In Eppler we trust?

[Docwaukee]

So this is a much different offseason than I have expected it to be.  I am used to Halo GM's of recent past go hard and fast to shore up holes and spend money.  Yet by and large, that approach hasn't really worked out well.  Especially on the big name free agent side of things.

 

From what I have heard, Eppler is a patient guy.  He went aggressively after Simmons which was a surprise.  Even though I wasn't a huge fan of the trade, I understood adding a young high value player that fits the 5yr window.  The Escobar deal fits into that as well although it doesn't make as much sense if you aren't going to truly complete the team for 2016.  

 

There is a boat load of talent left on the board and the further along we get, the more the candidates to pick these guys up will dwindle.  

 

So instead of the plan being murky and inconsistent, maybe it just seems that way to this point because it's not done.  

 

We don't know Eppler's style, but I think we owe him at least one entire off season to see what he's made of.  Not expecting him to repair the entire franchise in one year, but let's just see how he operates.  We all see the obvious.  We still have holes to fill.  Of course he see it as well. 

 

If he is going to fix this team the way we think he should, then he is playing this right.  If, by the start of spring, the team hasn't further improved, then I will grab a pitchfork.  For now, we need to trust this guy.  Let it play out.  We might be able to get even more talent that originally anticipated as prices drop and players get antsy to get paid.  

[tdawg87]

Not a whole lot Eppler can do if his owner handcuffs him because his butt is still sore from the HamSlam.

[Docwaukee]

Not a whole lot Eppler can do if his owner handcuffs him because his butt is still sore from the HamSlam.

i am getting the feeling that they are playing this purposefully.  Look at the facts

 

He goes hard after a high value 26yo who is entering his prime to replace a position that wasn't an immediate need.  

He trades a young reliever for a stop gap 3bman/inf who has 1yr and an option left

He watches as the cost of pitching skyrockets out of control and just lets the market do what it does

His owner comes out and makes very specific comments about spending.  Not 'we won't spend absolutely' or 'we are absolutely done' but 'if I had to decide right now, we would be done'  

Previous regimes with Arte's help have gone hard after one guy and it hasn't worked out

The FA pool at the spot where we need the most help is the deepest it's going to be for a long time.  

Eppler knows this as do other teams.  So they are waiting for us to make our move, but any one of those players could help so why pursue just one.  

 

Eppler sees what we see.  He has to.  Arte sees it too.  He has to.  

 

We have to have a little more faith that Eppler and Arte aren't idiots.  Doing nothing more to open the season would make them that.  If that happens, I will gladly get on the hate bandwagon.  But for now, if the play is to slow roll this and get the best deal possible, it's a really really smart move.  Really smart.  

[2112]

I think that Eppler needs to have time, much more time. There is a lot of issues that need to be taken care of with this organization. I wonder if Stoneman was sick to his stomach seeing how thrashed the Angels have become.

Do players still want to come here?

[Redondo]

I'm going to wait until spring training starts to pass judgement.

 

Eppler might just be bluffing right now and waiting for the correct time to make his moves. And still moves could be made during ST before the season starts.

[eligrba]

So this is a much different offseason than I have expected it to be.  I am used to Halo GM's of recent past go hard and fast to shore up holes and spend money.  Yet by and large, that approach hasn't really worked out well.  Especially on the big name free agent side of things.

 

From what I have heard, Eppler is a patient guy.  He went aggressively after Simmons which was a surprise.  Even though I wasn't a huge fan of the trade, I understood adding a young high value player that fits the 5yr window.  The Escobar deal fits into that as well although it doesn't make as much sense if you aren't going to truly complete the team for 2016.  

 

There is a boat load of talent left on the board and the further along we get, the more the candidates to pick these guys up will dwindle.  

 

So instead of the plan being murky and inconsistent, maybe it just seems that way to this point because it's not done.  

 

We don't know Eppler's style, but I think we owe him at least one entire off season to see what he's made of.  Not expecting him to repair the entire franchise in one year, but let's just see how he operates.  We all see the obvious.  We still have holes to fill.  Of course he see it as well. 

 

If he is going to fix this team the way we think he should, then he is playing this right.  If, by the start of spring, the team hasn't further improved, then I will grab a pitchfork.  For now, we need to trust this guy.  Let it play out.  We might be able to get even more talent that originally anticipated as prices drop and players get antsy to get paid.  

 

Totally agree.

