What everyone is thinking?

[Blarg]

He has to publicly embarrass the owner. Maybe get in a bar fight like Billy Martin, or bet on baseball like Rose. Outside of that if he simply keeps the lid on the players so they don't publicly embarrass the franchise with dugout fights and after hours shenanigans, then he is completing his contract.

[VariousCrap]

46 minutes ago, AngelsLakersFan said:

Adding Moustakas, Lynn and Walker would improve the team next year but certainly not anywhere near enough to make this team a probable playoff team. We are then saddled with a ton of additional payroll to guys who very well might be average players in the next few years.

 

I don't agree with that at all.

[VariousCrap]

24 minutes ago, ten ocho recon scout said:

Yes and no. Sure, adding all or any of those guys improves the current team, but are those guys long term solutions? I cant say yes or no. But each has serious questions, mainly moustakas.

At any rate, even if we added all of the above, it wouldnt mean too much of the starting pitching again cant be counted on for a full year, or to go more than 5 innings.

If richards and heaney and skaggs come back next year merely average to above average, were in pretty decent shape. If not, back to mediocre.

None of them have serious questions and they are all vastly superior to what the Angels put out this year.

[Second Base]

When asked why the Angels don't win by someone that doesn't pay a ton of attention to baseball, the best I could explain is this...

"Smart teams win at baseball. They draft good young players, don't overpay on old ones that used to be good. The Angels are the opposite.

[Mark68]

1 hour ago, Vladdylonglegs said:

They need at least 3 SPs. And a DH.

Go all out for Otani. He'd solve two of these (one starting pitcher and DH).

[UndertheHalo]

4 minutes ago, Blarg said:

He has to publicly embarrass the owner. Maybe get in a bar fight like Billy Martin, or bet on baseball like Rose. Outside of that if he simply keeps the lid on the players so they don't publicly embarrass the franchise with dugout fights and after hours shenanigans, then he is completing his contract.

Agree.  And I also feel like in general.  There's not much more to a baseball managers job.  Some of you babies act like Mike Scisocia is a significant component of this teams failure(s) to make the playoffs.  

And holy shit, this spend 100 million or trade Mike Trout take.  What a crock of bullshit. Understand something.  The Angels WILL NEVER AGAIN IN YOUR LIFE have a player like Mike Trout.  For anyone to talk about trading him with 3 or 4 more years on his deal.  Plain and simple makes you not an Angels fan.  It makes you a reactionary short sighted fucking idiot.  It's amazing to me how some of you were so jacked up for this team 3 weeks ago, and now.  The sky is fucking falling.  I don't know how many times I've repeated this and I feel dumb to keep repeating the same a opinion.  But get a fucking grip.  It's your own goddamn fault that you invested so much in a .500 baseball team.  

Those of us paying any attention at all figured this would be about as good as we could hope for this year.  Look at the teams that just fucking smoked us.  We don't measure up with all the injuries, especially when we're trying to get our best pitchers going again.  If you want to be negative and think the group is hopeless that's your problem.  But I see plenty to be optimistic about ! We've got a great chance to retain Justin Upton.  Who's an awesome player and exactly what we need in the middle of the line up with Trout.  We've got a nice core of good talent to build around with Trout (the best in the business) Simmons (elite and among the best) Calhoun (just a rock solid good player), and Maldanado (one of the best in the biz at being a catcher).  Now hopefully adding Upton.  That's a lot more to work with then a lot of teams can claim. 

The pitching I can't help but feel encouraged by Richards and Skaggs.  We'll have Shoemaker back next year and hopefully with normal prep cycle Heaney.  Bridwell has also been a nice find.  This is a decent core of pitchers.  If we sign Lynn or another starter we'll be in business.  Assuming health.  

The bullpen is also a decent core of guys.  

If they make a couple good gets in FA over the next two offseason I think we're definitely back in the division winning and more business.  Eppler has done a nice job. Have some faith, and get the fuck over this season.  It went better then you should have reasonably expected.   

 

[ten ocho recon scout]

16 minutes ago, VariousCrap said:

None of them have serious questions and they are all vastly superior to what the Angels put out this year.

