Line-up / Rotation as of today.

[RePLAY]

Whats your line-up?

 

Bleacher Report has it as:

 

Projected 2015 Lineup (as of Jan. 18)

RF Kole Calhoun

DH Matt Joyce
CF Mike Trout
1B Albert Pujols
LF Josh Hamilton
3B David Freese
SS Erick Aybar
2B Josh Rutledge
C Chris Iannetta

 

Projected 2015 Rotation (as of Jan. 18)

SP Jered Weaver
SP Matt Shoemaker
SP Hector Santiago
SP C.J. Wilson
SP Andrew Heaney

 

 

-Trout at 3?

-They also still has us ranked #1 in the AL.  

[ettin]

Against RHP that is probably correct. Versus LHP Cowgill will replace Joyce in the #2 spot or even take over lead-off and bump Calhoun to the #2 spot.

[nando714]

Not a fan of the Rotation. Yes it gets stronger when Richards get back but we still need another SP imo.

Push CJ or Santiago to the pen

[Angel Dog and Beer]

I'm fine with that as long as I don't see Hamilton in the 4 spot.

[laagamer]

1. Weaver

2. Wilson

3. Richards

4. Santiago

5. Shoemaker

 

*How Scioscia will probably make the rotation 

Edited January 19, 2015 by laagamer

[ELEVEN]

1. Weaver

2. Wilson

3. Richards

4. Santiago

5. Shoemaker

*How Scioscia will probably make the rotation

I think you're probably correct, with perhaps 4 and 5 being swapped.

[Troll Daddy]

Weaver

Richards

Wilson

Shoemaker

Heaney/Santiago

 

I'm not big on rookies but I'm anxious to see what the kid (Heaney) can do.

[Troll Daddy]

Guessing the lineup will be tricky. Wondering if MS is really going to bat Trout third or not. I don't see Calhoun as being a lock for lead off but likely ... with Cron and Joyce sharing most of the DHing it's going to be interesting. We might see a different lineup every game. I could even see Aybar somewhere at the top of the lineup now and then. Hamilton's spot in the lineup will depend a lot on ST as many others will.

[ELEVEN]

I can see Cron playing in SLC

[Second Base]

Cron will bat DH vs LHP.  As for the rotation, from the sound of it and from what I'm hearing, Dipoto put together this team fully intending to have Tropeano and Heaney in the rotation.  

 

- I think Santiago is in the pen to protect Richards, Tropeano and Heaney mostly from the rigors of a full season. Expect to see Tropeano and Heaney on strict 90 pitch limits which should be around 5-6 innings tops, which could mean Santiago for a guaranteed 5+ innings per week. 

 

- I still think C.J. Wilson is dealt before June 1st. 

 

For over half the season, I expect the rotation to be Richards, Weaver, Shoemaker, Heaney and Tropeano and I also expect all of them will have an ERA under 4.

[Butcher'd]

If Scioscia has Iannetta batting 9th and Hamilton batting 5th all year we're in big trouble

[beatlesrule]

I do not like BR.  It seems every article on there is written purely for the traffic the site will receive.  Maybe it's better now but I stopped going there 2 years ago.  Their NBA articles were horrendous. 

 

Not a fan of the Rotation. Yes it gets stronger when Richards get back but we still need another SP imo.

Push CJ or Santiago to the pen

 

Are you referring to Shields?  You really want a 33 year old for 5 years and like 90 million?  Are you talking about trading?  Dipoto has done a good job at getting younger and any pitcher in a trade would undue all that.  Richards should be 100% by May or so.  This team doesn't need to gut the farm for a #2 type pitcher.  I think the rotation will be able to hold their own until Richards comes back and then the depth will be better.  I am more worried about Pujols and Hamilton stinking up the joint.  That should be our real concern.

[Oz27]

With Cron likely to get the DH time against LHP, it will be interesting to see where Cowgill fits in if last year wasn't a fluke (there's a relatively high chance it was). But if he keeps doing well early on, whose playing time does he take against LHP? Calhoun or Hamilton?

 

I'm expecting that to be a major source of fan frustration, when we see plenty of ugly Hamilton whiffs while Calhoun rides the pine against LHP.

[Lou]

I do not like BR.  It seems every article on there is written purely for the traffic the site will receive.  Maybe it's better now but I stopped going there 2 years ago.  Their NBA articles were horrendous. 

 

 

BR is horrible in all facets

[nando714]

I do not like BR. It seems every article on there is written purely for the traffic the site will receive. Maybe it's better now but I stopped going there 2 years ago. Their NBA articles were horrendous.

Are you referring to Shields? You really want a 33 year old for 5 years and like 90 million? Are you talking about trading? Dipoto has done a good job at getting younger and any pitcher in a trade would undue all that. Richards should be 100% by May or so. This team doesn't need to gut the farm for a #2 type pitcher. I think the rotation will be able to hold their own until Richards comes back and then the depth will be better. I am more worried about Pujols and Hamilton stinking up the joint. That should be our real concern.

No not shields. Personally wouldn't mind Vogelsong, Kyle Kendrick. Nothing too crazy Edited January 19, 2015 by nando714

[Sherlock31]

Cron will bat DH vs LHP.  As for the rotation, from the sound of it and from what I'm hearing, Dipoto put together this team fully intending to have Tropeano and Heaney in the rotation.  

 

- I think Santiago is in the pen to protect Richards, Tropeano and Heaney mostly from the rigors of a full season. Expect to see Tropeano and Heaney on strict 90 pitch limits which should be around 5-6 innings tops, which could mean Santiago for a guaranteed 5+ innings per week. 

 

- I still think C.J. Wilson is dealt before June 1st. 

