Brad Lidge had a busy day on Thursday. After signing a one-year, $1 million deal with the Nationals, Lidge was inducted into the New Orleans Professional Baseball Hall of Fame during the ‘Evening With The Zephyrs’ cocktail party. The 35-year-old righty reliever was charming as he reminisced about his time with the Triple-A Zephyrs and humble-bragged about his clubhouse ping-pong skills. I even managed to turn my attention away from the duck quesadillas long enough to enjoy his speech.
Lidge only appeared in 19.1 innings for the Phillies last season due to a rotator cuff injury. While there were several teams linked to Lidge, the $1 million plus incentives is quite the paycut from his $12 million salary in 2011. The injury was clearly a big red flag but Lidge wasn’t worried about it. “My shoulder is completely healed, it feels good. I kept telling people that. My MRI [with the Nationals] came out clean,” Lidge told me at the event just outside of the French Quarter.
I asked Lidge about his role with the Nationals in 2012 and it’s clear he’ll be the 7th inning guy to “bridge the gap” to Tyler Clippard and Drew Storen. He seemed at peace with the departure from his previous closer and set-up roles. Lidge also glowed about the opportunity to relieve Stephen Strasburg and Jordan Zimmermann and it’s hard to blame him.
The Angels had rumored interest in Lidge who could have been a nice mentor for closer Jordan Walden. Lidge confirmed the talks with the Angels but they were “concerned about his medicals” and told him “if he got another offer to take it.” Tired of sitting around on January 25, Lidge was happy when the Nationals stepped up with a contract.
Lidge was a complete class-act and a surprisingly accurate 6’5. The one-year, $1 million deal could be a steal for the Nats if Lidge is right about his shoulder. If healthy, he will be a valuable asset as member of the bullpen if the Nationals are contending or as a trade chip if they fall short by July.
Let’s not forget the guy has a career 11.95 K/9 ratio. He is really good at throwing baseballs past people.
That’s pretty much it. But if you made it through the post title and are still reading, I might as well put on a little song and dance for you.
The free agent pool of relievers is drying up but the Angels are still casting lines. Ryan Madson signed with the Reds, Francisco Cordero signed with the Blue Jays and Brad Lidge signed with the Nationals. Jerry Dipoto, still looking for bullpen help, has tendered an offer to Luis Ayala per Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com…
The Angels are one of “a handful of teams” that have tendered a formal offer to Luis Ayla, but a source familiar with the negotiations said the free-agent reliever is still weighing his options and a decision is not imminent.
It’s unclear at this point whether the Angels have offered a Major League or a Minor League contract, but they are believed to be in the mix along with the Orioles, Yankees, Astros and perhaps others.
Ayala tossed a 2.09/4.19/4.15 (ERA/FIP/xFIP) pitching line for the Yankees in 2011 after spending 2010 toiling in Triple-A for the Yankees, Dodgers and Rockies. Still not excited? He’s a former Expo!
Ayala is just an arm. Bobby Cassevah had a 2.72/3.66/3.90 (ERA/FIP/xFIP) line for the Angels last year and made $414,000. Lidge at least used to be a dominant closer. Ayala might be running a Smoothie King by June.
Darius Hunter is a 5’11, 163 pound wide receiver at a high school in Prosper, Texas but he already has highlight reels on YouTube that rival those of his dad. Torii Hunter made a name for himself by making spectacular, homerun-robbing catches. His son, Darius, is making a name for himself by making spectacular catches and then running away from 11 other players on his way to the endzone. Darius is in the class of 2013 but that doesn’t mean you can’t start the college football recruiting on YouTube. Right now!
Those are some pretty sick moves. I don’t want to knock the guy who put this video together, but… Torii Hunter will make $18 million with the Angels in 2012. If you’re going to put together a recruiting video, you need explosions. Add a little Michael Bay…
Boom! Scholarships will be handed out like People’s Choice nominations.
In this current economic wonderland we’re all enjoying, it’s hard to decide where to throw all of that cumbersome extra cash. Don’t worry Angels fans, I’ve done the eBay research for you. I filtered out all of the ticket packages because I assume you guys already have luxury boxes. I watched The O.C., I have my finger on the pulse of Southern California. Load up those PayPal accounts and let’s go shopping…
It has Ronda Swiss 5040D Quartz Analog chronograph movement, which is a real thing according to Google. This $1,500 non-Movado watch is perfect for a casual real estate mogul on the way to a game. Impressive as it may seem, it does not help you calculate in-game OPS like my digital watch from the early 90s.
There is absolutely no significance tied to this ball other than it was used in Game 5 of the 2002 ALCS. I know what you’re thinking. For only $1,200, why can’t I buy more than one? This bidding is going down to the final minutes of stupidity.
Sure, it’s pricey but it looks like a comfortable chair. Downside: due to the MLB logo, you can’t post pictures of yourself in the chair to Facebook without the express written consent of Bud Selig.
