The Official Los Angeles Angels 2017 Minor League Statlines & Prospects thread

[Inside Pitch]

On 2/25/2018 at 9:42 AM, eaterfan said:

Maybe it would have been worse. Perhaps Arte still forces a Pujols and Hamilton signing on the team. Things go south anyway and he isn't GM at the right time to fix the mess.

Yep, it's impossible to know how things would have played out but.  I do believe that Dipoto is much more of a glory hound than Eppler -- he seemingly likes the spotlight and loves to expound on what he will do, how he will do it and why he will do what he will do.   Eppler by contrast seems much more like Stoneman, content to devise and plan and adhere to it regardless of what others might think.  The Simmons deal raised a lot of eyebrows if you remember, he caught heat in some circles for having traded away the two guys that most believed were the farm.  Always found it funny that Keith Law of all people called the deal a win for the Angels -- I say that because many believe he hates the Halos.   

Anyway, I fully agree that Arte was still the wild card in all of this, and while AP may have been an inevitability, I doubt everything else that followed would have happened.

[Inside Pitch]

3 hours ago, Dochalo said:

 He really is doing the exact same thing all over again to the M's.  He inherited a pretty bad system and proceeded to just annihilate it.  

I think in both cases the teams' respective farm systems were better than the media made them out to be.    JD has traded away 3 guys who have ended up in the top 100 for MLB's list -- and I believe 4 on BBAs while GM of the Mariners, but whatever it's all noise at the end of the day...   The one thing that cannot be denied is that he is in fact repeating everything he did.   All the talk about how Arte forced everything on him seems to ring hollow now.

JD is who he is.... a poor man's Billy Beane, someone who sees the farm system as a tool for acquiring the players he thinks will help his team win now.   To date he's just not had the success Beane has.   When it's all said and done it's just a team building model I particularly like.

[Blarg]

There is the distinct possibility that Eppler would not have fared as well as a substitute for Dipoto as you all assume simply because of experience and maturity at the job. His extended time with the Yankees was not spent idly waiting for the next best offer.

The difference is that Dipoto seems to have not changed his tactics or approach that failed him with the Angels and is history repeating itself. Eppler seems to be constantly working towards not only a goal but redefining that as the situation changes. 

I feel more confident that Eppler is going to get better as the years move on while Dipoto is probably never going to get another GM position after the Mariners job.

Edited February 25, 2018 by Blarg

[Second Base]

1 hour ago, Inside Pitch said:

I think in both cases the teams' respective farm systems were better than the media made them out to be.    JD has traded away 3 guys who have ended up in the top 100 for MLB's list -- and I believe 4 on BBAs while GM of the Mariners, but whatever it's all noise at the end of the day...   The one thing that cannot be denied is that he is in fact repeating everything he did.   All the talk about how Arte forced everything on him seems to ring hollow now.

JD is who he is.... a poor man's Billy Beane, someone who sees the farm system as a tool for acquiring the players he thinks will help his team win now.   To date he's just not had the success Beane has.   When it's all said and done it's just a team building model I particularly like.

Dipoto has shown to be a GM that's very much "in the moment."  He's not someone that is going to build a longterm winner.  

He trades away prospects, and doesn't restock the system through the draft because he prefers high floor/low ceiling collegians.  He steers clear of Latin America.  His payroll has never been held in check.  He seems to be a firm believer in free agency and the only reason why he isn't a pariah among all fans is because he controls the narrative.  He spends so much time articulating himself to the media and making appearances, he's able to ultimately control how he's perceived by the fans and media.  The story that Arte Moreno is responsible for Albert Pujols, C.J. Wilson and Josh Hamilton is simply ridiculous but that's what people believe because he's the only one actually providing a story. 

Other GM's around baseball love him though.  He loves to wheel and deal to keep his name in the spotlight and other organizations have fleeced him because of it.  He really has no idea whatsoever about how to judge a player or his value.

As a GM, you can't be afraid of criticism.  If Eppler was afraid with how he's perceived by the guys at MLBTR, we wouldn't have Andrelton Simmons today.  

[stormngt]

1 hour ago, Blarg said:

There is the distinct possibility that Eppler would not have fared as well as a substitute for Dipoto as you all assume simply because of experience and maturity at the job. His extended time with the Yankees was not spent idly waiting for the next best offer.

