Brandon Belt? And other outside the box ideas...

[krAbs]

So...I feel like this is an obvious question, but does anyone know of a quick infielder who has like...average to above average batting average and power, and good defense, who is sitting on a team who is basically eliminated from the playoffs? preferably a team that could use some young relief pitching, or maybe a young first baseman with power potential? Like..I know the giants could actually use Cron, but most of the players i would want from them would take a lot more than him to get...

[UndertheHalo]

14 minutes ago, krAbs said:

So...I feel like this is an obvious question, but does anyone know of a quick infielder who has like...average to above average batting average and power, and good defense, who is sitting on a team who is basically eliminated from the playoffs? preferably a team that could use some young relief pitching, or maybe a young first baseman with power potential? Like..I know the giants could actually use Cron, but most of the players i would want from them would take a lot more than him to get...

So, Simmons ?

[Angel Oracle]

Belt would fill a big current void.....LHHs.   Calhoun can't do it alone.   At least Espinohitsa is trying to morph back into Espinosa.  Where are YOU, Valnobuena? 

[Stradling]

40 minutes ago, Troll Daddy said:

You continue to act like a jackass ... I get you

Thank you.  I am sorry you posted an opinion on a message board that other people post on.  I am sorry that what you posted was debatable and that I offered a differing opinion.  If you would like to share your opinions and not have others disagree with them, please right them in your diary. 

Your's Truly,

Jackass

[UndertheHalo]

2 minutes ago, Angel Oracle said:

Belt would fill a big current void.....LHHs.   Calhoun can't do it alone.   At least Espinohitsa is trying to morph back into Espinosa.  Where are YOU, Valnobuena? 

You're a message board artist sir. 

Belt is fine makes us better (can't get much worse), safe move for us.  This assume we get him for basically nothing.  

[krAbs]

18 minutes ago, UndertheHalo said:

So, Simmons ?

Or...maybe Aybar?

[UndertheHalo]

6 minutes ago, krAbs said:

Or...maybe Aybar?

I don't think Aybar qualifies as average to above average at anything.  Including defense, which according to question is supposed to be good.  He's quick but it's sort of worthless because he's a moron and doesn't know how to steal. 

The Angels aren't going to get anyone that costs more then money and possibly some random shitty minor leaguer.

Edited June 29, 2017 by UndertheHalo

[Troll Daddy]

27 minutes ago, Stradling said:

Thank you.  I am sorry you posted an opinion on a message board that other people post on.  I am sorry that what you posted was debatable and that I offered a differing opinion.  If you would like to share your opinions and not have others disagree with them, please right them in your diary. 

Your's Truly,

Jackass

Lol

btw Maybin is batting .250

 

[NorCal Halo]

If the Angels were willing to trade Cron, I could see them going after another outfielder, like Cain, and moving Kole to 1st.

[fan_since79]

1 hour ago, krAbs said:

Yeah, once the Angels start playing playoff teams like the Red Sox, the Yankees, and the Dodgers, I'm expecting to get stomped.

This guy can tell you about stomping.

[nando714]

10 minutes ago, NorCal Halo said:

If the Angels were willing to trade Cron, I could see them going after another outfielder, like Cain, and moving Kole to 1st.

Willing to trade Cron? 

I will personally drive Cron to the airport and pop for his flight wherever it may be 

[totdprods]

28 minutes ago, UndertheHalo said:

I don't think Aybar qualifies as average to above average at anything.  Including defense, which according to question is supposed to be good.  He's quick but it's sort of worthless because he's a moron and doesn't know how to steal. 

The Angels aren't going to get anyone that costs more then money and possibly some random shitty minor leaguer.

They probably have enough prospect depth to make a splash.

[nando714]

Might as well call Kansas City and see what Hosmer would cost you ?

i could see him landing with the Yankees. My real prediction for him 

[totdprods]

1 minute ago, nando714 said:

Might as well call Kansas City and see what Hosmer would cost you ?

i could see him landing with the Yankees. My real prediction for him 

I think they'll avoid trading prospects for a rental, unless it's someone like Moustakas or Addison Reed, a local guy who they feel they have a great chance at re-signing.

Even if it means paying a higher price in prospects to get someone with more control. Belt fits that.

