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

[Docwaukee]

so we go all in now and when 2020 rolls around and Trout is ready to extend his contract or become a free agent he looks around and sees a bunch of bloated overpaid 39 year old guys and no farm system.  

 

Let's continue to improve the farm, trade older players for younger ones, and get out from under Hamilton money.  Then after 2017, they can add a couple of big pieces via free agency that will still be good when Trout is set to hit free agency.  He'll see a strong farm, a rotation all in their 20's and the payroll flexibility to add more pieces as well as extend him to a monster deal.  

 

We'll get on a roll soon and catch the Astros by the ASB.  They will fold like a cheap chair and we will battle for the division with Seattle.  

[HeavenlyHalos]

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

 

Torii Hunter and Bartolo Colon. CJ Wilson hasn't been terrible either. Since mp said all free agents, rather than high-priced ones, throw Joe Smith and Scott Downs in there too.  

[Angelfaninidaho]

Going all in would have meant signing Nelson Cruz and James Shields this year.  It means signing Houston Street now.  Going all in also means trading any two pitchers not named Garrett Richards for Nolan Arenado.  The first options are too late, the second should happen now and the third is a pipe dream. 

[Ray McKigney]

Torii Hunter and Bartolo Colon. CJ Wilson hasn't been terrible either. Since mp said all free agents, rather than high-priced ones, throw Joe Smith and Scott Downs in there too.  

 

Forgot about Torii. Duh.

Edited May 5, 2015 by Ray McKigney

[Angelfaninidaho]

How about Charlie Blackmon and Nolan Arenado for Newcomb, Iannetta and Green.  That's all in.

[mulwin444]

Torii Hunter and Bartolo Colon. CJ Wilson hasn't been terrible either. Since mp said all free agents, rather than high-priced ones, throw Joe Smith and Scott Downs in there too.  

Bartolo had 1 good season in 4...he was a waste of money

[CaliAngel]

I think what really gets my goat is this organization insists on holding on to, overpaying, and putting lackluster players on the field day in and day out, then doesn't bother to hold on to cheap talent when it has it. Of course there are exceptions, and my examples are far and few between, but some simple changes I think could really make a difference, not to mention it would be CHEAPER to hold on to the home grown talent than hit the FA Market and gamble.

 

-Insisting on playing Iannetta who is not much better than Mathis defensively, then compounding the situation by letting Conger go

-Letting Kendrick, a proven major league 2nd baseman and average hitter go

-Signing Hamilton to a ridiculous contract, while letting Bourjos leave for Freese is not better than Callaspo

-Playing Mathis, benching then letting go of Napoli

-No problem signing Wells and Hamilton to ridiculous contracts, yet they still haven't signed Street

 

These are just things off the top of my head, and while you could argue the later may not be much better, look where we are now and I can tell you if we would have kept some of these guys I feel like we would be better off as a team both financially and talent wise.

 

[HeavenlyHalos]

Bartolo had 1 good season in 4...he was a waste of money

 

Holy crap, you are correct. I thought his first season was pretty good, but that was just his record being 18-12, his ERA+ was 89, and under 100 in 3 of the 4 seasons. My bad, he wasn't very good with us at all.

Edited May 5, 2015 by HeavenlyHalos

[beatlesrule]

They traded for Wells.

[CaliAngel]

Irrelevant.

 

All that matters is they decided to pay him.

[Jeff Fletcher]

As for the Giants thing, I covered them during the Bonds years. They did go all-in. They constantly made trades and sacrificed the farm system in the interest of winning now.

They were contenders just about every year from 97-04. Went to the playoffs in 97, 00, 02, 03, knocked out in the last weekend (or game 163) in 98, 01 and 04.

Then the farm system was so empty that they ended up sucking in 05-06-07. Those bad teams netted them high first round picks which they converted to Lincecum, Bumgarner, Posey.

Anyway, back to your Angels discussion....

[beatlesrule]

The Giants could have signed Vlad to protect Bonds.  They didn't sign any big free agents that I can recall.  If they did, none protected Bonds.  I can't remember all the FA available while Bonds was juicing and breaking records but I don't remember them signing all the good free agents to surround Bonds. The trades they made obviously were for the wrong people.  I will try to google all the players they traded away and the players they got back.

[HeavenlyHalos]

Okay, but the Angels have signed those big FA bats, only to see it completely backfire on them.

[mp170.6]

I think what really gets my goat is this organization insists on holding on to, overpaying, and putting lackluster players on the field day in and day out, then doesn't bother to hold on to cheap talent when it has it. Of course there are exceptions, and my examples are far and few between, but some simple changes I think could really make a difference, not to mention it would be CHEAPER to hold on to the home grown talent than hit the FA Market and gamble.

 

-Insisting on playing Iannetta who is not much better than Mathis defensively, then compounding the situation by letting Conger go

-Letting Kendrick, a proven major league 2nd baseman and average hitter go

-Signing Hamilton to a ridiculous contract, while letting Bourjos leave for Freese is not better than Callaspo

-Playing Mathis, benching then letting go of Napoli

-No problem signing Wells and Hamilton to ridiculous contracts, yet they still haven't signed Street

 

The catcher fiasco falls squarely on Scioscia's shoulders.  His micromanagement and playing favorites resulted in Napoli leaving town and Conger's potential being destroyed, all because of Scioscia's fetish for Jeff Mathis. 

 

Had Conger been given consistent playing time, he could have been so much more. 

[Ray McKigney]

The catcher fiasco falls squarely on Scioscia's shoulders.  His micromanagement and playing favorites resulted in Napoli leaving town and Conger's potential being destroyed, all because of Scioscia's fetish for Jeff Mathis. 

 

Had Conger been given consistent playing time, he could have been so much more. 

 

[beatlesrule]

Scioscia didn't like Congers game I guess.  When you have a former catcher as your manager who is stubborn, you are gonna have a hard time making him happy.

[beatlesrule]

Okay, but the Angels have signed those big FA bats, only to see it completely backfire on them.

 

Again, all 32 and over with most having numbers in decline. I don't think anyone here saw Pujols declining as fast as he has but he is no protection for Trout and so far, the Angels aren't doing anything to address that.

[HeavenlyHalos]

Irregardless (that's for Soto), they did sign the best available free agent hitters though to try and protect Trout. It has failed miserably, in part due to age sure, but it's not like they haven't tried.

[ten ocho recon scout]

still gets there faster than cowgill...

[beatlesrule]

Again, signing guys 32 and over doesn't constitute as doing your best. I realize a lot of players don't hit FA until their 30's but why sign them to long term deals? Why not trade for younger players during their prime? Vernon Wells was 32 when they traded for him. Maybe that was all on Arte but he could have gotten a younger hitter. I just really don't want Trouts prime years going to waste.

[Lou]

teams don't realy like trading away good, young talent

[Lou]

Scioscia didn't like Congers game I guess.  When you have a former catcher as your manager who is stubborn, you are gonna have a hard time making him happy.

Conger sucked

[Lou]

Trout was surrounded by good enough players last year that resulted in us leading mlb in runs scored (and wins)

i love AW

[beatlesrule]

I already recognized that. That 98 win season was followed by getting swept do in large part to an inability to score runs. How about the first 2 years Trout was here?

[beatlesrule]

Conger sucked

Is that why Dipoto was able to get a starting pitcher and catcher that hit a walk off hr last night for him?