Cowart Off To Good Start in Triple-A

[Ace-Of-Diamonds]

2 hours ago, tdawg87 said:

They didn't "get him". He was in their system.

The Nats got Eaton to play CF, allowing Trea to move to SS, so they could get rid of the terrible hitting Espinosa.

[Brent Maguire]

7 hours ago, Ace-Of-Diamonds said:

Pujols used to win MVPs, I don't care what some one did on another team. What have you done lately. Lately Espinoza stinks.

Danny Espinosa .160/.223/.287/.511 5 BB, 37 SO That's 5 outs for every hit rate.

There was a reason Washington DFAd him.

Washington did not DFA him. They considered non-tendering him, which is quite a bit different than a DFA'ing a player, but they didn't even do that.

I get that Espinosa isn't a stud and this start has been putrid but what did fans want/expect? There weren't exactly any good free agent 2B available and the ones available through trade, like Cesar Hernandez(5.7 WAR since the 2016 season began), were going to cost the top prospects(Thaiss/Jones/Barria). Billy Eppler clearly felt the trade route was not smart as he's trying to build a somewhat productive farm system. 

[DMVol]

7 hours ago, Angels_Baseball said:

I get that Espinosa isn't a stud and this start has been putrid but what did fans want/expect? There weren't exactly any good free agent 2B available and the ones available through trade, like Cesar Hernandez(5.7 WAR since the 2016 season began), were going to cost the top prospects(Thaiss/Jones/Barria). Billy Eppler clearly felt the trade route was not smart as he's trying to build a somewhat productive farm system. 

^^^This^^^....We didn't exactly have a boat load of options and, even if he continues to struggle, Espinosa made sense....if he can't break out of his funk, then it's time to look elsewhere, maybe Cowart....but that wouldn't change the landscape Eppler was looking at last December.....limited money to spend and very little in the farm system for trades or immediate help....

[Jobu]

I see we've entered full on history revision mode. People loved this move. Now it's "what did you expect".

[Troll Daddy]

Forgetting last nights brain freeze from Pennington ... I would prefer him over Cowart. 

[Angel Oracle]

At this rate, a whole lot of payroll will free up after 2017.

Hackilton, Street, Escobar, Pennington, Espinosa (if not improving offensively), Maybin (see Espinosa), and Nolasco (not looking like the Aug-Sept 2016 pitcher)

That would be some $65-$70 million AAV freed up.  

[Dick B Back]

12 hours ago, Dochalo said:

they did get him.  From the Padres.  for dick.  

Really?

[Troll Daddy]

3 minutes ago, Angel Oracle said:

At this rate, a whole lot of payroll will free up after 2017.

Hackilton, Street, Escobar, Pennington, Espinosa (if not improving offensively), Maybin (see Espinosa), and Nolasco (not looking like the Aug-Sept 2016 pitcher)

That would be some $65-$70 million AAV freed up.  

Yup

Lets not forget that Trout and Pujols will eat up about $15M in raises. 

[Chuck]

22 minutes ago, Dick B Back said:

Really?

lol

[AngelsLakersFan]

29 minutes ago, Dick B Back said:

Really?

Am I the only one who always reads your handle as "Dick B Black" ????

[Angel Oracle]

33 minutes ago, Troll Daddy said:

Yup

Lets not forget that Trout and Pujols will eat up about $15M in raises. 

True, but from a luxury tax standpoint, $65-$70 million AAV is freed up based on the above.

[T.G.]

22 hours ago, Jeff Fletcher said:

General observation, not specific to any players in this thread...

When a player who has a proven major league track record over years and years stinks for a few weeks, everyone wants to get rid of him.

When another player, who has zero track record, stinks for a few weeks, everyone bitches that Scioscia didn't give him a chance and should just "let him have 500 ABs."

I always find that to be backward logic. 

(The addendum to this if that if a player with a track record stinks for an extended period with another team, everyone wants to get him because you're sure he'll turn it around.)

I am trying to imagine some Angels fans as day traders. 

[Ace-Of-Diamonds]

6 hours ago, Troll Daddy said:

Yup

Lets not forget that Trout and Pujols will eat up about $15M in raises. 

I don't know why people keep saying players that are under long contracts will get a raise and cost more next season, as if it will make a difference to the amount of money we have left to spend while staying under the tax threshold.

The entire contract is averaged over the length of the contract. So if a player makes $5M in year one and $30M in the final year of the contract, there is no change with regards to the luxury tax. It was average from day 1 and say every year as far as the luxury tax in concerned they have been making $20M every year, just as an example.

It will cost Arte more money for sure but it won't effect the amount he has to spend on players without paying a tax penalty.

[Ace-Of-Diamonds]

On 5/3/2017 at 1:47 PM, Jeff Fletcher said:

General observation, not specific to any players in this thread...

When a player who has a proven major league track record over years and years stinks for a few weeks, everyone wants to get rid of him.

When another player, who has zero track record, stinks for a few weeks, everyone bitches that Scioscia didn't give him a chance and should just "let him have 500 ABs."

I always find that to be backward logic. 

(The addendum to this if that if a player with a track record stinks for an extended period with another team, everyone wants to get him because you're sure he'll turn it around.)

