OK, Billy...PLEASE

[Ohtaniland]

7 minutes ago, stormngt said:

I heard that same statement in March 2014 but it was ten years away.

Well if someone said that in March of 2014 they must've known that team was not built to win beyond that season. 

[Angel Oracle]

Re Valbuena's recent offense.....Where was THAT the previous TWO months????

[stormngt]

3 minutes ago, CALZONE said:

Well if someone said that in March of 2014 they must've known that team was not built to win beyond that season. 

But they did have the best record in baseball.  I do believe that team groslly over achieved.  Hoaever injuries to our putching staff this year and last year is why we havent competed.  A lot can happen in a year or two.  

[Troll Daddy]

10 hours ago, Dochalo said:

what is it about this current team that gives you any indication they're playing meaningful baseball?

mediocrity is the professional sports equivalent of a sac punch.  

I guess watching the team give the division leaders headaches. 

Every game has meaning no matter if you're in last place. You should try paying attention once in awhile. 

 

[Ohtaniland]

Just now, stormngt said:

But they did have the best record in baseball.  I do believe that team groslly over achieved.  Hoaever injuries to our putching staff this year and last year is why we havent competed.  A lot can happen in a year or two.  

Please stop it with the pitching injuries. You know very well what this team's offense looks like without Trout. 

 

[floplag]

46 minutes ago, JarsOfClay said:

I think you are 100% right.  With Pujols crippling the payroll and the lineup, Scioscia more concerend about Pujols' ego than winning games, and Arte refusing to go above the tax revenue - this team is literally screwed for quite a while unless they take drastic measures like the ones you described.  But I dont see that happening because they seem content with being mediocre.

Pujols does not gimp the payroll unless they choose to let it.  We could absorb the entire thing if we wanted to.  
People seem to forget this isnt a poor club.  The TV contract alone covers almost the entire payroll before any other considerations.  Nothing gimps us unless we let it do so.  

[zenmaster]

 

50 minutes ago, JarsOfClay said:

I think you are 100% right.  With Pujols crippling the payroll and the lineup, Scioscia more concerend about Pujols' ego than winning games, and Arte refusing to go above the tax revenue - this team is literally screwed for quite a while unless they take drastic measures like the ones you described.  But I dont see that happening because they seem content with being mediocre.

It's scary that he's ours for 5 more years and he sucks horrible now. In 5 years he will be lucky to walk let alone run. Will he be batting fourth if he's hitting below the Mendoza line with 1 homer and 17 rbi at the all star break?

[Stradling]

Just now, zenmaster said:

 

It's scary that he's ours for 5 more years and he sucks horrible now. In 5 years he will be lucky to walk let alone run. Will he be batting fourth if he's hitting below the Mendoza line with 1 homer and 17 rbi at the all star break?

Four more years. 

[Angel Oracle]

Pujols does look as bad as Aaron did with the Brewers in the mid 70s.   Give up the chase to Mays' 660 HRs (ain't happening), and retire after 2018 and 3000 hits.

[zenmaster]

18 minutes ago, Stradling said:

Four more years. 

For some reason this does not comfort me. 

[FanSince'98]

13 hours ago, Angelsjunky said:

Frickin sell off some parts. This team is toast (this year). Make some trades.

I'd really hate to see this team on August 1 without having made any substantial trades, but for some reason I can't shake the feeling that's how it will be.

Agreed, if he doesn't trade off obvious pieces like Norris, Escobar, Hernandez, etc I'll lose a LOT of faith in our front office. 

[greginpsca]

1 hour ago, Angel Oracle said:

Pujols does look as bad as Aaron did with the Brewers in the mid 70s.   Give up the chase to Mays' 660 HRs (ain't happening), and retire after 2018 and 3000 hits.

Aaron was into his 40's then, not so with Albert.

 

[ten ocho recon scout]

2 minutes ago, greginpsca said:

Aaron was into his 40's then, not so with Albert.

