The case for Shoemaker

[Inside Pitch]

Taylor Blake Ward â€@TaylorBlakeWard  7h7 hours ago

Matt Shoemaker by date: July 21, 2014 : 4.54 ERA, 1.298 WHIP July 21, 2015 : 4.54 ERA, 1.268 WHIP hana hau for Shoemaker #Angels

 

Shoemaker started the day last year with the same ERA as the one he ended with this year.  It would suck to take him out of the rotation and see him go on a similar tear.

As a side note, maybe it's time Shoemaker adjust his offseason so he doesn't lose 30-40 pounds....

Edited July 22, 2015 by Inside Pitch

[wopphil]

The case for Shoemaker can quite easily be made by looking at his last ten starts.

Sadly, from a purely baseball standpoint, the odd man out should be Weaver.

It probably makes sense to just keep this rotation in tact now and move a guy or two in the off-season.

Edited July 22, 2015 by wopphil

[JoJo26]

Sadly, from a purely baseball standpoint, the odd man out should be Weaver.

 

[Jimmag]

I sure hope the shoe fits. This is a good problem to have.

[fan_since79]

Why not a six-man rotation, and Shoe can also work an inning or two in relief if needed between starts?

[CanadianHalo]

At the end of the day I would feel much more confident handing the ball to Shoe in a playoff game than I would CJ.

[Chris]

time to call up Tropeano and go with the good ol' 7 man rotation

[Angel Oracle]

Time to trade Nibs?

Two lefties (Santiago and Heaney) is enough.

Either that or put him back in his old role through 2009, the pen.

Edited July 22, 2015 by Angel Oracle

[DMVol]

Time to trade Nibs?

Two lefties (Santiago and Heaney) is enough.

Either that or put him back in his old role through 2009, the pen.

I don't think Alden Gonzales threw out that we are looking to trade CJ without some basis for it....probably won't happen but it makes some sense....it's not an easy call but if somebody is willing to take on the rest of his contract, it makes sense...for this year and particularly next year--frees up some money....and Skaggs makes a crowded rotation even more crowded...

[fan_since79]

Wilson for Ethier would fill a pressing need for both the Dodgers and the Angels.

[DMVol]

Wilson for Ethier would fill a pressing need for both the Dodgers and the Angels.

But if you buy into Alden Gonzales' story, that doesn't free up any money....Ethier is owed more money than CJ....

[wopphil]

What a great "problem" to have. And next year, you can add Skaggs and Tropeano to the mix.

[zenmaster]

I don't see how Weaver get's back into this rotation with the way we've been playing and our starters have been performing. It sucks because it's Weaver, but we don't need him right now as a starter. Or let's deal for a bat and he can be the 5th.

[Turd Ferguson]

Now would be a great time to trade Shoe.

[laagamer]

I don't think we have to get rid of anyone. Jered was injured. He deserves a chance to redeem himself if he's healthy.

Someone moves to the BP. My money is on Shoe. But it really doesn't matter. Whoever doesn't work out first will be replaced with the latter.

I think this team is fine right now, though an extra arm or bat wouldn't be a bad thing for the right price.

Honestly, I think our bench is a liability at this point. We could use a decent bat/glove off the bench.

[Angel Oracle]

But if you buy into Alden Gonzales' story, that doesn't free up any money....Ethier is owed more money than CJ....

Except that acquiring Ethier would solve a need through 2017. 

We could get the Raviners to send about $10 million to us to even out the money owed to both players.

 

Richards, Santiago, Shoe (rock solid in his past 9 starts), Heaney, and Weaver (month of rest helping him greatly)

Street, Smith, Gott, Ramos, Salas (resurgence), Rasmus, and Alvarez in the pen = no need to move Shoe to the pen.

Edited July 22, 2015 by Angel Oracle

[Chris]

oh yeah Skaggs

 

in 2016 we can unveil our 8 man rotation:  Richards, Heaney, Santiago, Wilson, Weaver, Shoemaker, Tropeano, Skaggs

[zenmaster]

oh yeah Skaggs

 

in 2016 we can unveil our 8 man rotation:  Richards, Heaney, Santiago, Wilson, Weaver, Shoemaker, Tropeano, Skaggs

 

Maybe Newcomb will be ready too? Our guys will only need to start once per month!

[Homebrewer]

Ex aces move to other roles all the time. Case in point would be Lincecum, who has been back and forth from the pen for a couple- 3 years, as needed. Comparing Lincecum and Weaver is probably fair, but Bochy and Scioscia are too far apart to even mention together.

When Weave says he is ready, he will be back at the top of the rotation....no matter who actually deserves to be there.

Edited July 22, 2015 by Homebrewer

[DMVol]

Except that acquiring Ethier would solve a need through 2017. 

We could get the Raviners to send about $10 million to us to even out the money owed to both players.

Richards, Santiago, Shoe (rock solid in his past 9 starts), Heaney, and Weaver (month of rest helping him greatly)

Street, Smith, Gott, Ramos, Salas (resurgence), Rasmus, and Alvarez in the pen = no need to move Shoe to the pen.

Not endorsing or dismissing the idea....but, again, if the goal is to "free up salary space", as Alden Gonzales said, you don't do CJ for Ethier.....or anybody else where you're taking back as much or more money....

[Second Base]

Throwing out current injury, out best pitchers rank as follows:

1. Richards 2. Heaney 3. Wilson 4. Skaggs 5. Santiago 6. Shoemaker 7. Tropeano 8. Weaver.

Let that soak in for a minute.

Even with Skaggs rehabbing and CJ being dealt, Weaver still wouldn't belong in this rotation. We can't cling to the past right now when this is a youth driven game. Make the hard move that needs to be made. Keep Weaver around in a long relief role unless he shows he can't hack it, in which case, give him a tear-filled goodbye.

Next year, this rotation should probably be Richards, Heaney, Skaggs, Santiago and Tropeano, with Newcomb and Ellis coming in late.

In my mind, that means in the offseason, Wilson, Weav and possibly Shoe need to be made available.

[fan_since79]

Carl Crawford has just been activated from the DL (he's played only 16 games this year), so it might be easier for the Dodgers to let Ethier go. He's having a good year though. A tough call. Can L.A. obtain in pitching what they would lost in offense?

[QuinlansMinion]

Skaggs is not coming back to this rotation. You dont come back from a season ending injury and expect a spot to be waiting for you in a rotation like this. He will have to earn that spot. It wasnt like he was pitching all that great when he went down. If I recall his ERA was right around 4.

[ScottT]

Santiago has to rank ahead of Skaggs and Wilson at this point.  Not that I think he will end the season with a 2.30 ERA, but Wilson's been mediocre and Skaggs hasn't proven a thing at the major league level.  

 

I agree with Weaver at #8, though.

[Angelfaninidaho]

Skaggs isn't even in the conversation right now.  I hope he's the 2nd coming of Nolan Ryan "someday", but if we can get a LF bat for him or Tropeano today we should do it.  All we need is Newcomb to be as good or better than Trop and/or Skaggs, which is entirely possible, and we are golden now and in the future.