Congrats to John McDonald - Makes the team!

[Blarg]

McDonald can't hit Kate Upton's weight.

 

The phrase "can't hit his weight" gets thrown around a lot as hyperbole, but In McDonald's case it is a real issue. He's listed at 180 and he hit .116 last year. 

 

But seriously, Green better not get sent to AAA because of this. 

[eaterfan]

I don't see how one can argue Green needs to make the team to develop and then say that McDonald won't get enough playing time to make an impact. Presumably Green and McDonald will get the same playing time. If the guy off the bench isn't getting playing time then they aren't developing. 

 

McDonald is old and may fall off a cliff but the choices aren't cutting one guy over the other. If McDonald falls off a cliff then cut him and bring Green up. In the mean time let Green get playing time and develop in AAA.

 

Although if you feel Green is the overall better player and he will help the team more this year I understand why you would want him to make the team. But it may come at his development for the future because he isn't getting the reps in he would at AAA.

Edited March 25, 2014 by eaterfan

[Homebrewer]

"Reps" in the minors can only help a player so much. Good place for pitchers to work on pitches, not a good place for players learning to hit big league pitching.

Guys like Green (and Long) have put in their seasons in the minors.

[jshep]

Not in love with McDonald, but I don't think Green is a viable backup shortstop as it stands now, so whatever.

Wouldn't mind Green making the team at all, but I think his competition has more been Stewart/Tracy/Pena(before their releases) than McDonald and Romine(before his trade)

Edited March 25, 2014 by jshep

[Inside Pitch]

Let me go with one more rant then I'm done with the thread. We have 41 year old Ibanez trying to pad his retirement account and although he has shown an ability to run he really hasn't done much with the bat. Every player ages out and Ibanez is certainly looking like that is going to happen this season.

 

McDonald is 38, never able to catch up to MLB pitching so he is defense only. But he is the same age as Jeter and we all have seen his mobility and range decrease over the years, do you think McDonald is immune to being his age?

 

The Angels are making the same mistakes of picking up old veterans on the bench while the A's and Rangers are putting kids on their bench. The oldest position player on the A's last season was Coco Crisp at 33. The oldest guy on the Rangers bench last year was 32.

 

Old guys certainly are calming influence in the clubhouse, kind of like elevator music but nobody really wants to get stuck in an elevator. Their age is an elevator going down, not up. They provide nothing but experience and the higher potential of injury than a 21-25 year old.

 

For experience the Angels can lean on the coaching staff, for production they need guys that can hit, run and produce in every aspect of the game. The Angels need to keep cycling youth through the lineup, not pick up more AARP eligible veterans.

 

 

You beat me to it...    

 

I don't have an issue with a guy being brought in for all the clubhouse and veteran presence BS -- but McDonald/Ibanez seems like overkill.  They added Baylor, Eckstein, Disar to the coaching staff, they moved Ebel to bench coach -- aren't they supposed to help with those intangibles?  I also don't really understand the whole adding a glove only thing, Kendrick and Aybar aren't bad fielders, and McDonald wouldn't ever be a passable option at 3B or 1B so he seems to be a waste.  Green isn't a viable defensive option should someone get injured but, I'd assume the team would dip into the minors if they did need a long term replacement at the MLB level.

 

Green (RH)/Stewart(LH) just seem to offer more, even if they offer nothing with the glove as back up/bench players..   

Edited March 25, 2014 by Inside Pitch

[eaterfan]

"Reps" in the minors can only help a player so much. Good place for pitchers to work on pitches, not a good place for players learning to hit big league pitching.

Guys like Green (and Long) have put in their seasons in the minors.

I think it helps on defense too which Green can certainly work on.

[OregonLAA]

Green will probably still come off the bench so his bat will be there. How many bats do we need off the bench? Chemistry is so underrated. Look at the Red Sox last year. They won the World Series without a true #1 and without a rising superstar.

Who else will be a defensive replacement for all infield positions? He won't be asked to pinch hit in the 9th. He's on the bench!

[Blarg]

McDonald was traded to the Red Sox last season. He wasn't included in their post season roster.

[Glen]

What kind of a clown operation are we?

[Homebrewer]

I think it helps on defense too which Green can certainly work on.

true

[Tyler]

I think this shows that Romine would have likely made the team as the all glove utility guy, but because of his age, had more value around the league. 

[Chimi]

This is Scioscia's type of guy. Of all the options we had in spring training, this guy was the best?

[eligrba]

Do we know if McDonald would have stayed in SLC?  Maybe there is something in the works that is not obvious to the casual observer?

