Kaleb Cowart is on fire!

[wopphil]

Is back to mashing again in AAA. After a slow start, his average is up to .311 and his OPS .829 (.417 and 1.142 the last ten games). Granted it's AAA, but he is still just 23 and he has now out together almost a full season of strong at bats going back to last year.

He could end up being a potential bright spot on a dismal season. If the team still blows in a month, you gotta call him up, give him 300 plate appearances, and determine whether he is one of your pieces going forward.

[Ace-Of-Diamonds]

45 minutes ago, wopphil said:

Is back to mashing again in AAA. After a slow start, his average is up to .311 and his OPS .829 (.417 and 1.142 the last ten games). Granted it's AAA, but he is still just 23 and he has now out together almost a full season of strong at bats going back to last year.

He could end up being a potential bright spot on a dismal season. If the team still blows in a month, you gotta call him up, give him 300 plate appearances, and determine whether he is one of your pieces going forward.

I have been pushing this guy since he started hitting last year in the IE. I kept getting all the negative replies, saying his resurgence was just a fluke, and the real Cowart was the one from AA. I would tell them that with his IE hitting coach they would spend hours reviewing video of his swing from when he was still a top prospect. He spent hours in the batting cage trying to recapture the swing he had before his AA coaches tried to fix it. From that moment on he started to to get his foot down on time and his BA began to climb and climb.

According to reports he is one the very best fielding 3B man in all of the minors, possible the very best. His arm is a canon and he has a 95 mph fastball and can easily make throws across the diamond having once been a pitcher. The fluke years were the 2 he had in AA.

 

Edited May 14, 2016 by Ace_TommyJohn
I said best fielder in majors, I meant minors.

[Troll Daddy]

I wouldn't mind seeing him playing at the ML level but only as a starter. Can he play second base?

[Angel Oracle]

The issue is where to move Escobar to when Cowart would take over 3B.

You definately don't move a great glove AND great arm like Cowart's to 2B.

Edited May 14, 2016 by Angel Oracle

[Stradling]

8 minutes ago, Troll Daddy said:

I wouldn't mind seeing him playing at the ML level but only as a starter. Can he play second base?

He's a plus plus glove at 3rd, by far our best defensive 3rd baseman.  If you have to choose who to move to 2nd it should probably be the guy who's played a little bit of 2nd and isn't as good at 3rd. 

[Angel Oracle]

Just now, Stradling said:

He's a plus plus glove at 3rd, by far our best defensive 3rd baseman.  If you have to choose who to move to 2nd it should probably be the guy who's played a little bit of 2nd and isn't as good at 3rd. 

Escobar?

[Ace-Of-Diamonds]

7 minutes ago, Angel Oracle said:

The issue is where to move Escobar to when Cowart would take over 3B.

You definately don't move a great glove AND great arm like Cowart's to 2B.

At Salt Lake they have been moving him all over the infield. He has played several games at 2B and last nite he hung at SS. His best position though is 3B.

[arch stanton]

Can Escobar play left field?

[Stradling]

8 minutes ago, Angel Oracle said:

Escobar?

Yes Escobar is the one I would move to 2nd. 

[Troll Daddy]

Escobar will not be playing second base this season according to Eppler. Someone here has mentioned that Cowart has been playing a little second base in AAA. 

 

[Stradling]

With Escobar's bat I probably wouldn't move his glove if he felt it would affect his hitting. 

[Blarg]

Giavotella's defense has improved greatly at 2nd base and moving Escobar there would be disastrous just to accommodate Cowart getting at bats. But as geeked as some of you may be about Cowart, Marte was called up to play 3rd base in Escobar's absence. It could be Eppler wanting his guy moved up or the coaching staff aren't positive Cowart is an MLB ready player. Whatever the reason he is still in Salt Lake when there is an opening right now.

[JarsOfClay]

Um, Cowart is the 3b of the future, you dont compensate Escobar for him.

Plus you improve your defense tremendously by keeping Cowart at 3rd, it's really a no brainer.

Edited May 14, 2016 by JarsOfClay

[Stradling]

It's not really a no brainer when you factor in Escobar's bat. 

[Troll Daddy]

19 minutes ago, Troll Daddy said:

Escobar will not be playing second base this season according to Eppler. Someone here has mentioned that Cowart has been playing a little second base in AAA. 

6 minutes ago, Stradling said:

It's not really a no brainer when you factor in Escobar's bat. 

