Best I've felt about the team in years

[Guest]

if we can piece meal the bullpen until around the trading deadline, then acquire a closer; this team would be in business for making the post season. after that, it's on the players basically.

 

What players do you think we could afford to deal at the deadline? 

[ten ocho recon scout]

What players do you think we could afford to deal at the deadline?

salas and jepsen

[Lou]

salas and jepsen

 

And either Ibanez or Stewart

 

But not both

[Tyler]

This team finally has the starting pitching to make the playoffs this year. I feel good about this team as well. Still a pen arm away from being completely well-rounded but Smith, Frieri, Morin, and Kohn is a nice foundation.

[Dreams]

I've done a complete 180 and am actually optimistic about this NEW Halos team.  In the past three years, small mistakes would spiral into the blow pen, ending in an L with 90% certainty.  Now, it seems like this new team can overcome small mistakes, like epidemic check swing third strikes or complete sterility with RISP, and the bullpen somehow hold the lead with at least 50% certainty.  AMAZING!  Buttercup days are over!

Edited May 15, 2014 by Dreams

[Docwaukee]

I like this team.   A little more SP depth would be good, but it's solid for now. 

 

Still don't trust the pen to compete at the level they have been for the rest of the season.  Jepsen and Salas aren't my favorites and we still need a reliable lefty.  hopefully Santiago can be.  Time for Alvarez and Bedrosian though.  Let's see what they got.

 

Some guys are doing better than expected.  Some guys worse. 

 

The most impressive thing right now is that the team is winning with Trout struggling.  The game they won yesterday would have been a loss last month at this time. 

[Docwaukee]

I also like that they are giving guys a chance to play.  Green, Cron, Navarro, Lucho etc.  I'd much rather watch a home grown guy than a veteran one year stop gap. 

[ten ocho recon scout]

I also like that they are giving guys a chance to play. Green, Cron, Navarro, Lucho etc. I'd much rather watch a home grown guy than a veteran one year stop gap.

agreed. Ive said it a few times, I really think part of the chemistry this year is the young guys getting to play togetjer, and the older guys not being 'too big'. No egos. (Though to be fair who knows if thats what the clubhouse is really like)

[ScottT]

I agree with the premise of this thread.  I really like this team.  When they signed Pujols, I was excited, and thought he'd help the team, but I didn't exactly see them cruising into the playoffs. Signing Hamilton didn't do much for me.  As I said a couple weeks ago, this team is not mediocre, and they wouldn't keep losing all those one run games.  They were 2-8 in one run games... they are now 4-8.    Despite Trout and Pujols cooling off.  While the emergence of Richards and acquisition of Skaggs have been huge... CJ Wilson and Jered Weaver haven't been too shabby.  

Edited May 15, 2014 by ScottT

[EDinTUSTIN]

I think there has been a sense of urgency indicated this year and with the shuffling the club is telling the guys if they don't play properly or perform they will be replaced.

Well said, Brandon.

[EDinTUSTIN]

And either Ibanez or Stewart

 

But not both

Yeah both, why not?

[YouthofToday]

We need to exhaust all internal options before trading prospects for a relief pitcher. Bedrosian, etc.

[ukyah]

What players do you think we could afford to deal at the deadline? 

 

 

that is a totally relevant question, but it's one i could only pretend to answer. actual mlb trades are based off of criteria that i'm not privy to. that's why forum trades are always so ridiculous and one sided.

 

if i had a pipeline to dipoto and he told me it couldn't be done, then i would have no choice but to accept that as truth. i'm just saying, if we can acquire a closer when teams are looking to move them, then our biggest deficiency all but disappears.

[ten ocho recon scout]

We need to exhaust all internal options before trading prospects for a relief pitcher. Bedrosian, etc.

agreed.

But lets say its deadline time and for argument sake were where we are today...do we pull the trigger on a rental SP? Flip lindsey or one of those guys?

[ukyah]

We need to exhaust all internal options before trading prospects for a relief pitcher. Bedrosian, etc.

 

 

perfectly valid viewpoint.

[punkologist]

I'm feeling it. The 2 biggest problems as has been said by many are still Blowpen and hitting with RISP. Those have been our problem for most of my Angels supporting lifetime.

Edited May 15, 2014 by punkologist

[YouthofToday]

agreed.

But lets say its deadline time and for argument sake were where we are today...do we pull the trigger on a rental SP? Flip lindsey or one of those guys?

I would not trade prospects for a rental SP if the rental was for only 2014 unless we were already in 1st place and desperately needed to find a #2 or 3 starter for postseason.

I wouldn't trade prospects if we are more than 2 games out of the wildcard by July 31.

You preferably explore trading somebody like Lindsey and others only if the SP has club control for more than 2 years.

Ideally Arte sucks it up and trades middling prospects for a SP/RP that primarily provides another team with salary relief.

[laagamer]

Agree entirely.

And I think the struggles of the past few seasons make this feel all the better.

[Chuck]

And to think where this team would be without a few late inning meltdowns from the bullpen and if we had Calhoun/Hamilton. Cray!

[Adam]

I'm not sold. Bullpen still only has 1.5 reliable arms. Pujols looks old again. You're not going to get the production Cron and Green are providing throughout the season.

 

Pujols and Hamilton have to play like all stars for the majority of the season.

[Chuck]

I'm not sold. Bullpen still only has 1.5 reliable arms. Pujols looks old again. You're not going to get the production Cron and Green are providing throughout the season.

Pujols and Hamilton have to play like all stars for the majority of the season.

Our SP alone and contributions from Cowgill, Kendrick, Conger, Aybar etc. have carried the team. Pujols and Hamilton are streaky and it appears Trout is too. That said they're 3 games over with a good 3 weeks of Pujols and 2 weeks of Hamilton.

I no longer believe Pujols/Hamilton are the sole keys to winning this. The bullpen is looking up and they're is help on the way from within.

If the Angels can make the right internal moves to bolster their pen, the pitching staff alone can carry this team to the playoffs for the first time in 4 years.

[Adam]

They still need A LOT of things to go right. They're fun to watch for sure. I'll be more confident if/when Firecrotch and Hamilton come back and produce

[CanadianHalo]

This 10 game home stand is huge. Tampa for 4, Houston and KC for 3 each. Be awesome if we could go 7-3 but I'm just hoping for anything above .500.

[laagamer]

Pujols and Hamilton are streaky and it appears Trout is too.

One bad month in three years & suddenly Trout is streaky.

[Glen]

I'm not sold. Bullpen still only has 1.5 reliable arms. Pujols looks old again. You're not going to get the production Cron and Green are providing throughout the season.

 

Pujols and Hamilton have to play like all stars for the majority of the season.

 

 

I'm with ya.  I like what I'm seeing right now, but they need to keep it up for a while.