coming his way tonight, but as one chapter closes, another opens.
For the bulk of the past two decades, Jeter has been the face of baseball – and those who disagree acknowledge he’s at least always been in the conversation – but that era is coming to close and it’s time for Jeter to pass the torch.
Tonight, he won’t have to look very far as the guy ready to take over is right behind him in the American League batting order.
Although he is just 22 years old and only in his third full season as a Major Leaguer, Mike Trout is well on his way to a tremendous, possibly Hall of Fame, career.
Like Jeter, Trout has proven to be everything that is right about the game of baseball.
Trout is a 22-year old with a ton of money and the baseball world seemingly at his fingertips. It would be easy for him to be brash and arrogant. He could use his social media presence to show off parties and bling and other things that some athletes often do.
But those who have met Trout for even two minutes know that is simply not who he is.
Instead, Trout posts pictures with his parents, telling the world how much he loves and appreciates them. He spent the past few weeks on Twitter trying to get his friend, roommate and teammate Garrett Richards named to the All-Star game.
He is the type of teammate, player – and more importantly, person – you hope your kids choose to idolize.
Trout roams the outfield at Angel Stadium with an infectious smile and childlike sense of joy. He truly enjoys playing the game and has a way of reminding us all how beautiful the game of baseball is.
In addition to his five tools on the field, Trout has a sixth tool that is very important when discussing the face of baseball.
Marketability.
Trout is associated with Nike, Subway, BodyArmor and others. Earlier this season Nike gave Trout his own shoe (cleats), making him the first player to receive such an honor since Ken Griffey Jr.
If there is anything holding Trout back from taking his place atop the baseball world, it’s the fact he has yet to play in the postseason.
However, the Angels currently have the second best record in baseball and this could be the season baseball fans get to watch Trout play when the stakes are highest.
Trout has already been asked several times about taking over as the face of the game and every time he downplays the subject and says it’s not something he thinks about. He simply says he’s focused on playing the game he loves to the best of his ability.
And in the end, that’s exactly what makes him the perfect candidate.
Boor on Baseball 