Are the Angels the most "hopeless" team?

[California Cajun]

This article thinks so.

http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/six-reasons-the-angels-look-like-the-most-hopeless-franchise-in-baseball/?ref=yfp

[eligrba]

No.  The Mariners are but they don't know it, yet.

[kevinb]

Hopeless I don't know but maybe directionless is a better way of putting it. 

[kevinb]

1 minute ago, eligrba said:

No.  The Mariners are but they don't know it, yet.

You mean the team in 2nd place in the AL West? 

[Chuck]

Stupid article.

The Angels would be in the thick of things in the AL West, or at least right around where the Mariners are if they didn't suffer so many injuries to their SP and other key players..

There is still  hope for 2017, but I hope they just get someone to play LF full-time that can be productive, then address the 2B situation. I'd like to see Cowart or Escobar there with the other playing 3B.

 

[kevinb]

1 minute ago, Chuckster70 said:

Stupid article.

The Angels would be in the thick of things in the AL West, or at least right around where the Mariners are if they didn't suffer so many injuries to their SP and other key players..

There is still  hope for 2017, but I hope they just get someone to play LF full-time that can be productive, then address the 2B situation. I'd like to see Cowart or Escobar there with the other playing 3B.

 

Hope lies in finding starting pitching and relief pitching. If they don't do that then it don't matter who they put in LF. Could you imagine Error I mean Escobar playing 2nd after Simmons made a great play at short tossing it to 2nd just to see Escobar fumble it and kick the ball to first

[Catwhoshatinthehat]

Just a heads up that I posted the article on page 5 in the losing streak thread:

http://www.angelswin-forum.com/forums/topic/27469-scioscia-on-11-game-losing-streak-you-turn-the-page-from-every-game/?page=5

I posted it there because of the manager comments but it may lead to a different type of discussion here.

[DCAngelsFan]

Actually, our dysfunction in the international market is even worse than they say - sure, signing Baldoquin was a mistake - but that wasn't the only one.  We made the mistake worse by not doing what the Red Sox and Yankees did when they exceeded the bonus pool; since they were going to bonus pool jail, they signed everyone in sight - the smart thing to do.  We didn't.  And the article really doesn't say how useless we've been in other international areas - never signing any top prospects for years, never submitting bids on international free agents and posting candidates - we did *nothing*, for years.

Giving up those comp picks probably had little impact - we'd just have drafted another Chevy Clarke or something.  

And it doesn't seem fair to lump in pitching injuries with bad drafts, bone-headed fa signings, and cheapness in the international market - injuries are random - moronic moves and poor management are not.  

 

[mrwicked]

They have quickly gone from an elite org to borderline joke of an org.

The injuries hurt, of course, but the horrendous farm system and complete lack of international presence shows the org just doesn't have what it takes to be considered elite (or even average) anymore.

[greginpsca]

They will turn it around quicker than most organizations that have been in similar predicaments. Their financial resources for payroll are better than most. At the end of this season the contracts of Weaver and Wilson are gone. Hamiltons contract is over in a year. 

I do think they should follow Stonemans  plan of drafting athletes. Hitters that can play defense. No more one trick ponies [cough, Cron,

cough]. Keep getting younger. No more Nava's,Gentry's, Victorino's,Dejesus, etc. Draft and trade for more young arms. Remember how Stoney didn't like to trade prospects. 

[Catwhoshatinthehat]

As to the question I don't think a team with the best player in the game is hopeless but they definitely aren't in good shape.  Even without the injuries I don't think anyone who objectively follows the team thought they were playoff bound in 2016.  The fact that they only have 3 regular contributors who were drafted going back to 2009 and no presence in the international market doesn't bode well for the next few years.  Hopefully I'm wrong and some guys they didn't expect much out of step up.

[Taylor]

I wouldn't say they're hopeless, since the team has money. A "hopeless" team would be a small-market team like the A's being in the position the Angels are in.

[eligrba]

11 minutes ago, Kevinb said:

You mean the team in 2nd place in the AL West? 