 

For over half the season, I expect the rotation to be Richards, Weaver, Shoemaker, Heaney and Tropeano and I also expect all of them will have an ERA under 4.

I don't know much about Tropeano, ERA under 4 for his first full year in the big? Is he really that good? I mean we only gave up Conger to get him....................

[Blarg]

Except that this looks exactly like what the lineup looks like if Spring Training started today.

[SoWhat]

Dipoto didn't acquire Heaney and Tropeano to be in the bullpen or sit in Triple-A, where they both have nothing to prove.

I wouldn't be surprised if they put up mid-rotation type numbers

Edited January 19, 2015 by SoWhat

[ELEVEN]

I still dont see how Cron will end up on the 25 man if he would only DH vs LHP. He's not even an adequate 1B, and the bench depth will be at a premium.

Both Green and Navarro are better fits and I dont see BOTH of them on the 25 either.

Edited January 19, 2015 by ELEVEN

[Second Base]

I don't know much about Tropeano, ERA under 4 for his first full year in the big? Is he really that good? I mean we only gave up Conger to get him....................

 

He's really under the radar.  Dipoto likes him a lot and so did Houston too, but for whatever reason they felt they needed Conger.  I know they like his pitch framing ability, but perhaps they see something in his swing that'll help him reach his full potential as sort of a switch hitting version of Iannetta but more athletic. 

 

As for Tropeano, he's a perfect example of why national scouting sites are biased toward one specific type of player.  You have to be either a 1st round selection or a highly paid Latin American sign.  You must be 23 or younger, if you're a pitcher a mid-90's fastball is required and if you're a hitter you either have to be young with power, young with speed (or both) or you simply have to be a Rangers/Yankees/Red Sox/Cardinals prospect and you're in. 

 

Nick throws in the low-90's, has one of the best change ups in the minor leagues, has a 9+ k/9, has a bb/9 of 2.7, owns a career 3.26 ERA in the minors, won the ERA title in the PCL last year with a 3.03 ERA, in a league where the average ERA is up at four and a half, has never struggled at any level of the minors or repeated, and if you look at his advanced stats, all of them indicate (RBBIP, LD%, FIP etc) this performance was 100% authentic.  

 

I will be highly surprised if Nick Tropeano isn't a at the very least a VERY good 5th starter.  I think he's much more of a #3 than most realize. He's not as flashy as Heaney because he isn't LH, isn't as young, isn't a first round pick and doesn't throw as hard, but I think for their first full year in the majors, that won't matter much.  Tropeano's a polished product. 

[QuinlansMinion]

Joyce

Trout

Calhoun

Pujols

Hamilton

Freese

Aybar

Green

Ianetta

 

 

This is what the lineup SHOULD be.  Calhoun is a slugger, not on on base guy.  He is the 2nd best hitter and needs to be hitting behind Trout.  Trout needs to be hitting 2nd no matter what, he needs to be getting as many at bats as possible, and he led the league in runs/RBI so it obviously works.  Ianetta and Joyce are good OBP guys to be hitting in front of Trout.  This lineup also is a perfect R/L balance.    

 

Weaver

Shoemaker

Richards

Wilson

Santiago

 

This is what the rotation should be.  Weaver is still the ace of the rotation.  Shoemaker was basically King Felix last year.  And Richards hasnt had any set backs.  

[disarcina]

I'd keep Calhoun in the lead off spot --- we did well with him there last year and did NOT do well when he was injured and someone else led off.

 

who's missing here?  For some reason I think Joyce is going to be a platoon guy, Hamilton will spend time at DH (as will Pujols) and someone else will be playing LF part of the time.

 

I'd keep Calhoun at lead off -- Hamilton may have be moved down the line up if he continues to have ABs like the ones he had in the 2104 post-season.........

[ELEVEN]

Joyce

Trout

Calhoun

Pujols

-------

Freese

Aybar

Green

Ianetta

 

 

This is what the lineup SHOULD be.  Calhoun is a slugger, not on on base guy.  He is the 2nd best hitter and needs to be hitting behind Trout.  Trout needs to be hitting 2nd no matter what, he needs to be getting as many at bats as possible, and he led the league in runs/RBI so it obviously works.  Ianetta and Joyce are good OBP guys to be hitting in front of Trout.  This lineup also is a perfect R/L balance.    

 

Weaver

Shoemaker

Richards

_--------

Santiago

 

This is what the rotation should be.  Weaver is still the ace of the rotation.  Shoemaker was basically King Felix last year.  And Richards hasnt had any set backs.  

I agree

[disarcina]

I think Cowgill will get some playing time to spell Hamilton in LF and this could affect Joyce's playing time.

 

Rutledge is probably the starting 2B right now UNLESS Green really comes on in ST.......I think Green's D will limit his ability to be a starting MIF -- he may spend more time spelling Freese at 3B.

 

Heaney will be given every chance to be the fifth starter over Santiago.......I also think J. Alvarez may be able to win a rotation spot with a strong ST.

 

I would leave Calhoun in the lead off spot.......go back and check the 2014 game results -- the Halos did better when Calhoun led off.

[QuinlansMinion]

I'd keep Calhoun in the lead off spot --- we did well with him there last year and did NOT do well when he was injured and someone else led off.

 

who's missing here?  For some reason I think Joyce is going to be a platoon guy, Hamilton will spend time at DH (as will Pujols) and someone else will be playing LF part of the time.

 

I'd keep Calhoun at lead off -- Hamilton may have be moved down the line up if he continues to have ABs like the ones he had in the 2104 post-season.........

 

We did well because we had the guy who led the league in runs scored and RBI.  Calhouns slugging % compared to his OBP indicate hes better off batting 3rd than leadoff.  He was batting leadoff last year because there were no other options, but he doesnt belong there.