Orange County Register: Angels Notes: Arte Moreno willing to exceed luxury tax threshold

[Inside Pitch]

It almost seems like Scioscia is expecting Eppler to make changes that they might not be in agreement with.

 

Scioscia said he isn’t yet sure if all his coaches will be returning, although he would like them to be back. “I think our major league staff is incredible, but there will always be adjustments that are made when a new GM comes in,” Scioscia said…

 

I think he was being diplomatic because had he said "F this Disar idiot", it may have upset some people...

[Vegas Halo Fan]

Excellent news. We rag on Arte a lot here, but he's a lot better than most owners out there–at least he's willing to spend money to win.

Let's just hope that he listens to his baseball people and goes for production rather than big names this time.

[ukyah]

Forget about it being Mike for a second. Don't you think a manager should have some input on a guy coming into his locker room? A GM can get a feel for a guy but I would think a manager could probably see him closer. Obviously not the stats but how he carries himself, perhaps even get a feel for the kind of team mate he is. Once again I'm not advocating giving him veto power but at the very least a voice. So if that's the case I would say Mike's people would be his coaches and for the same reason. Also all of these guys have ties to other teams through ex team mates and connections they've made over the years.

 

 

i'm actually totally against that. the manager needs to implement the strategies given to him with the tools he's given. it's been borne out thousands of times that many of mike's strategies are counter productive to scoring runs, but he's "played the game" so what do any of those suits know about baseball?

[Angels Lifer]

Can we please bring in a power arm for the bullpen. O'day is another soft tossing pitcher who relies on deception. We already have Street and Smith. Gott is our only power arm in the pen. Seems like every team has a bunch of power arms in their bullpen.

[fan_since79]

Please, Arte, spend your money wisely. No more aging veterans whose best seasons were during the Bush administration. Stop it!

[nando714]

Hot stove season champs !!

[yk9001]

If its a big money signing, he's going to flop from the start.

 

I hope iebruin brings back this thread years from now to show me I'm wrong.

[yk9001]

Please, Arte, spend your money wisely. No more aging veterans whose best seasons were during the Bush administration. Stop it!

 

If he's going after some career milestone in 2016, DO NOT SIGN HIM.

[Adam]

lol

 

Well it is either blow past the luxury tax or be a third place team for the next half-decade. If the Angels sign Span, Zobrist and a reliever they'll finish well back of Texas and Houston next year. 

[VariousCrap]

Good to hear. I always suspected his unwillingness to do so was a bit overblown.  What he probably doesn't want to do is go way over the threshold three years in a row... like the Dodgers.  They are paying a crazy amount in tax.

 

 

They have also won their division for what, three years in a row???

Edited October 6, 2015 by VariousCrap

[VariousCrap]

If Arte actually means what he is saying here, then this is the off-season to spend.  He can do so knowing a lot of money comes off the books after the 2016 & 2017 seasons and this years crop of free agents are solid.

 

Personally, I'd like to see him sign Heyward who is a young player that will be able to give the Angels years of service.  He was 6.5 WAR player this year who plays excellent defense and steals 20+ bases a year.  I'd also like to see the Angels sign another starter and at least one bullpen arm.

 

I'm not sure what they should do for 2B and 3B.  Personally, I'd like them to keep Johnny G for 2B and just have him work on his defense and becoming a better OBP guy.  With work, I think Johnny G could become a decent lead-off hitter.

[Homebrewer]

With all the bad FA money on the books, there is no choice but for Arte to continue spending at this point (unless he wants to sit in his suite and look out at 15,000 (non-spenders) in the seats.

 

Lets just hope he takes a long vacation to Antarctica or Mars or somewhere else where he can't be tempted to meddle in the process.

[Troll Daddy]

It's good to know that the Eppler and Scioscia will collaborate on needs for the team. They'll produce a list of players that fit those needs. I have no doubt Eppler will have complete control of the process. Arte's involvement will be limited to the financial side of the process.

The Dipoto fiasco was a lesson learned.

[Jim]

One could only hope, but my money says not likely. It will be to tempting.

[AngelsLakersFan]

What exactly is "the right player?"

[totdprods]

Angels had a great run after Arte went nuts in FA for the '04 season. He signed two bats (Guerrero, Guillen) and two arms (Colon, Escobar) and for the most part, it worked out. 

 

Zobrist, Cespedes, Villanueva, Leake?

 

Also, just browsing the FA list, what about some lesser FAs such as Colby Rasmus, Dexter Fowler, Carlos Villanueva, Mike Leake, Austin Jackson, Tommy Hunter, Wei-Yin Chen....there's a bunch of solid folks out there this year.

[Homebrewer]

If this new GM can just temper Arte away from needing to sign the most expensive big name, and spred it out over a few solid players with some good seasons left...he will have done his job.

The only thing I didn't like about Dipotos time here, was that he couldn't stop Arte form needing the biggest and shiniest models on the showroom floor.

[totdprods]

It seems like it would be a good season to invest in quite a few solid FA pieces to supplement the core, and then immediately abandon FA plans for next few weak FA offseasons and concentrate on building the farm in that time-frame through scouting, drafting, international FAs. 

 

Go over the luxury tax for a year or two, spend to win, then focus entirely on building draft for when our current core starts getting old and expensive.

[mrwicked]

Excellent news. We rag on Arte a lot here, but he's a lot better than most owners out there–at least he's willing to spend money to win. 

 

agreed.

except for the "to win" part.

[gotbeer]

What exactly is "the right player?"

