Congrats to John McDonald - Makes the team!

[LightTheHalo]

For a guy that's going to play the eighth and/or ninth inning of a game every three or four days, I think he's a great choice. The guy is an outstanding fielder still. Add in a little veteran leadership and I'm perfectly OK with this.

 

I'll also be surprised if he spends the entire year on the roster. You guys wring your hands over some of the silliest things.

[HaloFan85]

McDonald and Conger became sure bets to make the team after the cuts the other day.

 

If we go with a 4-man bench, I'd have to guess the remaining two will be Shuck and Green.

[stormngt]

I don't know what the hoopla is.  It was pretty much a given that McDonald was going to make the team once Romine was traded.  You can argue that Romine was a better option, but it looks like we got a solid pitching prospect for him, so it was a great trade.

[Angel Oracle]

The ideal hope is using McDonald in the 8th and beyond innings when the Halos have the lead.

That minimizes his at bats while maximizing his defense worth in the late innings.

 

Now, if Aybar gets back defensively to where he was in 2012, Kendrick continues to be solid defensively, and Freese suddenly surprises just enough with the glove, then I could see McDonald being waived.   But in the meantime, he does supply value as mentioned, as well as his knowledge of the game.     

[OregonLAA]

The fact that some people want Stewart instead scares me

[nando714]

Ya if this causes Green to get the boot

I do not like

[Docwaukee]

we should have signed Cano for bench depth.  

[fan_since79]

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.

True, but we need a backup catcher. That's an absolute necessity.

[Blarg]

Disagree completely.

Please review the 2013 roster and results for more.

Pitching was the Angels downfall not needing a 41 year old DH and a 38 year old guy with only glovework to win games.

[jsnpritchett]

The fact that some people want Stewart instead scares me

 

Yep.  Me, too.  I just don't see why his decent performance over 43 plate appearances in spring training should be enough to overcome embarrassingly awful major league stats in 2011 and 2012, and a joke of a year at AAA in 2013.   That, coupled with his lousy attitude, seals the deal for me.  Show him the door.

[Inside Pitch]

The fact that some people want Stewart instead scares me

 

 

Wanting Stewart and thinking he's possibly more useful are two different things.  

 

Roster construction can go a lot of different ways, I don't think there is any perfect combination that can be assembled from the guys available but they might be limiting their options to a degree.  They are carrying extra pitching because they aren't sure the guys in the rotation have enough length.  They have a DH that can't field, or at least shouldn't field anything other than in emergency situations.  Now they have a guy that doesn't run, doesn't get on base, doesn't hit for power, doesn't hit for average.  McDonald making the team may have more to do with their lack of faith in Green's defense than anything else and I can't really blame them for feeling that way..   Anyway, we have yet to see how the rest of the roster plays out, but right now McDonald and Conger fail to inspire much confidence as a late inning pinch hitter and I don't know that JB Shuck would either..

 

Stewart BTW has been a plus defender at 3B, was sort of surprised to find that out.   Still doesn't mean I "want" him.

Edited March 25, 2014 by Inside Pitch

[Chuck]

Green makes more sense. He can play 3B, SS, 2B and in a pinch, the outfield (he played CF in the A's org). I'm assuming Green can play 1B as well.

 

He also is a righthanded bat. Assuming we're keeping Shuck, it just makes sense to go with Green over Stewart. 

[ukyah]

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.

oh sweet jesus, i agree with AO. i need a physician.

[Hubs]

If it were up to me, I'd say Long, Green, McDonald and Conger.

 

It's not so it's going to probably be Shuck, Stewart, McDonald and Conger.

[Marsaka]

and who do the angels plan on using as a pinch hitter?  mcdonald, green, and shuck? lol

 

im sure their singles power is going to strike fear in many a pitchers hearts.  it would be nice if we actually had power off the bench, i say go for stewart over green.

[Marsaka]

We also need defense. The Angels were 13th in the AL last year in fielding pct.

 

it doesn't appear they value defense this year as well.  shuck making the team, hamilton backing up trout, calhoun/ibanez playing out of position to backup up pujols, and then theres the catching duo who are considered poor defenders.

