It's Not Just About Left Field

[Erstad Grit]

This is absurd. You can't expect Mike Trout to play out of his mind for an entire season. He had one month where he was still a solidly above average player, in no way did it sink our season. 

 

Trout hit .218 in August. I wouldn't call that an above average player. I don't hold it against him, like I said I think he was injured. However not many teams can handle losing their best player like that for a month. If you just replace that month with an average Trout month we win the West and don't need to read nonsense like "gut the team" 

[Erstad Grit]

I cannot think of one time in this teams history as a fan that it has had such obvious needs, that went utterly ignored. I not one.  Can anyone else?  On almost any team?

For me thats the big issue... a complete unwillingess to make the moves we needed in a time when it not only likely costs us one year, but 2

 

 

I remember 1999-2000 ish we had an INCREDIBLE offense and dismal starting pitching. Angels fixed it with Pat Rapp and Ismael Valdez. 

[totdprods]

I noticed almost everyone Eppler acquired is controllable through at least 2016 and 2017, if not longer. 

Personally, I still think the team will make one more significant acquisition before season starts. May not be the ideal acquisition, but it'll be somebody - Austin Jackson, Fowler, a LF or 2B via trade. I think that's being held up by the 30+ 'everyday' FAs still available, and being this close to ST, may as well get into that and see if other team's wind up needing SP and overpaying. 

 

From there, I think the plan for 2016 is to just see how it goes.

 

If the team contends, great, they did so without assuming more financial risk and Eppler and Co.'s 'proprietary metrics' become a thing. 

They collect their draft pick this summer, have most of the cast already set to return in 2017, and can focus time, energy, and money on the draft and the upcoming international period since Baldoquin limits will be expiring. 

 

If the team is just sort of middling, which I think is probably likeliest, you'll probably see them flip maybe Escobar, Smith, maybe another SP or two (depending on who was dealt earlier in year) and pull back a couple decent prospects. No blue-chippers, but some upper-level types who could make an impact. 

 

If the team is straight up tanking, I think all of the above plus one, maybe two, of Calhoun, Richards, Heaney, Street, and Skaggs come into play. The 2016 trade deadline or the 2016-2017 offseason will be far better to sell players in than it is now. That's a big reason why a full-blow rebuild right now is a silly idea. Plus, Richards and Calhoun can really improve their stock with a strong 2016. Oh hey, sets us up for a good draft pick too. 

 

All of these plans apply to the same mindset.

Shed money the next two years - Weaver, Wilson, Hamilton, Smith, Street. 

Rebuild the farm with money saved or trading off players depending on how the big-league club performs. 

 

If Mike Trout is going to make his decision whether to sign an extension or resign, making an impression in those final three years, 2018-2020, probably matters more than 2016-2017.

 

We can go into 2018 with a better farm - either by lucking out by getting by with a cheap contending team now or trading off players in scenarios mentioned above.a lighter payroll. We will also have a better idea of knowing where we need to improve - will Cron, Skaggs, Heaney, Bedrosian, Perez, Simmons, Morin, etc. establish themselves? Which current prospects will develop?

 

We are able to into the next mega-FA class with fewer commitments, a clearer idea of where we need to improve, and hopefully a better farm system that we won't need to trade from. 

 

Ballpark issues are a big variable in all this too. 

[Angelfaninidaho]

Trout was the main reason we fell apart. I still think it was a wrist injury. 

And Freese's injury, and Iannetta being Iannetta and Disarcina coaching 3rd base..  All issues that have been fixed.

[Erstad Grit]

And Freese's injury, and Iannetta being Iannetta and Disarcina coaching 3rd base..  All issues that have been fixed.

 

Great point. We were running with Iannetta and Featherston for quite a few important games. 

[Troll Daddy]

I cannot think of one time in this teams history as a fan that it has had such obvious needs, that went utterly ignored. I not one. Can anyone else? On almost any team?

For me thats the big issue... a complete unwillingess to make the moves we needed in a time when it not only likely costs us one year, but 2

By all accounts the FO isn't ignoring our LF situation. Nava/Gentry are a fallback option if nothing gets done.

