Angels Acquire Kyle Kubitza from the Braves

[stormngt]

Chatwood

Santana and Walden were the first to come to mind.

[ELEVEN]

Doesn't hurt that he looks like Erstad also.....What is the Grit Factor?

Looking the part has a GRIT Factor of zero.

[Second Base]

The infield future:

2014 - 3B Freese, SS Aybar, 2B Kendrick, 1B Pujols, DH Ibanez, UT McDonald/Beckham

2015 - 3B Freese, SS Aybar, 2B Green, 1B Pujols, DH Joyce UT Featherston

2016 - 3B Kubitza, SS Aybar, 2B Yarbrough, 1B Pujols, DH Cron, UT Green/Featherston

2017 - 3B Kubitza, SS Baldoquin, 2B Yarbrough, 1B Cron, DH Pujols, UT Stamets

[NrM]

The infield future:

2014 - 3B Freese, SS Aybar, 2B Kendrick, 1B Pujols, DH Ibanez, UT McDonald/Beckham

2015 - 3B Freese, SS Aybar, 2B Green, 1B Pujols, DH Joyce UT Featherston

2016 - 3B Kubitza, SS Aybar, 2B Yarbrough, 1B Pujols, DH Cron, UT Green/Featherston

2017 - 3B Kubitza, SS Baldoquin, 2B Yarbrough, 1B Cron, DH Pujols, UT Stamets

Realistically, only one or two of those prospects will make it as an everyday player. That's just how things go with prospects.

Edited January 9, 2015 by Poozy

[ELEVEN]

I cant see Cron ever being an every day 1B.

[Make Angels Great Again]

I was really hoping his middle initial was K.

 

That would've made for some laughs (yes, i'm immature like that).

[Lou]

You didn't  haven't  liked  the Street   any move as well.

 

fixed

[tdawg87]

I was really hoping his middle initial was K.

 

That would've made for some laughs (yes, i'm immature like that).

 

Well, Dipoto did trade away our only black guy.

[Lou]

another brown guy traded away for 2 white guys

 

 

the cleansing continues

[Second Base]

Realistically, only one or two of those prospects will make it as an everyday player. That's just how things go with prospects.

 

Thanks for informing that's how things go with prospects Poozy. 

[NrM]

Thanks for informing that's how things go with prospects Poozy. 

 

didn't mean for that to come off as condescending.

My bad.

[Inside Pitch]

The thing with Santana is that it was smart to not keep him long term because of the up/down nature throughout his career through 2012. 

But it might have behooved the org to keep him for just 2013, in case they could use him in a July 2013 trade to acquire a prospect with a better future than Brandon Sisk.

 

That being said, it was two years ago, and we have moved on from that just fine.

 

That up and down thing was overstated by the time the Angels finally parted ways with him.   He has been pretty consistent the last 5 years, only once posting an ERA above 3.95.   His ERA since 2008 is 3.94, he's had one bad season and one injury marred season since 08 but as a whole he's a league average 200 IP workhorse -- people overreacted.   His age 22, 23, 24 seasons had little to do with the sort of pitcher he had become.

[Second Base]

didn't mean for that to come off as condescending.

My bad.

 

It's cool, I'm just busting your chops.  That is how it works.  But I'm very confident in Yarbrough, Green and Cron because I've seen them and believe in their abilities.  I haven't seen Kubitza and Baldoquin yet, but one would think given the hefty price paid for both (8 million and a top prospect), the Angels would be relatively confident in both. 

[Revad]

Plus aren't all four pretty far down the prospect road, so to speak? Not all five of them will be stars but I think all five will provide value at the ML level and at least 2 should become regulars. Maybe four of them! It could happen- Dipoto's own infield

[Second Base]

Not necessarily down the road.  I mean Yarbrough, Kubitza and Cron are a year away from full time jobs, Baldoquin is two.  

[SoWhat]

The more research I do on Kubitza, the more worried I get. He doesn't hit for much power and his low CON%, high K% scare me 

[Chuck]

The more research I do on Kubitza, the more worried I get. He doesn't hit for much power and his low CON%, high K% scare me

He's got raw power and projects to hit for more pop down the road. 50 extra bases last season. 6'3, 200+ lbs. He hit almost .300 this past season too so he's trending in the right direction.