Talk about collectibles. Chip Hale had a single and two walks in his 14 plate appearances in 1997 for the Dodgers. The Angels signed him on December 22, 1997 and traded him to St. Louis on March 30, 1998. He played in 132 games for Triple-A Memphis that year and never got another swing in the Majors.
So this Angels jersey must be from Spring Training 1998. Hale is listed at 5’11 and 180 pounds but a size 44 still seems a bit small for that frame. There’s a lot of mystery surrounding this auction. *fights urge to bid*
As long as you’re remodeling your wine cellar, why not go with rubber Angels floor tiles? Aside from class and public opinion? If you do decide to go with this option, I’ll email you the links to the Torii Hunter and Jered Weaver Fatheads.
Prince Fielder got his monster contract after all. While I have my suspicions, I can’t prove that Fielder “Tonya Harding-ed” Victor Martinez but it did work out in Fielder’s benefit. After Martinez tore his ACL, the Tigers emerged from near mystery team status to sign Fielder to a 9-year, $214 million deal. For the near future, Angels fans can rejoice in not having to face the big slugger as a Ranger.
Fielder and Albert Pujols entered the offseason as Keith Law’s number one and two free agents (Insider), respectively. There are concerns for both considering the enormous amount of cash their employers owe them. Fielder, 28 in May, is a rather large man and his body type isn’t one that typically ages well in sports or for getting off the couch. Fielder is no great shakes at first base either and has no interest in DH-ing even if it is in his future. He also hits right handers at a much better clip than against the southpaws
Pujols. Well, Pujols is freshly 32-years-old and 42-year-olds are rarely worth $30 million. But by 2021, there might be some massive inflation after hoverboards finally hit the market. Pujols has a bit of injury history (tendinitis) but only missed time in 2011 due to a freak arm fracture. His age is the big red flag.
Pujols and Fielder received massive deals with similar AAVs ($24MM-$23.8MM) and both will probably fail to live up to them over the long haul. But Arte Moreno and Mike Ilitch have already spent their billboard and pizza money, so who would you have rather have given the $200 million? This begins the WAR (wins above replacement) segment of the post.
In 2011, Pujols’ worst season was just about equal to Fielder’s second best season. With a five year age gap, it’s a knee jerk reaction to think that Fielder will eventually start to pass Pujols on that WAR grid. However, considering the body types and eventual move to DH for Fielder, Pujols might sustain a higher level of value even during an earlier-in-the-contract decline phase. Pujols is an outstanding fielder at first base which is currently underrated, by some, as a defensive position.
Pujols is a machine too so I’m not sure it’s fair to slap a normal aging curve on him. By age 31, Pujols has already out-WARed the careers of his contemporary Hall-of-Fame-ish fisrt baseman.
In their age 40 seasons, Jim Thome and Frank Thomas were still useful hitters. When healthy. And just as designated hitters. So it’s not hard to dream on Pujols still being a capable hitter at 42 in 2021. Can you have that same dream for Fielder at age 36? Especially if his platoon split against lefties continues?
We’ve reached the point of the post where you can accuse me of stearing this in Pujols’ favor. It is an Angels blog. And I expect Fielder will have a few seasons that he out WAR(P)s Pujols over the next nine years. For the duration of the contracts though? Give me Pujols.
Baseball-Reference agrees with me according to whatever formula they use to determine page sponsorship values. Both players’ page are available. It’ll cost you $3,560 to sponsor Pujols and $1,120 for Fielder. By that math, Pujols is at least worth 3X more than Fielder. Science’d.
The liars in question are former R& B super group Tony! Toni! Tone! A band comprised of not a single dude who was actually named Tony ( however you choose to spell it). One of their best and most famous songs is a sensual serenade to the beautiful weather that we usually get here in So Cal. ”It Never Rains In Southern California” .
Yea right fellas… it is literally raining cats and dogs here today which means terrible traffic , random car accidents and terrified California drivers who correlate rain falling from the sky with the need to drive two miles an hour so everybody sees you.
Trade bait might not be the best description of Bobby Abreu because that implies interest from other teams. Any teams. A team. The $9 million in salary and inability to do anything but play catch while wearing a glove limits any would be suitors for Abreu. His .253/.353/.365 line in 2011 helped Abreu rank ninth out of 11 qualified DHs in fWAR (Fangraphs wins above replacement). Of course, most of that on base was aided by a .390 OBP over 242 plate appearance during the first two months of the season.
Abreu is still thought of as an on base machine but as that skill deminishes so does his value. The Halos have little leverage trying to move a soon-to-be 38-year-old, OBP only DH considering they have no room for him on their team and other clubs know it. A team with a hole at DH could look at Abreu if the Angels picked up most of the tab. Which is exactly what Jayson Stark wrote in his Tigers piece for ESPN…
And other clubs are reporting that the Angels emerged from their organizational meetings last week with Abreu as “their No. 1 guy to move.” Abreu, who won the 2005 Home Run Derby in Comerica Park, vested a $9 million option for this season. So his salary is an issue. But while the Angels would love to jettison as much of it as possible, an executive of one club reports “they’ll pick up enough to make it comfortable to move him.”
