Daily links for the LA Angels including more fallout from the Bane termination, Weaver should win the strikeout title since Felix won’t start again, Angels affiliate with the Inland Empire 66ers and much more.
The Story: Speculation was that Eddie Bane was let go due to increased tensions between he and Tony Reagins.
The Monkey Says: This is the closest to a legit reason for Bane’s dismissal, as this scenario is pretty much straight out of Moneyball. New school exec doesn’t get along with old school scout, old school scout gets shown the door. Reagins, of course, denies this.
The Story: FutureAngels.com breaks down the rumors behind the Bane firing.
The Monkey Says: Nobody knows the inner workings of the Angel farm system better than FutureAngels.com, so this article sheds a lot of light on Bane’s tenure, dispelling many notions about his termination. However, there still is no real theory offered as for why Bane was really let go.
The Story: Felix Hernandez will not make another start this season.
The Monkey Says: If this really comes to pass, Seattle just handed Jered Weaver the AL strikeout title, assuming Weaver can fan four or more Rangers in his start today.
The Story: The Angels have signed a two-year affiliation agreement with the Inland Empire 66ers.
The Monkey Says: No surprise here. The 66ers will now be the Halos’ High-A minor league team, though it is possible the Angels might try and upgrade after their two-year deal is up.
The Story: Hideki Matsui would consider signing with the A’s if they called.
The Monkey Says: It is always so sad to see veteran DHs trolling for work. Hopefully things work out for Godzilla, who appears to have one year left in him… maybe.
The Story: Rafael Soriano has hired Scott Boras as an agent.
The Monkey Says: Well, that sucks. Considering that Boras’ clients usually ask for top dollar, it now seems pretty likely that Soriano will price himself out of the Angels’ preferred salary range in their quest to upgrade the back end of their bullpen.
The Story: MLB and the MLBPA have agreed on new agreement for the rules that govern free agency.
The Monkey Says: The major fallout from this is that the teams will engage in less activity that the union considers collusive, many deadlines have been reduced and more restrictions have been placed on negotiating via the media. What this should lead to is a lot more signings happening early in the off-season, but only with less leaks to the media about contract details and demands.
The Story: The Angel rookies have officially been hazed.
The Monkey Says: Major creativity points for having the one rookie dress up as one of the Nobu from Avatar.