Angels news: Ace off the board, MLB news, more
The third of the three aces available in this year's free agency class, Carlos Rodon, has signed a six-year $162 million dollar deal with the Yankees. Rodon appeared to have wanted New York the entire time and he cashed in coming off of an unbelievable 2022 campaign.
Rodon is a pitcher with an extensive injury history with this past season being the only one which he's made 30+ starts. The hefty price tag and six years is why I believe it's a good thing that the Angels never appeared to be in on him and opted to sign Tyler Anderson instead. It'll be interesting to see if Rodon can string together consecutive seasons of 30+ starts with elite production for New York.
The good news here is the Twins, a team I believe will be fighting with the Angels for a Wild Card spot, did not land Rodon despite being interested in the southpaw. The Yankees I don't envision as much competition for the Halos as they're likely going to win their division again.
More Angels news:
The Angels re-signed Jhonathan Diaz to a minor league deal. Diaz was one of the 40-man roster casualties when the Halos added prospects to the roster to protect them from the Rule 5 Draft. This is yet another depth signing for the Angels in an offseason full of them.
How does the worst trade in Angels history compare to the Mookie Betts deal? After Boston DFA'd Jeter Downs, one of the key pieces in the Betts trade, it's safe to say that deal will end up being one of the worst in history barring any unforeseen circumstances. The Angels have made some pretty bad deals in their own right, but I don't know if it's quite as bad as this one.
Noah Syndergaard signing with the Dodgers shouldn't be of concern. Chances are he will be better than he was this past season with the Angels and Phillies but what do you really expect from him? He's a completely re-invented pitcher after Tommy John with diminished velocity.
MLB news:
The Orioles signed Adam Frazier to a one-year $8 million dollar deal. Frazier is a utility player who can play all over the diamond. He was an all-star in 2021 after hitting into a ton of batted-ball luck but that luck ran out this past season and he really struggled with the Mariners.
The Mets signed catcher Omar Narvaez to a one-year deal with a player option. This is an intriguing signing as the Mets already had three catchers. Does this mean they think top prospect Francisco Alvarez isn't ready to catch? Does this mean James McCann is on his way out of New York in a trade?