ZiPS is projecting a .246/.338/.385 line for Abreu in 2012. That looks right. Even after eating most of the salary and requiring little to nothing in return, the Angels still may need to use a little persuasion to trade Abreu. It’s important for other teams to realize…
*Bobby Abreu was 21-26 in stolen bases in 2011
*Bobby Abreu is active in the community and charity
*Bobby Abreu gives great hugs
*Bobby Abreu’s nickname is “El Comedulce” which roughly translates to “candy-eater” and that’s adorable
*Bobby Abreu will move into 24th all time in base on balls in 2012
*Bobby Abreu giggles like the Pillsbury Doughboy if you poke him in the belly
*Bobby Abreu was trade for Kevin Stocker. How many people can say that?
*Bobby Abreu can make the best plate of nachos you’ve ever had
*Bobby Abreu will pass Roberto Clemente in runs scored in 2012
*Bobby Abreu has the high score in Q*bert
I could do this all day. Suddenly, I’m not as impressed with those Scott Boras free agent binders.
Like Christmas Dinner, Classic Rock and Old School Hip Hop, Baseball has long been deeply rooted in tradition. There is a defined order – a blue print – a certain way to do things. We serve ham or prime rib on December 25th, rock fans hold their breath in anticipation of the guitar solo and hip hop heads salivate when they hear a scratch chorus like Albert Pujols when he sees a hanging curve ball. Speaking of Pujols… One long standing tradition in baseball is for the teams best pure hitter to bat in the number three position in the lineup. The logic has long been lead-off guy gets on – second batter gets him over and then the number three hitter drives him in.
But hold your horses! What happens when the first two hitters make outs?
The Angels and division foe Rangers will be prominently featured on baseball’s prime time stage to begin the 2012 season. Don’t worry east-coasters, the Yankees and Red Sox will be there too. But the Angels and Rangers are building a nice rivalry that was fuelded by a winter of cold war. While the Angels signed Albert Pujols and stole C.J. Wilson from Texas, the Rangers countered with Japanese fireballer Yu Darvish and might still be a player for Prince Fielder.
Date Teams (all telecasts at 8 p.m. ET)
April 8 Chicago White Sox at Texas
April 15 L.A. Angels at N.Y. Yankees
April 22 Yankees at Boston
April 29 Tampa Bay at Texas
May 6 Philadelphia at Washington
May 13 Angels at Texas
May 20 St. Louis at L.A. Dodgers
May 27 Washington at Atlanta
June 3-July 1 TBD
July 8 Yankees at Boston
July 15 St. Louis at Cincinnati
July 22-Sept 23 TBD
ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball is sponsored by Taco Bell. It’s not a surprise considering AL MVP and Cy Young winner Justin Verlander admitted to a pre-game ritual of eating half of the Taco Bell menu. Minus tomatoes. While Taco Bell wouldn’t be my fisrt choice, it does make me less nauseous than listening to Joe Morgan call a game.
My choice of sponsorship? Marge’s Pretzel Wagon. Of course, MLB is still pretty upset with them after they almost killed Whitey Ford…
In 2010, ESPN aired a series of Sunday Night Baseball commercials featuring actor Adam Scott. “Are we having fun yet?” I had completely forgotten how terrific they were until I fell down one of those YouTube rabbit holes. Join me for the ride…
When I got home last night, I watched the new episode of New Girl featuring Zooey Deschanel. I keep hoping the sitcom is going to get better or funny but I don’t have high hopes. I support Zooey though.
Lizzy Caplan guest starred on Tuesday’s episode. I’m not sure why Lizzy Caplan isn’t more famous. I loved her in Freaks and Geeks, The Class (my ex-girlfriend made me watch it) and even Mean Girls (let’s pretend my ex made me watch it). But most importantly, she was in the unfortunately short lived Starz series Party Down featuring Adam Scott.
Naturally, I started YouTubing Party Down outtakes, interviews and whatnot. Eventually, I came across the Adam Scott ESPN commericials with Mike Scioscia and Torii Hunter and they are quite good. Enjoy…
AND
How else can I tie Adam Scott to baseball, you didn’t ask? Adam Scott is on the genius show Parks and Recreation created by Michael Schur. Michael Schur, aka @KenTremendous, was one of the masterminds behind Fire Joe Morgan.
Thanks to Michael Schur and Parks and Rec we now have the great Ron Swanson in our TV lives.
That’s like five or six degrees of separation from Zooey Deschanel to Drunk Ron Swanson with a big Angels baseball detour in the middle. You’re welcome.
Call to the Pen
FanSided
Nolan Writin'
SoDo Mojo
Swingin' A's
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