Andrew Heaney to Angels for Howie Kendrick

[Chuck]

To be clear: I think it's a smart move.

That said, it's risky. Howie Kendrick is criminally underrated here and across the league.

The Angels just got significantly worse for 2015. But with a much higher ceiling in the following years.

 

All depends....

 

I believe Green can post HK's doubles, HR totals and hit .270-.290 if given the playing time he deserves. 

 

The big difference to me is going to be the difference in defense. Howie has been an exceptional 2B the past few years for us. Green is a question mark at the position, though he has seen a lot of time there in the minors. 

[TooCool]

You'll be missed Howie. Always did like you and you but man, were you streaky or what? One month you'll be the hottest hitter in baseball and the next month you can't hit anything.

[Tank]

loved watching howie and aybar work the double play. always bummed that howie never lived up to the dreaded batting champ potential.

 

 

i am not at all sold on grant green as a solid replacement.

[ettin]

Good return for Howie! I'll dearly miss Kendrick but as I stated in the Primer he was capable of pulling down a top prospect in trade and Andrew Heaney is probably the top left-handed pitching prospect in baseball right now!

 

Well done Jerry I have been incredibly impressed by the moves you've made this off-season! Arte pick up his option and give him an extension!

[vlad27]

I'm not gonna lie I'm bummed to see Howie go - I hope Heaney turns out to be good for us - seems like he will be - i just hate seeing homegrown players go

[SoWhat]

Yes, he is a back-end projected guy, and even if he never ends up successful at that, Conger had done very little with us and certainly Nick has some nice upside. I worry though that I keep hearing that his only above average pitch is a changeup, but if he isn't starter material, that may translate to the bullpen well. Of course, there have been many back end rotation guys with only one plus pitch that have found success. In any event, you have to love how much young SP depth we suddenly have after being constantly ranked at the bottom of the minor league systems.

IMO, Perez is the real prize of that trade.

[ettin]

He got one year of Kendrick and a few non top prospects for Dee Gordon.

 

Genius? 

 

Austin Barnes is a legitimately good prospect Chuck. Don't know much about the others but on the face of it Dee Gordon and Dan Haren for Heaney, Barnes, and company was actually a pretty good trade by Friedman. Kendrick had enough value in trade to pull a top prospect and I certainly think the Angels definitely got the better value in our deal but it isn't that out of whack I think.

 

[ten ocho recon scout]

And just like that....were a team full of white guys and imposters...no asians or 'real ones'....

[bloodbrother]

loved watching howie and aybar work the double play. always bummed that howie never lived up to the dreaded batting champ potential.

 

 

i am not at all sold on grant green as a solid replacement.

 

Neither am I, and I especially don't like his defense at 2B

 

They downgraded at 2B, period..but the sting hurts less considering they moved a guy with 1 year left on his deal and got a top SP prospect back in return who they'll have under club control for the next 6 years. Hard not to like that

[SoWhat]

@JeffFletcherOCR: #Angels GM Jerry Dipoto said the Kendrick-Heaney trade all happened today. Had tried to get Heaney from Marlins before. No match.

[ettin]

Let me frame this in a different way: In the last part of my Primer that is still to be released I discussed pitching targets and Heaney was on that list.

 

Dipoto is focusing on pitchers that can do the following: Maintain excellent K%-BB% numbers, can limit hits (low batting average against), can limit opponents slugging (low hard hit rate), and have excellent changeups.

 

Heaney fits this bill to a tee and Dipoto continues to execute on his plan. I am working on another article after the Primer that discusses this topic in more detail. It is really interesting to see how Jerry had identified and found the key to good pitching.

 

Very excited about our future as a team!

[Chuck]

Austin Barnes is a legitimately good prospect Chuck. Don't know much about the others but on the face of it Dee Gordon and Dan Haren for Heaney, Barnes, and company was actually a pretty good trade by Friedman. Kendrick had enough value in trade to pull a top prospect and I certainly think the Angels definitely got the better value in our deal but it isn't that out of whack I think.

 

 

Disagree, Robert. 

 

Barnes is 25 years old and he just finished up Double-A. His defense is rated poorly and who knows if he'll hit in the big leagues. All of the other guys were terrible and they sent 10 million dollars to Miami for Haren.

 

Terrible trade. 

