OC Register: Angels reach agreement with Eric Young Jr. on minor league deal

[AngelsWin.com]

The Angels have agreed to terms on a minor league deal with Eric Young Jr., bringing the popular outfielder back to the organization for a second season.

Young, who will compete for the fourth outfielder spot on the opening day roster, hit .264 in 125 plate appearances with the Angels last season.

A 32-year-old switch hitter, Young has played parts of nine seasons in the majors, hitting .248 with a .316 on-base percentage. Last year, Young helped fill in while Mike Trout was injured. He provided a few dramatic, emotional moments, playing the season following the death of his newborn son a year ago.

Rymer Liriano, also on a minor-league deal, is the other top candidate to win the bench spot. The Angels are looking for a fourth outfielder who can play center. It is unlikely they would be a destination for an established free agent like Jarrod Dyson or Rajai Davis because there is such limited playing time available behind Trout, Justin Upton and Kole Calhoun.

Michael Hermosillo, one of the top prospects in the system, could fit the role, but the Angels prefer for him to continue his development by playing every day in the minors.

The Angels also signed infielder Jose Fernandez to a minor league deal. Fernandez, 29, hit .306 with a .367 on-base percentage in the Dodgers’ system last year, playing at Double-A and Triple-A. He had previously spent his career playing in Cuba.

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[eligrba]

Good.

[Chuck]

I like..

[Second Base]

Good move. He killed it in AAA in the first half, and can still fly around the bases. Perfect for punch running and as a defensive replacement.

[Cdaniel]

7 minutes ago, Scotty@AW said:

Good move. He killed it in AAA in the first half, and can still fly around the bases. Perfect for punch running and as a defensive replacement.

Add in the fact he can pinch run as well.....I like it. Ha!

[floplag]

This was a perfect move for the 4th OF, was kinda hoping they would look in this direction.  

[Chris]

He sparked us a bit last season.  I like it.

[krAbs]

So, if I were to guess at our most likely 25 man roster:

rich (sp)
ohtani (sp/dh/1b)
skaggs (sp)
heany (sp)
shoe (sp)
trop (sp)

parker (cl)
bedrosian (rp)
middleton (rp)
johnson (rp)
wood (rp)
paredes (rp)
ramirez (rp/sp)

kinsler (2b)
trout (cf)
upton (lf)
pujols (1b/dh)
cozart (3b/ss)
simmons (ss)
calhoun (rf)
cron (1b/dh)
maldo (c)

valbuena (3b/2b/1b)
EYJ (lf/cf/rf/2b)
graterol (c)

Chomping at the bit in the minors (possible late push call-ups, if they excel in the minors?) :
barria (sp) - future replacement for trop?
bridwell (sp)
fernandez (2b)
hermosillo (lf/cf/rf) - future replacement for calhoun?
cowart (3b/2b)

My only complaint is that I would love a bit more lefty hitting presence (and lefties out of the pen), and a hitting catcher to be able to fill in for maldo every once in a while.  and maybe better options for 1b/dh. I'm actually pretty optimistic on our pitching - even RP.

[WeaverFever]

Yes!!! Love EYJ

[totdprods]

Good AAA depth, but I hope they're still searching for a 4th OF, or at least aren't penciling him in as the 25th man yet.

He had some big moments in his first 16 games, but in his last 31 games he slashed .196/.237/.286/.523 with 20 strikeouts and zero walks over 61 plate appearances. His defense didn't particularly wow me either, but we certainly need the speed with Maybin and Revere gone.

[Tank]

good move. i was hoping they'd sign him.

[stormngt]

2 hours ago, krAbs said:

So, if I were to guess at our most likely 25 man roster:

rich (sp)
ohtani (sp/dh/1b)
skaggs (sp)
heany (sp)
shoe (sp)
trop (sp)

parker (cl)
bedrosian (rp)
middleton (rp)
johnson (rp)
wood (rp)
paredes (rp)
ramirez (rp/sp)

kinsler (2b)
trout (cf)
upton (lf)
pujols (1b/dh)
cozart (3b/ss)
simmons (ss)
calhoun (rf)
cron (1b/dh)
maldo (c)

valbuena (3b/2b/1b)
EYJ (lf/cf/rf/2b)
graterol (c)

Chomping at the bit in the minors (possible late push call-ups, if they excel in the minors?) :
barria (sp) - future replacement for trop?
bridwell (sp)
fernandez (2b)
hermosillo (lf/cf/rf) - future replacement for calhoun?
cowart (3b/2b)

My only complaint is that I would love a bit more lefty hitting presence (and lefties out of the pen), and a hitting catcher to be able to fill in for maldo every once in a while.  and maybe better options for 1b/dh. I'm actually pretty optimistic on our pitching - even RP.

So we DFA Parez?