The difference is that Dipoto seems to have not changed his tactics or approach that failed him with the Angels and is history repeating itself. Eppler seems to be constantly working towards not only a goal but redefining that as the situation changes. 

I feel more confident that Eppler is going to get better as the years move on while Dipoto is probably never going to get another GM position after the Mariners job.

Eppler may not have had better success than Dipoto on the MLB level, hiwever there is no doubt in my mind he Eppl we would not have destroyed the farm and Vladdy Jr. Would be an Angel prospect and not Toronto's

[Inside Pitch]

4 hours ago, Blarg said:

There is the distinct possibility that Eppler would not have fared as well as a substitute for Dipoto as you all assume simply because of experience and maturity at the job. His extended time with the Yankees was not spent idly waiting for the next best offer.

The difference is that Dipoto seems to have not changed his tactics or approach that failed him with the Angels and is history repeating itself. Eppler seems to be constantly working towards not only a goal but redefining that as the situation changes. 

I feel more confident that Eppler is going to get better as the years move on while Dipoto is probably never going to get another GM position after the Mariners job.

Yep, it's anyone's guess how it all would have worked out.   I agree the additional seasoning didn't hurt him, but there is little question he would have been a greater judge of talent than JD, and that was always my biggest criticism of JD...    As far as the differences between them, there seems to be many beyond the ones you point to here.

Personally, I think Jerry's next gig will be as an analyst...  He's a good talker.  Dude, can talk baseball and he isn't a stranger to sabermetrics.   For as much as I may be seen as a Jerry hater, I actually do believe he's a bright articulate dude...  but he wouldn't be the first guy to be talented and still not be very good at being a MLB GM .

When it's all said and done, it's better late than never..   Glad we got Eppler.

[totdprods]

36 minutes ago, Inside Pitch said:

Personally, I think Jerry's next gig will be as an analyst...  He's a good talker.  Dude, can talk baseball and he isn't a stranger to sabermetrics.   For as much as I may be seen as a Jerry hater, I actually do believe he's a bright articulate dude...  but he wouldn't be the first guy to be talented and still not be very good at being a MLB GM .

Man, I can totally see this. He can replace Phillips/Hart/Bowden as the 'GM experience' guy (who everyone usually shits on for being a moron GM) on Baseball Tonight (is that a thing still?) or MLB Network.

[Second Base]

2 hours ago, Inside Pitch said:

Yep, it's anyone's guess how it all would have worked out.   I agree the additional seasoning didn't hurt him, but there is little question he would have been a greater judge of talent than JD, and that was always my biggest criticism of JD...    As far as the differences between them, there seems to be many beyond the ones you point to here.

Personally, I think Jerry's next gig will be as an analyst...  He's a good talker.  Dude, can talk baseball and he isn't a stranger to sabermetrics.   For as much as I may be seen as a Jerry hater, I actually do believe he's a bright articulate dude...  but he wouldn't be the first guy to be talented and still not be very good at being a MLB GM .

When it's all said and done, it's better late than never..   Glad we got Eppler.

Absolutely!! Jerry Dipoto would actually be someone I'd read and watch. I don't want him as a GM, but he'd be great.

[Angel Oracle]

Eppler is Stoneman with an extra plus, the willingness to trade a prospect or two when needed to truly upgrade the MLB team without gutting the farm ever.  

Stoneman found it hard to trade anybody away.

[ScruffytheJanitor]

On 2/26/2018 at 1:43 PM, Angel Oracle said:

Eppler is Stoneman with an extra plus, the willingness to trade a prospect or two when needed to truly upgrade the MLB team without gutting the farm ever.  

Stoneman found it hard to trade anybody away.

Remember when giving up Brandon Wood would have gotten us Miguel Cabrera? Good times.

[Blarg]

No. I remember a five player package that was rejected but Wood was only one of them.

[GrittyVeterans]

1 hour ago, Blarg said:

No. I remember a five player package that was rejected but Wood was only one of them.

Yeah, at the time didn't they want like Wood, Adenhart (RIP), Kendrick, Santana, and somebody else? Bootcheck maybe?

I'm not going to blame anybody for saying no to that package. At the time Wood was a top 5 prospect in the league, Kendrick was supposed to compete for batting titles, Ervin and Adenhart were supposed to be front of the rotation pitchers. 