[Stradling]

While I still think the Angels will find a better left fielder TD, to say the FO isn't ignoring it by all accounts is pretty much false. We have been linked to Austin Jackson, that's pretty much it. Austin Jackson would be our third left fielder we would have to count on to have a bounce back season.

[tdawg87]

Just wanted to take a moment to congratulate Erstad Grit for securing his spot as the biggest superfan on Angelswin!

Congrats dude! May your efforts to be a better fan than everyone else go unheeded, and your reign be long and prosperous.

[Stradling]

Tdawg, who did he take the award from?

[Tyler]

Good post. 2B and the bullpen worry me the most.

[Troll Daddy]

Tdawg, who did he take the award from?

Me you idiot

[Docwaukee]

I just want to see a path towards improving the organization as a whole. Right now we're looking like the Soviet Union at the start of the 80's. It's absolutely vital that we restock the farm system but this need to remain competitive is going to prevent us from doing that effectively. We already see it with the moves to address SS and 3B, paying with young talent instead of cash - it will only get worse. Eppler will not be able to rebuild the organization, remain competitive, and maintain the payroll. Reclamation projects and bench depth only get you so far. The only real hope we have is in our SP, as you mentioned, who have a lot of question marks but a lot of upside as well. If Skaggs, Heaney and Tropiano can all exceed expectations we might be able to pull it off.

we left that path a long time ago.  It's the reason why we were in the position of having FA spending as the best option.  

 

One of the things that I find ironic is that some people think by us not spending we will be in a better situation long term.   Not spending this year has actually further weakened the long term health of this team.  When you don't have a farm system, you spend money to preserve what you have.  The Dodgers are the absolute extreme case, but they have kept their team competitive by spending and they have not touched their robust farm system.  In fact, they've added to it.  

 

Org currency is money AND talent.  We spent dearly this off season.  Yes, we got value in return and it remains to be seen whether that value was equal.   Just like free agency, when you acquire a player via your currency to help the current club, you are unlikely to recoup the full value of that currency.  Both are  bit of a crapshoot.  

 

My point is that regardless of what people want to believe, our lack of spending in the FA market isn't to preserve the long term health of this team.  It's just that we have a budget and there is no room on the payroll.  

 

The goal of this org is to maximize the talent on the field for the next five years using whatever resources are available.  Money was not so we used players.  Now we can't afford to give up either so we are where we are.  As soon as more resources become available, we will use them to help the major league club in this 5 year window.  In other words, as soon as we free up some money, it's as good as spent.  We didn't spend it now in order to help the 2 year health of the club.  Not it's long term health. 

 

If they were going to use the Dodgers philosophy of spending cash to preserve players, it would have started a long time ago.  We should have known the second we traded for Simmons that there would be zero chance we were going to use money to improve the team.  

Edited January 22, 2016 by Dochalo

[Oz27]

Trout was the main reason we fell apart.

The internet is full of people saying really stupid things, but this one is seriously hard to top.

 

Anyway, as for the original post I completely agree. This team is full of holes and signing the best LF available isn't going to solve all our problems. Even if we got Cespedes, we still have a 2B whose shortcomings make him an absolutely unacceptable option, a starting rotation that shapes as seriously weak and a bullpen that has two reliable arms (and that's if I'm being generous to Smith, who showed worrying signs of decline last year).

[NrM]

The team has no direction.

I don't care if they lose as long as they have some sort of plan. I'm not seeing it.

Edited January 22, 2016 by Poozy

[Blarg]

Doc, this whole spent dearly is melodramatic. We let of of our top pitching prospect and a pitcher that had no national ranking and wasn't even a top prospect in our own organization. You have inflated the value to beat a drum over and over. You must like the sound of it.

[Blarg]

The team has no direction.

I don't care if they lose as long as they have some sort of plan. I'm not seeing it.

Try taking off the rage blinders.

[Docwaukee]

The team has no direction.

I don't care if they lose as long as they have some sort of plan. I'm not seeing it.

 

the direction is clear in my eyes.  use it or lose it.  five years.   everything you got for the major league club.  oh and stay within budget.   

[Erstad Grit]

The internet is full of people saying really stupid things, but this one is seriously hard to top.

