Angels Who Ain't Goin' Nowhere

by Rev Halofan on Oct 15, 2008 1:03 PM PDT in News

Don't include any of these in trade speculation... The following Angels will be here for the forseeable future:

Torii Hunter - signed thru 2012 - no trade clause.

Gary Matthews Jr. - signed thru 2011 - no trade clause thru 2009, but nobody is going to take him, trade for him and he is just "off-the-bench" enough that we will keep him instead of eating the remaining $33 Million of his contract.

Scot Shields - signed thru 2010 - owed $10.35 Million total. That is a LOT of Bud Lites.

Justin Speier - signed thru 2010 - owed $10 million and nobody in baseball would take him for free.

0 recs | Comment 23 comments

Story-email Email Printer Print

Comments

Oh no!!!

It’s bad enough we’re stuck with GMJ, but to be stuck with Speier too??!!? UGH! I really hope they bring back Oliver then. Maybe Speier just had a bad year and can do better next year, but I have my doubts!

by dprice413 on Oct 15, 2008 1:21 PM PDT 0 recs

{barfing}

re: Speier

load the spaceship with the rocket fuel... load it with the warriors...

by gdog009 on Oct 15, 2008 1:46 PM PDT 0 recs

Not THAT Bad...

I think Justin Speier will turn in a better year in 09, given the chance, though I thought GMJ was a bad sign at the time, and it sure seems moreso now. A defensive-minded outfielder isn’t a bad thing to have, but at 5/$50 it’s an awful lot of cash.

by Kernel on Oct 15, 2008 1:46 PM PDT 0 recs

GMJ was an awful sign

No one can debate that.

Speier had by far the worst year of his career and it was in no way foreseeable. I don’t think he’s quite as good as he pitched in 2007, but there’s no way he’s as bad as he was last year, unless last year was the last gasp for him.

But try this name on: JC Romero. Awful in half a season in Anaheim , he’s now a valuable setup guy in a decent Phillies bullpen. I think Speier will come back, if not strong, at least to usefulness.

I feel the need, the need...for speed!

by Gorbachav5 on Oct 15, 2008 2:04 PM PDT 0 recs

Rev, are you trying to say that the GMJ straight up for Peavy rumor is false???

That will ruin my day.

by snowhor on Oct 15, 2008 2:13 PM PDT 0 recs

The thing about Speier is that...

his 2007 stats were padded by his incredible first half of the season. He struggled in the second half of 2007 and has never really been the same since. Though admittedly, his poor 2nd half of 2007 was still better than his horrid entire 2008 season.

by Chzburger Jones on Oct 15, 2008 4:17 PM PDT 0 recs

And yeah, about Gary No-thank-ews...

We should attempt to trade him in a desperation salary dump move, even if we don’t get equal value back. I just want him off the books. Trade him for some worthless minor leaguers or something.

by Chzburger Jones on Oct 15, 2008 4:18 PM PDT 0 recs

Dude - he has a NO-TRADE clause

not gonna happen – we CANNOT trade him.

by Rev Halofan on Oct 15, 2008 4:52 PM PDT up 0 recs

the bench warming didnt exactly entice him to waive said clause either

was hoping it would, but it seems he’ll take the money and play sporadically rather than take a pay cut to go be a regular elsewhere.

by linkbruin on Oct 15, 2008 5:16 PM PDT up 0 recs

Hey, Let's trade his no-trade clause!

Then some other suckers will be stuck with the inability to trade him.

“That’s why the guys in my car club call me The Cruiser…”

by The Clyde on Oct 15, 2008 11:29 PM PDT up 0 recs

We CANNOT trade him.........

even if we ask nicely Rev?

Willie Mays Aikens is FREeeeeeeee

by Angel Aviator on Oct 16, 2008 9:08 AM PDT up 0 recs

Are you kidding?

HGH Jr. has a no trade clause?

….wow his contract is worse than I thought.

by Chzburger Jones on Oct 15, 2008 6:19 PM PDT 0 recs

"This deal just keeps getting worse all the time..."

the words of Lando Calrissian ring true.

by Downing Rules on Oct 16, 2008 10:37 AM PDT up 0 recs

i was waiting for the star wars reference

glad i wasnt the only one that thought that

by linkbruin on Oct 17, 2008 12:39 AM PDT up 0 recs

Not SO bad..

Torii = awesome.

Scot – still has it and despite that ninth inning he was pretty solid in the post-season.

Justin- Dont give up on him just yet. He might figure out again how to stop giving up home runs in crucial situations.

GMJ – Man, I’m trying to give this guy the benefit of the doubt. I hope that somewhere in there some consistent, solid, talent exist but damn…his contract just seems like bummer city to me man.

by BryanHarvey'sMoustache on Oct 15, 2008 8:53 PM PDT 0 recs

GMJ

We are stuck with him. Everyone knew (seemingly except the Angels) that his 2006 production was a fluke and would never be replicated. Heck, it’s even doubtful that he can replicate his first season aggregate hitting totals with the Halos. Damn, Stoneman sure lived up to his last name when he made this atrocious signing.

by stolenbases on Oct 16, 2008 12:50 AM PDT 0 recs

That is why

We mellow out a bit and don’t do anything rash with big money signings for a while. We’ll be just fine.

Angel Pitching, Angel Defense - get past that.

by vladtheimpaler on Oct 16, 2008 1:15 AM PDT 0 recs

new GMJ nickname

Herpes. No matter how much you want him gone, you’re stuck with him

Bryan Harvey- king of the 'Stache

by HaloDutch on Oct 16, 2008 6:52 AM PDT 0 recs

GMJ...

I am a big anti-Gary Matthews guy, but…

I am wondering if his knee needs some work and if that gets fixed, maybe he will magically be the same as he was in his “figured it out” season.

by Downing Rules on Oct 16, 2008 10:39 AM PDT 0 recs

Probably not

he’s a career .250 hitter who, if he plays 150 games, will hit about 15 HR. That’s what you can expect from him if he’s healthy. In other words, he’s a slightly below-average player. And despite some highlight reel plays, he’s only a marginal defender.

He is the archetype of an average ballplayer, yet he is being paid like a star. He’s not horrible. He’s just…average. A $2 million a year player getting paid several times that.

by jjackflash on Oct 16, 2008 12:21 PM PDT up 0 recs