If Eppler uses the same team building tactic as last year...

[Second Base]

An article that analyzes what Eppler did in 2016 to predict what he might do in 2017. 

http://monkeywithahalo.com/uncategorized/analyzing-epplers-past-to-predict-his-future.html

Spoiler Alert: Logically, signing Erick Aybar for 2B, Jon Jay in LF, Andrew Bailey and Neftali Feliz (Netflix Felix when my iPhone autocorrects) would fall in line with this train of thought.

[totdprods]

Netflix Felix!!! That's great. I would be fine with that offseason and think it's realistic. Eppler could make those moves and if he wanted to, he could still splurge and get one of Nova/Hellickson, Chapman/Jansen, or Reddick and it wouldn't break the bank or cripple payroll. 

One more season of playing it conservatively could do wonders for the farm and payroll. 

[Blarg]

There is no reason to entertain bringing Aybar back. 

[DMVol]

8 minutes ago, Blarg said:

There is no reason to entertain bringing Aybar back. 

Not very impressive numbers either in Atl or Det.....you would think there would be a better 2b out there....

I'd rather see Marte get a chance in LF than dumpster dive again...though Jay is certainly a better option than the garbage we've run out in LF the last two years...

[totdprods]

34 minutes ago, DMVol said:

Not very impressive numbers either in Atl or Det.....you would think there would be a better 2b out there....

I'd rather see Marte get a chance in LF than dumpster dive again...though Jay is certainly a better option than the garbage we've run out in LF the last two years...

My biggest objection to Marte as the everyday LF is that it leaves us in bad shape should Escobar, Cron, or Pujols get injured. If Marte is the 'everyday' LF, then we need to either acquire a badass 4th OF or another good vet UT IF this offseason. So either way, we need to acquire someone. 

We need someone good enough to be a dramatic improvement over the 20 guys we've used in LF the past two years, but not so good that it takes away from Marte getting time there, if we believe him to be a potential LF down the line.

All things considered, I think it would be easier utilizing Marte off the bench and getting reps at LF, 3B, and 1B throughout the first half while a cheap vet plays himself out of the opportunity and into a reserve role, or into July trade bait, depending on how the club is doing in the standings. A lead-off guy like Jay gives you options on how to handle Escobar as well.

[ABC]

[Angel Oracle]

Feliz could be 2017's answer to Grilli.   61 Ks in 53 innings and a 1.13 WHIP along with the 3.52 ERA for the Pirates

[totdprods]

I think that you could probably sign Utley, Drew, Johnson, Coghlan, Descalso, or Aaron Hill on a deal comparable to Aybar's, and while they're likely to be just as bad as we'd fear, each have shown a glimpse of success in the past year or two that is better an what Aybar has done.

I don't know that getting one is really much of an improvement of Pennington, Petit, or Cowart though. It'd alleviate the need for another good bench IF in the event Marte actually does play mostly LF, allowing him to stay there if Escobar gets hurt. 

[totdprods]

8 minutes ago, Angel Oracle said:

Feliz could be 2017's answer to Grilli.   61 Ks in 53 innings and a 1.13 WHIP along with the 3.52 ERA for the Pirates

He would be interesting. Bailey, Feliz, Ramirez, Bedrosian, and Street isn't too bad. If they went nuts and wound up going after Chapman, Jansen, or Melancon the pen could shape up in a hurry.

[Ohtaniland]

2 hours ago, Blarg said:

There is no reason to entertain bringing Aybar back. 

Aybar will be our Big Splash this offseason but only for a very short one year deal. I think 2017 will still be a post Dipoto transitioning year. I don't think Arte is going to spend big this offseason. Eppler may add a piece or two through trades while staying under budget. 

[ten ocho recon scout]

2 hours ago, Blarg said:

There is no reason to entertain bringing Aybar back. 

Theres always a reason for the words aybar and entertain in the same sentance though.

[Second Base]

The specific reasoning behind signing Erick Aybar would be that defensively speaking, he should be a good second baseman. He'd be more comfortable in Anaheim and would likely return to hitting .280ish. And we know Eppler likes defense, and likes bargain players who maybe had an off year. Aybar fits that mold. As does Feliz. Part of me wonders if Joba Chamberlain might be a target given his time in NY with Eppler.

[ten ocho recon scout]

I look for a back end starter for insurance when/if richards doesnt make it back (which obviously doesnt replace him, but there is no replacement available), adding to the pen but not guys were looking at, and reddick in LF. And another backup catcher.