[nando714]

1 minute ago, totdprods said:

I think they'll avoid trading prospects for a rental, unless it's someone like Moustakas or Addison Reed, a local guy who they feel they have a great chance at re-signing.

Even if it means paying a higher price in prospects to get someone with more control. Belt fits that.

I love me some Moose 

[totdprods]

6 minutes ago, nando714 said:

I love me some Moose 

The only reason I would balk at Moose is, if we did feel very strongly about signing him and have him as a top FA target this offseason, is his addition really going to be worth giving up prospects for two months? 

If we really want him, knowing that he's local already gives us enough advantage to sign him. And I don't know if he's going to improve us enough to sacrifice the prospects.

I think I would rather throw those prospects at Belt or a SP and then simply sign Moose as a FA.

[halomatt]

Giancarlo Stanton.  BOOM. 

[ettin]

2 hours ago, krAbs said:

Honestly, I would be nervous about selling our future for this year when right now our top 5 starters are on the DL. You gotta roll the dice, and we've been playing well, sure. If Cowart developed into a guy who could hit around .220-.250 and valbuena hit his career numbers, we would have amazing defense and overall the team offense would be impressive. Combine that with our relief and we could definitely make a real run at the WS. But like...unless some of our injured guys come back and rock it this year (feels...unlikely), then we will be walking into the playoffs with meyer, bridwell, and...nolasco? chavez? rameirez? I don't even know who I would want to see there. Whoever is hot maybe?

 

I guess that could just mean we make a real run next year, and hope that richards, skaggs, heaney, and maybe trop can come back hard and stay healthy (i'm just about ready to ditch shoe for meyer or bridwell), then we really could be one of the top teams in baseball. The risk is that they don't stay health, our relief comes down to earth a bit, and the bottom falls out from under the team with another expensive player on the roster eating up flexibility. Though...I guess that's the risk of baseball.

Edit: also, i'm not sure that would be enough to get freeman. and even if it were, there's a real risk that we are buying high.

Edit #2: though, i BELIEVE that once hamilton comes off the contract, if we are able to get similar contracts on the peripheral players we have, we will have about 50 million before we hit luxury tax realm. that would give us 25-30 mill to play around with AFTER paying freeman. thats probably enough to shore up any issues that pop up.

And this is the thing everyone here needs to realize (because I of course haven't written up the first part of the Offseason Primer series but I have the payroll data):

If the Angels do not pick up Street's and Nolasco's options and they trade Cron, there will be approximately $71M-72M in Average Annual Value cap space this coming off-season (the cap for AAV is $197M). This means that the Angels can hit free agency pretty damn hard to acquire another pitcher and bat (or even more).

What this means for the here and now at the deadline is that if the Angels are strategic they can add a long term piece now in order to continue competing this season while also preparing for next year and the final 3 years of Trout's (current) contract. Why not try to negotiate with interested parties now since we are still hanging in the playoff picture and try to acquire a big bat or pitcher to help the team now and in the future?

Either way this will be an interesting deadline I think. We will either sell off big or we will make lateral moves and or upgrade. Then the off-season should have even more fireworks in free agency and trade.

My guess is Eppler will try to use Norris or another reliever as trade bait and either a ) use him to acquire another bat or b ) take the prospect or prospects acquired and flip them for an upgrade with another team (3-way deal or two separate transactions) or c ) grab near-ready MLB prospects.

[ten ocho recon scout]

2 hours ago, Angel Oracle said:

Belt would fill a big current void.....LHHs.   Calhoun can't do it alone.   At least Espinohitsa is trying to morph back into Espinosa.  Where are YOU, Valnobuena? 

Its your game, so you get to make the rules. But have you ever considered foulbuena?

[totdprods]

4 minutes ago, ettin said:

If the Angels do not pick up Street's and Nolasco's options and they trade Cron, there will be approximately $71M-72M in Average Annual Value cap space this coming off-season (the cap for AAV is $197M). This means that the Angels can hit free agency pretty damn hard to acquire another pitcher and bat (or even more).

What this means for the here and now at the deadline is that if the Angels are strategic they can add a long term piece now in order to continue competing this season while also preparing for next year and the final 3 years of Trout's (current) contract. Why not try to negotiate with interested parties now since we are still hanging in the playoff picture and try to acquire a big bat or pitcher to help the team now and in the future?