In hindsight it looks terrible, but it looks more terrible than it would have if Adenhart didn't tragically die and Wood wasn't a complete bust. Kendrick and Santana have had pretty nice careers

[HaloMilliVanilli]

I think the deal may have been Wood, Kendrick, Santana, Adenhart and Mathis.  Word around the campfire is the Marlins said no, but you know Scioscia puts that trade on the skids for obvious reasons.

[Docwaukee]

Cabrera was acquired in his second year of arb meaning he only had two years of club control left prior to signing an extension 3 months after acquired and just before the season.  

Wood's status was starting to wobble a bit as he was dropped from the top 5-10 into the teens to nearly 40 by some pubs. 

Mathis had about 250 major league at bats showing  what a terrible hitter he was/is.  

Adenhart was ranked in the top 30 for all of baseball.  

Kendrick was coming off of partial seasons in 2006 and 2007, the most recent of which he hit .322.  He was the #12 prospect in baseball pre 2006 according to BA.  

Ervin was entering his age 25 season coming off a poor year but clearly had a lot of potential.  He was also a top 25 prospect at that point.  

 

That's not just a collection of prospects.  It was 3 guys with major league experience, significant control and upside plus two prospects considered in the top 30 for all of baseball who were also major league ready.  

It's more than the Red Sox gave up to get 3 years of Chris Sale.  

Also, one of the other sticking points was that they wanted someone to take Dontrelle and his salary but I think we balked at that.  

 

[John Smith]

MLB Showcase Notebook: 2018 International Shortstop Prospects

"Most of the top international prospects in the 2018 class participated in Major League Baseball's annual international showcase last week at Estadio Quisqeuya."

Jose Bonilla, Dominican Republic

 

Size: 6-0, 181, R-R
Trainer: Nolan Pena
60 yards: 7.16 seconds
Games: 1-for-5, 1 BB, 2 SO

While Bonilla did show some swing-and-miss tendencies last week, scouts highest on him see an offensive-minded shortstop. A 15-year-old linked to the Angels, Bonilla showed a line-drive approach at the MLB showcase, and he has flashed more power in the past. Bonilla's hands and arm work well, though his footwork and range could lead him to third base.

https://www.baseballamerica.com/international/mlb-showcase-notebook-2018-international-shortstop-prospects/#5z7BLue6cHlMgYOp.97

[Angel Oracle]

He's no Baldoquin.  

[Second Base]

It'll be tough for us to afford many prospects in this upcoming international period. We spent quite a bit of our budget on Kevin Maitan and Livan Soto, both of which were worthwhile investments. Good upside middle infielders.

[vladdy#27]

6 hours ago, Scotty@AW said:

It'll be tough for us to afford many prospects in this upcoming international period. We spent quite a bit of our budget on Kevin Maitan and Livan Soto, both of which were worthwhile investments. Good upside middle infielders.

The Angels have 1.7M left after signing Maitan (2.2M) and Soto (850K). That's still enough to get one of the higher upside guys. We can also trade for an additional 3.5M if they fall in love with someone

[Second Base]

6 minutes ago, vladdy#27 said:

The Angels have 1.7M left after signing Maitan (2.2M) and Soto (850K). That's still enough to get one of the higher upside guys. We can also trade for an additional 3.5M if they fall in love with someone

There I'll be a lot of signings under 300k I think

[UndertheHalo]

Wasn’t there some show case of venuzuelan and other Latin players recently.  Infielders I think I read ?

[stormngt]

On 2/28/2018 at 9:14 AM, HaloJustinBieber said:

I think the deal may have been Wood, Kendrick, Santana, Adenhart and Mathis.  Word around the campfire is the Marlins said no, but you know Scioscia puts that trade on the skids for obvious reasons.

Just a flat out idiotic statwment

[HaloMilliVanilli]

Guess I have to use this emoticon>>>>>more frequently!

[stormngt]

6 hours ago, HaloJustinBieber said:

Guess I have to use this emoticon>>>>>more frequently!

If people don't get the joke...it wasn't funny

[tdawg87]

22 hours ago, stormngt said:

If people don't get the joke...it wasn't funny

No it was pretty funny tbh

[Angel Oracle]

So, when talking about foreign players flopping, can we coin them yet as Baldoquins?

Too soon?