Thor to the Angels

[Bertz]

[jersey cubs fan]

[Tryptamine]

So the Mets lose Thor, may lose Stroman and Degrom is coming off of an arm injury. Some dark times for Met fans.

[Tim]

... Some dark times for Met fans.

So it's a Tuesday.

[CubinNY]

Somebody tell me what I'm supposed to think about this?

[UMFan83]

He's thrown 2 innings combined the last 2 seasons and was on a QO. I would have thought that for the cost of a QO, he signed for more than 1 year.

[Derwood]

How will the Angels miss the playoffs this time?

[Bertz]

How will the Angels miss the playoffs this time?

 

[Brian]

How will the Angels miss the playoffs this time?

 

spend 21 million on a guy with 2 innings in 2 years

[champaignchris]

There’s absolutely no way that Trout, Ohtani and Syndergaard will ever all be healthy at the same time.

[Bertz]

Somebody tell me what I'm supposed to think about this?

 

I think it just really ties into what you think is the best approach for improving the Cubs.

 

Thor is probably the highest risk/highest reward player on the market. So if your #1 goal for the Cubs is to get an ace in the door, Thor and Rodon are probably the best chances of doing that without paying Ace dollars. But like others have pointed out, he's pitched two innings the past two years and hasn't been truly himself since 2018.

 

Personally, I wouldn't have wanted Thor for us unless we are going to run a payroll of $200M something. Thor's super cool but there are a number of ways I'd much rather allocate those resources at a lower budget level.

[Tryptamine]

I like it because you have a guy who could give you ace upside in 2022 without having to give out a 200M long term contract. Even if he busts it's a 1 year deal. I'd prefer that over giving a guy like Rodon a 3 or 4 year deal.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

There are basically no reasonable sets of circumstances where the Cubs paying Syndergaard for one year make sense. I'm as optimistic about their rebuilding chances as anyone but with someone like Thor there's zero chance he'd extend, you couldn't offer him a QO again, and the odds of being a championship team while paying him 20 million aren't great even if you make all your spending dreams come true. Oh and you give up significant draft/IFA assets too.

 

At the same time, this is still a little baffling for the Angels. Yes they have money to spend and yes Thor is a nice upside play where if he pans out they could have a pretty ferocious postseason rotation. But to get there you need to make the playoffs and the Angels roster from spots 6 to 26 is a tire fire. Case in point, Steamer isn't perfect, but it projects the Angels for fewer fWAR outside of the top 5 roster spots than the Cubs. Making a high dollar 1 year upside gamble(and paying draft capital to do it while you have a bottom 5 farm system) is not the way for them to maximize their chances.

[apete6]

Giving up a 2nd round draft pick to sign a one-year lottery ticket is insane. I guess if he's good, they could trade him mid-season or offer him the QO after next year to recoup the draft capital, but that's a lot of risk. Have to get at least a very expensive team option for the 2nd year if you're the Angels.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Giving up a 2nd round draft pick to sign a one-year lottery ticket is insane. I guess if he's good, they could trade him mid-season or offer him the QO after next year to recoup the draft capital, but that's a lot of risk. Have to get at least a very expensive team option for the 2nd year if you're the Angels.

 

The new CBA could change this, but since he got a QO this year Thor can't get one ever again. This is why Stroman couldn't get one this year.

[apete6]

Giving up a 2nd round draft pick to sign a one-year lottery ticket is insane. I guess if he's good, they could trade him mid-season or offer him the QO after next year to recoup the draft capital, but that's a lot of risk. Have to get at least a very expensive team option for the 2nd year if you're the Angels.

 

The new CBA could change this, but since he got a QO this year Thor can't get one ever again. This is why Stroman couldn't get one this year.

 

Oh god, even worse then. So basically they give up a draft pick and need him to be awesome in the first half of the season to either trade him for something or contribute to a winning (LOL) Angels team. Yikes.

[toonsterwu]

I actually like this move quite a bit for both parties, with one caveat. Yes, I know, there's the 2nd round pick involved, and yes, the money is pretty damn high, but the market is the market (I don't believe that the Angels bid against themselves, as the rumors had plenty of teams involved).

 

The caveat is this - this can't be their only SP move. Yes, with Sandoval/Suarez, Detmers, and a few others, there's some solid young arms to fill the rotation. They still need innings and need to try and win now, as their system is a bit thin after graduations, and their top guys are in their primes now.

I'm not of the belief they necessarily need an ace, although obviously, getting one of the top guys on the market would be nice. That said, someone like Steven Matz, someone they are rumored in on, could be a nice fit if they believe Matz has rebounded.

 

Back on Syndegaard - is the money a lot, plus the 2nd round pick? I'll definitely acknowledge that. Syndegaard is another year away from Tommy John, and by most accounts, a hard worker. More importantly, the Angels don't necessarily tie themselves into knots with more long term money, which they have done before. Syndegaard comes to the Angels clearly on a pitch count/innings limit of some sort of next season, and it works because of Ohtani and their need for 6 man rotations. Thus, they'll be able to space Syndegaard out a bit and ease him into things, potentially saving the bullets for later in the year if they are in it.

 

I guess I'm in the minority on this, but I like the fit, provided this isn't it on the pitching side. They need at least one more arm that can at least reliably give them good innings. After that, they have to stabilize the pen (Iglesias is a FA). I'd still like to see them add a better top of the rotation hitter, and run Ohtani/Trout in the 2/3 spots, but I suspect they don't feel an urgency there. They have to add a shortstop.