This should do it

[Troll Daddy]

This pitching staff should be enough to get Scioscia fired this season.

[bloodbrother]

This pitching staff should be enough to get Scioscia fired this season.

 

Finally, Dipoto's strategy reveals itself

[jshep]

I am ok with the process working itself out. If Blanton can't make the 25 man he isn't sticking around for the 40 man. At that point the Angels can add a player without having to release one or shuffle players into the 25 man that are not ready. You and others are demanding the Angels spend money before that ascertain if they need to, add someone to the 40 man roster which counts towards the cap.

Well except the Angels should have already ascertained that they need to add pitching depth long before now.

If they're really incapable of figuring that out until Opening Day is around the corner, there's not a competent baseball person in the bunch.

[jshep]

And really, even if we accept that waiting until Opening Day approaches to try to dig through the remnants of the scrap heap is an okay approach when it's been clear all offseason that this team was paper thin in pitching, what reason should anyone have to have any faith in Dipoto's ability to solve that problem?

 

Because as best as I can tell from what he's done as GM, building a rotation loaded with risk with no support behind it and crossing his fingers that no one gets hurt/runs out of gas/is just plain ineffective is his idea of a valid roster construction technique.

Edited March 8, 2014 by jshep

[Angel Oracle]

Blanton was throwing fast balls only ... he's saving his good stuff until the season starts.

Blanton has good stuff?

[LAAMike]

Shoemaker put in a solid outing today.  I talked to the scouts behind me today and they indicated that he was hitting 93mph and consistently 91-92.  I think that there is possible depth from Shoemaker.

[tdawg87]

Oh there is definitely depth in Shoemaker. He is the number 6 in my eyes. The problem is after him there is literally nothing else. Blanton should be 9th on the depth chart or get released.

[AngelsFaninGA]

I'll stop whining when Blanton is released. Until then, he remains a very real threat to start and pitch like garbage. 

[Brent Maguire]

Might as well let Blanton keep starting just for entertainment for us. 

 

If he makes any appearances with the big league club this year, I'll be very disappointed. 

[jshep]

Oh there is definitely depth in Shoemaker. He is the number 6 in my eyes. The problem is after him there is literally nothing else. Blanton should be 9th on the depth chart or get released.

 

Yep, exactly.

 

Blanton

LeBlanc

Jarrett Grube

Justin Thomas

.... and uhhh, Michael Roth? rushing Mark Sappington? just forfeiting?

 

The way Dipoto has built this roster, this team is in deep trouble WHEN guys start getting hurt. Or if any of the young guys flat out sucks or if any of them just run out of gas down the stretch. Which is a real concern considering 3/5 of the rotation has never even thrown 160 innings in a season.

Edited March 8, 2014 by jshep

[NrM]

Yep, exactly.

 

Blanton

LeBlanc

Jarrett Grube

Justin Thomas

.... and uhhh, Michael Roth? rushing Mark Sappington? just forfeiting?

 

The way Dipoto has built this roster, this team is in deep trouble WHEN guys start getting hurt. Or if any of the young guys flat out sucks or if any of them just run out of gas down the stretch. Which is a real concern considering 3/5 of the rotation has never even thrown 160 innings in a season.

who the **** is Jarrett Grube and Justin Thomas

[tdawg87]

who the **** is Jarrett Grube and Justin Thomas

 

Exactly.

[Vegas Halo Fan]

Blanton's line against the Rockies

 

3 1/3 IP, 8 H, 7 ER, 1 BB, 2 Ks, 4 home runs

 

Just dump him now.

 

But that line says nothing about his veteran presence or the way the ball is coming out of his hand.

[nando714]

Innings Eater imo

[Docwaukee]

this may sound odd, but I am happy Blanton is sucking right now.  If he were doing well I think they would keep him around and he'd be the first one out if someone went down. 

 

keeps from having to deal with him sucking during the regular season. 

 

Honestly?  I'd rather have Jarrett Grube on the hill. 

