The Official Angels Hot Stove - Winter Meetings - Rumors thread

[Robrock30]

SB Nation's Chris Cotillo reports that the Angels showed interest in Cardinals second baseman Kolten Wong at the Winter Meetings. 

[Docwaukee]

13 minutes ago, mtangelsfan said:

Claude is the guy standing next to the empty stocking reminding you that he told you that it would be empty since you were naughty.

and to also remind you that the last time you got a toy 3 years ago, it was defective and leaked white powder everywhere so every toy that will ever be purchased will also be defective by default.  

[Docwaukee]

7 minutes ago, Robrock30 said:

SB Nation's Chris Cotillo reports that the Angels showed interest in Cardinals second baseman Kolten Wong at the Winter Meetings. 

like....for a date?

[Docwaukee]

btw, Fletcher had to have been bored out of his freakin skull.

[UndertheHalo]

Just now, Dochalo said:

btw, Fletcher had to have been bored out of his freakin skull.

he did a facebook live question session at an airport earlier today.  Like 5 people asked questions.  It was sad 

[nikkachez]

Man, that was boring

 

Obviously, the Sale/Eaton trades and surprising FA signings (Desmond namely) were cool, but goddamn, another boring ass Winter Meetings. 

[CanadianHalo]

Attending the winter meetings has essentially become a week long paid vacation for Fletcher. I'm sure he doesn't mind especially since they're in Nashville!

Broadway Street + Nashville girls > Any other place in the states for me

[AngelsLakersFan]

57 minutes ago, Cdaniel said:

What the hell is MS trying to say in this quote?

That he is currently learning how to lose.

[Oz27]

50 minutes ago, hangin n wangin said:

Seriously though, that is a dumb shit quote.

My head hurts.

[ettin]

1 hour ago, Dtwncbad said:

Not exacly.  I am asking them to spend some money on making the team better.  It is pro sports.  It costs money.  This is the Los Angeles Angels in 2017 with Mike Trout in his prime.  You spend some money and try to win.  Turner is a very good player that produces with the bat and is great in the field.  You go get this guy.  He makes the team better.  I remember when people were freaked out by Adrian Beltre asking for 5 years and how "stupid" that would be for the Angels to get him.  Yes there are lots of 5 year deals that don't produce for 5 years (like CJ Wilson) but that doesn't mean you don't pick a player that fits and try---especially when you have the money and your team is so healthy financially.

The Twins or the Rays are different.  My opinon is the Angels are not acting like the Angels should act.  What would Dave Dombrowski do as GM of this team right now?  There are two answers.  One is aggressively tear it down around Trout, and the other is aggressively build it up around Trout.  But I guarantee Dombrowski would not have left these Winter Meetings with unchecked boxes the way Eppler did.

Agree with your first paragraph, disagree with your second one.

The Winter Meetings do not make or break a team. Just because big action usually happens there for a small handful of teams doesn't mean it won't happen before or after. The unchecked boxes that Eppler has to fill include 2B, maybe 3B, SP, maybe RP (doubtful), and maybe C. The choices to fill those boxes are mostly in the mid-tier to lower-tier group of players which traditionally do not happen at the Winter Meetings.

Eppler's situation is made a bit more difficult at 2B because the teams he is trying to deal with are ones that don't readily appear likely to contend next year (Twins, Padres, Brewers, and Reds in particular) and don't have a big impetus to absolutely trade a guy preseason. This is why Utley or Drew will be a fallback plan if these teams stick to their guns and try to maximize value on one of their 2B candidates. This is actually another reason why nothing has probably happened yet because there is a back and forth going on and a "lets wait out the other guy" thing.

Patience is the word in December. I sincerely believe we will have a future 2B before Spring Training and we may have a new 3B too (less likely than a 2B though). Maybe another veteran SP, a remote maybe on another RP or C.

[ettin]

1 hour ago, Glen said:

As an Angels fan, this years' Winter Meetings have been about as exciting as being a dude and going to a gender reveal party with your spouse/girlfriend.

 

1 hour ago, Dochalo said:

that's a way too specific personal example.  

Glen congratulations on making the switch! Did you go all the way? What is your cup size now? Really congrats!

[nando714]

1 hour ago, Troll Daddy said:

I wonder if he tells this to trout's face as we waste another season of him in 2017 while learning how to lose 

[Chuck]

SB Nation's Chris Cotillo reports that the Angels showed interest in Cardinals second baseman Kolten Wong at the Winter Meetings.

 

Cotillo adds, however, that the Cardinals are "asking a lot" and "unlikely to move him" this offseason. Wong batted just .240/.327/.355 with five home runs and seven stolen bases in 121 games this past year for St. Louis, but he plays good defense and remains an intriguing all-around talent at age 26. It doesn't make much sense for the Cardinals to sell low. Lock him in as their starter at the keystone for 2017.

Source: Chris Cotillo on Twitter

[CanadianHalo]

Would rather just sign Hank Conger for peanuts and tell everyone it's Kolten Wong than grossly overpay for Wong

[VariousCrap]

Wong is the right type of 2B for the Angels to try to get, but I wouldn't give up much for him.

[totdprods]

5 minutes ago, VariousCrap said:

Wong is the right type of 2B for the Angels to try to get, but I wouldn't give up much for him.