 

I am just not accustomed to a GM being patient so it feels foreign to me.

[seenoevil]

I would trust TrollDaddy before Eppler

[Docwaukee]

Totally agree.

 

I am just not accustomed to a GM being patient so it feels foreign to me.

It's calculated patience.  He went hard and fast after Simmons because he saw an opportunity.  Now he sees an opportunity to lie in the weeds.  He will strike when the time is right.  If he doesn't, I'll eat crow, but I think this is gonna turn out to work in our favor.  

[Second Base]

For the offseason is dark and full of terrors....

 

Spring Training needs to start.  Going a little insane. 

[Troll Daddy]

I like this thread

[Blarg]

There is a big drop off from the Superstar money these guys want and what they should be paid for the kind of players they are. Wrap your heads around this, Calhoun did not have a particularly good year, his OBP barely scratched .300. But if you take a look his fWAR was 3.8, Upton's was 3.6, Gordon was 2.8.

 

Now can you see the hesitancy of all MLB owners to take their time and see if they can negotiate more reasonable deals? 

[IEAngelsfan]

I agree.

 

I'm keeping my torch and pitchfork in the shed until the season starts.

[tdawg87]

There is a big drop off from the Superstar money these guys want and what they should be paid for the kind of players they are. Wrap your heads around this, Calhoun did not have a particularly good year, his OBP barely scratched .300. But if you take a look his fWAR was 3.8, Upton's was 3.6, Gordon was 2.8.

 

Now can you see the hesitancy of all MLB owners to take their time and see if they can negotiate more reasonable deals? 

 

I'm pretty sure anyone here would gladly take another Calhoun on the team. We sure as hell aren't getting one from our farm system any time soon.

[Redondo]

There is a big drop off from the Superstar money these guys want and what they should be paid for the kind of players they are. Wrap your heads around this, Calhoun did not have a particularly good year, his OBP barely scratched .300. But if you take a look his fWAR was 3.8, Upton's was 3.6, Gordon was 2.8.

 

Now can you see the hesitancy of all MLB owners to take their time and see if they can negotiate more reasonable deals? 

 

Makes sense to me.

[Inside Pitch]

So this is a much different offseason than I have expected it to be.  I am used to Halo GM's of recent past go hard and fast to shore up holes and spend money.  Yet by and large, that approach hasn't really worked out well.  Especially on the big name free agent side of things.

 

From what I have heard, Eppler is a patient guy.  He went aggressively after Simmons which was a surprise.  Even though I wasn't a huge fan of the trade, I understood adding a young high value player that fits the 5yr window.  The Escobar deal fits into that as well although it doesn't make as much sense if you aren't going to truly complete the team for 2016.  

 

There is a boat load of talent left on the board and the further along we get, the more the candidates to pick these guys up will dwindle.  

 

So instead of the plan being murky and inconsistent, maybe it just seems that way to this point because it's not done.  

 

We don't know Eppler's style, but I think we owe him at least one entire off season to see what he's made of.  Not expecting him to repair the entire franchise in one year, but let's just see how he operates.  We all see the obvious.  We still have holes to fill.  Of course he see it as well. 

 

If he is going to fix this team the way we think he should, then he is playing this right.  If, by the start of spring, the team hasn't further improved, then I will grab a pitchfork.  For now, we need to trust this guy.  Let it play out.  We might be able to get even more talent that originally anticipated as prices drop and players get antsy to get paid.  

 

All those excuses that people gave Jerry, the meddlesome owner, the bad farm system, the being stuck financially -- most of it was overplayed by people swooning over Jerry..   Well, four years later... the team on the field is arguably worse...  the farm system is definitely in worse shape, the budget is significantly tighter, and the owner who had always been willing to roll the dice and spend money is suddenly gunshy.  

 

Eppler deserves a lot more patience than he's being given by some...   

[Inside Pitch]

Totally agree.

 

I am just not accustomed to a GM being patient so it feels foreign to me.

 

Bill Stoneman?   That guy could wait out the resurrection. 

[tdawg87]

I'm pretty sure Stoneman is a timelord

[Vegas Halo Fan]

I'm not sure that Eppler "went hard" after Simmons. As I understand it, the Braves initiated the discussions, and since we had trade pieces that Atlanta was interested in and Simmons is young and is the premier defensive player in the game at his position, he pulled the trigger on the deal. We were going to need a SS after 2016 anyway, and it filled an anticipated need with a better player than we would have gotten had we waited another year. This move was ahead of the game instead of a panic move because we needed a player at that position now.