[Inside Pitch]

The more research I do on Kubitza, the more worried I get. He doesn't hit for much power and his low CON%, high K% scare me 

 

Where are you getting the contact rate information from?  Curious to see what those numbers look like.   As far as power goes, 50 of his 130 base hits went for extra bases, he did that in a park that deflates extra base hits.  His ISO was .175, basically the same figure Calhoun produced.  Given the state of AL 3B, a guy capable of legit 15 HR power might be considered a boon.

[Revad]

Not necessarily down the road.  I mean Yarbrough, Kubitza and Cron are a year away from full time jobs, Baldoquin is two.

I look forward to your comments on them once you get to see Kubitza and Baldoquin. I do get excited when I see the Angels this well set up for the future, I can't recall a time things looked so rosy for the Halos. Deep pockets, solid MLB roster and some good prospects.

[NrM]

I look forward to your comments on them once you get to see Kubitza and Baldoquin. I do get excited when I see the Angels this well set up for the future, I can't recall a time things looked so rosy for the Halos. Deep pockets, solid MLB roster and some good prospects.

The angels had kendrick, aybar, mathis, kotchman and mcpherson all around 2 years apart. Brandon Wood came shortly after. They were all top 100 prospects.

Just trying to give some perspective here.

Edited January 10, 2015 by Poozy

[Tyler]

Only fails were Wood and McPherson. Also had Napoli too.

[Second Base]

Exactly, I think the rosiest time was when the Angels were only 2 years separated from their World Series win, had signed Vlad, Escobar and Colon shortly thereafter, had ditched the old uniforms, had a new owner, and had Wood as the future Ripken, Aybar as the future gold glove winner and SB champion, MacPherson as Glaus' replacement at 3B and an obvious 30 HR hitter, Mathis, who was going to be Joe Mauer before Joe Mauer, Kendrick, the future batting champ and Weav, the future ace.

What did all that hype lead to? Let down. Even when guys ended up being very good, like Aybar and Kendrick, it wasn't seen as enough.

But the fans learned from it. How much hype did their 2009 draft get when the Angels snagged Grichuk, Trout, Skaggs, Richards and Corbin? Not much. Grichuk couldn't stay healthy, Trout would end up being a decent leadoff hitter, Skaggs was a good lefty that got traded away, Richards was a future reliever and Corbin was just a chip in for getting Haren.

Ignore the hype and trust the people that have watched them like Saltzer (and myself if you're so inclined).

The Angels prospects look pretty intriguing right now. A lot of better than expected guys are coming up. The other sites might say the Angels have a weak system, but I'm thinking Heaney, Newcomb, Baldoquin, Tropeano, Kubitza, Yarbrough and the slough of RP would beg to differ.

[Angelsjunky]

I remember well that All-Star infield of the future:

 

1B Kotchman - West coast Todd Helton

2B Kendrick - future batting champ

SS Brandon Wood - 40 HR power

3B Dallas McPherson - Heir to Glaus

C Jeff Mathis - The Prophecied One

 

Interesting how Erick Aybar turned out to be the best of the lot, or at least along with Howie.

 

Anyhow, Scotty I have a lot of respect for you and Dave and recognize that you know a lot more about prospects and the Angels farm system than I do. That said, I do think that you and Dave are prone to homerism like any other fan of any club. It is just impossible to be impartial about your favorite ball-club. I think I'm relatively impartial but still have overrated many an Angels prospect (e.g. I thought Kotchman would be a .300+, 20+ HR hitter). Nothing wrong with that, but if you admit that as a fan you are prone to bias then you have the opportunity to be less so.

[wopphil]

But it isn't like Angels fans were alone in their love of Kotchman. The "experts" and publications loved him too. Which is totally understandable, given his .981 OPS in AA-AAA as a 21-year old.

[wopphil]

And for all the Monday-morning quarterbacking regarding Wood, don't his minor league numbers bear a striking resemblance to Miguel Sano, who is universally praised as one of the top prospects in baseball?