I think this is also a reason why they could be open to trading some prospects too. They'll have the money to buy an impact player or two in FA this offseason and stave off the need of trading for or immediately developing help. Most of our prospects are still two years plus from contributing.

[totdprods]

24 minutes ago, halomatt said:

Giancarlo Stanton.  BOOM. 

I don't think this is that crazy, but I have no earthly idea how they'd afford that contract unless Arte has been secretly planning on extending Trout and signing one of the upcoming mega-FA's, and decides to just jump on Stanton instead. We'd have to still pay in some premium talent and/or take on some of their uglier contracts like Chen, Prado, Ziegler, or Gordon.

[halomatt]

Just now, totdprods said:

I don't think this is that crazy, but I have no earthly idea how they'd afford that contract unless Arte has been secretly planning on extending Trout and signing one of the upcoming mega-FA's, and decides to just jump on Stanton instead.

If the Angels give enough value to reduce the amount (which I believe is near $300 million) to $200 million for the remaining 10.5 years, I'd think it's very in line with a hitter of his caliber is set to make.  The Marlins have an even worse system than the Angels.  I'd think a few of our "prime" guys for $100 million might be fair. 

Make no mistake, it's bat-shit crazy.

[ettin]

3 minutes ago, totdprods said:

I don't think this is that crazy, but I have no earthly idea how they'd afford that contract unless Arte has been secretly planning on extending Trout and signing one of the upcoming mega-FA's, and decides to just jump on Stanton instead.

It's 13 years/$325M which is only $25M AAV. That would be our big bat acquisition and then you could sign one of Darvish, Pineda, or Arrieta for around $25M AAV. That still leaves, assuming Street, Nolasco, and Cron are gone, $22M in AAV of which a Trout contract extension would only require a maximum of about $16M of that $22M above what is being paid now in AAV to Trout ($24M). In all likelihood a Trout extension would have an AAV probably about $34M per year at 15 years/$500M so that is only $12M still leaving some breathing room.

The added bonus would be that we likely wouldn't have to give up too many prospects for Stanton either compared to other established sluggers with much lower contracts.

Interesting idea not sure it is the best one monetarily but it is actually viable.

[totdprods]

Just now, halomatt said:

If the Angels give enough value to reduce the amount (which I believe is near $300 million) to $200 million for the remaining 10.5 years, I'd think it's very in line with a hitter of his caliber is set to make.  The Marlins have an even worse system than the Angels.  I'd think a few of our "prime" guys for $100 million might be fair. 

Make no mistake, it's bat-shit crazy.

It's absolutely bat-shit crazy, but the Marlins and Angels have a history of being a little bat-shit crazy soooooo.

I have had a suspicion that part of the spending freeze is because Arte wants to sign another mega-contract from the '18 class. It's close enough to Trout/Pujols contracts expiring to not kill payroll, gives the team another impact player to play alongside Trout and Pujols and go for the Series in one last hurrah, and gives the Angels a marquee name/bankable star under contract to promote in the event Trout leaves/Pujols retires. It fits very much in line with Artie's marketing/spending patterns.

[halomatt]

13 minutes ago, totdprods said:

It's absolutely bat-shit crazy, but the Marlins and Angels have a history of being a little bat-shit crazy soooooo.

I have had a suspicion that part of the spending freeze is because Arte wants to sign another mega-contract from the '18 class. It's close enough to Trout/Pujols contracts expiring to not kill payroll, gives the team another impact player to play alongside Trout and Pujols and go for the Series in one last hurrah, and gives the Angels a marquee name/bankable star under contract to promote in the event Trout leaves/Pujols retires. It fits very much in line with Artie's marketing/spending patterns.

Yeah, I agree.  However, Moreno signs Trout to a lifetime.  As an Advertising guy, he HAS to know that Trout is his Golden Goose, and he MUST be kept in Anaheim.  That said, with a reduction in the salary for Stanton, It would be possible to carry Trout, Stanton, and El Viejo, until his contract is over.  Also, Stanton is still young enough where he should continue to be "worth" his contract for several years.  The key is the dollar amount.