[Marsaka]

I really am not hyped about this like some are. He has bounced around the league and never put in a full season anywhere. He can't hit a baseball or even get on base with a walk. Last season he played for 4 different teams and started in only 16 games. His batting average for the season is abysmal, in fact so bad Mathis is Mickey Mantle in comparison.  

 

I get he is bench depth but honestly a one trick pony is not what you need off the bench. You need super utility guys that can make something happen now and then with their bat or the basepaths like an Izturis. I really don't care what kind of clubhouse guy he is, we need players and as long as they are not pulling a Puig they won't be interfering with every day play. I don't see any value in this guy that you can't get more out of any minor league player.

 

i kinda agree with you but to be honest it felt like the angels lacked something the last 2 years.  maybe it was chemistry, maybe they lacked leadership, anyways i think that it would be good to have a clubhouse guy for this team.  the angels  really played like individuals the last 2 years rather than a team.  look at the a's - they have way less talent than the angels yet they consistently win because they play like a unit.

[CanadianHalo]

@Alden_Gonzalez: Grant Green, who just tripled, probably won't make the team but has had a fantastic spring. Batting .370, and has handled SS pretty well.

I really hope Johnny Mac isn't taking away Green's spot

Edited March 25, 2014 by CanadianHalo

[Inside Pitch]

Just saw Mota interviewing Scioscia, he's yapping about how Don Baylor and Marcel Lacheman have both been talking up Ian Stewart.

 

This stinks, looks like Green's issues with the glove may come back to bite him in the ass.

Edited March 25, 2014 by Inside Pitch

[Homebrewer]

Officially Concerned.

[tomsred]

Every year the Angels use between 42-50 different players at the major league level.  I just hope everyone remembers that every one of the guys we are talking about in this thread will play a significant amount of time, it's just a matter of when and exactly how much.  Players will get hurt, more trades will be made, some will miss time due to personal reasons, and some will under perform to merit being sent down.  The 25 players starting the season are rarely the top 25 when the season ends.  Trying to hold onto players at AAA who can be ready to go at a moment's notice is important.  I would say we need 20-22 really competent position players (i.e. not pitchers).

 

Pujols, Kendrick, Aybar, Freeze, Ibanez, Iannetta, Hamilton, Trout, Calhoun, Shuck, Green, Long, Conger, McDonald, Stewart, Hester, Cowgill, Jimenez, Cron, Bandy = 20.

 

There are 19 pitchers on the current 40 man roster, and we need to identify at least 6 more who will probably play to some degree at the ML level this year.

Edited March 26, 2014 by tomsred

[disarcina]

Well, if he makes the team.....he should play -- so this probably means he spells Kendrick a bit at 2B in late innings and Aybar when Aybar gets injured.

 

I could see McDonald going to 2B in late innings and moving Kendrick over to 1B to replace Ibanez when he plays first or even Pujols in the late innings......

 

Angels must have seen something in McDonald to choose him over Romine and Ian Stewart........I'm thinking Grant Green still makes the 25 man roster. We'll see.

[totdprods]

Think it's fairly obvious that last year the Halos viewed Green as a 2B and didn't push him to learn other positions during Winter Ball...

He shows up at spring after putting in the work and they try him all over, and since they've continued to play him all over, are obviously happy with the progress he has made as a utility player, something they didn't seem to think he was capable of last year or over winter.

As such, sticking him in SLC for a month or two to play daily at various positions is probably seen as best for his utility player development. All he would be in Anaheim is a back-up and late inning replacement. A role McDonald fills just fine without the expense of keeping Green developing a a multi-positional player on a daily basis.

After a month if someone goes down with injury, be it Freese, Aybar, Kendrick, they have their replacement in-house. Or frees up Kendrick/Aybar for mid-season trade for pitching.

[Quinlanforthewin]

If Grant Green doesn't make the team and McDonald and Stewart do I will continue to be baffled by this team's personnel decisions...but what do I know, as long as they keep winning...

[Angel Oracle]

Totdprods' post got me to thinking. Indeed, playing in an everyday role at SLC similar to what Figgins was in 2003-2004 at the MLB level (many positions) may be exactly what Green needs so that they can see if he can be that type of utility player long term.