The team has opt-outs too, after Years 3 and 4, if he has an injury recurrence.
Angels top prospect Jo A Dell with some man jumping skill.
Are the Angels just seeing if Ohtani can get guys out as a pitcher before they make him a full-time outfielder? Or is he a pitcher who’s just getting some pity at-bats?
They want both. He has MLB level skills on both sides of the ball. Ohtani is coming of an elbow injury and ankle surgery so they have him on a tight leash.
I don’t see it working well. When he was pitching once a week, maybe he could do it. With a five-day cycle, he’ll need too much rest to be able to hit well, and if he plays OF between starts he won’t be much of a pitcher. He and the team have to choose, which is why I’m wondering if they’re auditioning him both ways early on.
Can the Angels dump Pujols some way and then use Ohtani as DH?
I think when it all shakes out, Ohtani might be an elite reliever at best. In a year or two, he’ll be done as an mlb hitter.
He doesn’t DH the day before or after he pitches. In not sure why. It’ll be fun to see how this plays out.
Well, one of them has the same name as a 2x Cy Young award winner, former SF Giant, and new Texas Ranger. I guess we’ll soon see how much gas Lincecum has left in the tank.
Since he cannot be his own DH on the day he DOES pitch - or else the Angels lose the right to use a DH for the entire game, and thus all pitchers following Ohtani must hit - this would literally mean that if he is a regular starting pitcher he will not be hittingat all in sixty percent of all games.
If that’s so, there is hardly any point in pretending he’s a useful offensive player.
Well, Eppler and Scioscia must have an idea of how this will work. It will be interesting to see how.
Ken Harvey got stuck in the tarp one time, does that count?
Let me get this straight. If he’s their third best pitcher and the most important player on the field every fifth day and their best DH two out of 5 days would you say he’s at least as useful as any other platoon hitter? I can’t see any reason he wouldn’t be better to have on the team than a platoon guy and they are certainly useful offensive players.
I know it sounds odd, but you have to look at this from the perspective of a roster spot. The use of Ohtani as a DH in exactly two of five games but not the other three kind of interferes with the use of other players (and because of scheduling, defies any attempt to make it part of a platoon arrangement.)
Obviously if he’s a good starting pitcher, then if he’s also a useful hitter that’s pretty much a bonus, but that is what this plan guarantees; his offense will be a bonus and his primary value would be as a starter. Granted, this is so weird I may just not understand it.
If this is actually what they plan to do I absolutely hate it as a plan. I don’t think it’ll be good for him as a hitter. A 23-year-old kid needs lots and lots of at bats. 65 games a year is not enough to develop a premier slugger. If he turns out to be an ace pitcher, I predict he’ll end up not hitting much at all.
5 Homers, a triple, a double and 7 walks and the Yanks scored 6 runs 
Dude, I feel ya, but how about Andujar? This kid has to play this year.
He will, but its only March 1st. GIve it a few more weeks before we have him heading to the Bronx to start the year.
We have some really high skilled kids in camp right now. Torres of course and Florial has 3 triples already I think. Florial is probably 2 years away but still great to see. Torres & Adujar will contribute this year and we can dream they’ll contribute big.
Astros top (hitting) prospect Kyle Tucker is making an argument to be called up at some point - 3 home runs in 5 games so far. (Top pitching prospect Forrest Whitley apparently took some adderall when he was driving late at night and got suspended for 60 games).
Funny spring to be an Astros fan - I can’t remember another year when there were fewer questions to answer.
Enjoy it while it lasts.
It’s interesting how the Blackhawks have had afternoon games on the West Coast this weekend, thus the Cubs spring training games haven’t been shown in Chicago this weekend. Yesterday’s game wasn’t available on MLB tv at all, only radio feeds were available.