- The Story: The Angels appreciate Darren Oliver’s work both on and off the field. The Monkey Says: It should be interesting to see what the Angels will need to do to keep DO from retiring now that he has become such a central part of their bullpen.
- The Story: Kevin Jepsen has been rested the last two games in order to get him some much needed rest. The Monkey Says: Sosh is trying to keep everyone fresh and Jepsen is probably the most important reliever to keep rested now with Brian Fuentes struggling so much.
- The Story: Has Mike Napoli fallen out of the Angels’ post-season plans? The Monkey Says: His slump at the plate and behind it figures to relegate him to mostly bench duty in the playoffs and could force the Angels to look to upgrade the position in the off-season.
- The Story: The Angels are expected to be one of four teams bidding on Aroldis Chapman soon. The Monkey Says: The other three are the Yankees (surprise), Red Sox (double surprise) and Rangers (assuming their ownership situation allows for them to spend money). As mentioned before, signing Chapman, who could be getting a $40 million deal, would likely preclude the Angels from bringing back John Lackey.
- AL West Update: The Rangers pulled off a 9-8 victory over Oakland last night. The Monkey Says: The AL West lead is down to 6.5 games and the Angels’ magic number remains at 5. The Halos are off today while the Rangers complete their regular season series with the Athletics today.
