Its time for the front office to step up and do its job

[floplag]

The players have gotten this team back into a playoff race spot without any help from the front office and that effort deserves more than what its gotten from them.
Its time for Eppler and team to do what they need to do to reward that effort.    Past time really, but they need to work that front office magic and get what this team needs to make a run.  
I'm not going to debate what they could have or should have done in the past we've covered it all... I'm wiping that slate clean.  
The team got back in it, now the front office needs to do the same to do whatever can be done in Aug.
 

[eaterfan]

The front office got the players that got them into playoff position...

[floplag]

2 minutes ago, eaterfan said:

The front office got the players that got them into playoff position...

You mean the ones everyone here complains about literally every day that we have obvious needs for?  

[Stradling]

There's literally only one player immune from criticism, Trout, and he's basically perfect. 

[TroutField]

I would love to hear all the All star caliber players that are available that are going to push us into the playoffs. 

 

Kinsler? No thanks... 

 

Upton? Very, very doubtful 

[mtangelsfan]

Mid season big splashes almost never work out.

[Stradling]

3 minutes ago, mtangelsfan said:

Mid season big splashes almost never work out.

But what about August Big Splashes.

[Kevin]

22 minutes ago, Stradling said:

There's literally only one player immune from criticism, Trout, and he's basically perfect. 

How dare you...

[Stradling]

1 minute ago, Kevin said:

How dare you...

He was fat once

[Kevin]

3 minutes ago, Stradling said:

He was fat once

Most of AW is fat and was just jealous of how Trout made fat look good. 

[Stradling]

2 minutes ago, Kevin said:

Most of AW is fat and was just jealous of how Trout made fat look good. 

Guilty as charged

[CanadianHalo]

35 minutes ago, Stradling said:

There's literally only one player immune from criticism, Trout, and he's basically perfect. 

I don't think even I could find something to bitch about when it came to Andrelton Simmons.

He's actually becoming my favorite Angels player, yes you read that right

[Stradling]

Just now, CanadianHalo said:

I don't think even I could find something to bitch about when it came to Andrelton Simmons.

He's actually becoming my favorite Angels player, yes you read that right

Yea, you are right.  That dude has been untouchable this year, and rightfully so.  He is a GREAT player.

[CanadianHalo]

But I agree flop, I so badly want to see this team make an addition. 

Don't take this season for granted. There's a few guys who have cleared waivers that could really help this team 

[mtangelsfan]

21 minutes ago, Stradling said:

But what about August Big Splashes.

Nope

[gurn67]

What's out there and what are you going to give up? We don't need another Segura for Greinke fiasco. Walker would have been a nice piece. He would have immediately become the third best hitter in the lineup, but what would they have had to give up for him? This run makes me feel much better for 2018 which is where the focus of any moves should be.

[floplag]

2 minutes ago, gurn67 said:

What's out there and what are you going to give up? We don't need another Segura for Greinke fiasco. Walker would have been a nice piece. He would have immediately become the third best hitter in the lineup, but what would they have had to give up for him? This run makes me feel much better for 2018 which is where the focus of any moves should be.

amazes me how easy people can just throw seasons away.   As of right now we are a playoff team, and you care more about 18?    Astounding.   what you think next year Hou will suck?  or the rest of the league will regress?  We have a shot now, why piss it away!

 

[Stradling]

5 minutes ago, CanadianHalo said:

But I agree flop, I so badly want to see this team make an addition. 

Don't take this season for granted. There's a few guys who have cleared waivers that could really help this team 

We ALL want to see them add.  

[Stradling]

1 minute ago, floplag said:

amazes me how easy people can just throw seasons away.   As of right now we are a playoff team, and you care more about 18?    Astounding.   what you think next year Hou will suck?  or the rest of the league will regress?  We have a shot now, why piss it away!

 

How bout you acknowledge it isn't about throwing away a season.  It's about the cost to acquire what you're asking for, which is incredibly vague.  You want someone who can help for at least the remainder of the season, but at what cost?  Would I give up a top five prospect for six weeks  of a player, nope.  

[floplag]

2 minutes ago, Stradling said:

How bout you acknowledge it isn't about throwing away a season.  It's about the cost to acquire what you're asking for, which is incredibly vague.  You want someone who can help for at least the remainder of the season, but at what cost?  Would I give up a top five prospect for six weeks  of a player, nope.  

Cant evaluate cost till we know what it might be can we?    And no i wouldnt do what you describe either, im not suggesting doing stupid things, why would you assume i was? 
Though i will say this, our top 5 arent exactly the same as others so pending who that player was... i would at least consider it and keep my options open, to blanket say no is foolish to me. 
I do not want them to do something just for the sake of doing something, ive never said that, ever, only that they need to give this team the chance it deserves. 