[bloodbrother]

Alden Gonzalez ‏@Alden_Gonzalez 2m2 minutes ago

Heaney will compete with Santiago and Tropeano for last rotation spot. Rutledge will compete with Green for 2B job, with other being UT INF.

[ScottT]

I sure hope this leads to an addition... this year or next.  A new stadium would be nice, too.  

 

It's not my money, but they have no debt, baseball is flush with cash, and there's no line in the sand.

 

The Angels are a worse team today than they were yesterday.  That's sucks for any team's fans, but especially one that is supposed to be in good shape financially.  

[mancini79]

Let me frame this in a different way: In the last part of my Primer that is still to be released I discussed pitching targets and Heaney was on that list.

 

Dipoto is focusing on pitchers that can do the following: Maintain excellent K%-BB% numbers, can limit hits (low batting average against), can limit opponents slugging (low hard hit rate), and have excellent changeups.

 

Heaney fits this bill to a tee and Dipoto continues to execute on his plan. I am working on another article after the Primer that discusses this topic in more detail. It is really interesting to see how Jerry had identified and found the key to good pitching.

 

Very excited about our future as a team!

 

So who will play Jerry in the movie Dipotoball?

[Stradling]

Like the idea of the trade, hate losing Howie the player and Howie the person.

[ScottT]

Alden Gonzalez ‏@Alden_Gonzalez 2m2 minutes ago

Heaney will compete with Santiago and Tropeano for last rotation spot. Rutledge will compete with Green for 2B job, with other being UT INF.

 

No Rasmus?  Damn. 

[ettin]

Disagree, Robert. 

 

Barnes is 25 years old and he just finished up Double-A. His defense is rated poorly and who knows if he'll hit in the big leagues. All of the other guys were terrible and they sent 10 million dollars to Miami for Haren.

 

Terrible trade. 

 

We will have to agree to disagree I guess on that one. It was just Dee Gordon and a washed up Dan Haren. Also if Haren follows through on his threat to retire the Dodgers won't pay that 10MM.

 

Either way it worked out for us right Chuck?

[bloodbrother]

Alden Gonzalez ‏@Alden_Gonzalez 2m2 minutes ago

#Angels were trying to acquire Heaney from #Marlins before he was dealt to #Dodgers, but didn't offer Kendrick. Dipoto: "It wasn't a match."

 

 

Wonder what names they floated out to Miami. Would have been ridiculous if they somehow added Heaney while keeping Kendrick.

[Chuck]

No Rasmus?  Damn. 

 

Yeah, I'm bummed about that too. But look on the bright side, Rasmus can be a guy like Scot Shields and give us 1 2/3 - 2 1/3 innings of relief. 

[Chuck]

Alden Gonzalez ‏@Alden_Gonzalez 2m2 minutes ago

#Angels were trying to acquire Heaney from #Marlins before he was dealt to #Dodgers, but didn't offer Kendrick. Dipoto: "It wasn't a match."

 

 

Wonder what names they floated out to Miami. Would have been ridiculous if they somehow added Heaney while keeping Kendrick.

 

Cron. 

[ScottT]

Hope so.  

 

Yeah, I'm bummed about that too. But look on the bright side, Rasmus can be a guy like Scot Shields and give us 1 2/3 - 2 1/3 innings of relief. 

 

Hope so.  They will need it with guys like Wilson and Santiago in the rotation. Heck, even Weaver doesn't go that deep anymore.  They showed a willingness to lean on the pen late last year.  Hope they do so even more this year.  It makes too much sense.  Relievers are more dominant.  You've got a few options that can give you more than an inning.  

[ettin]

Butcher has this.

 

San Andreas still in fine form.

 

[bloodbrother]

This deal will be even sweeter when the Halos re-sign Howie to a 4 yr extension after 2015.

[mancini79]

Alden Gonzalez ‏@Alden_Gonzalez 2m2 minutes ago

#Angels were trying to acquire Heaney from #Marlins before he was dealt to #Dodgers, but didn't offer Kendrick. Dipoto: "It wasn't a match."

 

 

Wonder what names they floated out to Miami. Would have been ridiculous if they somehow added Heaney while keeping Kendrick.

 

Seeing they got a SP from the Dodgers, they probably wanted a SP from the Angels. Really the only guy available would have been Wilson. But working out the money owed could have been the problem.

Edited December 11, 2014 by mancini79