Episodes
The Athletic's Sam Blum and former Sports Illustrated baseball editor Connor Grossman are back with another episode of Calling All Halos. They discuss the Angels' offseason plan, or lack thereof. With all spending done on a "case-by-case" basis, GM Perry Minasian has limited autonomy. Also, will Anthony Rendon be released? And which other free agents might the Angels pursue?
Published 11/04/24
The Athletic's Sam Blum and former Sports Illustrated baseball editor Connor Grossman discuss the state of the Angels. The roster isn't ideal. The long-term outlook isn't either. Is there any reason for optimism? Plus the fan that caught Shohei Ohtani's 50-50 home run ball didn't give it back. Should he have?
Published 09/20/24
The Athletic's Sam Blum and former Sports Illustrated baseball editor Connor Grossman discuss the Angels' decision to extend GM Perry Minasian for two seasons. Is the team headed in the right direction? And what should they do about Anthony Rendon after another bad season? Plus the Angels called up two of their top pitching prospects. What should we expect?
Published 08/30/24
The Athletic's Sam Blum and former Sports Illustrated baseball editor Connor Grossman discuss the red-hot Halos. Their young players are firing on all cylinders. The growth that they've preached is proving to be legit? So what does that mean for their competitive window? What does it mean for their offseason? What does it mean for the future of manager Ron Washington and GM Perry Minasian?
Published 08/09/24
The Athletic's Sam Blum and former Sports Illustrated baseball editor Connor Grossman discuss the red-hot Angels on this new episode. But more importantly, they assess whether the winning ways should impact the trade deadline. Or, big picture, how we view the Angels' direction. Plus, is Logan O'Hoppe the Angels' captain? And what's it like to watch a game in Oakland this season?
Published 07/03/24
The Athletic's Sam Blum and former Sports Illustrated baseball editor Connor Grossman mix things up on this episode of Calling All Halos. They take questions from listeners about the state of the franchise, prospects, the front office/coaching staff and much more. When will Arte Moreno sell? Which young players can you build around? Is there any hope? Listen to hear our thoughts.
Published 06/18/24
The Athletic's Sam Blum and former Sports Illustrated baseball editor Connor Grossman discuss the Angels trade deadline strategy. With the postseason seemingly out of reach once again, should the Angels trade players like Taylor Ward, Luis Rengifo, Patrick Sandoval, etc., despite having years of team control? Plus, we discuss Ron Washington's managerial style and GM Perry Minasian's decision to decline The Athletic's interview request.
Published 05/30/24
The Athletic's Sam Blum and former Sports Illustrated baseball editor Connor Grossman break down the Angels' horrible play of late. Poor fundamentals. Poor pitching, hitting and the expected injury bug have all plagued this team. Everyone could see it coming. Except the Angels. Do the Angels need an awful year in order to recognize the changes that are needed? Plus Sam and Connor discuss the one team worse than the Angels in the AL West: The Astros.
Published 05/09/24
The Athletic's Sam Blum and former Sports Illustrated baseball editor Connor Grossman take a look at the Angels after two weeks of play. They are, at least, competitive. But how set up are they for success this season? And is it helping or hurting them long term to be relying so heavily on Nolan Schanuel and Zach Neto? And is it helping or hurting them to give Mickey Moniak and Jo Adell inconsistent playing time? Sam and Connor also discuss the latest updates in the Ippei Mizuhara gambling...
Published 04/15/24
The Athletic's Sam Blum and former Sports Illustrated baseball editor Connor Grossman discuss all the drama surrounding Shohei Ohtani and his former interpreter Ippei Mizuhara. It's a scandal that has rocked the sports world. Blum and Grossman also delve into the Angels offseason, and why it came up short. Does the team have any chance to win?
Published 03/25/24
The Athletic's Sam Blum and former Sports Illustrated baseball editor Connor Grossman break down the newsworthy comments made by Anthony Rendon and Mike Trout at the outset of spring training. Rendon said that baseball wasn't a top priority for him. Trout called on the organization to make more additions, while hinting that he could be open to a trade in the future if things don't improve. Sam and Connor discuss all of it.
Published 02/20/24
The Athletic's Sam Blum and former Sports Illustrated baseball editor Connor Grossman assess the Angels' dormant offseason. The team has made some additions around the edges, but has failed to land a big name free agent. They haven't acquired and 40-man roster players via trade. What's the reason for this? And will the team make significant moves before the start of the season?
