Shouldn't the Angels be going all in while they have Mike Trout?

[beatlesrule]

It has always boggled my mind that the Giants didn't put more talent around Bonds.  They wasted his time there IMO.  Don't you think the Angels should be surrounding Trout with as much talent as possible?  Trout is a once in a generation player and the Angels have him.  IMO, they have got to try to do whatever they can to assemble the best team possible. Right off the bat, the fact that he isn't hitting 3rd defies logic.  Do you think the Angels ORG is doing everything they can to maximize the time they have with Trout? So far, I don't think they are.

[Taylor]

How do you suggest they do that? Who should they have pursued during this past off-season that they didn't?

[Cdaniel]

My brother and I go back and forth on this all the time. He points out that Dodgers aren't afraid to spend money to get the best available talent. He thinks Arte should blow pass the tax to put the best team on the field. I get his point but I also get building for the future and not putting the org in a position to where we are strapped by contracts.

[Taylor]

My brother and I go back and forth on this all the time. He points out that Dodgers aren't afraid to spend money to get the best available talent. He thinks Arte should blow pass the tax to put the best team on the field. I get his point but I also get building for the future and not putting the org in a position to where we are strapped by contracts.

 

Apparently your brother hasn't been paying attention since 2012.

[Cdaniel]

Apparently your brother hasn't been paying attention since 2012.

When did we blow past the tax since 2012?

[Justabitoutside]

Whether it was wise or not has been discussed over and over, but 375 million to two players tells me they tried to go all in.

[Cdaniel]

We signed Pujols and CJ before the emergence of Trout. We signed Hamilton to go all in and it didn't work out. So what's the answer? Do we do a minor rebuild or throw more money at another FA next year?

[CaliAngel]

This organization tries, but ends up making bad decisions that make us scratch our head, or gets screwed by decisions when it comes to acquiring talent rather than growing it. Two of our best players right now came through the system.

There's some kind of vortex or Native American curse on the property that relinquishes talent from players once they get here. Some of the guys I see come up or see on the field really fill me with disbelief in regards to how the hell the team thought the guy has talent.

They just need to make better decisions instead of jumping the gun.

[Cdaniel]

This organization tries, but ends up making bad decisions that make us scratch our head, or gets screwed by decisions when it comes to acquiring talent rather than growing it. Two of our best players right now came through the system.

There's some kind of vortex or Native American curse on the property that relinquishes talent from players once they get here. Some of the guys I see come up or see on the field really fill me with disbelief in regards to how the hell the team thought the guy has talent.

They just need to make better decisions instead of jumping the gun.

I agree with this and I don't know if throwing more money at the problem solves anything. At the same time we've spent so much already and I think we are close and just missing a piece that we should go all in.

[Angel Oracle]

Arte is pretty bad at due diligence, it seems.

There is definately some Jerry Jones in him.

Edited May 5, 2015 by Angel Oracle

[Blarg]

Hamilton was an all in to support the offense acquisition and it all went down the drain. There are only so many options in the off season and the assumption was Hamilton was going to rededicate himself to being in shape. By the time the whole drug use blew up the free agent pool was pretty much tapped out. Oh well, maybe something at the trade deadline now.

 

Look, three teams in the AL West that were supposed to lead the division are tied up with the same record which is well below .500. The division is being led by a team that struggled for 70 wins last season, so what do you guys really think is going to transpire in the next three months?

[Angel Oracle]

We are fortunate that the M's and A's have also tanked so far.

[Troutstanding]

...Right off the bat, the fact that he isn't hitting 3rd defies logic...

Not everybody believes your best hitter should bat third. 

[70runner]

Not everybody believes your best hitter should bat third. 

 

Some do tho.  Detroit/Cabrera, Arizona/Goldschmidt, St Louis/Holliday, Dodgers/Gonzo to name a few.  In a lot of cases they put OBP guys in front of them to maximize the RISP opportunities for their best hitter, at least in the first inning. I've never subscribed to the notion that placing your best hitter, perhaps the best in MLB, 2nd is particularly brilliant. 

 

Having said that, it isn't what's wrong with this offense.  It relies on too many old, slow veterans.  Past Calhoun & Trout, a lineup lacking athleticism and speed.  So they need hits to advance runners and it ain't happening, especially at the back of the lineup where there are mostly outs walking to the plate.

 

Trout is tied for 9th in MLB BBs and will continue to climb with Pujols behind him, effectively neutralizing the most potent offensive weapon. 

 

Gia - Aybar - Trout - Calhoun - Pujols (if you must) - etc. 

Edited May 5, 2015 by 70runner

[Hollyw00d]

They've tried to go all in, this is the result

[beatlesrule]

That's pretty much my point.  There really isn't a reason to pitch to Trout with the declining Pujols hitting after him.  It's also why Trout needs to start stealing a lot more when Pujols is up.  I really hope this is the last year with this current crop of players.  Yes, they won 98 games last year and then were promptly swept.  I just expect more with a team that has Trout is all.  I am not just referring to players only.  Go out and get the best scouts/managers/etc.  Basically, go all in with every facet of the team for as long as Trout is an Angel and performing at this level.

[beatlesrule]

They've tried to go all in, this is the result

 

Signing guys that are 32 and over is not going all in.

[Hollyw00d]

Signing guys that are 32 and over is not going all in.

For the Angels, it is. They burned 375 million on two former Mvps.

Key word being former. This organization has a long history of paying players for past accomplishments and watching them go on permanent vacation once they get here

[halomatt]

 Right off the bat, the fact that he isn't hitting 3rd defies logic. 

I do not think this word means what you think it means. 

[Chuck]

For the Giants last few World Series Championships, they not only didn't have a Mike Trout caliber player, their overall team on paper was average at best.

 

That said, they pitched well, they played good D and they had timely hitting. 

[mp170.6]

They need to figure out why virtually all free agents are a bust when signing with the Angels.  Since the team changed hands in 2003, the only two constants are Moreno and Scioscia and that might be the problem. 

 

The players are all different, the hitting, pitching, and bench coaches are different, the GM is different, and yet, we see over and over the sudden erosion of all talent once a player puts on an Angels uniform. 

[Ray McKigney]

Vlad wasn't a bust. Hard to think of another though. 

[CaliAngel]

You could have Valdy bat knee deep in an alligator infested swamp with bullets whizzing by his head and he'd still mash the crap out of the ball if it was anywhere within his reach.

 

Even THIS organization couldn't eff Valdy up.

[OregonLAA]

For the Giants last few World Series Championships, they not only didn't have a Mike Trout caliber player, their overall team on paper was average at best.

That said, they pitched well, they played good D and they had timely hitting.

They've also acquired washed up veterans who have blown up during the pkayoffs. Scutaro, Ishikawa, Ross to name a few. It's pretty annoying to watch. Last year's championship was a joke IMO

[mp170.6]

You guys are right, there are a handful of exceptions.  Vlad, Torii Hunter are a couple.

 

I don't understand why teams like St. Louis have a reputation for signing washed up players and making them excel (overachieve?) once again.  The Angels do just the opposite.  Signing with the Angels is pretty much career suicide.