Not what i dream of, but what im predicting.

[Second Base]

25 minutes ago, ten ocho recon scout said:

I look for a back end starter for insurance when/if richards doesnt make it back (which obviously doesnt replace him, but there is no replacement available), adding to the pen but not guys were looking at, and reddick in LF. And another backup catcher.

Not what i dream of, but what im predicting.

I don't picture them fully investing in a backend starter. If Richards is healthy, we're rolling out Shoemaker, Nolasco, Skaggs and Meyer. If one of them isn't healthy or doesn't work out, we have Nate Smith, Manny Banuelos, Jordan Kipper, Alex Blackford, Kyle McGowin and Chris O'Grady in AAA. There are a couple potential "Shoemaker" types in there.

I think if we sign or trade for a starter, it will be someone that's merely a depth piece. We already have a slough of decent 5th starter options in the event that Richards isn't fully healthy or Meyer never puts it together.

And if it means anything, Eppler said after they acquired Meyer that they intend to put him in the rotation and leave him there.

[Second Base]

52 minutes ago, ten ocho recon scout said:

I look for a back end starter for insurance when/if richards doesnt make it back (which obviously doesnt replace him, but there is no replacement available), adding to the pen but not guys were looking at, and reddick in LF. And another backup catcher.

Not what i dream of, but what im predicting.

If we're to go with what I'm specifically predicting, I think a lot of creativity from Eppler.  Like Dipoto, I think Eppler's a pretty unique, creative GM.  Both are better suited for smaller market teams because of their penchant for maneuverability.  They tend to make a lot of small moves.  With Dipoto, he made his big splashes, but with as many of those that he made, it paled in comparison to all the tiny roster changes he used to make. 

With Billy, it's a lot of bargain hunting.  He's always on the lookout for a reclamation project (Meyer, Banuelos) or a solid yet undervalued veteran you can acquire for cheap (Soto, Nava, Gentry, Nolasco).  For the most part, Billy wasn't very successful in his first season.  Even if Richards, Heaney and Tropeano had remained healthy, second base and left field were still a sh__show.  But the one spot where eEppler really flourished was building the bullpen, which is a little ironic because Dipoto spent his MLB career in the bullpen, yet never really seemed to build a effective one outside of one year.  Street isn't as bad as we saw this year.  He's a competitor and will be back on the bump, closing games out.  Bedrock is dominant.  Guerra, Ramirez, Bailey were all really useful.  Valdez is showing small signs of beginning to harness his stuff. 

Just a guess on my part, but if I'm put on the spot and it was a now or never guess, I'm thinking we'll get Stephen Drew to play 2B.  He won't play a full year, but that's fine because with Pennington, Petit, and Cowart, we have a little bit of depth behind him.  I think Jon Jay will be in LF because ehe's just the exact for of player Eppler likes.  Jay allows us some flexibility in the lineup, and gives the Angels a chance to deploy Jefry Marte in a role that better suits him and the team.  He'll fill in behind Cron at 1B, Escobar at 3B, Pujols at DH and Jay in LF.  This should result in pretty consistent playing time.  Not full time, but enough to allow his bat to make the difference it should make.

As for the bullpen, I'm guessing Bailey comes back, Alvarez will be gone, and Feliz comes in, and Eppler manages to acquire a couple no-name relievers on the waiver wire and they come in and shove. 

[Blarg]

1 hour ago, ScottyA_MWAH said:

The specific reasoning behind signing Erick Aybar would be that defensively speaking, he should be a good second baseman. He'd be more comfortable in Anaheim and would likely return to hitting .280ish. And we know Eppler likes defense, and likes bargain players who maybe had an off year. Aybar fits that mold. As does Feliz. Part of me wonders if Joba Chamberlain might be a target given his time in NY with Eppler.

Last year really wasn't an off year, Aybar hasn't been that good for the last two seasons. That is called a decline. 

[Ohtaniland]

1 hour ago, Blarg said:

Last year really wasn't an off year, Aybar hasn't been that good for the last two seasons. That is called a decline. 

I wouldn't call it an "off year"......

I think it was more about him not handling the trade very well. I think he was shocked when he was sent out of his comfort zone. He would probably refocus and rebound a bit if reunited with the Angels but I wouldn't invest more than one year on him.

[ABC]

If we're lucky, Simmons will crack .700 OPS at some point. Aybar has done it like five times already, peaking at .776.

