So we're pretty good friends with Darren Oliver and he came over for dinner tonight and told me the Angels tried trading Takahashi and signing him. He really wanted to come back but nobody would take Takahashi.
Under the old regime, there is no way in hell a player would know that the front office was trying to move a current player in order to sign the free agent player. Nothing was ever spoken of outside of the front office.
Oliver wasn’t a FA at the time and Reigans was still GM at the time. But still surprised Oliver would know about the person he was close to getting traded for as ususally that isn’t known and the players involved in a trade are usually surprised themselves.
Teixeira lived in our neighborhood before he signed with the Yankees and moved (I even have an autographed Tex jersey!), Josh Hamilton is my nextdoor neighbor I’ve met him a couple times, Vernon actually lives out here too, nice guy just wish he wasn’t on the Angels. We’re friends with Verlander too, we have our conenctions
our only hope is that wife catcehs him cheating and cuts off his balls
or
he does roids, gets tested and suspended
or
he does roids and beats the test and hits 50 HRs
This is win/win and sounds like a plot from a cheesy 80s John Hughes ripoff, ’cept da roids were legal back then.
I swear to god first 3 years at my school and not a whisper of the Rangers. They finally go to the WS and all of the sudden everyone has new Ranger merch
I absolutely cannot stand the Rangers bandwagon. All DFW sports are like this though. You don’t see any Mavs fans until they make the playoffs. Rangers fans didn’t even exist until they made it to the WS either. It’s unbelievable.
I live in San Antonio and the only time I ever see ranger gear is during baseball season and its scattered. Now they make it to the WS everyone carries their gear
He wanted to come back this offseason but the angels felt they would have to trade a reliever to make room for him since they didn’t want 3 leftys in the bullpen. They tried to trade takahashi to make room but no one wanted him
Why do I feel like this Bullshit with a capital B?
First off, if you are really friends with ballplayers then I doubt they want you sharing this kind of personal info all over the internet. I got a feeling you heard this through the grapevine OR you are a 15 year old kid…which if so, that cool, just dont get into trouble.
Second, so they only would agree to sign DO if somebody took on Taki’s salary? Otherwise, it still doesn’t make sense. I can envision an Angels bullpen with both Taki and DO, doesn’t seem to make sense that it was either one or the other…UNLESS it was stipulated by dumping Taki’s salary. Which seems like chump-change in regards to what the FO has already done this year.
Also, no one wanted Taki? Really. That seems unlikely unless we were asking for too much or demanding they take his entire salary.
Furthermore, Suzan, I wouldnt be the least bit surprised to learn that all four of them smoke marijuana cigarettes.
And why would someone make it up, its not exciting, doesn’t help the team one bit (or put down an opponent), and it is really not a story except to us hardcore angels fans.
It doesnt fit the mold of a fabricated story.
I'm kind of surprised that this fanshot wasn't deleted, let alone put on the front page.
It smacks of utter bullshit (to borrow a term from BHM above), and it seems irresponsible for a major Halos site to feature a story from a questionable source about the team wanting to get rid of a pitcher who figures to be a pretty important piece of the bullpen in the upcoming season.
However, the story, as told, is more than a little weird:
°Reagins resigned as GM of the Angels September 29. Oliver was under contract to the Rangers through the end of the World Series, a full month later.
Any conversation between a player under contract and a GM of another team, without the consent of the team holding the contract, is tampering.
If what Oliver is stating what you’re claiming he said—that Reagins was going to sign him for 2012 but couldn’t move Takahashi to do it—then he just said that Reagins committed a legal violation of Oliver’s contract with the Rangers.
As to whether or not he’d sign with the Angels, IF it was about getting Takahashi traded first, since Oliver signed with Toronto for essentially what Takahashi is going to make in 2012, then if the Angels had to eat half Takahashi’s salary to trade him, that would have effectively made Oliver a $6M LOOGY (no Steve Austin jokes, please). That isn’t very cost-effective.
I am sure he had personal reasons to want to switch teams to the Rangers two years ago, but doors often close behind us when we make those decisions. That seems to be the case here, and frankly, it is debatable as to whether or not the Angels would have paid as much as $4M for a season of Oliver at age 41.