 

 

[floplag]

I see a lot of people basically giving up on the next few years already.  To this i would say if you plan is to do nothing and wait on the farm then yes, you are right, thats the soonest we would be in contention again.   I also think this is the worst bad plan we could ever do when you have a player like Trout on the club.  

If this is the plan i say again whats the point to having him when he could accelerate that process by 2 years or more in trade?  Its no what i want but there is a lot of having that cake and eating it too going on here.  you can play the build the farm game without the 10 years of sucking the Astros, Cubs, et al... went thru and we havent been bad enough to really make that work with high enough draft picks anyway so weve torpedoed our own plan by being middle of the road. 

We are only as far out of contention as we choose to be, period.  We are not a poor team, we could afford the luxury tax, the last couple years and literally any year beyond this one that this teams wallows in mediocrity is by its own doing.    

Most of the pieces we have needed have been there, we choose not to spend and went dumpster diving for the clean peanut (most were still not that clean) and have literally wasted the last few years due to shellshock over self inflicted wounds for deals we never should have signed to begin and fear of the damned luzury tax, as though that should even be a concern.

If the team wants to be mediocre, fine, but stop blowing sunshine up our rears and be honest about it.  All this lukewarm sorta in the WC picture stuff is crap IMO.  not good enough to actually matter, not bad enough to build the farm effectively.   Im kinda tired of the limbo.  Blow it up for real, or spend, stop being wishy washy indecisive pussies 

 

[Angel Oracle]

1 hour ago, greginpsca said:

Aaron was into his 40's then, not so with Albert.

 

True, but Pujols and his knees look 40.

[Inside Pitch]

1 hour ago, FanSince'98 said:

Agreed, if he doesn't trade off obvious pieces like Norris, Escobar, Hernandez, etc I'll lose a LOT of faith in our front office. 

The thing about trades.....  someone else has to want what we have first....   

[Lou]

3 hours ago, greginpsca said:

You can't teach youth!

 

or Guggenheim money 

[Lou]

1 minute ago, Inside Pitch said:

The thing about trades.....  someone else has to want what we have first....   

an important factor constantly disregarded on AW 

[FanSince'98]

Just now, Inside Pitch said:

The thing about trades.....  someone else has to want what we have first....   

True...so...

Norris: 3.12 ERA/1.116 WHIP

Hernandez: 2.34 ERA/1.01 WHIP

Escobar: .271 AVG/.328 OBP

No reason at all we shouldn't get some mid tier strong potential prospects for those guys. 

[Lou]

2 hours ago, Angel Oracle said:

Pujols does look as bad as Aaron did with the Brewers in the mid 70s.   Give up the chase to Mays' 660 HRs (ain't happening), and retire after 2018 and 3000 hits.

And leave $87 Million on the table? 

[FanSince'98]

2 minutes ago, Lou said:

And leave $87 Million on the table? 

I'm surprised you took the time to respond to that one haha, we should never release Albert as long as there's a DH in the AL. 

[Ohtaniland]

18 minutes ago, Inside Pitch said:

The thing about trades.....  someone else has to want what we have first....   

And if you can't find a team that wants your players, it says a lot about your players. 

[FanSince'98]

18 minutes ago, Inside Pitch said:

The thing about trades.....  someone else has to want what we have first....   

Judging by their stats what makes you think those 3 aren't of value to other teams?

[Lou]

12 minutes ago, FanSince'98 said:

True...so...

Norris: 3.12 ERA/1.116 WHIP

Hernandez: 2.34 ERA/1.01 WHIP

Escobar: .271 AVG/.328 OBP

No reason at all we shouldn't get some mid tier strong potential prospects for those guys. 

The pitchers are a possibility.

Escobar?  Let's see, who needs a slow .271 slap-hitting, terrible fielding 3rd baseman? 

[Lou]

1 minute ago, CALZONE said:

And if you can't find a team that wants your players, it says a lot about your players. 

Who doesn't know this?