[Bull58]

He'll be good for pinch runs and late inning fielding and giving guys a day off. His base running speed is what I liked about EYJ.

[Troll Daddy]

I’m not a fan but still nice to have him in AAA

 

Now let’s get a legit 4th OF!

[Ohtaniland]

[Warfarin]

6 hours ago, krAbs said:

So, if I were to guess at our most likely 25 man roster:

rich (sp)
ohtani (sp/dh/1b)
skaggs (sp)
heany (sp)
shoe (sp)
trop (sp)

parker (cl)
bedrosian (rp)
middleton (rp)
johnson (rp)
wood (rp)
paredes (rp)
ramirez (rp/sp)

kinsler (2b)
trout (cf)
upton (lf)
pujols (1b/dh)
cozart (3b/ss)
simmons (ss)
calhoun (rf)
cron (1b/dh)
maldo (c)

valbuena (3b/2b/1b)
EYJ (lf/cf/rf/2b)
graterol (c)

Chomping at the bit in the minors (possible late push call-ups, if they excel in the minors?) :
barria (sp) - future replacement for trop?
bridwell (sp)
fernandez (2b)
hermosillo (lf/cf/rf) - future replacement for calhoun?
cowart (3b/2b)

My only complaint is that I would love a bit more lefty hitting presence (and lefties out of the pen), and a hitting catcher to be able to fill in for maldo every once in a while.  and maybe better options for 1b/dh. I'm actually pretty optimistic on our pitching - even RP.

I doubt you see 6 active starters on the roster at the same time for the most part.  We most likely will have a 4 man bench at almost all times.  

[krAbs]

11 hours ago, stormngt said:

So we DFA Parez?

Honestly...he played so little down the stretch last year, I forgot he was on the roster. I believe their stats are roughly equivalent, so I guess hold onto Perez?

[krAbs]

9 hours ago, Warfarin said:

I doubt you see 6 active starters on the roster at the same time for the most part.  We most likely will have a 4 man bench at almost all times.  

So, I want this to be true, because I would really like a deeper bench. But, doesn't that cost a ton of options for staters? Every time you send them down and bring them up? I'm a bit fuzzy on these rules, and I guess you can use both bridwell and tropeano as swingmen between the minors and majors, but idk if even that is feasible.

Edit- per MLB.com,

"Once a player is put on the 40-man roster, the option countdown begins. A player is assigned three options as a rostered player. Each year, when a player who is on the roster gets sent to the Minor Leagues for a stint of more than 20 days, it counts as an option.
...
A player can go up and down several times in one season, but it would only count as one option for the year. In other words, a player can ride the proverbial shuttle up and down numerous times over the course of one season and it will still only count as one option."

So basically, I'm a moron who doesn't know shit, because what I said early makes no sense in light of this.

[Angelsfan1984]

15 hours ago, krAbs said:

So, if I were to guess at our most likely 25 man roster:

rich (sp)
ohtani (sp/dh/1b)
skaggs (sp)
heany (sp)
shoe (sp)
trop (sp)

parker (cl)
bedrosian (rp)
middleton (rp)
johnson (rp)
wood (rp)
paredes (rp)
ramirez (rp/sp)

kinsler (2b)
trout (cf)
upton (lf)
pujols (1b/dh)
cozart (3b/ss)
simmons (ss)
calhoun (rf)
cron (1b/dh)
maldo (c)

valbuena (3b/2b/1b)
EYJ (lf/cf/rf/2b)
graterol (c)

Chomping at the bit in the minors (possible late push call-ups, if they excel in the minors?) :
barria (sp) - future replacement for trop?
bridwell (sp)
fernandez (2b)
hermosillo (lf/cf/rf) - future replacement for calhoun?
cowart (3b/2b)

My only complaint is that I would love a bit more lefty hitting presence (and lefties out of the pen), and a hitting catcher to be able to fill in for maldo every once in a while.  and maybe better options for 1b/dh. I'm actually pretty optimistic on our pitching - even RP.

I'm giving that last starting spot to Bridwell. Does Trop have options?

[Warfarin]

2 hours ago, krAbs said:

So, I want this to be true, because I would really like a deeper bench. But, doesn't that cost a ton of options for staters? Every time you send them down and bring them up? I'm a bit fuzzy on these rules, and I guess you can use both bridwell and tropeano as swingmen between the minors and majors, but idk if even that is feasible.

Edit- per MLB.com,

"Once a player is put on the 40-man roster, the option countdown begins. A player is assigned three options as a rostered player. Each year, when a player who is on the roster gets sent to the Minor Leagues for a stint of more than 20 days, it counts as an option.
...
A player can go up and down several times in one season, but it would only count as one option for the year. In other words, a player can ride the proverbial shuttle up and down numerous times over the course of one season and it will still only count as one option."