As to “why Toronto?”, Oliver was apparently scarred by the near-loss of money due to the ponzi fraud of Robert Stanford a few years ago. He said at the time he lost nothing, but it is possible that the $42M gross earnings over his career now aren’t “enough” for him. That kind of near-miss can play with the heads of folks when it comes to assessing their personal net worth. Any financial offer is therefore worthy of consideration.
Another theory is that his kids are now teenagers and it is great to have an excuse to be in another country while their hormones make them barely controllable. I know there were days I would have welcomed that excuse to give to the wife.
But, to your point, no, I don’t think he would be necessarily informed of the club’s decision to shop him around. I mean, this is the first any of us are hearing about it and we’re only privy to it because a member of HH is friends with DO, who may not have gotten the best information himself. There are way too many “what-ifs” in this situation for it to be worthy of front page, IMHO.
I’m also not as down on Taka as others seem to be, so I have my own bias to admit.
oh and get them to sign a release and have their agent sign off on a ten percent kickback
and have their insurance company take a rider on every time their name is used and wash that cut and bandage it up and don’t rub your eye and don’t pick your nose and say your prayers and tithe tithe tithe tithe tithe and there is a sale at Mervyn’s let’s get up early and beat the crowd there.
I will take TMZ’s ratings and hit count any day of the week – when was the last time TMZ printed a retraction?
(NY TIMES prints about three a week, it is establishment journalism that cannot catch up to the new age of fact reporting).
Reagins strikes again!
Halos2011champs - January 21, 2012 via mobile
Ask him why he left in the first place
hauldog - January 21, 2012
Hahaha
I told him the same thing about Reagins and he said he didn’t like any of the moves Reagin did
Morales8 - January 21, 2012
But guys,
"I think I already made a huge splash with Takahashi." -TR
Captain Thailand - January 21, 2012 via mobile
Wow, thanks for sharing!
mattwelch - January 21, 2012
Nice one 8
highlandhalo - January 21, 2012
"Nobody would take Takahashi"
Sounds about right.
TheKingfish - January 21, 2012
This better be a January Fools joke.
sheisalovelyladyandmyapologiestoher - January 21, 2012
Talk about inside information...
Thanks for this fanshot!
Rock Island Line - January 21, 2012
REUNITED (AND IT FEELS SO GOOD) WITH MATHIS
MYSPASCOBAR - January 21, 2012
How'd you come to be friends with him?
Pretty sweet.
BrentSchmidt - January 21, 2012
He's a member of our neighborhood
really nice guy, class act for sure.
Morales8 - January 21, 2012
im pretty sure he has relatives in HB, as well.
Downing Rules - January 22, 2012
haha "class act"
“the league” most hilarious show on tv predicted this quite well http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OjF_At3BKQ
CallMeEckstein - January 23, 2012
My, how the Angels' front office has changed
Under the old regime, there is no way in hell a player would know that the front office was trying to move a current player in order to sign the free agent player. Nothing was ever spoken of outside of the front office.
George Kaplan - January 21, 2012
Oliver wasn’t a FA at the time and Reigans was still GM at the time. But still surprised Oliver would know about the person he was close to getting traded for as ususally that isn’t known and the players involved in a trade are usually surprised themselves.
MoralesHomers - January 21, 2012
If this is the case, and Oliver really wanted to be part of the team
He would have made it happen, even without the Takahashi trade. Oliver wouldn’t have been the first guy to sing for less in the past six months.
eyespy - January 21, 2012
The Angels didn't have enough money
and they didn’t want 3 left handed relievers
Morales8 - January 21, 2012
Okay. That makes sense.
You really talked to him. As in for a long, deep sounding, discussion.
Next time you see him. Tell him a fan from Hawaii wishes him luck in the Great White North.
eyespy - January 21, 2012
We actually know a few ballplayers.
Teixeira lived in our neighborhood before he signed with the Yankees and moved (I even have an autographed Tex jersey!), Josh Hamilton is my nextdoor neighbor I’ve met him a couple times, Vernon actually lives out here too, nice guy just wish he wasn’t on the Angels. We’re friends with Verlander too, we have our conenctions
Morales8 - January 21, 2012
hey Morales....