Moustakas is having a career year. Walker has had injury issues the last 2 years, and lynns FIP is ugly this year. Im not saying dont sign any of them. And id be happy to see new talent brought in. But none of those guys strike me as difference makers. Moustakas maybe, but again, im not sure how real this year of his is.

As far as all being better than what we have....thats saying nothing, because we have shit at the positions you listed. Maybin was better in LF than weve had the last 3 years. Doesnt mean he was the solution.

[WeaverFever]

2 minutes ago, ten ocho recon scout said:

Moustakas is having a career year. Walker has had injury issues the last 2 years, and lynns FIP is ugly this year. Im not saying dont sign any of them. And id be happy to see new talent brought in. But none of those guys strike me as difference makers. Moustakas maybe, but again, im not sure how real this year of his is.

As far as all being better than what we have....thats saying nothing, because we have shit at the positions you listed. Maybin was better in LF than weve had the last 3 years. Doesnt mean he was the solution.

But how do you get to the solution?? 

[Mark68]

What I think the priorities should be this offseason:

1. Convince Upton to stay (or re-sign him if he opts out). I believe he's shown enough that we can have confidence in him having some more productive seasons.

2. I can't stress this enough: GET OTANI!!!!

3. Get Eduardo Nunez to play 3B.

4. Brett Lawrie

5. Lance Lynn or Alex Cobb (preference in order).

6. Alex Avila

Lineup:

Nunez 3B

Trout CF

Otani DH

Upton LF

Cron 1B

Calhoun RF

Simmons SS

Lawrie 2B

Maldy/Avila C

Rotation:

Otani

Richards

Lynn/Cobb

Skaggs

Heaney

 

Pujols rides the bench except to give Cron a day off or when Otani has to pitch. And Shoe might be better suited (for his health) to a 'pen role. 

I think this can be doable as I expect Eppler to be creative within the budgetary confines. This would be a playoff team.

 

 

[ten ocho recon scout]

31 minutes ago, Zardawg16 said:

But how do you get to the solution?? 

There is no "one path" to it. Again, it all hinges on whether or not the SP staff is back, or if were still having to scramble to start tampons to stop the bleeding.

Everyone is pissed right now because the team fell off a cliff. But the reality is with the snakebit SP staff, its almost a miracle we got this close.

Its frustrating, but its still a waiting game...if say we spend to cap on offense, and still have no pitching, were still never moving forward.

Im all for signing someone who can hit to play 2B or 3B. Especially since no one in the minors (as far as i know) projects to solve those problems. But its still a matter or if richards/heaney/skaggs arr truly healed or not.

[nate]

Don't care if they miss the playoffs by 1 game or by 15, it's a complete failure of a season yet again and it is now what, 1 playoff appearance in 8 seasons?  Scioscia should go, but he wont.

[VariousCrap]

34 minutes ago, Mark68 said:

What I think the priorities should be this offseason:

1. Convince Upton to stay (or re-sign him if he opts out). I believe he's shown enough that we can have confidence in him having some more productive seasons..

2. I can't stress this enough: GET OTANI!!!! 

3. Get Eduardo Nunez to play 3B.

4. Brett Lawrie

5. Lance Lynn or Alex Cobb (preference in order).

6. Alex Avila

1.  I agree 100%.

2. Not going to happen.  He will go to the Yanks, Dodgers or M's.

3. I actually like this idea more than Moustakas.

4. No.  I'd like to see the Angels trade for Hernandez or sign Walker.

5. Lance Lynn for sure.

6. No.

I'd add:

7. At least two bullpen arms.

 

[Stradling]

8 minutes ago, nate said:

Don't care if they miss the playoffs by 1 game or by 15, it's a complete failure of a season yet again and it is now what, 1 playoff appearance in 8 seasons?  Scioscia should go, but he wont.

I think Scioscia will either be gone or sign a short extension to get him to year 20.  If it's the extension it will be one of those things where he says, that this contract will take him to retirement. 