 

That's what I was thinking also.  Because so far, the right players he has spent on are Pujols, Hamilton, and Trout.  I guess in baseball, batting .333 is pretty good.  

[Angel Oracle]

On top of the pre-2004 FA haul, they still managed to keep their 1st round pick to select Weaver.

 

It will take a miracle to do the same thing this off-season AND keep the first round pick.

[totdprods]

On top of the pre-2004 FA haul, they still managed to keep their 1st round pick to select Weaver.

 

It will take a miracle to do the same thing this off-season AND keep the first round pick.

 

Skip the first-rounder this year coming year, sign up strong in this year's heavy FA class, go over luxury tax for a year or two, and then back away from FA next offseason or three since they look to be weak. Use that time to invest in international FAs, first-rounders, and amateur scouting. 

 

My four-year plan:

 

2016: Team built around Pujols + contract year vets + young core (Trout/Calhoun/Heaney/Richards) + several B-level FAs/big splash - spend big to win, lose the draft pick, go over tax. Last year for Weaver, Aybar, and Smith, and close to losing Street. Maybe last truly productive Pujols year. Go big. Division will only be more difficult after this year - Rangers and Astros should be competitive still, and Mariners and Athletics could come roaring back by 2017 after Oakland's rebuild and Dipoto gets some time in SEA.

 

On paper, should be a strong team ready to compete. Be prepared to supplement at deadline, possibly for rental. Hope that the '14/'15 draft classes begin to develop into upper-level talent. Draft to fill organizational needs, all levels. Little money to spend, so draft safe and unexciting, with a high-risk/reward or two thrown in.

 

2017: Team built around young core (who are now becoming expensive), Albert Pujols, and B-level FAs - still riding the 2016 strategy, maybe over tax still, and be ready to supplement at deadline again. Avoid all expensive FAs. Invest in farm, scouting, take the 1st round pick. Baldoquin limits should be coming off around then. Draft heavy on low-ceiling, high-floor college players to supplement the upper-minors and MLB team which may be starting to hemorrhage in '18-'19.

 

On paper, should be a strong team able to compete, but probably some cracks in the foundation as Albert ages and B-level FAs start to regress and core becomes expensive. 

 

2018: Team built around core (who are now in prime and in arbitration years), Old Man Pujols, and the waning years of the Great FA Splurge of 2015. Go with what we got. Hope that at this point, the future core - Newcombs, Deloachs, Smiths, Baldoquins - have graduated and '16-'17 draft classes have yielded a few role players and maybe an everyday player or two. Still avoiding FA, start spending aggressively on amateur talent and intl scouting. Deal from strength and rely on trades for needs. Possibly Scioscia's last year.

 

On paper, this should still be a solid, veteran team, highlighted by prime-Trout and a now established formerly young core.

This should be a veteran team with little roster change-up; they may be experienced and solid, they could be aging and under-performing. No one knows how careers of our young core could progress or how the '15 FA class buys will stay productive. The odds of a team-wide collapse could be likelier now, in which case, selling off vets, playing youth, and going for a Top 10 pick wouldn't be a bad thing. A soft rebuild. This ties in with the end of Scioscia's contract - it'll either be a team needing to rebuild, opening the door for a natural transition post-Scioscia, or an established vet team in which a new manager steps in to a stable clubhouse.

 

2019: Team built around core (who are now in prime and in arbitration years), Old Man Pujols, future core (Newcomb, Baldoquin, etc.) and the waning years of the Great FA Splurge of 2015. Similar plan to 2018. Hard to plan this far ahead due to 2018 possibly ending with a rebuild. If it is, sell off the vets, start leaning on the future core players. Continue spending high on drafting and scouting. If 2018 didn't end in a rebuild, should still be in good position, in which case, team can continue developing young talent, but may be able to start buying a player or two again, via trade deadline or FA.

 

On paper, this team could go either way.

 

2020 and beyond would have too many variables to really map out this time, at least with any specifics. Either way, there should be a stable plan in place based off 2018-2019 teams and strategies.

Edited October 6, 2015 by totdprods

[nate]

Forget about it being Mike for a second. Don't you think a manager should have some input on a guy coming into his locker room? A GM can get a feel for a guy but I would think a manager could probably see him closer. Obviously not the stats but how he carries himself, perhaps even get a feel for the kind of team mate he is. Once again I'm not advocating giving him veto power but at the very least a voice. So if that's the case I would say Mike's people would be his coaches and for the same reason. Also all of these guys have ties to other teams through ex team mates and connections they've made over the years.

 

GM should be in charge of the roster.  Now if the GM is between two players and wants the managers input I can see that.  But that should be it.

Edited October 6, 2015 by nate

[Guest]

agreed.

except for the "to win" part.

But his intentions are to win. Some owners don't care about winning at all–like Jeff Loria.

[Brent Maguire]

I'll believe it when I see it but this seems like the best offseason to go over the threshold. 

 

-Angels have a need for a front line starter. Price, Zimmerman, Cueto, Greinke are all FA.

 

-Angels have a need for a corner outfielder. Heyward, Upton, Cespedes, Span, Gordon are all FA.

 

-If they feel like they can improve 2B/3B, they can target Zobrist, Cabrera or Uribe. 

 

-There's even some interesting relievers to look at. Clippard, O'Day, Hunter, Villanueva are all interesting guys.

 

I'd say it's unlikely that they sign a top end starter AND one of the legit OFers. My guess is they sign one of Upton/Heyward/Cespedes and get a bounce back candidate(Fister or Latos). Sign Uribe and Clippard and suddenly this team looks closer to a 90 win team than the 80-84 team that we currently look like.