OC Register: As GM meetings approach, Angels’ Eppler not likely to be shopping for high priced pitchers

[AngelsWin.com]

Expect the Angels to remain interested observers, rather than fierce bidders, when it comes to the pitching market this winter.

As general manager Billy Eppler was preparing to head for next week’s GM meetings in Orlando, he reiterated that the primary goal is finding more bats.

“We’d still like to address more offense,” Eppler said, “while keeping an eye open on the pitching market, both starting and relieving.”

Eppler said the Angels will “look for value, similar to what we did last year,” when it comes to adding pitching.

If that sounds like the Angels will be on the sidelines when it comes to the pursuit of marquee starters like Yu Darvish, Jake Arrieta or Shohei Otani or closer Wade Davis, it’s probably a fair assessment.

Never one to paint himself into a corner, Eppler left some wiggle room that they still may end up acquiring an established pitcher: “You can get good deals on a Mercedes. It’s possible. You just understand what you’re willing to allocate toward a certain player, and if your expectation and their expectation intersect, you try to get something done.”

While it may disappoint many fans that Eppler views pitching as a secondary need, it’s understandable. Eppler believes the Angels have plenty of good pitchers. The problem was they weren’t healthy last year.

As of now, starters Garrett Richards, Andrew Heaney, Tyler Skaggs, Matt Shoemaker, Nick Tropeano and Parker Bridwell are all fully cleared. JC Ramirez, who underwent stem-cell therapy to treat a sore elbow, has another ultrasound scheduled for the end of this month, after which the Angels are hoping he too will be cleared.

“I feel good about it because of what we were able to see from Garrett down the stretch and Andrew coming back and showing where he’s at from a health perspective,” Eppler said. “Last year we didn’t know we’d have Heaney and we knew we wouldn’t have Tropeano.”

Ramirez, who was a reliever, and Bridwell, was with the Baltimore Orioles, are both additions to the starting pitcher depth chart from a year ago.

“There are a number of names there for us that we did not have last year,” said Eppler, who added prospects Jaime Barria, Osmer Morales and Vicente Campos into the mix to help in 2018.

Obviously, most of those pitchers have been question marks because of injuries or even mixed performance. But Eppler appears to believe that there is enough quantity there that they can piece together a winning rotation.

As for the bullpen, two of the Angels most valuable relievers in 2017 — Yusmeiro Petit and Bud Norris — are free agents. Eppler said it’s too early in the process to know if either will be back.

Otherwise, the top holdovers for the bullpen include Blake Parker, Cam Bedrosian, Jose Alvarez, Keynan Middleton, Noe Ramirez and Blake Wood. Although Ramirez and Wood made only September cameos with the Angels, their combined 32 strikeouts in 25 1/3 innings have Eppler feeling good about their role going forward.

While there are plenty of pitching names on the Angels’ board that they like, they still have at least one gaping hole — at second base — on the offensive depth chart, which is why that’s where Eppler believes the resources are best spent now. The Angels also could upgrade at third or first.

Otani, of course, could help the pitching and the offense.

Otani has starred on the mound and at the plate in Japan. The Nippon Ham Fighters announced on Friday that he will be made available to major league teams this winter, and he’s hired a U.S.-based agent.

Eppler wouldn’t say how hard the Angels would go after Otani, since he’s not even officially available yet. The process of signing him won’t be simply a matter of offering the most money, though. Under the terms of baseball’s new collective bargaining agreement, Otani, 23, falls under the same rules as international amateurs, so his bonus is limited by the international spending pools. No team has more than about $3 million left, and the Angels have less than $1 million.

That means Otani’s decision is likely to come down to where he wants to play, which could be based on a franchise’s history with Japanese players, his marketing opportunities and a club’s willingness to let him play both ways.

With Albert Pujols locked in as the Angels’ designated hitter, it would seem to limit the team’s flexibility to let Otani hit regularly.

Also

Eppler said the Angels are still having conversations about hiring a new third base coach to replace Ron Roenicke, who left to be the Boston Red Sox bench coach…

Sal Fasano, the Angels’ Double-A manager, left to become the catching coach for the Atlanta Braves.

View the full article

[totdprods]

Hard to blame him since he's 1) done such a great job at finding decent pitching for pennies and 2) seeing how frequent pitchers can wind up hurt.

[wopphil]

Sign Alex Cobb.

[Vegas Halo Fan]

The Angels are also an object lesson in how much large, long-term contracts can hamper your ability to add other pieces.

[UndertheHalo]

17 minutes ago, Vegas Halo Fan said:

The Angels are also an object lesson in how much large, long-term contracts can hamper your ability to add other pieces.

The problem unfortunately is that unfortunately you are locked out of the truly great FA if you don’t hand out the dumb risky contracts.  Damned if you do, damned if you don’t.  A guy like Hamilton had tons of red flags and we gave him a chance.  Got burned.  Definitely the type of guy you need to stay away from.  Pujols we got some really good years from,  just not lofty HOF Pujols years we were hoping for.  Also a bit unlucky that he’s just fallen apart as he’s aged. 

Just have to be very smart about these things.  I think we’ll end up doing well with Upton.