 

I am also pumped for Shoemaker.  Guy needed a shot, and now he's gonna get it.  He and Matt Long have been my sleepers to be productive and useful major leaguers.

 

I have never been so unsure about how an Angels rotation will perform.  If someone made me guess I would probably have to say middle of the pack, but it could be top 10.  It could be bottom 10.   

[eligrba]

Blanton looks like he has eaten enough innings. It is time for the Angels to consider putting him on a diet.

[HaloMagic]

More strikeouts than walks? Solid day by Blanton!

Also, good to see Blarg is fitting into LTs role nicely.

[ukyah]

There is no hurry. You guys are all about the sky falling and can't see it is another perfect day. Cheer up Eyores.

 

 

jeezus.

[Chuck]

I'm sorry. Did you get a refund? Is Chuck with you, or I should say if he is with you, is he still conscious?

Hell no. Most of the crew was at Tempe to see Santiago look like a stud.

Was throwing 95-96 MPH, had a nice change, slider and amazing screwball.

Had amazing seats too. Thanks to lhalo!

I'll post pics later. Tomorrow we plan for the big event and rest up all day until the big night.

Media Roundtable first, Dinner, Kole Calhoun, Jerry Dipoto and then our raffle.

Looks to be a great night. Taylor Lindsey, Mark Sappington, Michael Moran and Hector Santiago will be in attendance as well.

[QuinlansMinion]

Let Blanton start home games only and play fireworks when the other team has home runs.  Then I could see some value there.  

[gurn67]

If the Washington Generals were a baseball team, Blanton would be their ace.

[Blarg]

More strikeouts than walks? Solid day by Blanton!

Also, good to see Blarg is fitting into LTs role nicely.

 

What role is that?

 

I truly don't get the 24/7 sky is falling around here. Some team picks up a broken armed pitcher and people tear their hair and wail we missed out on something 28 other clubs didn't want either.

 

In this thread pretty much everyone agrees Blanton sucks but won't believe that the front office knows it and the guy is a dead man walking unless he proves otherwise. He is not part of their plans but he is part of the payroll so suit him up and see if the suckage has ended. They are going to pay for him if he is released today, tomorrow, a day before the first official pitch is thrown so every outing is an evaluation if they cut him or not.

 

I am not championing Blanton or excuse making for the front office. They are doing what every other team does during Spring training and that is run a fat roster for a few weeks and cut it down to the 25/40 man. That means veterans like Torrealba, Pena, Stewart, and Tracy who are non roster guys could be cut because there is not enough room on the 40 man to keep them around. There are also 9 non roster invitees that are pitchers that will be re-assigned.

 

This shuffling of players happens all Spring long, there is a lot of invites and pink slips but it doesn't mean when a guy wears a uniform in February and March it means they are a part of the future plans. They are just there in case they prove they are better than x player by a wide enough margin to replace that guy.

 

It the business of baseball, every team is going to let guys go in the next couple weeks, not re-assign them to the minors, cut them loose. It is just what happens and they plug in player x to fill the hole. I am not all that concerned who they plug into the hole that Blanton might create since he was not going to be a critical part of the rotation or bullpen.

[jshep]

 I know, how dare people want the team to add better rotation depth than Joe Blanton so he's totally irrelevant to the 2014 Angels!

 

Clearly the better plan is to just cross your fingers that your bad pitchers that make up your "depth" magically stop being bad.

 

I suppose I shouldn't be too shocked that some people around here still don't understand the importance of pitching depth and the utter lack of it currently in the organization, which is why people around here have been calling for the team to sign any one of the number of pitchers who have signed for almost nothing as depth, considering the team's (soon to be former) GM is still not getting it either.

Edited March 8, 2014 by jshep

[Blarg]

Clearly the better plan is not to mess up your 40 man roster until you are sure of what you have.

[jshep]

They should have been 100% sure they didn't have enough depth long ago though. That's the problem.

 

They've got Shoemaker and utter garbage for pitching depth. That much has been clear to everyone, but the Angels apparently, for months.

Edited March 8, 2014 by jshep