Fan Graphs: How the Teams Were Built

[ABC]

 

 

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/how-the-teams-were-built/

[AngelsLakersFan]

"The Mike Trout effect"

[Angel Oracle]

Hey!   We aren't alone at the bottom of Int'l WAR.   The A'th also have a 0.0 Int'l WAR. 

[AngelsLakersFan]

Hey!   We aren't alone at the bottom of Int'l WAR.   The A'th also have a 0.0 Int'l WAR. 

 

We are the A's. Eppler did his best Billy Beane impression this year, signing a FA platoon, bringing in Ciff Pennington, Craig Gentry, some peanuts and trading our top two prospects for a shortstop who can't hit. 

[Angel Oracle]

Except for Simmons, can't disagree with what you said.

[Blarg]

The A's have only four home grown players on their roster.

[AngelsLakersFan]

The A's have only four home grown players on their roster.

 

Give us 5 years and we might not have any.

[Stradling]

Trout's obviously going to leave us because something something something.

[Hollyw00d]

Because he wants to win? Crazy

[Stradling]

Because he wants to win? Crazy

He was willing to sign for 13 years here. I'm guessing we will improve over the next few years.

[Hollyw00d]

I wouldn't bet on it

[Stradling]

I wouldn't bet on it

I know you wouldn't Hollywood. You are a pessimist or a plan for the worst kind of guy. Nothing wrong with it, just who you are.

[AngelsLakersFan]

I'm guessing we will improve over the next few years.

 

I can't see any reason to believe that except for blind optimism.

[Stradling]

I can't see any reason to believe that except for blind optimism.

Or expensive players like Wilson and Weaver being replaced with players in their prime. The average age of this team after this year is pretty damn young. What will the average age of our pitching staff be in 2017, 25 maybe 26. We are young at DH, 2nd, SS, C, RF, and CF. Our two best options after this year for 3rd base are young guys. Yes we have a ton of work to do in the farm system, but we have five years to build it, and we have a new person running the team. Call it blind optimism, that is fine. I'm not wired to assume the worst.

[Hollyw00d]

There's a reason this team hasn't had much success in the past 6+ seasons, and its not weaver and Wilson

[Stradling]

There's a reason this team hasn't had much success in the past 6+ seasons, and its not weaver and Wilson

Oh I know. It has more to do with lack of OBP lack of bullpen, and then the one playoff we go to the bats, including the big bats, fall asleep.

[Hollyw00d]

Nope its not that either

[Stradling]

You're right Sosh gave his don't get a hit sign to Trout, Howie, Albert, Josh, Freese, Calhoun, Iannetta and just about everyone not named Aybar in the last playoffs. Gotta admit it was a bold strategy.

[AngelsLakersFan]

Or expensive players like Wilson and Weaver being replaced with players in their prime. The average age of this team after this year is pretty damn young. What will the average age of our pitching staff be in 2017, 25 maybe 26. We are young at DH, 2nd, SS, C, RF, and CF. Our two best options after this year for 3rd base are young guys. Yes we have a ton of work to do in the farm system, but we have five years to build it, and we have a new person running the team. Call it blind optimism, that is fine. I'm not wired to assume the worst.

 

Look, I hope you are right, and I'll be the first to admit that I've been down on this organization since 2010 but I don't think I've been wrong. Things have taken longer than I expected they would and a lot of that has to do with Mike Trout.

 

That said we are 100% reliant on the young guys you mentioned, or inferred, Perez, Skaggs, Heaney, Trop, Cron, Cowert will be the foundation of the next five years and we will go wherever they take us (along with the more established Trout and Richards). Beyond that though, there is basically nothing except what we buy in free agency. The problem there is, as we saw this offseason, we are not going to be spending money in free agency. As nice as it is to have the Wilson and Weaver money back much of that is going to be eaten up by raises to Trout and Pujols as well as Calhoun and Richards. Along with salary inflation we can probably expect to be able to replace one guy starting next year, and another the year after when Hamilton is off the books. There is a window there if things go right but there is little margin for error. Everything else is going to treated like left field this year and 2nd base last year.

 

Unfortunately, even if we start drafting like Houston right now we are looking at needing all 5 of those years to turn the farm around.

 

I'm hopeful our young guys pull it off. 

[Stradling]

Look, I hope you are right, and I'll be the first to admit that I've been down on this organization since 2010 but I don't think I've been wrong. Things have taken longer than I expected they would and a lot of that has to do with Mike Trout.

That said we are 100% reliant on the young guys you mentioned, or inferred, Perez, Skaggs, Heaney, Trop, Cron, Cowert will be the foundation of the next five years and we will go wherever they take us (along with the more established Trout and Richards). Beyond that though, there is basically nothing except what we buy in free agency. The problem there is, as we saw this offseason, we are not going to be spending money in free agency. As nice as it is to have the Wilson and Weaver money back much of that is going to be eaten up by raises to Trout and Pujols as well as Calhoun and Richards. Along with salary inflation we can probably expect to be able to replace one guy starting next year, and another the year after when Hamilton is off the books. There is a window there if things go right but there is little margin for error. Everything else is going to treated like left field this year and 2nd base last year.

Unfortunately, even if we start drafting like Houston right now we are looking at needing all 5 of those years to turn the farm around.

I'm hopeful our young guys pull it off.

I'm hoping Arte is just trying to get some payroll off the books before he dips back into free agency. If he decides he is done with free agency all together then he needs to sell the team.

[Hollyw00d]

You're right Sosh gave his don't get a hit sign to Trout, Howie, Albert, Josh, Freese, Calhoun, Iannetta and just about everyone not named Aybar in the last playoffs. Gotta admit it was a bold strategy.

Nah, its not even sosh.

Sosh is high blood pressure, or an ingrown toenail

The angels, as a whole, have cancer. Its a system wide problem that starts in the owners' office

[gotbeer]

International 0.00 WAR.  Which is expected since we don't go there.

 

Wavers and Rule 5 0.00 WAR.  Something we seem to do a lot of this offseason.  So pretty much the Angels have become the degenerate at the race track that has 10 cents left, and is trying to hit paydirt with a superfecta. 

[Docwaukee]

International 0.00 WAR.  Which is expected since we don't go there.

 

Wavers and Rule 5 0.00 WAR.  Something we seem to do a lot of this offseason.  So pretty much the Angels have become the degenerate at the race track that has 10 cents left, and is trying to hit paydirt with a superfecta. 

cue the gif of the horse in the tractor.  

[AngelsLakersFan]

I'm hoping Arte is just trying to get some payroll off the books before he dips back into free agency. If he decides he is done with free agency all together then he needs to sell the team.

 

I think he will spend again but he is more committed to keeping the payroll within a certain range than he is with winning. We can probably expect one mid tier signing and one stupid huge signing of a star player. Whether or not that is enough depends on how the kids develop. 

[NrM]

Free Agent projected WAR: 6

Money committed to free agents in 2016: 85 Million 

 

85 Million...6 WAR.......my god..

 

Dumbest organization in baseball all thanks to Arte.

Hopefully he finally realizes he needs to back off and let his personnel do what they're paid to do.

Edited February 4, 2016 by Poozy