[Stradling]

2 hours ago, ScottyA_MWAH said:

I don't picture them fully investing in a backend starter. If Richards is healthy, we're rolling out Shoemaker, Nolasco, Skaggs and Meyer. If one of them isn't healthy or doesn't work out, we have Nate Smith, Manny Banuelos, Jordan Kipper, Alex Blackford, Kyle McGowin and Chris O'Grady in AAA. There are a couple potential "Shoemaker" types in there.

I think if we sign or trade for a starter, it will be someone that's merely a depth piece. We already have a slough of decent 5th starter options in the event that Richards isn't fully healthy or Meyer never puts it together.

And if it means anything, Eppler said after they acquired Meyer that they intend to put him in the rotation and leave him there.

Completely disagree.  If your depth isn't good then you don't have depth.  We have zero idea what Nate Smith is.  Blackford isn't any good and there's a reason those other guys were available.  Best case scenario is one or two of them become serviceable, that still leaves us short after you factor in injuries. 

[Ohtaniland]

26 minutes ago, #CF8 said:

If we're lucky, Simmons will crack .700 OPS at some point. Aybar has done it like five times already, peaking at .776.

I think it would be interesting to see Simmons and Aybar working together defensively. 

[tdawg87]

28 minutes ago, Stradling said:

Completely disagree.  If your depth isn't good then you don't have depth.  We have zero idea what Nate Smith is.  Blackford isn't any good and there's a reason those other guys were available.  Best case scenario is one or two of them become serviceable, that still leaves us short after you factor in injuries. 

Good, known commodities aren't used as depth. They are either used full time or traded. 

You can't have 3-4 good starters just sitting in AAA just in case. You either use them or trade them. Pretty much all pitching depth is either unknown or otherwise shitty.

[totdprods]

My biggest concern with our current rotation depth isn't so much it's quality, but the injury risk so many have. That and the fact that there isn't really anyone aside from Nolasco who has 150+ IP on a consistent basis.

Couple that with a thin pen and more pitching injuries, and '17 will look like '16 really fast. I'd like to see them add one more guy who is a relatively safe bet to make 25 starts and 150+ IP. It would add a considerable cushion.

[ukyah]

you need more than 150 innings, more like 175.

this team needs pitching and lots of it. dominant rotations and bullpens lead to the playoffs. give scioscia a scratch and claw offense with pujols, trout and calhoun in the middle, and you'll give yourself a decent shot at a playoff spot.

they've got to pick from a highly suspect pool of FA, but they need to find the jewels in the crown.

[Second Base]

I'm comfortable with the quality of pitching the Angels have in AAA. There aren't any aces, but specifically Nate Smith and Manny Banuelos have a pretty high floor. They're solid #5 starters. I see a lot of Shoemaker in Kipper and McGowin. 

As for the team itself, there just aren't the necessary free agent pieces or money available to make the Angels a strong contender. Losing Heaney and Tropeano gutted the middle of our rotation and effectively replaced them with Nolasco and Meyer. If they both pitch out of their minds, we have a shot.

The best course of action here, is to save the money, wait until Hamilton's contract expires, and then go big. 

[totdprods]

1 hour ago, ukyah said:

you need more than 150 innings, more like 175.

this team needs pitching and lots of it. dominant rotations and bullpens lead to the playoffs. give scioscia a scratch and claw offense with pujols, trout and calhoun in the middle, and you'll give yourself a decent shot at a playoff spot.

they've got to pick from a highly suspect pool of FA, but they need to find the jewels in the crown.

I figured 25 starts at 6 IP got you 150. I agree that 175+ would be ideal, but I also don't want to clog the rotation so much that guys like Smith and Banuelos don't get any opportunity in the event Shoe, Skaggs, Nolasco, and Meyer actually do make it through most of the year.

It's sort of a similar paradox to LF. I want the Angels to acquire someone to boost SP and LF and provide a cushion, but not someone so 'good' that it prevents Marte and the SP projects from getting a reasonable audition. 

We are a much better team in the long run if Marte can truly be a .250, 25 HR, .775+ OPS guy and actually play LF, or if Banuelos/Smith could be Joe Saunders 2.0 and be a cheap, durable #4-5 type, but with our current depth it'd be irresponsible to go into 2017 with those guys expected in those roles.

That's a big reason I'm for signing stop-gap vets this offseason that can either be dealt away to contenders for a fringe prospect (because we still need help building the farm) if we ourselves aren't competing, or straight up benched or released (without it costing tens of millions) if they suck. Just need some bodies to eat some innings and games while these many project 'prospects' get assessed.