Cards have shown interest in Turner too, and acquiring an outfielder. Depending on how their offseason goes Wong's price may drop if he becomes more expendable. 

I think a lot of the Angels plans are held up due to Turner - regardless if they are in the running him or not - and Turner is being held up by Jansen's decision and which way the Dodgers go. That'd be another viable explanation why the meetings were so quiet. 

[Dtwncbad]

Wondering out loud. . . 

Is Eppler the type of GM that carefully measures available opportunities?

Or is he a GM that knows how to create opportunities?

I think the difference between a decent functional GM and a really good one is if they are good at only the first or good at both.

[ettin]

17 minutes ago, Chuckster70 said:

SB Nation's Chris Cotillo reports that the Angels showed interest in Cardinals second baseman Kolten Wong at the Winter Meetings.

 

Cotillo adds, however, that the Cardinals are "asking a lot" and "unlikely to move him" this offseason. Wong batted just .240/.327/.355 with five home runs and seven stolen bases in 121 games this past year for St. Louis, but he plays good defense and remains an intriguing all-around talent at age 26. It doesn't make much sense for the Cardinals to sell low. Lock him in as their starter at the keystone for 2017.

Source: Chris Cotillo on Twitter

 

7 minutes ago, VariousCrap said:

Wong is the right type of 2B for the Angels to try to get, but I wouldn't give up much for him.

When I was writing the Primer series for 2B, Wong was the primary guy I had in mind for the Angels to acquire. He plays good defense and is a left-handed hitter which checks off Eppler's boxes.

The one thing to be careful about with Wong is that he has not been able to hit left-handed pitchers so far in his MLB career. We may need a platoon partner for him. Otherwise I think this is a great time to inquire on him because the Cards have to put Gyorko somewhere and he played well for them at 2B last year and has a lot more pop in his bat which is what the Cards need to keep.

I suspect that with Wong's slightly depressed value after last season combined with the $20M+ left on his contract that the Cardinals would like to move him with the acquiring team taking on most if not all of the salary which the Angels can do because Wong's AAV is around $6M give or take. Kolten would be a satisfactory target overall for me. Good defense, solid enough bat against RHP.

[Second Base]

I think Cotillo is just throwing bored Angels fans a bone here. We're the only team not being connected to anyone and have no not done anything.

But it doesn't surprise me about Wong. He's the exact type of player they need and Eppler wants. Young, good defender, inexpensive, left handed, decreased value, affordability and former top prospect.

But the Cards are smart. They know better than to give in to what the Angels are offered. Now if we had another Randal Grichuk they could shake us for, they'd deal. But we don't.

[stormngt]

2 hours ago, Cdaniel said:

What the hell is MS trying to say in this quote?

 

1 hour ago, hangin n wangin said:

Seriously though, that is a dumb shit quote.

There is an old saying in sports:  "Only through losing do you learn how to win"

I think Scioscia was trying to say that.

[Blarg]

5 hours ago, Dtwncbad said:

I think what the front office/ownership is failing at right now is convincing the fan base that they really are doing everything they can with the resources available to them to put the best team on the field possible.

When this is going to be most visual is during the Winter Meetings when fans are actually clicking and clicking to see updates on what is happening.  Fans get restless when the team is not good enough AND it doesn't appear that the team is using available resources aggressively to fix that.

Most can agree it is not smart to do something (stupid) just to do something.  But that is not a good argument for not doing something that makes sense.  Under the current circumstances fans want to see ambition, engagement and activity.  We don't see it.  If most fans cannot call what they see right now as ambitious, engaged and active then they are not likely to be very energized and optimistic about 2017 being different than 2016.

Eppler very well could be the hardest working human being at the meetings.  But it doesn't look like he is.  And that matters to fans.  I am not saying what is right or wrong, I am making the observation that the team should not be surprised if the fan base shows some frustration and criticism.

Most of the fan base had no idea there was a winter meeting. The year ends, they move on to football or basketball, maybe even both and don't even think baseball until Spring Training at the earliest. 

[Maydab23]

Long time lurker, extremely rare poster here (I think the last time was the offseason when Beltre and Carl Crawford were FAs) but I just have to know.

Why no mention of Tommy La Stella in guys we should target? 

Just curious to people's opinion since he is left handed, at least somewhat expendable by his club and given his MiLB track record and lack of consistent playing time in bigs, indicates some upside to break through to another level.

[tomsred]

49 minutes ago, stormngt said:

 

There is an old saying in sports:  "Only through losing do you learn how to win"

I think Scioscia was trying to say that.

Actually I take what he was trying to say is that when you are winning many times you don't address your problems as urgently or sharply as when you are losing.  In turn, this paves the way getting back to a winning formula because you are more likely to accelerate change.

[Angel Oracle]

Did the delay in the new CBA contribute to the quieter meetings?

[tomsred]

4 minutes ago, Angel Oracle said:

Did the delay in the new CBA contribute to the quieter meetings?

Good question AO, my opinion is that it did.  Teams didn't have time to completely adjust their detailed plans to a modified set of rules.  For some of the top tier free agents this wouldn't have had much of an effect though, as there is always an urgency for those type of players and high competition financially for their talents, i.e. you want to get them signed before someone else does.