Transaction Analysis: March 31-April 5
4/06ANAHEIM ANGELS Purchased the contracts of OF Damon Mashore and 3B Frank Bolick; placed 1B Chris Pritchett on the 15-day DL (inflamed right elbow). [3/31] Mashore weeded through Pat Lennon, Gary Thurman, and Orlando Palmeiro to win a spot as a backup outfielder, while Bolick apparently caught on as a backup to both Hollins at...
Transaction Analysis: March 27-31
3/31ANAHEIM ANGELS Signed INF Carlos Garcia; optioned OF Orlando Palmeiro to Vancouver; returned C Eric Helfand, INF Steve Scarsone and CF Gary Thurman to Vancouver; outrighted RHP William VanLandingham to Vancouver; acquired INF Craig Shipley from St. Louis for 2B Chip Hale. [3/30] Ick. Adding Garcia and Shipley give them "options" to Paco Martin at...
continue reading chevron_rightchevron_rightTransaction Analysis: March 24-26
3/27ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS Waived RHP Hector Carrasco. [3/25] For all of the hullaballoo about this, Carrasco isn’t a unique talent, and that’s his problem. Finding relievers who throw moderately hard just isn’t very difficult, and if you’re not wedded to the belief that situational usages reflect ineffable qualities like "closer’s moxie" or whatever, you’re left with...
continue reading chevron_rightchevron_rightTransaction Analysis: March 20-23
3/25ANAHEIM ANGELS Placed C Angelo Encarnacion on the 15-day DL. [3/22] Optioned RHP Geoff Edsell to Vancouver. [3/23] With Jason Dickson a probable health risk, and Jack McDowell and Omar Olivares being their uninspiring selves, there’s a very good chance that Edsell could start some games for the Angels this year. He had a rocky...
continue reading chevron_rightchevron_rightTransaction Analysis: March 17-19
3/20ANAHEIM ANGELS Placed C Todd Greene, 2B Randy Velarde, and RHP Pep Harris on the 15-day DL; returned LHPs Rich Robertson and Greg Cadaret, C Ben Molina, and 1B Troy Neel to minor-league camp; assigned 1B Chris Pritchett to minor-league camp for work purposes. [3/19] Greene’s and Velarde’s injuries have been casting a pall over...
continue reading chevron_rightchevron_rightTransaction Analysis: March 6-16
3/18ANAHEIM ANGELS Returned 3B Troy Glaus, RHPs Ramon Ortiz and Mike Bovee, LHPs Scott Schoenweis and Jarrod Washburn, OF Norm Hutchins, C Ben Molina, and INF Nelson Castro to minor-league camp; released OF Patrick Lennon. [3/11] Glaus had an outstanding camp, and Washburn was simply out of luck after the Angels decided to tack on...
continue reading chevron_rightchevron_rightTransaction Analysis: February 27-March 5
3/10ANAHEIM ANGELS Assigned Ps Mo Sanford, Rob Banano, Darryl Scott and Brian Cooper and Cs Ben Molina and Jaime Burke to their minor league camp. [3/3] The only surprise here is that Mo Sanford is still around to throw his wicked breaking stuff. Here’s hope he’s got the aptitude to coach, because it doesn’t look...
continue reading chevron_rightchevron_rightTransaction Analysis: February 19-26
2/27ANAHEIM ANGELS Signed RHP Jack McDowell to a one-year contract; signed 1B/CF Darin Erstad to a four-year contract. [2/25] Both the Angels and Black Jack are treating this as the signing that ices the Mickey-Mouse-gloved stranglehold that they claim to have on the ’98 division title. It definitely forces Omar Olivares into the sixth starter-long...
continue reading chevron_rightchevron_rightTransaction Analysis: February 13-18
2/20ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS Purchased the contract of RHP Ken Robinson from Toronto. [2/17] Robinson is coming off of an outstanding season as Syracuse’s closer. But he’s short, so like Jim Corsi, some people don’t go ga-ga over him. Given the D-backs’ extremely weak bullpen situation, he’s as good an option for the team’s closer as they’ve...
continue reading chevron_rightchevron_rightTransaction Analysis: February 6-12
2/17ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS Traded minor-league infielder Mike Bell to the New York Mets for minor-league pitcher Joe Lisio. [2/10] Since Mike Bell was blocked at third by Matt Williams until forever and doesn’t hit enough to play third in the majors anyway, the D-backs essentially gave up nothing to get a minor-league closer with perhaps a...
continue reading chevron_rightchevron_rightTransaction Analysis: January 30-February 5
2/06ANAHEIM ANGELS Signed OF Patrick Lennon to a minor league contract with a spring training NRI. [1/30] Outrighted RHP Mike Freehill to Vancouver (AAA). [2/3] After snagging Gary Thurman and Damon Mashore, you would have figured that the Angels were set as far as setting themselves up with good RH-hitting fifth outfielders. Lennon can be...
continue reading chevron_rightchevron_rightTransaction Analysis: January 23-29
1/30ANAHEIM ANGELS Signed OF Damon Mashore to a minor league contract with a spring training NRI. [1/26] Mashore has outstanding plate discipline, reasonable range, and a strong, accurate arm. His ability to contribute as a major league regular has essentially been ruined by his annual knee injuries, but as a bench player, platoon partner, and...
continue reading chevron_rightchevron_rightTransaction Analysis: January 16-22
1/23ANAHEIM ANGELS Signed LHP Rich Robertson to a minor league contract. [1/19] Signed OF Gary Thurman to a minor-league contract with a spring training NRI. [1/22] Neither are bad additions. The Angels rotation is currently looking to be Chuck Finley, Ken Hill, Allen Watson, Jason Dickson, and Omar Olivares. Robertson joins William VanLandingham on the...
continue reading chevron_rightchevron_rightTransaction Analysis: January 5-15
1/19ANAHEIM ANGELS Signed INF Norberto Martin to a one-year contract. [1/9] Signed RHP William VanLandingham to a one-year contract. [1/10] With the defections of Jack Howell and Craig Grebeck, the Angels were getting pretty thin for utility infielders. Paco Martin may have his faults (mostly in the field), but as a pinch-hitter or pinch-runner for...
continue reading chevron_rightchevron_rightTransaction Analysis: December 19-January 4
1/05ANAHEIM ANGELS Signed DH/1B Cecil Fielder to a one-year contract. [12/19] The more things change, the more they stay the same. The Angels were confronted with a very similar choice after the 1990 season, when they let Brian Downing walk away to bring in Dave Parker to DH. Fielder’s a better player now than Parker...
continue reading chevron_rightchevron_rightTransaction Analysis: December 15-18
12/22ANAHEIM ANGELS Signed C Matt Walbeck to a one-year contract. [12/16] ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS Sold the rights to LF Harvey Pulliam to Orix of the Japanese Leagues. [12/17] Signed RHPs Scott Brow, Greg Hansell, Barry Manuel, and Dave Pavlas to minor league contracts with NRIs to spring training. [12/18] The D-backs’ pitching situation is fluid (to...
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