How’s your ankle?
lifegrind - January 21, 2012
You live in ... Texas?
eyespy - January 21, 2012
he must all the players he mentioned do.
MoralesHomers - January 21, 2012
Yeah
get a lot of shit down here hahaha
Morales8 - January 21, 2012
leave some chalk lines on the side of your yard
see if Josh sniffs them up.
Rev Halofan - January 21, 2012
All he does is go fish
that’s his new addiction
Morales8 - January 21, 2012
Southlake
Morales, I live here as well….. Pretty big area, lot of homes. Vernon and Josh’ though definitely stand out.
SMUangelFan - January 21, 2012
and thanks for sharing....always hesitated sharing info like this.
SMUangelFan - January 21, 2012
you two get together
and TEE=PEE Torii Hunter’s house for kicks, take pictures.
Rev Halofan - January 21, 2012
And Vernon Wells
but for pure hatred
Morales8 - January 21, 2012
roids and hookers
our only hope is that wife catcehs him cheating and cuts off his balls
or
he does roids, gets tested and suspended
or
he does roids and beats the test and hits 50 HRs
This is win/win and sounds like a plot from a cheesy 80s John Hughes ripoff, ’cept da roids were legal back then.
Rev Halofan - January 21, 2012
I'm out here too!
Fort Worth. Us Angels fans should get together and take over the ballpark!
Halosfan777 - January 21, 2012
take pics when you do!!
ladybug - January 22, 2012
So sick of all the Rangers bandwagon
I swear to god first 3 years at my school and not a whisper of the Rangers. They finally go to the WS and all of the sudden everyone has new Ranger merch
Morales8 - January 21, 2012
This is so true.
I absolutely cannot stand the Rangers bandwagon. All DFW sports are like this though. You don’t see any Mavs fans until they make the playoffs. Rangers fans didn’t even exist until they made it to the WS either. It’s unbelievable.
Halosfan777 - January 22, 2012
exactly
I live in San Antonio and the only time I ever see ranger gear is during baseball season and its scattered. Now they make it to the WS everyone carries their gear
Alavel - January 22, 2012 via mobile
I am a bit confused here.
When did he want to come back? This year he was a free agent, right? So no need for a trade.
Was it last year? Is that when we signed Hawk? Did we sign and want to trade him right away?
matthiasstephan - January 22, 2012
It seemed clear to me...
He wanted to come back this offseason but the angels felt they would have to trade a reliever to make room for him since they didn’t want 3 leftys in the bullpen. They tried to trade takahashi to make room but no one wanted him
Balls and Strikes - January 22, 2012 via mobile
Why do I feel like this Bullshit with a capital B?
First off, if you are really friends with ballplayers then I doubt they want you sharing this kind of personal info all over the internet. I got a feeling you heard this through the grapevine OR you are a 15 year old kid…which if so, that cool, just dont get into trouble.
Second, so they only would agree to sign DO if somebody took on Taki’s salary? Otherwise, it still doesn’t make sense. I can envision an Angels bullpen with both Taki and DO, doesn’t seem to make sense that it was either one or the other…UNLESS it was stipulated by dumping Taki’s salary. Which seems like chump-change in regards to what the FO has already done this year.
Also, no one wanted Taki? Really. That seems unlikely unless we were asking for too much or demanding they take his entire salary.
Furthermore, Suzan, I wouldnt be the least bit surprised to learn that all four of them smoke marijuana cigarettes.
BryanHarvey'sMoustache - January 22, 2012
They needed someone to eat Takahashi's entire salary
The Angels wouldn’t have had enough money to sign Darren unless Tak’s salary was gone
Morales8 - January 22, 2012
And it was THAT hard to find a team to make a $4 million, one year commitment
to a guy who posted a 3.44 ERA?
Caseys Kiss of Death - January 22, 2012
Taka blows have you seen him pitch?
OppoTaco25 - January 22, 2012
There are far worse relievers
He could have been better but at about $4 million, he’s not exactly a drag on the team.
Commander_Nate - January 23, 2012
seems likely
to me
Rev Halofan - January 22, 2012
REEFERS!!!!!!!!!!! lol
OppoTaco25 - January 22, 2012
Total Madness
eyespy - January 22, 2012
I must be missing something.