[mulwin444]

It's August so anyone you want is going to have to clear waivers.  Let's say that happens, usually it's a lot of God-awful deals you wouldn't want to touch with a Ebola-infected finger.  After that, let's say you do get someone who got through waivers and whose contract isn't completely awful, what you send back has to clear waivers themselves or has to be from the minor league depth, of which there is little.  Or maybe it's one of those deals where the team is so desparate to unload their player and contract they just dump them on the Angels for nothing in return.  Scanning the roster depths of teams out of it currently, not seeing a ton of opportunity but I guess anything is possible.  However, if the Angels wanted to make a move they should have done it before July 31st.

[Docwaukee]

We are two games over .500 after a 5 game winning streak.   Even though a winning % that low has never sniffed the second WC spot we find ourselves there nonetheless.  

The front office has done a really nice job of pulling this franchise out of a flat spin to certain death.  The collection of players they've assembled is as much a consequence of prior transgressions but here we sit.  

If the players who are currently doing their job were able to do that all year, we'd be further along so to insinuate that the players are doing what they are doing without the help of the front office doesn't make sense to me but if we are moving forward and trying to maximize our current opportunity then great.

That current opportunity is the possibility of adding one more game to the season.  So as important as getting that one extra game is winning that one game.  By far, the most bang for your buck in that regard is a starting pitcher who can go out and dominate that game for you.  

What dominant pitchers are available right now.  And if so, why?  The why is typically obvious.  The available guys can be dominant on any given day and are more likely to than most, but they are probably owed a ton of money.  

Here are a couple possibilities:

Jeff Samardzija - currently in his age 32 season sporting a 4.74 era.  But his peripherals are good.  Still misses bats but his game log doesn't scream the ability to be dominant all that often.  Owed 20 mil per for 3 more years after this one.  So 60 ml for age 33-35.  Here's the other nit - his velo is down about 1mph from his previous 3 seasons.  

Cole Hamels - took a line drive off the knee so his status is a little foggy.  Play for a div rival who probably thinks they can win next year.  Age 33 with 23.5 mil left for next year and a 20 mil team option for 2019 that can vest at 24m with innings.  6m buyout on the option.  Putting up a nice era, but has a 5.7k/9 this year whereas his career avg is 8.5.  That's a red flag I wouldn't go anywhere near. 

Justin Verlander - probably the most obvious choice.  velo is still good.   Can still go out and give you a dominant start even though he's not who he used to be.  But if you add him for the rest of his age 34 season, you also get him for age 35, 36 and maybe 37 (vesting option if top 5 cy for 2019).  At a minimum you'll owe him 60 mil for two years in which you have to assume will be decline seasons.  

Johnny Cueto - on the DL with an elbow strain and blisters.  buyer beware.  Not having a great age 31yo season with an era above 4 and he's owed more than 90mil for his age 32-35 seasons.  That would be a no for me.  

 

So there are pretty much all of the SP options unless some random guy passed through waivers unexpectedly and then you are talking about giving up significant prospects for anyone not attached to a bad contract.  All of those guys are horrible risks.  

Even though we've got a chance, it's a chance for one more game in a scenario where a WC winner will make it with the lowest number of regular season win since the inception of that second spot.  I really don't like the idea of doing something that hurts us for 2018, 2019 and potentially 2020 just to give us a better chance this year.  

I guess what I am saying is that I am more comfortable sticking with the current plan and keeping our prospects as well as our payroll flexibility for the next three years.  

 

 

 

[SlappyUtilityMIF]

Getting GRICH, Skaggs and Heaney back are like Late season trade acquisitions!!!!..That doesn't even include getting Street and Bailey back!!!! What else do you guys want???.. in before "You get Nothing and Like it!"... I told you so~

[mulwin444]

Just now, SlappyUtilityMIF said:

Getting GRICH, Skaggs and Heaney back are like Late season trade acquisitions!!!!.... in before... I told you so~

Richards somewhere near the rotation by mid-September would be incredible.  Imagine Richards, Skaggs, Heaney, J.C. Ramirez, and Parker Bridwell as your rotation going into the final two weeks of the season.  That's probably the reason you won't see the Angels pick up a SP through waivers.

[GrittyVeterans]

The offense is the problem. You can't have Pujols, Valbueana, Pennington, Revere, Maldonado all in the same lineup some nights 

 

They need a bat to hit behind Trout