 

Until I see differently, I will give Eppler the benefit of the doubt and give him credit for letting the market come to him on the remaining FA instead of throwing out boatloads of cash early on to secure a player who we could have had for less had we just waited.

Edited January 2, 2016 by Vegas Halo Fan

[eligrba]

Stoneman was more inert than patient. I never had any expectations with Stoneman (always thought he was aptly named).

[Inside Pitch]

Stoneman was more inert than patient. I never had any expectations with Stoneman (always thought he was aptly named).

 

If you can call rebuilding an entire farm system, building baseball academies in two countries, and acquiring 5 players who would factor into the WS winning team within a year of taking over as inert ...  Sure...   I mean -- all that stuff happened without him doing any of it.  

  

Dude was stingy with his farm system, but if there was one person most responsible for having turned this franchise around it was Bill Stoneman.   But you go ahead and act as if he wasn't the best GM this franchise has ever had.

Edited January 2, 2016 by Inside Pitch

[Troll Daddy]

There is a big drop off from the Superstar money these guys want and what they should be paid for the kind of players they are. Wrap your heads around this, Calhoun did not have a particularly good year, his OBP barely scratched .300. But if you take a look his fWAR was 3.8, Upton's was 3.6, Gordon was 2.8.

Now can you see the hesitancy of all MLB owners to take their time and see if they can negotiate more reasonable deals?

Looking at WAR for Calhoun. vs Gordon

Shaking head wtf

Edited January 2, 2016 by Troll Daddy

[eligrba]

OK, I will.

 

Stoneman did little..........others scouted, drafted and developed the farm system.  Stoneman simply hoarded prospects.  We can review all of the trades that should have happened while Stoneman was GM, but,.....

 

May I go to the bathroom?

[Ohtaniland]

The offseason is not over but it's gone as planned. Arte is not going to sign anyone that takes him over the luxury tax. He may decide to sign Gordon, Upton or Cespedes to a short term deal but only if they move Wilson's contract first.

[Redondo]

The offseason is not over but it's gone as planned. Arte is not going to sign anyone that takes him over the luxury tax. He may decide to sign Gordon, Upton or Cespedes to a short term deal but only if they move Wilson's contract first.

 

Question is what kind of value can we get with CJ coming back from injury and other teams haven't been able to see him throw?

[AngelsLakersFan]

So this is a much different offseason than I have expected it to be.  I am used to Halo GM's of recent past go hard and fast to shore up holes and spend money.  Yet by and large, that approach hasn't really worked out well.  Especially on the big name free agent side of things.

 

From what I have heard, Eppler is a patient guy.  He went aggressively after Simmons which was a surprise.  Even though I wasn't a huge fan of the trade, I understood adding a young high value player that fits the 5yr window.  The Escobar deal fits into that as well although it doesn't make as much sense if you aren't going to truly complete the team for 2016.  

 

There is a boat load of talent left on the board and the further along we get, the more the candidates to pick these guys up will dwindle.  

 

So instead of the plan being murky and inconsistent, maybe it just seems that way to this point because it's not done.  

 

We don't know Eppler's style, but I think we owe him at least one entire off season to see what he's made of.  Not expecting him to repair the entire franchise in one year, but let's just see how he operates.  We all see the obvious.  We still have holes to fill.  Of course he see it as well. 

 

If he is going to fix this team the way we think he should, then he is playing this right.  If, by the start of spring, the team hasn't further improved, then I will grab a pitchfork.  For now, we need to trust this guy.  Let it play out.  We might be able to get even more talent that originally anticipated as prices drop and players get antsy to get paid.  

 

Honestly, Eppler jumped right in and made a great move to get Simmons. It's a move I would've made if given the opportunity myself. He hadn't had the job very long, and his next move was to start talking to the top tier left field options. Next thing you know Arte is in the paper saying he isn't going to spend. 

 

Depoto walked off the job after years of Moreno over stepping. I'm sure Eppler is getting his first taste of that now. Moreno wanted Pujols and Hamilton and he got them. He's not feeling so generous this offseason. No matter how much it may make sense to spend, and how much Eppler wants to spend, he still needs to get the OK from the big boss. He has yet to get that OK it would seem, and that is why we have seen such a schizophrenic offseason thus far.