[Troll Daddy]

If that’s the case then just sign Nolasco on the cheap

[Second Base]

I think if there were any question as to whether Albert was juicing, I think those questions have been answered. If he were, he'd be inexplicably great in his late 30's and 40's as Barry Bonds and David Ortiz were.

------------------------

And yeah, Eppler has no reason to make any significant pitching investments. The pitchers that he (and Dipoto) have acquired are very good, they just got injured, that's all. If healthy and pitching to their ability, Richards, Heaney, Skaggs, Shoe and Tropeano are pretty freakin awesome. Now you can't just depend on them being healthy simply because we've been burned twice on that front. 

We have Bridwell, Jaime Barria, Nate Smith as depth and soon enough Griffin Canning as well. So Eppler can make small, buy low investments for pitchers.

It's bats we need. A 4th OF, utility infielder, 2B and 1B or 3B. There's a small chance that Hermosillo and Fletcher fill the first two, but more than likely Eppler wants to give them more time to develop at AAA.

I could see something along the lines of Logan Morrison at 1B and Dee Gordon at 2B (costing little in prospects and just inheriting the contract).

[Blarg]

Can we please have a moritorium on talking about Pujols? He's on the team so he isn't newsworthy in the off season.

[eligrba]

1 hour ago, Troll Daddy said:

If that’s the case then just sign Nolasco on the cheap

No.

[rottiesworld]

Well we have been burned 2 years in a row with injured pitchers.                                                                                                                                                                                                                          I say they need to get one pitcher that is dependable and not injury prone.                                                                                                                                                                                                        Then go after the players for 3rd, 2nd, and a reliever if possible.                                                                                                                                                                                                                            I don't trust Norris with the melt down when he had men on base.                                                                                                                                                                                                                        I hope there is a splash, as it has been awhile since we have been excited.  

[VariousCrap]

5 hours ago, wopphil said:

Sign Alex Cobb.

Cobb or Chatwood.

[Stradling]

4 hours ago, Blarg said:

Can we please have a moritorium on talking about Pujols? He's on the team so he isn't newsworthy in the off season.

I second that. 

[arch stanton]

That’s like asking your ex-wife to quit mentioning that thing you did six years ago that pissed her off

[Lou]

10 hours ago, rottiesworld said:

Well we have been burned 2 years in a row with injured pitchers.                                                                                                                                                                                                                          I say they need to get one pitcher that is dependable and not injury prone.                                                                                                                                                                                                        Then go after the players for 3rd, 2nd, and a reliever if possible.                                                                                                                                                                                                                            I don't trust Norris with the melt down when he had men on base.                                                                                                                                                                                                                        I hope there is a splash, as it has been awhile since we have been excited.  

I 

     wholeheartedly 

agree with 

                         this

    comment

   .

[Ace-Of-Diamonds]

12 hours ago, Troll Daddy said:

If that’s the case then just sign Nolasco on the cheap

NOOoooooo!!!!

[Ace-Of-Diamonds]

10 hours ago, rottiesworld said:

                                                                                I don't trust Norris with the melt down when he had men on base.       

He had 5 bad outings and many, many good ones.

[Angel Oracle]

12 hours ago, eligrba said:

No.

Concur, just say no to NoStuffCo.

[Angel Oracle]

1 hour ago, Ace-Of-Diamonds said:

He had 5 bad outings and many, many good ones.

And almost all of those were in a two week period in late July/early August.  Over the other 24 weeks, he was really solid.

[arch stanton]

Most of Norris’ bad outings came when he was closing. Keep him in middle innings multi-inning role he should be fine 

[Angel Oracle]

7 hours ago, arch stanton said:

Most of Norris’ bad outings came when he was closing. Keep him in middle innings multi-inning role he should be fine 

Maybe some late innings work too, as long as it’s not closing games

[Vegas Halo Fan]

15 hours ago, arch stanton said:

That’s like asking your ex-wife to quit mentioning that thing you did six 15-20 years ago that pissed her off

Fixed.

[tdawg87]

Just wanted to point out that while this is probably true, Eppler isn't going to just come out and say "Oh yeah we're all-in on Darvish, Arrieta, and Lynn". 

Honestly wouldn't be shocked to see one of those guys (Lynn or Darvish) fall into Eppler's lap when they remain unsigned in January. 

I'd put the odds at 49.233871%. 

Edge: Lowell.

Edited November 12, 2017 by tdawg87

[WeaverFever]

8 hours ago, arch stanton said:

Most of Norris’ bad outings came when he was closing. Keep him in middle innings multi-inning role he should be fine 

Exactly, Norris is exactly what we need up a few runs to get three outs in the 7th. 

[totdprods]

1 hour ago, tdawg87 said:

Just wanted to point out that while this is probably true, Eppler isn't going to just come out and say "Oh yeah we're all-in on Darvish, Arrieta, and Lynn". 

Honestly wouldn't be shocked to see one of those guys (Lynn or Darvish) fall into Eppler's lap when they remain unsigned in January. 

I'd put the odds at 49.233871%. 

Edge: Lowell.

I think ultimately it will come down to who they want to improve the offense, and if they can sign them or if they'll come at an acceptable price. 

Sure, Eppler can prioritize the offense,  but if the price is right for a pitcher and you can flip an arm to fill a offensive need, it makes just as much sense.

[greginpsca]

Over or under on whether Eppler  makes it to the meetings before tomorrow afternoon?