It's more about continuity. 

[Second Base]

It's funny they got him some time at SS. Cowart clearly isn't one, but has the athletic ability to fake it for a few innings. He looks ok at 2B. He's locked in right now.

[ettin]

TD a while back the Angels were running Cowart and Kubitza through 2B in practice to see how they'd do to keep playing options open without resorting to trading one of Cowart or Kubitza.

Clearly Cowart is much better suited to 3B. If we get into late June and the Angels are still at where they are at now in the standings I definitely think Escobar will be traded and Cowart will be called up.

Kubitza could still be a possible 2B but the Angels have had him playing at 3B, 2B, 1B, and LF this year which indicates to me that they still aren't entirely sure where they want him at and/or they're grooming him for a utility option. Flexibility is great though.

[nikkachez]

I was glad he was given a shot last year, but annoyed when he started getting sporadic playing time, only coming in as a defensive replacement for Freese. I want to see him given an everyday chance for a month or two and seeing how that goes. The guy's defense is spectacular, especially when you pair him with Andrelton on the left side of the infield, but if he could his .250 with a .330ish OBP, that would be enormous for this team. 

 

Who knows? Maybe Escobar becomes trade bait alongside Smith, Salas, Street, Soto, Santiago, etc. (that alliteration, though). 

[Troll Daddy]

Some thoughts to consider ... you really don't need to worry about defensive range as much with Simmons at short stop. Also, if you trade Escobar then you're also trading your lead off guy for next season. You're also losing a ML proven offensive player. 

Edited May 14, 2016 by Troll Daddy

[Docwaukee]

There has been zero consideration of Escobar moving to 2nd.  Eppler has been asked on multiple occasions and said unequivocally that he's not moving.  I presume there is a reason for that.  Maybe they tried him at 2nd when no one was around and he was just a butcher.  

That said, I think it's more about continuity as some have said.  

I would really like to see all of Cowart, Kubitza, and Johnson get some pt going forward.  Bandy as well.  Perez is a mess at the plate.  

[greginpsca]

Bench Pooholz and make Escobar the dh

 

[DMVol]

No particular rush.....I'd give him another month and, if he's still mashing and we're out of contention, I'd think about trading Escobar....

if the Front Office think Cowart is ready now, easiest thing to do is move Escober to SS...he's not great defensively there but it's his original position and it's not like we're a World Series contender...When Simmons comes back, see where you are....

[JarsOfClay]

51 minutes ago, Troll Daddy said:

Some thoughts to consider ... you really don't need to worry about defensive range as much with Simmons at short stop. Also, if you trade Escobar then you're also trading your lead off guy for next season. You're also losing a ML proven offensive player. 

Were not worried about range, it's the Escobar throws that ends up in the stands that we are worried about.

And why would you keep Escobar if were rebuilding?  Trade him while he still has some trade value, and get some decent prospects for him and rebuild.

[Troll Daddy]

8 minutes ago, JarsOfClay said:

Were not worried about range, it's the Escobar throws that ends up in the stands that we are worried about.

And why would you keep Escobar if were rebuilding?  Trade him while he still has some trade value, and get some decent prospects for him and rebuild.

Sorry, I didn't realize we're rebuilding.

[Second Base]

1 hour ago, ettin said:

TD a while back the Angels were running Cowart and Kubitza through 2B in practice to see how they'd do to keep playing options open without resorting to trading one of Cowart or Kubitza.

Clearly Cowart is much better suited to 3B. If we get into late June and the Angels are still at where they are at now in the standings I definitely think Escobar will be traded and Cowart will be called up.

Kubitza could still be a possible 2B but the Angels have had him playing at 3B, 2B, 1B, and LF this year which indicates to me that they still aren't entirely sure where they want him at and/or they're grooming him for a utility option. Flexibility is great though.

They've had Cowart get reps in at every spot in the infield except catcher. The only difference is that instead of getting Kibitza reps at SS, they're getting him reps in LF. The Angels are seeing what sort of versatility they can squeeze out of both of them. My guess is, the Angels are 3 games under .500 at the all star break and right around .500 at the deadline. Because Richards, Heaney, Skaggs, and Simmons are all either injured or coming off injury at that time, we really won't be going through any sort of selling, mostly because we can't. 

 

So so I doubt we'll have any sort of fire sale, so I don't think we'll deal Escobar. But I do see both Cowart and Kubitza up at some point.