So basically, I'm a moron who doesn't know shit, because what I said early makes no sense in light of this.

Haha, yeah, you can option them up and down as many times as you'd like, it only counts as 1 option for the whole year.  Players with options are super valuable for that reason.  There are, of course, limitations to it (i.e. once sent back down, can't be recalled for 10 days unless an injury occurs) to prevent abusing the system to the extreme, but nevertheless, it's a cool accounting trick that helps maintain roster flexibility.  

[Hubs]

I doubt they go with 13 pitchers. It's more likely 12. And yes that means a 6 man pen if they have a 6 man rotation, but they won't always need a 6th starter. There are stretches where they will need one, and stretches they won't (and can use a spot starter out of the then 7 man pen).

Realistically, I'd imagine we see Ohtani, Richards, Skaggs, Shoemaker, Heaney as the regular 5. The 6th spot will be Bridwell, Tropeano and JC Ramirez who will also pitch out of the pen. It's possible Bridwell gets one of the 5 spots instead, but I think he's the candidate to get the most 6th starter spot starts, or be called up in event of an injury. But he likely opens in the minors since we won't need a 6th starter but twice in April by my calculations.

Better to get he and Tropeano regular game action and get them stretched out. Ramirez is in the pen when not used as a starter.

So the pen then is Parker, Johnson, Bedrosian, Middleton (who will go up and down), Alvarez, Wood, and Ramirez.

Then when they need a 6th starter, they'll call up one of Tropeano or Bridwell and slot him in. Either drop a reliever like Middleton or a guy goes on the DL, or they drop Cowart/Liriano and then bring up Fernandez or EY the day after the 6th starter started when he is sent back down.

That leaves a four man bench, so you've got Cron, Cowart, Perez, and EY or Liriano to open. Valbuena is the starting 1st baseman, because he's left handed. He also will see some time at 3rd when Cozart is off or is playing SS when Simmons is off.

I honestly think that only four players play 150+ games this year and that's Trout, Kinsler, Upton, and Simmons. I see four more guys between 125-150 starts and that's Pujols, Cozart, and Valbuena.

Two guys then get between 80-125 and that is Maldonado and Ohtani (80 as a DH, 27-30 as a SP).

Cron right now only gets 60 starts, max, but he is good depth to have because what if there is an injury to Valbuena or Cozart or Kinsler? We need the depth right now and he isn't that expensive.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[T.G.]

Love this move.  EY, Jr. is... easy to cheer for, versatile, fast and can hit from both sides.

 

[Cosmo_Kramer]

I don't mind this move since it's only a minor league deal. EYJ had a hot start when filling in for Trout last year, but he was pretty terrible otherwise.

 I hope they have a better 4th OF in mind.

[stormngt]

2 hours ago, Hubs said:

I doubt they go with 13 pitchers. It's more likely 12. And yes that means a 6 man pen if they have a 6 man rotation, but they won't always need a 6th starter. There are stretches where they will need one, and stretches they won't (and can use a spot starter out of the then 7 man pen).

Realistically, I'd imagine we see Ohtani, Richards, Skaggs, Shoemaker, Heaney as the regular 5. The 6th spot will be Bridwell, Tropeano and JC Ramirez who will also pitch out of the pen. It's possible Bridwell gets one of the 5 spots instead, but I think he's the candidate to get the most 6th starter spot starts, or be called up in event of an injury. But he likely opens in the minors since we won't need a 6th starter but twice in April by my calculations.

Better to get he and Tropeano regular game action and get them stretched out. Ramirez is in the pen when not used as a starter.

So the pen then is Parker, Johnson, Bedrosian, Middleton (who will go up and down), Alvarez, Wood, and Ramirez.

Then when they need a 6th starter, they'll call up one of Tropeano or Bridwell and slot him in. Either drop a reliever like Middleton or a guy goes on the DL, or they drop Cowart/Liriano and then bring up Fernandez or EY the day after the 6th starter started when he is sent back down.

That leaves a four man bench, so you've got Cron, Cowart, Perez, and EY or Liriano to open. Valbuena is the starting 1st baseman, because he's left handed. He also will see some time at 3rd when Cozart is off or is playing SS when Simmons is off.

I honestly think that only four players play 150+ games this year and that's Trout, Kinsler, Upton, and Simmons. I see four more guys between 125-150 starts and that's Pujols, Cozart, and Valbuena.

Two guys then get between 80-125 and that is Maldonado and Ohtani (80 as a DH, 27-30 as a SP).

Cron right now only gets 60 starts, max, but he is good depth to have because what if there is an injury to Valbuena or Cozart or Kinsler? We need the depth right now and he isn't that expensive.

 

 

 

 

 

 

How does Cron provide depth for Cozart or Kinsler?

[HaloNArizona]

I could see Bridwell winning the fifth spot and Shoe being the swing man out of the pen.