Other than his home runs last season Espinosa stunk last year also. Hitting Home Runs in the NL East is a far cry from hitting them in the AL West with the exception of Minute Maid Park. .160 BA and .223 OBP over an entire month and .209 BA for an entire year isn't giving up on him too soon.

His career record is .224/.299/.385/.684. Is that what you're calling a proven track record? Also he has been trending downward since 2012, the year he lead the NL in SO.

[AngelsLakersFan]

58 minutes ago, Ace-Of-Diamonds said:

I don't know why people keep saying players that are under long contracts will get a raise and cost more next season, as if it will make a difference to the amount of money we have left to spend while staying under the tax threshold.

The entire contract is averaged over the length of the contract. So if a player makes $5M in year one and $30M in the final year of the contract, there is no change with regards to the luxury tax. It was average from day 1 and say every year as far as the luxury tax in concerned they have been making $20M every year, just as an example.

It will cost Arte more money for sure but it won't effect the amount he has to spend on players without paying a tax penalty.

It means a lot when you are Arte Moreno and you just use the luxury tax number as an excuse because you really just don't want to spend more actual money.

[nando714]

It could be worse

chase Utley coulda been our 2B. 

Id rather have espy 

[DMVol]

37 minutes ago, nando714 said:

It could be worse

chase Utley coulda been our 2B. 

Id rather have espy 

I kinda preferred Howie, but that may have been pure sentiment...

[Ace-Of-Diamonds]

1 hour ago, AngelsLakersFan said:

It means a lot when you are Arte Moreno and you just use the luxury tax number as an excuse because you really just don't want to spend more actual money.

No it doesn't, I might agree with you if we were butting up against the threshold every year.

[AngelsLakersFan]

2 hours ago, Ace-Of-Diamonds said:

No it doesn't, I might agree with you if we were butting up against the threshold every year.

I don't get this. If we aren't butting up against the threshold doesn't that back my point that Moreno just doesn't want to spend more money, not that he is fearful of getting a tax penalty?

[Homebrewer]

12 hours ago, AngelsLakersFan said:

I don't get this. If we aren't butting up against the threshold doesn't that back my point that Moreno just doesn't want to spend more money, not that he is fearful of getting a tax penalty?

The problem is Arte doesn't communicate much these days with the fanbase, so we really don't know what he's feeling or what the plan is. We are left to speculate.

[Dick B Back]

3 hours ago, Homebrewer said:

The problem is Arte doesn't communicate much these days with the fanbase, so we really don't know what he's feeling or what the plan is. We are left to speculate.

... and wait for the Christmas boat parade in Newport to see him.

[Mark68]

20 hours ago, Ace-Of-Diamonds said:

Other than his home runs last season Espinosa stunk last year also. Hitting Home Runs in the NL East is a far cry from hitting them in the AL West with the exception of Minute Maid Park. .160 BA and .223 OBP over an entire month and .209 BA for an entire year isn't giving up on him too soon.

His career record is .224/.299/.385/.684. Is that what you're calling a proven track record? Also he has been trending downward since 2012, the year he lead the NL in SO.

He did have a very Trout-like month last season. In June, he had 5 2Bs, 9 HRs, and a .309/.418/.704 slash line, good for a 190 OPS+.

And the AL East is not that easy a place to hit home runs. It's a LITTLE easier than it used to be since Citi moved their fences in.

 

2016 HR park factors in NL East (ESPN):

PHI   1.149/NYM 1.090/WAS 1.023/MIA    .793/ATL   .770

For comparison, here are the HR park factors in AL West (2016):

SEA  1.158/LAA  1.056/TEX  1.049/HOU  .822/OAK  .727

Avg for NL East: .965 vs Avg for AL West: .962

Not much of a difference.

 

 

[Docwaukee]

the Angels have 24yo 3b prospect who plays GG defense and has started the season walking at a near 20% clip.  He walked 13 times in his last 35 pa.  

It's almost like someone challenged him to see if he could walk 100 times this year.  

[Ace-Of-Diamonds]

On 5/4/2017 at 9:28 PM, AngelsLakersFan said:

I don't get this. If we aren't butting up against the threshold doesn't that back my point that Moreno just doesn't want to spend more money, not that he is fearful of getting a tax penalty?

Next year a lot of money comes off the books, and you say Raises to Trout and Pujols will stop him from spending that money even though it doesn't effect the Tax Limit. I'm pretty sure he will still be spending at or near the threshold next year as well.

He gets $150M/yr from TV contract, plus attendance, parking merchandise, concessions and more. So I doubt the raises Trout and Albert get are real considerations.

[Jeff Fletcher]

On 5/4/2017 at 4:49 PM, Ace-Of-Diamonds said:

Other than his home runs last season Espinosa stunk last year also. Hitting Home Runs in the NL East is a far cry from hitting them in the AL West with the exception of Minute Maid Park. .160 BA and .223 OBP over an entire month and .209 BA for an entire year isn't giving up on him too soon.

His career record is .224/.299/.385/.684. Is that what you're calling a proven track record? Also he has been trending downward since 2012, the year he lead the NL in SO.

A .684 OPS with his defense would be more than acceptable to the Angels. 

Right now the AL average at 2B is .704