Angels nearing multiyear deal with Luis Valbuena

[totdprods]

7 minutes ago, mtangelsfan said:

So have they reached an agreement yet, or are they still near an agreement?  And, if they are still just near an agreement are they any nearer than they were yesterday?

Supposedly taking a physical in Anaheim on Monday to make if official.

[Inside Pitch]

52 minutes ago, mtangelsfan said:

So have they reached an agreement yet, or are they still near an agreement?  And, if they are still just near an agreement are they any nearer than they were yesterday?

 eleventy

[HaloNArizona]

1 hour ago, DMVol said:

Every day lineup looks ok---Maybin, Revere, Espinosa and Valbuena were all good pick ups...but if Chavez is our only pitching addition, I wouldn't think we all need to make playoff reservations either......

Right now, it's not sexy, but here is your list of possible starters:

Richards, Skaggs, Shoe, Nolasco (1-4 starters, not in any order)

For the fifth spot:

Chavez, Meyer, Smith, Wright and Pounders

 

Again, not sexy, but you don't always need sex to win.

 

Also I think we DFA Fontana once Valbuena is signed.  Unless I am missing something we only have three catchers on the 40 man...Perez, Maldonado and Graterol.

[Richard]

2 minutes ago, HaloNArizona said:

 

 

Again, not sexy, but you don't always need sex to win.

 

Source?

[HaloNArizona]

16 minutes ago, Richard said:

Source?

From the Bill Stoneman play book!

[Troll Daddy]

16 minutes ago, Richard said:

Source?

2002

[Hubs]

I think Fontana is safe. They can add Valbuena and move someone off like Paredes or Wright.

[nando714]

21 minutes ago, Troll Daddy said:

2002

I think we almost made it through a full off season without anyone mentioning 2002.

[Angel Oracle]

46 minutes ago, Inside Pitch said:

 eleventy

TEXA$

[Docwaukee]

1 hour ago, Hubs said:

I think Fontana is safe. They can add Valbuena and move someone off like Paredes or Wright.

Paredes?  no way that happens

[ABC]

21 hours ago, Troll Daddy said:

Angels are looking for good contact hitters with plate discipline ... he should fit in very good. 

They should just get a proven winner everywhere he goes:

 

 

[tdawg87]

Valbuena is a lefty with power, so I fully expect him to go all Matt Joyce on us.

[Richard]

14 minutes ago, tdawg87 said:

Valbuena is a lefty with power, so I fully expect him to go all Matt Joyce  Raul Ibañez on us.

 

[Rico]

I actually think Marte is better than this guy.  But he bats left handed and can play second.  So I'd like to see both on the team.

[Troll Daddy]

Kaleb Cowart can't catch a break

[Richard]

6 hours ago, HaloNArizona said:

From the Bill Stoneman play book!

Or the A.C. Green play book

[arch stanton]

8 hours ago, DMVol said:

Every day lineup looks ok---Maybin, Revere, Espinosa and Valbuena were all good pick ups...but if Chavez is our only pitching addition, I wouldn't think we all need to make playoff reservations either......

For the purpose of comparing this to last year's team I think you can include Richards as an addition as well. More importantly, at least to me, they've added some lefty bats who are capable of turning in a fastball and increased the speed on the bases and in the field. Now adding Wieters would make every position solid in both halves of the inning. As long as it doesn't take too long to sort out the pen this will be a team that can win in different ways and still has some flexibility to fix any glaring holes that can cost them games. 

[ELEVEN]

11 hours ago, Inside Pitch said:

 eleventy

My lawyers will be in touch...

[ELEVEN]

5 hours ago, Troll Daddy said:

Kaleb Cowart can't catch a break

He can't hit a baseball either.

[Angel Oracle]

2 hours ago, ELEVEN said:

He can't hit a baseball either.

John McDonald type utility guy is his future.

[totdprods]

I don't put too much weight onto these types of things, but Valbuena has also been a very solid bat in Anaheim. In 26 games, over 106 plate appearances at Angel Stadium, he owns a .279/.406/.395/.801 line.

But one big key I've discovered, he's also hit well in Minute Maid Park, which I like because it feels like the Angels really struggle there offensively. Both Escobar and Espinosa have had success in Houston as well. Maybin? Not so much. 

Some numbers for the Angels hitting in Houston:
Valbuena: .233/.326/.469/.796
Escobar: 282/.365/.412/.776
Espinosa: .297/.350/.459/.809
Trout: .205/.345/.410/.755
Cron: .226/.269/.435/.704
Pujols: .206/.275/.344/.619 (as an Angel)*
Calhoun: .267/.328/.405/.733
Simmons: .244/.277/.311/.588
Maybin: .158/.238/.263/.501 (has actually been terrible in each AL West ballpark minus Arlington, where he's yet to play!)
Marte: .063/.167/.063/.229
Maldonado: .150/.190/.200/.390
Pennington: .200/.294/.267/.561
Perez: .226/.273/.258/.531
Revere has yet to play in Houston. 
And, just for fun:
Wieters: .308/.333/.462/.795

*Pujols' line in Houston in 2016 was .323/.382/.516/.898.
Before that, he was BRUTAL. A combined .167/.239/.287/.526 as an Angel in Houston. No wonder they owned us.

If we want to contend, we need to beat Houston.
Over the last five years, when most of the above applies, we are 36-40 against Houston, 16-21 in Minute Maid. This came as a total surprise to me, but we have winning records against every other AL West team during that time frame! In fact, over the last two years, when the Astros have you know, actually been a good team, we are 15-23, including 6-13 in Houston. In that same time, we still have even have winning records against every other AL West team! The Rangers (21-17), Mariners (20-18), and Athletics (23-15). 
 

[totdprods]

Rosenthal has some more on the Angels signing Valbuena, saying that is was done as a result of concerns about Pujols being ready. At the bottom though, he mentions the plan is for Valbuena to take over at 3B in 2018. 

[Blarg]

20 hours ago, #CF8 said:

They should just get a proven winner everywhere he goes:

 

 

Cleveland and Texas both lost their World Series with the shirtless guy.

[nikkachez]

21 minutes ago, totdprods said:

Rosenthal has some more on the Angels signing Valbuena, saying that is was done as a result of concerns about Pujols being ready. At the bottom though, he mentions the plan is for Valbuena to take over at 3B in 2018. 

 

I get it, but I still don't think you sign a Valbuena just because you think Pujols will miss a bit of time, you know? I was hoping they'd sign Moustakas next winter, and I'm still kind of hoping they do, but this definitely makes that look way less likely. Either way, nice to get some positional depth (seeing as Escobar, Espinosa, Maybin, and Revere are all free agents after this year, they were going to need to fill all of those positions). 

[totdprods]

1 hour ago, nikkachez said:

I get it, but I still don't think you sign a Valbuena just because you think Pujols will miss a bit of time, you know? I was hoping they'd sign Moustakas next winter, and I'm still kind of hoping they do, but this definitely makes that look way less likely. Either way, nice to get some positional depth (seeing as Escobar, Espinosa, Maybin, and Revere are all free agents after this year, they were going to need to fill all of those positions). 

You can add Pennington to that list too. And it frees up Cron and Marte a bit more in trade discussions. Valbuena could just as easily remain a bench bat next year. He also could be trade bait. This is all about depth and giving Eppler dozens of more possibilities with which to handle deals throughout the season.