This is my last Halolinks post until next week. I'm not sure who's going to fill-in (my guess is Rev), but whoever it is will undoubtedly provide you with something to talk about...
I-soon-will-be-thawed-out Halolinks:
- I don't know, but I really don't think a pitcher such as Shields would make that much of a difference in the Angels' season. The only place I can see him making much of an impact would be during the playoffs, but considering how volatile pitching can be, that's not something to be counted on: Sorting through landing spots for Shields with Scherzer off the board - CBSSports.com, "Angels: The Halos are bumping up against the $189 million luxuy tax threshold and owner Arte Moreno insists the team will not go over. Maybe if Shields' asking price falls enough, Moreno would approve a budget increase and they can swoop in. That seems unlikely though." I'm going to miss the obvious Star Trek "We've lost the shields" jokes:
- Going...going...g...Yoan Moncada Works Out For Giants - BaseballAmerica.com, "Count the Giants in when it comes to the teams pursuing Yoan Moncada. The Giants, Baseball America has learned, have already held a private workout for Moncada, a 19-year-old infielder drawing widespread interest around the league."
- Color me confused. Are the Rangers a rebuilding team or a playoff contender? Out to bolster rotation, Rangers land Brewers ace Gallardo - MLB.com, "Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said he has been discussing Gallardo with Brewers counterpart Doug Melvin since the Winter Meetings. The trade reinforces the Rangers' belief that they intend to be contenders this season and are not in a rebuilding mode after losing 95 games in 2014." Jeff Sullivan thinks otherwise: Rangers to Try Yovani Gallardo Out of Context - FanGraphs Baseball, "The Rangers did need rotation help, and they got it, but they presumably still aren’t going to the playoffs."
- Minor move: Angels Release Yoslan Herrera To Pursue NPB Opportunity – MLB Trade Rumors, "Herrera, a 33-year-old righty out of Cuba, threw 16 2/3 frames of 2.70 ERA ball last year for Los Angeles with 7.0 K/9 against 4.9 BB/9. That was his first big league action since way back in 2008. He had been non-tendered and re-signed to a minor league deal."
RHP Yoslan Herrera has been given his release in order to play in Japan for Yokohama in the Nippon Professional Baseball League. #Angels
— Tim Mead (@TMeadAngels) January 19, 2015
Besides the typical players and "known" writers, he has a couple of interesting follows: @icecube, @truebluela (SBNation's Dodger site), @rileybreck (drummer from Thrice), @LAAngels_GM (Jerry Dipoto parody account), @NotArteMoreno (another parody account), and most of the blog sites (including this one). But you know who he doesn't follow? @WiHaloFan. - Grant Bisbee doing something away from his SBNation gig: Give a Little, Get a Little, MLB Owners – The Hardball Times, "World Series have been won because of compensatory draft picks. Consider Jacoby Ellsbury and Clay Buchholz, drafted by the Red Sox for losing Orlando Cabrera and Pedro Martinez, respectively. World Series have been lost because of them. Picture an alternate history with Rafael Palmeiro on the Padres, Torii Hunter on the Reds, or Shawn Green on the Giants. The picks affect every offseason, every team’s plans. They cost players millions of dollars when the circumstances are just so."