Everyone besides BHM is taking this hook line and sinker.
this is the internet.. where is the cynicism?
clover_black - January 22, 2012
I guess its a pretty believable story
And why would someone make it up, its not exciting, doesn’t help the team one bit (or put down an opponent), and it is really not a story except to us hardcore angels fans.
It doesnt fit the mold of a fabricated story.
Balls and Strikes - January 22, 2012 via mobile
Bro
Commander_Nate - January 22, 2012
mo vaughn
Is my cousin’s husband little brothers step dad.. he came over to clean our pool and told us the angels offered him a contract.
YOUknowulovetheIE - January 22, 2012 via mobile
I'm kind of surprised that this fanshot wasn't deleted, let alone put on the front page.
It smacks of utter bullshit (to borrow a term from BHM above), and it seems irresponsible for a major Halos site to feature a story from a questionable source about the team wanting to get rid of a pitcher who figures to be a pretty important piece of the bullpen in the upcoming season.
5thStarter - January 22, 2012
Next time he's over
I’ll take a picture with him
Morales8 - January 22, 2012
Can you do us one better?
And take a picture of him sitting at your computer, as you lean over his shoulder, scrolling through the comments section of this story?
Caseys Kiss of Death - January 22, 2012
I will stipulate that you know him
However, the story, as told, is more than a little weird:
°Reagins resigned as GM of the Angels September 29. Oliver was under contract to the Rangers through the end of the World Series, a full month later.
Any conversation between a player under contract and a GM of another team, without the consent of the team holding the contract, is tampering.
If what Oliver is stating what you’re claiming he said—that Reagins was going to sign him for 2012 but couldn’t move Takahashi to do it—then he just said that Reagins committed a legal violation of Oliver’s contract with the Rangers.
George Kaplan - January 22, 2012
Wasn't Reagins doing the negotiations
it was Dipoto
Morales8 - January 22, 2012
I was about to say, it was moraleshomers that was posting stuff about reagins
he seems confused about when this was supposed to have happened.
Balls and Strikes - January 22, 2012
It was only a few weeks ago!
Morales8 - January 22, 2012
Too many Morales to keep track
George Kaplan - January 22, 2012
You mean too many Kendry's...
stuck in Romania - January 22, 2012
Kendrys's is what you mean
eyespy - January 22, 2012
yeah... something like that... Kendries'ss
stuck in Romania - January 24, 2012
I was. I was stating how the timeline didn’t seem to make a ton of sense.
MoralesHomers - January 22, 2012
also fact that trade would have happened during offseason as trade deadline was far past.
MoralesHomers - January 22, 2012
Great!
That would certainly prove your story is true.
5thStarter - January 22, 2012
Yeah this doesn't sound completely made up or anything...
ryanfea - January 22, 2012
Haha alright
you can choose not to believe it
Morales8 - January 22, 2012
Also, we're talking about a guy who said he wanted to play for a contender or retire close to home.
And now he plays for Toronto.
Maybe it’s not Morales8 we should be questioning, rather DO!
Oh, wow. I just blew my mind.
5thStarter - January 22, 2012
That's a good point
I didn’t really talk to him about why he picked Toronto. It doesn’t sound like Texas pushed too hard for him though
Morales8 - January 22, 2012
They didn't push at all
He stated he never heard from the Rangers.
As to whether or not he’d sign with the Angels, IF it was about getting Takahashi traded first, since Oliver signed with Toronto for essentially what Takahashi is going to make in 2012, then if the Angels had to eat half Takahashi’s salary to trade him, that would have effectively made Oliver a $6M LOOGY (no Steve Austin jokes, please). That isn’t very cost-effective.
I am sure he had personal reasons to want to switch teams to the Rangers two years ago, but doors often close behind us when we make those decisions. That seems to be the case here, and frankly, it is debatable as to whether or not the Angels would have paid as much as $4M for a season of Oliver at age 41.
As to “why Toronto?”, Oliver was apparently scarred by the near-loss of money due to the ponzi fraud of Robert Stanford a few years ago. He said at the time he lost nothing, but it is possible that the $42M gross earnings over his career now aren’t “enough” for him. That kind of near-miss can play with the heads of folks when it comes to assessing their personal net worth. Any financial offer is therefore worthy of consideration.