[Inside Pitch]

This is Scioscia's type of guy. Of all the options we had in spring training, this guy was the best?

 

Curiously enough, they really only had two glove first IFers in ST.  Romine, and McDonald...  To their credit, they seemingly found a use for both. 

 

My guess is that if the Angels suffer an injury at SS, Eric Stamets will be making his MLB debut.   

Edited March 25, 2014 by Inside Pitch

[WallyWorld]

I think this is bad news for Ian Stewart, and that Green will get the other IF bench spot, since Green is that good bat off the bench people want.

[Angel Oracle]

I wouldn't fret about McDonald taking Green off of the 25 man roster.

The sure things are Green, McDonald, Conger, and Shuck.

Long likely goes to SLC, and the remaining spot is between Stewart and Cowgill. 

 

Remember that this isn't necessarily going to be the bench all season, just at this point.

A lot can change.

Edited March 25, 2014 by Angel Oracle

[jshep]

I wouldn't fret about McDonald taking Green off of the 25 man roster.

The sure things are Green, McDonald, Conger, and Shuck.

Long likely goes to SLC, and the remaining spot is between Stewart and Cowgill.

Remember that this isn't necessarily going to be the bench all season, just at this point.

A lot can change.

I would be surprised if they went with a 5 man bench to start, and I don't think Green is a lock.

I agree that it's definitely Conger and McDonald and most likely Shuck though.

[Mark68]

Coach-In-Training

 

But, seriously, he could be used as an LIDR, and, let's face it, this team could use late-inning defensive replacement-types. Green is not going to be what one would call a defensive whiz.

[Chuck]

Let me go with one more rant then I'm done with the thread. We have 41 year old Ibanez trying to pad his retirement account and although he has shown an ability to run he really hasn't done much with the bat. Every player ages out and Ibanez is certainly looking like that is going to happen this season.

 

McDonald is 38, never able to catch up to MLB pitching so he is defense only. But he is the same age as Jeter and we all have seen his mobility and range decrease over the years, do you think McDonald is immune to being his age?

 

The Angels are making the same mistakes of picking up old veterans on the bench while the A's and Rangers are putting kids on their bench. The oldest position player on the A's last season was Coco Crisp at 33. The oldest guy on the Rangers bench last year was 32.

 

Old guys certainly are calming influence in the clubhouse, kind of like elevator music but nobody really wants to get stuck in an elevator. Their age is an elevator going down, not up. They provide nothing but experience and the higher potential of injury than a 21-25 year old.

 

For experience the Angels can lean on the coaching staff, for production they need guys that can hit, run and produce in every aspect of the game. The Angels need to keep cycling youth through the lineup, not pick up more AARP eligible veterans.

 

Disagree completely. 

 

Please review the 2013 roster and results for more. 

[Inside Pitch]

I wouldn't fret about McDonald taking Green off of the 25 man roster.

The sure things are Green, McDonald, Conger, and Shuck.

Long likely goes to SLC, and the remaining spot is between Stewart and Cowgill. 

 

Remember that this isn't necessarily going to be the bench all season, just at this point.

A lot can change.

 

The guy that's the biggest lock to make the team, Conger..... is also the guy that has done the least to earn a spot this ST.

[jshep]

The guy that's the biggest lock to make the team, Conger..... is also the guy that has done the least to earn a spot this ST.

Yeahhh, quite the contrast between what Conger has done and what Iannetta has done here

[Homebrewer]

The guy that's the biggest lock to make the team, Conger..... is also the guy that has done the least to earn a spot this ST.

At least Eyeanetta has looked better than expected. He should get the majority of starts in the opening weeks.

What happened to Conger's bat? I expected him to get better, but he has gone backwards.

[ScottT]

I have my doubts that his defense warrants a spot... or will warrant a spot for the entire season.  He's 39, and he's no Omar Vizquel.  or Andrew Romine. I liked that trade, though.   

[Mark68]

 

McDonald is 38, never able to catch up to MLB pitching so he is defense only. But he is the same age as Jeter and we all have seen his mobility and range decrease over the years, do you think McDonald is immune to being his age?

 

Jeter has never had much range. His defense has always been overrated, maybe because he makes that one spectacular play every postseason.

[Docwaukee]

this was kind of a no brainer after the Romine trade no?  I was gonna be one of the two.  

 

he is a horrible hitter though.  absolutely atrocious. He's got the 50th lowest ops for guys with more than 2500pa in he history of baseball.

 

 If he gets more than 75-100pa, something has gone horribly wrong.  

 

Who they choose of the rest is actually somewhat important as 1 or 2 of those guys stand to get 300-400pa.