[nate]

Plenty of teams would be interested in having Scioscia.  His kids are grown up now, I can see him continuing to coach elsewhere, and perhaps even doing a good job.  It just shouldn't be the Angels.

[Angel Oracle]

Year 20 with one team (through 2019) would take him to where only 4 managers in MLB history have gone: Mack, McGraw, Cox, and Alston.

And agreed that should be it for him in Anaheim.

[Stradling]

I would have no issues with replacing him.  I have zero idea if it'll help, but as a fan I'm ready for someone new.  It can change some narratives around here which will be a breathe of fresh air. 

[UndertheHalo]

I think it's funny how scisocia is either  a manager of year candidate or a guy that should get fired.  Depending what 3 week period we're talking about with the Angels.  

To be clear, if they had a new manager I wouldn't care.  But I also think keeping Scosica around is fine.  He's done a nice job overall with the Angels.  I don't think it matters much either way.  99% percent of the decisions made will be the same for anybody we bring in. 

[Stradling]

2 minutes ago, UndertheHalo said:

I think it's funny how scisocia is either  a manager of year candidate or a guy that should get fired.  Depending what 3 week period we're talking about with the Angels.  

To be clear, if they had a new manager I wouldn't care.  But I also think keeping Scosica around is fine.  He's done a nice job overall with the Angels.  I don't think it matters much either way.  99% percent of the decisions made will be the same for anybody we bring in. 

Yep

[AngelsLakersFan]

41 minutes ago, ten ocho recon scout said:

There is no "one path" to it. Again, it all hinges on whether or not the SP staff is back, or if were still having to scramble to start tampons to stop the bleeding.

Everyone is pissed right now because the team fell off a cliff. But the reality is with the snakebit SP staff, its almost a miracle we got this close.

Its frustrating, but its still a waiting game...if say we spend to cap on offense, and still have no pitching, were still never moving forward.

Im all for signing someone who can hit to play 2B or 3B. Especially since no one in the minors (as far as i know) projects to solve those problems. But its still a matter or if richards/heaney/skaggs arr truly healed or not.

@VariousCrap this post is essentially my point. I agree that we can spend our way into serious contention IF our pitchers are healthy. If they aren't healthy we aren't going anywhere next year. There is not enough pitching available on the market to turn this staff into an above average one without significant improvements in health.

The big problem is, I just can't trust these guys to stay healthy. If we get 500+ innings from Richards, Skaggs and Heaney and keep Upton I think we will be legit contenders. Adding some of the guys you mentioned could be what puts us over the top. Alternatively, if we get ~200 innings from those guys then I don't think we go far, even with everyone of the guys you mentioned added to the roster.

[fan_since79]

3 hours ago, Vegas Halo Fan said:

I look at a couple of things. We lost Trout for a month, and he hasn't really been the same player since returning. We also had the misfortune of having to face the two best teams in the American League right at the end of the season, when we needed to win games to make the playoffs.

He was a wonderful player for the first 24 games after returning: .367 BA and 19 RBI in 24 games.

Since then, he's hit .231 with only 11 RBI in 35 games.

[Troll Daddy]

I thinking we shouldn't offer Trout a ten year extension 

[Docwaukee]

the most annoying part of this whole collapse is that it's essentially on the offense.  If the pitching had failed, it would be understandable.  

and haha about getting Otani.  

[GrittyVeterans]

10 hours ago, stormngt said:

Yet the best player in baseball played better when the worst player in baseball hit behind him.

That has absolutely no relevance to what I'm talking about

[beatlesrule]

1 playoff appearance in 8 years for a team playing in the 2nd biggest market with a billionaire owner and the best player in baseball is completely unacceptable.  

[Angel Oracle]

14 hours ago, fan_since79 said:

He was a wonderful player for the first 24 games after returning: .367 BA and 19 RBI in 24 games.

Since then, he's hit .231 with only 11 RBI in 35 games.

This makes it harder to blame the wrist injury, since he kicked ass after returning.   Unless soreness became more than expected a month after returning.

This is 2011 Trout over the past 35 games.  A total mystery