Jimenez > Callaspo?

[Redondo]

Lucho is 1-1 with a double to start today's game

[tdawg87]

I'm getting really sick and tired of posters who hammer other posters.

That more than anything destroys even a great message board.

To those who may into other posters, do you really get enjoyment out of it.

Who gave you the right to judge other posters.

Everyone has their right to express their opinions on here.

The ones guilty of laying into other posters know who they are, and fortunately it is a small minority on here.

 

AO that has nothing to do with this thread. Are you venting on shuffle right now?

[TroutField]

Never mind he made an out, I hate him.

[Angel Oracle]

Just been one if those days for me.

This was the wrong place for that post.
It needed to be made, but not here.

 

And it's deleted (by me).

[Season Over]

Small sample size, but I really like Jimenez so far.  He seems extremely confident and has made some tough plays at third.  

[Corona]

Small sample size, but I really like Jimenez so far.  He seems extremely confident and has made some tough plays at third.  

That double play he pulled in the 1st or 2nd was beautiful.

[Brent Maguire]

His approach is much better than I ever thought it would be.

[OCAngels]

If Scioscia is still Mgr in the am, Lucho sits because he had a great game. THAT'S reason134 Scioscia should be fired.

You read like a broken record, FYI.

[EDinTUSTIN]

Dang, I'm digging this kid. Looks like he's having fun out there and is swinging a good bat and playing some great D. Callaspo might lose his job of he keeps it up!

So far I have been impressed with this kid. Yeah, it is early, but I have liked what I've seen. Plays a good third base, too.

[DMVol]

Too early to tell for sure but, at the very least, we may have a 2nd good prospect at 3b in the system to go w/ Cowart...depth is a good thing....

[vlad27]

exactly... we need players in this team that play with fire and passion.

exactly - I say let him play for awhile regardless of Callaspo

[Sully151]

Does anyone really think Scioscia will replace a Vet with a rookie, even if he is outplaying the Vet?

[Docwaukee]

Does anyone really think Scioscia will replace a Vet with a rookie, even if he is outplaying the Vet?

no. 

 

unless the vet is totally crapping the bed and the rookie is playing out of his mind.  then.......no.

[Earnest Borgnine of 9]

If this keeps up, Callaspo will be trade bait, which is always good.

[seenoevil]

I can see Jimenez beat him out, unless he falls flat on his face. Some of you all think it's a crazy idea, but he isn't replacing George Brett here lol, Callaspo is a nice player, but I don't think he provides anything that is hard to replace.

[ettin]

I really like Lucho! Never really saw him play before but I love the energy and I think the rest of the team does too!

 

On a different note I like the fact that we have Alberto now with Lucho a very capable backup/replacement 3B and Kaleb trying to develop down in the minors. The overlap and the potential depth going forward has some promise. Cowart is struggling a bit to start this season but it's nice to know that we have capable talent until he develops fully (and you never know he might stumble, many others have but I hope that is not the case!).

[Hubs]

This was my big point in the offseason. I didn't understand paying $4+ M to a guy in arbitration (let alone guaranteeing a second year) when you had a capable replacement. Callaspo had an awful year in 2012, and was not under any sort of obligation payment wise as they could've non-tendered or traded him. 

 

Izturis was a free agent, and I'm sorry but I'd have rather seen them open with Izturis and Jimenez than Callaspo and Brendan Harris. 

 

They could've resigned Izturis instead of Callaspo, but Izturis was also coming off a down year. 

 

Jimenez had a really good year in AAA, but there were red flags.

 

Worst case, you say, we're going with Jimenez, and hope Cowart is ready by the end of the year if Jimenez doesn't work out or you find a guy in the trade market or someone like Bill Hall.

 

And you devote the savings to pitching. 

 

I wanted Haren and or Santana back, but they went with Joe Blanton. Joe Blanton is making 6.5 Million this year, plus a signing bonus. Callaspo makes $4.1 M.

 

Annibel Sanchez signed for $13M per season, which obviously is a bigger investment long term at 80M overall versus $25, but there were other options.

 

Kyle Lohse signed for 11M per season, for three seasons. I had doubts about Lohse in the American League, but Blanton has incurred the same doubts.

 

Lohse was at least effective in the National League. Yes he would've cost us a first round pick, but so did Josh Hamilton. So we would've lost our second round pick.

 

The difference between having Callaspo and Blanton versus Jimenez and a different FA starter like Lohse or Sanchez is pretty clear. 

[ettin]

This was my big point in the offseason. I didn't understand paying $4+ M to a guy in arbitration (let alone guaranteeing a second year) when you had a capable replacement. Callaspo had an awful year in 2012, and was not under any sort of obligation payment wise as they could've non-tendered or traded him. 

 

Izturis was a free agent, and I'm sorry but I'd have rather seen them open with Izturis and Jimenez than Callaspo and Brendan Harris. 

 

They could've resigned Izturis instead of Callaspo, but Izturis was also coming off a down year. 

 

Jimenez had a really good year in AAA, but there were red flags.

 

Worst case, you say, we're going with Jimenez, and hope Cowart is ready by the end of the year if Jimenez doesn't work out or you find a guy in the trade market or someone like Bill Hall.

 

And you devote the savings to pitching. 

 

I wanted Haren and or Santana back, but they went with Joe Blanton. Joe Blanton is making 6.5 Million this year, plus a signing bonus. Callaspo makes $4.1 M.

 

Annibel Sanchez signed for $13M per season, which obviously is a bigger investment long term at 80M overall versus $25, but there were other options.

 

Kyle Lohse signed for 11M per season, for three seasons. I had doubts about Lohse in the American League, but Blanton has incurred the same doubts.

