Angels Offseason Grade by SI

[AngelsLakersFan]

I still wish we would play Escobar at 2B and Kubitza at 3B but at this stage what does it really matter? The offense will almost certainly still suck anyway. The only way it doesn't is if Calhoun rebounds, Pujols and Escobar don't drop off, Nava doesn't totally suck and Cron breaks out.

I agree with the ALF line of thinking too, at this point I almost feel why bother filling LF? It isn't going to put us over the line and is going to give up a draft pick we have a really strong need for. Why pass up someone like Span to then sign a similar player in Fowler, but lose a draft pick for the privilege?

 

I think we see a lot of Kubitza this year. There is a very good chance that someone somewhere in this lineup really falls on their face, and that opens the door up for Kubitza at 3B, LF, 1B, maybe even 2B. Of course he is just as likely to be the guy who falls on his face.

[mrwicked]

trout is amazing.

imagine how bad this team would be without him (current and future).

[tdawg87]

[Blarg]

I never noticed how much that guy looks like Chris Pratt and plumbers crack is showing .

[Hollyw00d]

F+++++++++

[Hollyw00d]

Wow SI destroyed the angels.

Sadly, there's really not much to argue with

[Hollyw00d]

I also forgot how bad the franchi5e was after the ASB

[ScottT]

Good to see Arte get hammered. The beat writer bs, and nonsense from contrarian knuckleheads, has gotten old.  

[Oz27]

I think we see a lot of Kubitza this year. There is a very good chance that someone somewhere in this lineup really falls on their face, and that opens the door up for Kubitza at 3B, LF, 1B, maybe even 2B. Of course he is just as likely to be the guy who falls on his face.

That's true, actually. Giavotella and Nava are both candidates to really suck, Cron could repeat his early 2015 shittyness and who knows how healthy Pujols will be. That should open up plenty of ABs for him.

[tomsred]

Wow SI destroyed the angels.

Sadly, there's really not much to argue with

 

Other than his luxury tax calculations are totally wrong.  Pretty embarrassing actually.  It kind of destroys the credibility of the article.

[Docwaukee]

I know we are generally a binary crew in that everything sucks or it's great, but the Halos don't deserve an F for their off season.  

 

I have been wringing the bell to spend money on free agents since the end of the 2015 season.  

 

They didn't do things the way we wanted them to, but they made the team better for 2016 and most likely for 2017.  Maybe.  They also revamped a huge hole that from a lost value standpoint is behind only LF and 2b.  The bench.  

 

They upgraded SS for now and the next five years but they used our only resources.  

 

I give them a D+.  They could have done some things far more poorly and some things way way better.  They lose points from average for not taking advantage of the FA class.  

[tomsred]

I know we are generally a binary crew in that everything sucks or it's great, but the Halos don't deserve an F for their off season.  

 

I have been wringing the bell to spend money on free agents since the end of the 2015 season.  

 

They didn't do things the way we wanted them to, but they made the team better for 2016 and most likely for 2017.  Maybe.  They also revamped a huge hole that from a lost value standpoint is behind only LF and 2b.  The bench.  

 

They upgraded SS for now and the next five years but they used our only resources.  

 

I give them a D+.  They could have done some things far more poorly and some things way way better.  They lose points from average for not taking advantage of the FA class.  

 

Actually they probably also upgraded the catching position with Soto, and certainly the bench.  It all comes down to the fact that we think they could have upgraded LF and second base without using resources other than Arte's money.  There is nothing more Eppler can do than continue to make minor upgrades without exceeding Arte's financial dictates.  At this point nobody knows how effective all these moves are until we get this group together and they play baseball.

[Docwaukee]

Actually they probably also upgraded the catching position with Soto, and certainly the bench.  It all comes down to the fact that we think they could have upgraded LF and second base without using resources other than Arte's money.  There is nothing more Eppler can do than continue to make minor upgrades without exceeding Arte's financial dictates.  At this point nobody knows how effective all these moves are until we get this group together and they play baseball.

That's a good point.  

 

Eppler get's a B-

 

Arte gets an F

[tomsred]

That's a good point.  

 

Eppler get's a B-

 

Arte gets an F

 

It's a team thing - so we end up with the D+ after all when you average it out, LOL.  The failure here is on Arte, and maybe that's okay with him.  It takes the pressure off Eppler and Scioscia.  The buck stops with Arte, the reaper of bad news.

 

Given the financial constraints, Eppler is traveling the only open road; unfortunately it's probably to the wrong destination.

Edited January 29, 2016 by tomsred

[Puget Sound Angel]

Wow! Color me excited.

[Oz27]

Actually they probably also upgraded the catching position with Soto, and certainly the bench.  It all comes down to the fact that we think they could have upgraded LF and second base without using resources other than Arte's money.  There is nothing more Eppler can do than continue to make minor upgrades without exceeding Arte's financial dictates.  At this point nobody knows how effective all these moves are until we get this group together and they play baseball.

He depleted our stocks of assets that were both valuable and tradeable by trading to fill a hole we created ourselves in that very deal. We then used money we didn't have enough of to sign a backup catcher and a utility infielder, both of which we easily could have gone without if it instead meant we used that money to upgrade any of those more pressing needs. Sure, Arte didn't give him the resources to solve all of our problems. But he could have solved some of them and instead resolved f**k all.

[CaliAngel]

Who gives a flying f**k about SI?

[Lou]

Who gives a flying f**k about SI?

My first thought was : " Wow, SI is still around?"

[arch stanton]

I still can't believe that people who watched this team last year didn't see SS as an area of need for this season.

[Oz27]

I still can't believe that people who watched this team last year didn't see SS as an area of need for this season.

The difference between what Aybar gave us at SS last year and what we got from 2B and LF is 50 feet of shit.

[Lou]

I still can't believe that people who watched this team last year didn't see SS as an area of need for this season.

And more importantly, for years to come. Heck, we couldn't even find a decent backup for our infield positions.

Yes, I said heck.

[Junkballer]

I was reading a Patrick O'Brian novel and came across this description of a particular miserly character, "deeply stupid, griping, illiberal, an avid tenacious pinchfist lickpenny, a sordid lickpenny and a shrew".  I immediately said "Arte!".

[Lou]

The difference between what Aybar gave us at SS last year and what we got from 2B and LF is 50 feet of shit.

2015 OPS+ :

Aybar - 81

JG - 96

[Blarg]

This is how bad Giovotella's replacement was for the short time he was out. OPS for 2nd base dropped to 85 for the season total. Freese had an OPS+ of 109, his replacement dragged the season total down to 94.

 

Featherston had an OPS+ of 30.

 

The Angels were more in need of infield depth than anything else.

[tdawg87]

Not more than left field.