 

Anyway, as for the original post I completely agree. This team is full of holes and signing the best LF available isn't going to solve all our problems. Even if we got Cespedes, we still have a 2B whose shortcomings make him an absolutely unacceptable option, a starting rotation that shapes as seriously weak and a bullpen that has two reliable arms (and that's if I'm being generous to Smith, who showed worrying signs of decline last year).

 

So Trout hitting .218 for a month didn't hurt us at all? I recall this board pissing all over him during that time. 

[Erstad Grit]

Just wanted to take a moment to congratulate Erstad Grit for securing his spot as the biggest superfan on Angelswin!

Congrats dude! May your efforts to be a better fan than everyone else go unheeded, and your reign be long and prosperous.

 

Help me understand how you people like you decide these things.

 

When I pissed all over the Pujols FA signing I was told I was the ultimate downer fan and I'd never be happy about anything.

 

Now when I think the team is pretty good I'm a homer?

 

Perhaps when we signed Pujols you were the homer and now you're the downer. 

Edited January 22, 2016 by Erstad Grit

[Oz27]

So Trout hitting .218 for a month didn't hurt us at all? I recall this board pissing all over him during that time. 

Of course it hurt. But there is a seemingly never-ending list of things that hurt more. Plus Trout was still, by a long way, the best player in the American League. He was the only reason we even sniffed a playoff spot and any blaming of him for the way things turned out is laughable for its outright stupidity.

[Erstad Grit]

Of course it hurt. But there is a seemingly never-ending list of things that hurt more. Plus Trout was still, by a long way, the best player in the American League. He was the only reason we even sniffed a playoff spot and any blaming of him for the way things turned out is laughable for its outright stupidity.

 

Blaming and describing what happened are two different things. Fact: if Trout was Trout for August Angels would have won the West. I say that not to dump on Trout but to share a faith in the core of this team. The team tanked because Trout had a wrist injury, not because the teams needs to get gutted. Once Trout got healthy the Angels took off again. That's what a MVP does. 

 

If you read my take as me pissing on Trout I don't know how else to explain it.

[Second Base]

This just a very incomplete team, and I feel the most frustrating part of it is that I really feel it can easily be solved with a shred of foresight. Slide Escobar over to 2B and the problem over there is solved. Now you may think this creates a hole at 3B, and you'd be right, but it's a hole we're fully prepared to fill internally. Cowart's defense alone would make him better than replacement level, and Kubitza's bat is at least worth taking a chance in.

Nexr, sign a LF. Even if it's Cespedes at 5 years and 100 million, but you have to fill that gap, simply put, Nava and Gentry aren't likely "it".

Once ST rolls along, trade Wilson, eat some money and get a RP in return. Simple enough. And finally in-season, make half way decent personnel choices for a change. Don't keep handing ball to Weaver when he's pumping 81 mph heat and a 6 ERA when you have better, younger, cheaper options. Use Pennington and Cowart in the late innings on defense, feel free to let Soto or Bandy give Perez a rest, take your time to fully investigate what you have in Ji-man Choi.

If the Angels do these things, they can win this division. But I get the feeling they won't. The LF just doesn't seem like it's coming, and if it is, I think it's likely Eppler will do something stupid like trade one of our pitchers for a Rockies OF, only to watch his platoon splits come alive before our very eyes. They'll keep peddling Weav out there. They'll still play Giavotella at 2B over Cowart or Kubitza at 3B. They'll trade CJ Wilson, but I have no confidence in their return. And they'll probably end up losing their Rulef5 picks for nothing.

Wth a few small changes, I can see 90+ wins. But something tells me the Angels will ignore all of them on their way to 75.

[Oz27]

Blaming and describing what happened are two different things. Fact: if Trout was Trout for August Angels would have won the West. I say that not to dump on Trout but to share a faith in the core of this team. The team tanked because Trout had a wrist injury, not because the teams needs to get gutted. Once Trout got healthy the Angels took off again. That's what a MVP does. 

 

If you read my take as me pissing on Trout I don't know how else to explain it.

 

"Trout was the main reason we fell apart."

[Erstad Grit]

"Trout was the main reason we fell apart."

 

The only reason an injury matters is if the injured player is good. The better the player is the more negative impact the injury has. Joyce getting injured didn't impact anything. 

[Blarg]

It actually helped.