 

Lohse was at least effective in the National League. Yes he would've cost us a first round pick, but so did Josh Hamilton. So we would've lost our second round pick.

 

The difference between having Callaspo and Blanton versus Jimenez and a different FA starter like Lohse or Sanchez is pretty clear. 

 

To address your points:

 

At $4 a year for two years you have a reliable defender who can hit for contact. Although he isn't a big bat at the hot corner he does provide enough value on defense to be worth the contract he was given in my opinion.

 

One thing that Dipoto has tried to do is build depth at every position so that if a player is injured we have a better than average replacement player to take over during the interim time that our main player is out of action. Lucho still has minor league options so it makes more sense to give Callaspo a short term contract at a reasonable price until either one of Lucho Jimenez or Kaleb Cowart becomes Major League ready. If one of the latter becomes ready sooner then we could possibly trade Callaspo, with his reasonably valued contract, to another team for a piece or pieces that could fill another area of need on our team.

 

The depth chart looks like this: Callaspo, Jimenez, Cowart.

 

Izturis wanted to play full time and he probably wouldn't have done that for the Angels.

 

Haren and Santana both had velocity drops in 2012. Velocity drops have been proven indicators that an injury exists or will happen in short order. Additionally Haren and Santan threw a lot of splitters and sliders, respectively, which also have been proven to damage a pitchers arm over a given period of time and with a given percentage of use during a season. Although the Blanton signing hasn't started off well I think that Dipoto wanted to take that chance over the clear warning signs regarding Dans and Ervins arms.

 

Anibal Sanchez would have been a potentially good signing, I agree. Lohse came off a great season but his peripheral numbers showed a completely different pitcher and I think Dipoto was wise to stay away from him. And he would have cost us a first round pick. I'd rather have a more proven, upside talent in Hamilton and lose that pick over a fringe pitcher coming off a career season.

 

$4 million per year is nothing for this club and it gives us needed depth. Callaspo is of course not the ideal player you want at 3rd but he isn't the worst one either.

[Troll Daddy]

wow, I thought everyone wanted Callaspo to bat second ? Now he's old news ... good thing MS knows better. I'm happy for the kid and I hope he can keep it up but I doubt the opponents pitching has scouted him much yet.

[stormngt]

Does anyone really think Scioscia will replace a Vet with a rookie, even if he is outplaying the Vet?

you mean like when Bourjos replaced Rivera in the outfield in 2010?????

[Brent Maguire]

Sample size FTW. Callaspo has proven he's basically an average player so lets see how Jimenez does when pitchers adjust to him and when he starts facing some real pitching. Lucas Harrel, Phil Humber and Kevin Correia aren't exactly good major league pitchers. 

[Hubs]

To address your points:

 

At $4 a year for two years you have a reliable defender who can hit for contact. Although he isn't a big bat at the hot corner he does provide enough value on defense to be worth the contract he was given in my opinion.

 

One thing that Dipoto has tried to do is build depth at every position so that if a player is injured we have a better than average replacement player to take over during the interim time that our main player is out of action. Lucho still has minor league options so it makes more sense to give Callaspo a short term contract at a reasonable price until either one of Lucho Jimenez or Kaleb Cowart becomes Major League ready. If one of the latter becomes ready sooner then we could possibly trade Callaspo, with his reasonably valued contract, to another team for a piece or pieces that could fill another area of need on our team.

 

The depth chart looks like this: Callaspo, Jimenez, Cowart.

 

Izturis wanted to play full time and he probably wouldn't have done that for the Angels.

 

Haren and Santana both had velocity drops in 2012. Velocity drops have been proven indicators that an injury exists or will happen in short order. Additionally Haren and Santan threw a lot of splitters and sliders, respectively, which also have been proven to damage a pitchers arm over a given period of time and with a given percentage of use during a season. Although the Blanton signing hasn't started off well I think that Dipoto wanted to take that chance over the clear warning signs regarding Dans and Ervins arms.

 

Anibal Sanchez would have been a potentially good signing, I agree. Lohse came off a great season but his peripheral numbers showed a completely different pitcher and I think Dipoto was wise to stay away from him. And he would have cost us a first round pick. I'd rather have a more proven, upside talent in Hamilton and lose that pick over a fringe pitcher coming off a career season.

 

$4 million per year is nothing for this club and it gives us needed depth. Callaspo is of course not the ideal player you want at 3rd but he isn't the worst one either.

To re-address the same points. 

 

Callaspo is a reliable defender, but he's not Adrian Beltre. As for hitting for contact, his average fell .30 points from 2011 high to his 2012 low. And his 2010 was pretty close to 2012. Which is the outlier? He has zero power, and not enough speed to leg out doubles.

 

Lucho is major league ready now after a successful year in AAA in 2012. He's not necessarily ready to start full time, but neither were Aybar, Sean Rodriguez, Kendrick, Callaspo, Amarista, Figgins, or any of the other infielders we've had recently. All had part time stints in their first years in Anaheim, or elsewhere, so that is what I wanted to see. Plus if you had signed Bill Hall for insurance or Luis Rodriguez, or Brendan Harris, they'd have had veteran insurance. Callapso did nothing to earn a full-time gig in 2012. 

 

And they'd have saved money they could have used to upgrade over Blanton. Plus if they had let Williams walk as well, they could have got a guy like Sanchez into the budget.

 

I also think the Hamilton deal was not in the plans, and that's why they signed Blanton. They'd have been happy going into this year with Vargas, Hanson, and Richards at the 3-4-5 spots.

 

Callaspo doesn't have any trade value right now, but maybe he would get it worked out.

[T.G.]

I think Jimenez could be some nice trade bait... just saying... the team has needs...