Another theory is that his kids are now teenagers and it is great to have an excuse to be in another country while their hormones make them barely controllable. I know there were days I would have welcomed that excuse to give to the wife.
George Kaplan - January 22, 2012
this story
Is pointless..just like most of my comments on HH
YOUknowulovetheIE - January 22, 2012 via mobile
The reason this is on the front page
is because Morales8 checks out.
That is all I am authorized to say but the guy is no BS.
Rev Halofan - January 22, 2012
In some ways, that's worse.
What if Taka reads this? I want my relievers to have confidence in the team for which they’re pitching.
Yeah, I know, professional athletes, part of the game, etc. but come on, this is Perez Hilton stuff.
5thStarter - January 22, 2012
don't ya think Hawk realizes he wasn't lusted for?
ladybug - January 22, 2012
Hawk?
5thStarter - January 22, 2012
short memory....it's what we've been calling Takahashi
ladybug - January 22, 2012
Ah, I did not know that.
Plus, with LaTroy in the fold, I was confused.
But, to your point, no, I don’t think he would be necessarily informed of the club’s decision to shop him around. I mean, this is the first any of us are hearing about it and we’re only privy to it because a member of HH is friends with DO, who may not have gotten the best information himself. There are way too many “what-ifs” in this situation for it to be worthy of front page, IMHO.
I’m also not as down on Taka as others seem to be, so I have my own bias to admit.
5thStarter - January 22, 2012
I thought he was called Takashitty
Persi W - January 23, 2012
that too. Depends on the day and our moods
ladybug - January 23, 2012
This is only the beginning!
I’m gonna try and get as much inside info as I can. I’m like Ken Rosenthal but 2 feet taller
Morales8 - January 22, 2012
just please respect their privacy-even tell him about HH and invite him aboard
ask yourself, “if this was me, would I want the world to know”
I love gossip as much as anyone, probably more, but we don’t want HH being turned into the TMZ of the hAlo world.
ladybug - January 22, 2012
I agree. Maybe talk them into checking out the site (which I think many already do which is why you should be careful) maybe even contribute.
(Victor Rojas also is around once in a while).
MoralesHomers - January 22, 2012
oh and get them to sign a release and have their agent sign off on a ten percent kickback
and have their insurance company take a rider on every time their name is used and wash that cut and bandage it up and don’t rub your eye and don’t pick your nose and say your prayers and tithe tithe tithe tithe tithe and there is a sale at Mervyn’s let’s get up early and beat the crowd there.
Forget that noise – this is the internet.
Rev Halofan - January 22, 2012
SPEAK FOR YOURSELF
I will take TMZ’s ratings and hit count any day of the week – when was the last time TMZ printed a retraction?
(NY TIMES prints about three a week, it is establishment journalism that cannot catch up to the new age of fact reporting).
Rev Halofan - January 22, 2012
I acquiesce, Rev Harvey Halofan
bring on the smut!!!
ladybug - January 23, 2012
What type of drinkie cup will Rev use?
eyespy - January 23, 2012
You're 5 feet tall?!?
I know that Rosenthal keeps his office in the hollow tree where the Keebler cookies are made.
George Kaplan - January 22, 2012
that's why they have been racid lately
eyespy - January 22, 2012
Hahahaha
rec’d
Morales8 - January 22, 2012
So you are a dwarf?
eyespy - January 22, 2012
When Tim Salmon was rookie
He rented a friend of mine’s house in Brea, it was pretty awesome. Got some signed shwag out of it. Talk about a class act.
Say Halo to Pujols - January 22, 2012
Secretary: "Mr. Dipoto it's Daren Oliver again, what should I tell him this time?"
“tell him I’m in a meeting, no wait, tell him I couldn’t move enough cap, I couldn’t move takahashi, just get rid of him” – J.D.
Monk e - January 22, 2012
This....seems most likely.
spiritof1979 - January 22, 2012
Maybe Oliver just really didnt like Taka
ItCouldHappen - January 22, 2012
Maybe this is because Oliver gets his info from his agent.
Does Oliver act as his own agent? If not then this info is coming to Oliver from his agent and sounds fairly correct.
steelgolf - January 23, 2012
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