TuesdoLinks: Couching Is A Big Hit in Anaheim

Woo Hoo! We have more uniforms filled in the LAA dugout. I don’t know about you, but I’M EXCITED! I wonder what numbers they will get assigned?

Get busy on these LA’s-Coaching-Staff-Is-A-Big-Hit-HaloLinks:

A Little Bit Of Angels News

The Angels might not be very busy building a 2019 player roster, but don’t think for one minute that they are not busy making Bog Splashes. Yesterday it was completing their coaching staff.....So we got a hitting coach. And we got an assistant hitting coach who will be there to assist the hitting coach when he coaches hitting. And then we got a hitting instructor, who will teach the players how to hit the way the hitting coach wants them to hit, when the assistant hitting coach is not there to help coach the hitters the way the hitting coach wants them to hit. And also Jose Molina, who can’t hit............

Trout Porn. And everybody believes that Josh Donaldson just made the Braves a WS contender.............And I am not a stat expert. I didn’t even know “DRC” existed, much less that it had its own week. But Mike Trout owns DRC too. Surprising, I know...........

It’s official. Jabari is now free to Blash elsewhere, anywhere. I might suggest a reboot overseas..........

Joakim Soria, anyone?.......................

Everywhere In Baseball

Well, aren’t we the lucky ones? Just when the Astros were priming to benefit from their tank cycle, MLB moved the franchise into the AL West. Now, several years into that wide open window for Houston, Jerry Dipoto is officially in full-tank mode up in Seattle.....Dipoto is thrilled how his team is going to look, way in the hell out in 2021. Will he last that long? I mean, what the hell is he gonna do for the next 2 years now that he is set for so long. The guy has single-handedly get the hot stove hot. This, in spite of his own opinion of his activities................

Wouldn’t it just be Jerry Dipoto’s luck, though, if his blockbuster Cano/Diaz sell-off end up not being a win-win for the Mariners and Mets, but a lose-lose?..........

Portland. Something to think about: if Portland wishes to woo Arte Moreno in a couple of years, which would be perfect timing for them, they would have to figure out how to make Arte whole on all the remaining money in his huge FOX mega TV deal..............

Hey, I forgot all about this. Numskull Angel Fernandez is still pursuing his discrimination suit against MLB. Because, as well know, he is a sterling employee. Now Fernandez’ legal team is about to make Angel very popular among his fellow sterling employees. His team is insisting on access to MLB’s internal ratings of ALL the umpires, for comparison sake..........

The Dodgers finished up giving Dave Roberts a contract extension......This has trigged a response from Joe Maddon’s son. (Joe Maddon has a son? who knew?) And this son knows how to use Instagram. Therefore, in today’s world, Joe Maddon’s son has a voice and we all should drop everything and pay full attention...........

Tin foil moment of the day. MLB prospect hype is a hidden forced perpetuated by MLB owners so that we fans love kids over vets, thus suppressing FA wages for guys in their 30’s. Got all that? Good..........

Essay: the first World Series..........

Hot Stove

Any day now 29 GM’s are going to meet up with their boss and explain that they tried, they waited, they drive all over the place, they looked everywhere, but they could not find that super-popular new Corbin that coach wanted under his tree. And they even went out and shopped online. They discovered that the only Corbin still available had just sold on eBay, for a huge inflated price..........

Something to think about, if you are wondering where Billy Eppler sits in all this winter activity swirling around everywhere but Anaheim. All that activity is filling holes via trades. The more holes that get filled via trades, the fewer holes necessary to be filled via FA candidates. The lesser demand means lesser competitive bidding, which means lower market prices. Eppler wins, conspiracy theorists win, Scott Boras loses, and we might get a few 1-year good signings under the Halo next year..............

Now that the Phillies have Jean Segura, who plays shortstop and is a mini-Mike Trout (quick factoid: Segura actually played for LAA, and he has a career -100 OPS+ for the Halos)...and since Manny Machado wants to play shortstop anymore and not go back to 3B, it would seem that the Phillies are out on Machado and can move along to a Harper or (eventually) Trout. Not so fast, mi amigo..........

The Duffle Bag

Jake Arrieta’s son, getting a hit off of dad, needs to work on his bat flip.............Trevor Bauer still fumbling with his drone, unsuccessfully. But at least he has a sense of humor about it...........Phillie Rhys Hoskins and Phillie Aaron Nola double-teaming Mike Trout at Philly Eagles game.............(h/t UniWatch) 1938 color footage of White Sox pre-game............