Published 01/15/24
The Athletic's Sam Blum and former Sports Illustrated baseball editor Connor Grossman break down Shohei Ohtani's departure from the Angels. Who is to blame for him heading up north to Los Angeles? Where do the Angels go from here? And how do we feel about the media circus that took over his free agency?
Published 12/11/23
The Athletic's Sam Blum and former Sports Illustrated baseball editor Connor Grossman discuss the Angels' hire of manager Ron Washington. What do they make of the decision? What else do the Angels need to do around him? What challenges does he face? Plus, the two discuss Shohei Ohtani and his free agency. Will the Angels have a chance to sign two-way phenom?
Published 11/10/23
The Athletic's Sam Blum and former Sports Illustrated baseball editor Connor Grossman discuss the Angels' decisions to retain GM Perry Minasian and let manager Phil Nevin go. What do those decisions signal about the future of the franchise? What direction are the Angels headed?
Published 10/12/23
The Athletic's Sam Blum and former Sports Illustrated baseball editor Connor Grossman wrap up the regular season by discussing the Angels' leadership, and if they should be brought back despite the team's struggles in 2023. The two also discuss Arte Moreno's frugal ways and each pick their most random Angels player from the season.
Published 09/30/23
The Athletic's Sam Blum and former Sports Illustrated baseball editor Connor Grossman talk about the mess that is the Angels. From the spiraling season, to the waivers, to the Ohtani stunt double, it can never be easy or simple. It's all added up to one of the most memorably chaotic seasons ever. Blum and Grossman discuss it all.
Published 09/07/23
The Athletic's Sam Blum and former Sports Illustrated baseball editor Connor Grossman discuss Shohei Ohtani's UCL tear and what it means for the Angels. They dissect where the team is at in the season, and if the copious failures will hurt LAA's chances of resigning the two-way superstar. Plus, a discussion about retiring numbers, and why Arte Moreno has failed in not doing so during his two-decade tenure.
Published 08/25/23
The Athletic's Sam Blum and former Sports Illustrated baseball editor Connor Grossman break down the Angels potentially season-defining week. Los Angeles has gone 0-6 since the trade deadline, and almost immediately fallen out of contention with 49 games to play. Is there any hope left in the season? Or did the sweep to the Mariners put the nail in the coffin?
Published 08/07/23
The Athletic's Sam Blum and former Sports Illustrated baseball editor Connor Grossman discuss the Angels trade deadline strategy. Does it make sense? Do they have a shot at the playoffs? They've clearly gone all in, and are the sport's most fascinating team. How will it all play out in the end? These questions and more are discussed by Connor and Sam at length. Plus, thoughts on Jared Walsh's DFA.
Published 07/31/23
The Athletic's Sam Blum and former Sports Illustrated baseball editor Connor Grossman discuss the disaster that has been the Angels over the last three weeks. It culminated in a humiliating loss on Sunday against the Astros. A chance to get within four games of the wild card squandered. With 13 games before the trade deadline, should the Angels trade Shohei Ohtani. The hosts delve deep into that timely topic.
Published 07/17/23
The Athletic's Sam Blum and former Sports Illustrated baseball editor Connor Grossman discuss the Angels' odd week. The team outscored its opposition by 16 runs, but went had a 1-4 record. They also made two key trades for Eduardo Escobar and Mike Moustakas. How do we view these deals and what they might mean for the team short-term and long-term? Sam and Connor also assess the decisions to call up David Fletcher and option Jared Walsh.
Published 06/26/23
The Athletic's Sam Blum and former Sports Illustrated baseball editor Connor Grossman discuss the Angels' winning ways. The Halos have taken 11-of-14, and are alone in the AL's second wild card spot. This is as good a moment for the Angels in years. So what does it mean? Are they truly contenders? And how will this hot stretch inform their trade deadline strategy?
Published 06/19/23
The Athletic's Sam Blum and former Sports Illustrated baseball editor Connor Grossman dive into the Angels' recent stretch of losing. And they discuss what it means in the context of the trade deadline coming in the next two months. Every game carries great importance for the future of the franchise. They also discuss the Angels restricting access to coaches on questions the organization deems too negative. What are the roots of the policy and why does it impact the fans?
Published 06/06/23