There is a delay, which makes it hard to perceive, but it will arrive. 

[kevinb]

31 minutes ago, eligrba said:

There is a delay, which makes it hard to perceive, but it will arrive. 

The sun will come rise and set. Of course the Mariners will be bad again just like the Angels will be good again. Look at the Yankees they are awful right now. No team stays on top forever. The Atlanta Braves won 14 or 15 division titles in a row and now they are awful. No team is ever hopeless. It depends what direction you are going and if the trend is upwards or downwards. 

[Angel Oracle]

1 hour ago, eligrba said:

There is a delay, which makes it hard to perceive, but it will arrive. 

Very good point, as the Halos contended in Dipeutered's 1st, 3rd, and 4th seasons, but all the while the farm got worse from his incessant drafting of high floor players.    Arte deserves equal if not more blame too.   At least the stupid big FA signings are history.   Can we expect him to start spending in Latin America in 2017 and beyond?  

[kevinb]

27 minutes ago, Angel Oracle said:

Very good point, as the Halos contended in Dipeutered's 1st, 3rd, and 4th seasons, but all the while the farm got worse from his incessant drafting of high floor players.    Arte deserves equal if not more blame too.   At least the stupid big FA signings are history.   Can we expect him to start spending in Latin America in 2017 and beyond?  

You know the answer to that

[Ohtaniland]

1 hour ago, Taylor said:

I wouldn't say they're hopeless, since the team has money. A "hopeless" team would be a small-market team like the A's being in the position the Angels are in.

The A's are a poor mans version of the Angels. The A's don't have the revenue to sign big named free agents and the Angels don't have the luxury tax space. Yet they're both bottom dwellers.

[AngelsLakersFan]

3 minutes ago, CALZONE said:

The A's are a poor mans version of the Angels. The A's don't have the revenue to sign big named free agents and the Angels don't have the luxury tax space. Yet they're both bottom dwellers.

Luxury tax is a red herring

[Inside Pitch]

8 minutes ago, CALZONE said:

The A's are a poor mans version of the Angels. The A's don't have the revenue to sign big named free agents and the Angels don't have the luxury tax space. Yet they're both bottom dwellers.

The A's ownership has more money than Arte.  In 2014 John Fisher was worth 2.9 mil to Arte's 1.3.   One of those owners actively invested in his team and grew his revenue.  The other one forces his team to sell off every 3 years.

Good talk.

[Ohtaniland]

1 minute ago, Inside Pitch said:

The A's ownership has more money than Arte.  In 2014 John Fisher was worth 2.9 mil to Arte's 1.3.   One of those owners actively invested in his team and grew his revenue.  The other one forces his team to sell off every 3 years.

Good talk.

Exactly why I don't get why people here bitch that Arte doesn't spend enough money. He's a very big spender compared to many MLB owners. Our fans are spoiled. They continue to covet the next Buzz Lightyear every off season.  

[Oz27]

It's probably the Diamondbacks. It's staggering to think there is a team with a greater need to clean out baseball operations than us, but they exist. That Shelby Miller trade makes the Vernon Wells deal look like nothing. Having said that, we are right up there in the hopeless stakes. Crappy MLB talent, no minor league talent, one giant albatross of a contract and a meddling owner intent on making deluded attempts to win now is a terrible combination.

[Stradling]

No we aren't, but I can see why they would say that.  We have a ton of revenue coming in, and the best player in the league.  We have a horrible farm, but that can be on its way to being solved in a couple good drafts.  

[Jason]

As a fan who follows the team it sure seems hopeless at this time. With that said, a few good drafts and a little luck and this ship can be turned around

[Ace-Of-Diamonds]

45 minutes ago, Inside Pitch said:

The A's ownership has more money than Arte.  In 2014 John Fisher was worth 2.9 mil to Arte's 1.3.   One of those owners actively invested in his team and grew his revenue.  The other one forces his team to sell off every 3 years.

Good talk.

$2.9 Billion

[Troll Daddy]

Now that Dipoto is history ... I think order has been restored and the future looks great with Eppler at the helm.