OC Register: Angels eyeing Logan Morrison to upgrade offense

[Erstad Grit]

5 minutes ago, VariousCrap said:

That isn't saying much.

 agreed. Which is why I'd rather upgrade at 3b than 1b. I don't want morrison if that cements valbuena at 3b. 

[totdprods]

I guess I'm the only one here who feels good about Valbuena having a bounce-back year next season....

First 29 games: .161/.271/.269/.540 OPS
Last 88 games: .213/.303/.492/.795 OPS

The guy missed all of ST and came back after a pretty major hamstring injury and not a lot of rehab. Sure, the BA isn't pretty but he was a career .232 hitter coming into '17 so I didn't really have high expectations in that department. 

He was still able to OBP up .90 points and club a bunch of homers, and if he's the weakest link of our offense next year or simply a Jack Howell-esque bench bat, I'd be pretty happy if he played around the same as his last 90 games of '17. 

[VariousCrap]

1 minute ago, Erstad Grit said:

 agreed. Which is why I'd rather upgrade at 3b than 1b. I don't want morrison if that cements valbuena at 3b. 

Sure, but what if they upgraded 1B with Santana or Hosmer?  Then keeping Valbuena at 3B makes sense.

I think if you get LoMo, Duba or any of those guys for 1B, you then have to upgrade 3B.

[VariousCrap]

2 minutes ago, totdprods said:

I guess I'm the only one here who feels good about Valbuena having a bounce-back year next season....

First 29 games: .161/.271/.269/.540 OPS
Last 88 games: .213/.303/.492/.795 OPS

The guy missed all of ST and came back after a pretty major hamstring injury and not a lot of rehab. Sure, the BA isn't pretty but he was a career .232 hitter coming into '17 so I didn't really have high expectations in that department. 

He was still able to OBP up .90 points and club a bunch of homers, and if he's the weakest link of our offense next year or simply a Jack Howell-esque bench bat, I'd be pretty happy if he played around the same as his last 90 games of '17. 

If saving the money at 3B with Valbuena means spending on Santana or Hosmer at 1B, I'd be all for it.

[Angel Oracle]

7 minutes ago, totdprods said:

I guess I'm the only one here who feels good about Valbuena having a bounce-back year next season....

First 29 games: .161/.271/.269/.540 OPS
Last 88 games: .213/.303/.492/.795 OPS

The guy missed all of ST and came back after a pretty major hamstring injury and not a lot of rehab. Sure, the BA isn't pretty but he was a career .232 hitter coming into '17 so I didn't really have high expectations in that department. 

He was still able to OBP up .90 points and club a bunch of homers, and if he's the weakest link of our offense next year or simply a Jack Howell-esque bench bat, I'd be pretty happy if he played around the same as his last 90 games of '17. 

I still don't want him facing much LHP though.   At most, give him say 90-100 starts between 1B/DH/a little 3B.   He's still a mediocre 3B. 

[Angel Oracle]

5 minutes ago, VariousCrap said:

If saving the money at 3B with Valbuena means spending on Santana or Hosmer at 1B, I'd be all for it.

Santana instead of Hosmer, don't want any 6 year/$140 million 1B here.   Santana will command half the years, and maybe 1/3 the total money. 

[VariousCrap]

1 minute ago, Angel Oracle said:

Santana instead of Hosmer, don't want any 6 year/$140 million 1B here.   Santana will command half the years, and maybe 1/3 the total money. 

A six year deal to a 28 year old Hosmer is not bad at all.  It is over by the time he will start to decline.  As for Santana, I think this board is underestimating what he is going to get.

[AngelsLakersFan]

32 minutes ago, Erstad Grit said:

Yet you're advocating Valbuena playing full-time at 3b?

I'm saying improving 3b can make that platoon palatable. Also if one gets hot you can hand it to him. 

No, I wan't Valbuena squarely on the bench.

[Erstad Grit]

29 minutes ago, AngelsLakersFan said:

No, I wan't Valbuena squarely on the bench.

So you are advocating Santana/Hosmer at 1b and who at 3b?

 

[AngelsLakersFan]

3 minutes ago, Erstad Grit said:

So you are advocating Santana/Hosmer at 1b and who at 3b?

 

I am a fan of going with Cron full time at first, and a new third basemen, maybe Frasier... I duno, get creative... Alternatively I am good with Santana, but none of the other options.

[Vlad27Trout27]

I think we should just give Cron a full year to see where he is, rather than spending money on 1st when we should spend it on other spots.  The biggest issue with Cron is his inconsistency, if he CAN STAY CONSISTENT with his approach up the middle or the ride side he can be the better hitter out of most of the 1st baseman in free agency this year and can carry a team.  If you look at his numbers when he's hot they are crazy good.  For example in the month of August last year his line was- .308/.376/.604/.980. 

A thing that may help him find consistency more, as stated before is to alter his stand a bit. I feel as if two many things are going on with his hands up above his head,than he also has that high leg kick which could effect his timing. if he can relax his hands more and his swing a small compact swing could be good for him.  

[arch stanton]

I don’t think there’s a lot wrong with Cron’s ability to make contact with pitches in his zone. His troubles lie in selecting those pitches. Is that fixable?

[Vlad27Trout27]

a bit more stats- avg AB per month= 90

2017 July   .290

.333

.613

.946

 

.2016  303

.361

.470

.83

.364

.405

.879

1.284(33 AB

.364

.378

.636 (44 AB)

2015 -. 343

.373

.586

.959

.321

.368

.531

.899

  Now the bad months (Pay attention to AB'S)

2017- 60 Ab-

.233

.277

.267

.544

.22AB- 227

.292

.409

.701

(36 AB).167

.231

.278

.509

these 3 involve platooning between valbuena

(95 AB).221 .276 .400 .676 ( Sept almost everyone struggled this year) 2016- (69 Ab) .203 .295 .290

.286

.316

.473

.789 ( 91 Ab, ok month)

.250

.295

.385

.680 96 abs so looks like he struggles in Sept.

 2015 were similar results, started slow Ab declined got bat at Triple A came back hot until A decent Sept. 

If he can stay constintwith going up the middle and right field we could get a.270- .280/ .335-.340/ .590/.800

[Vlad27Trout27]

9 minutes ago, arch stanton said:

I don’t think there’s a lot wrong with Cron’s ability to make contact with pitches in his zone. His troubles lie in selecting those pitches. Is that fixable?

Playing time and staying consistent with his approach to right center filed. Once he starts pulling everything that  when he starts struggling and swings at everything. he made a good adjustment laying of the high balls last year, now just needs to adjust on the slider outside. like i said relaxing those hands may help out.  i view Nelson cruz's numbers similar to Crons, Early on there his careers he struggled, worst than cron. Then he lower and relaxed his hands and look at him now. Tho he has been used PEDS.

[WeatherWonk]

3 hours ago, Angel Oracle said:

Santana instead of Hosmer, don't want any 6 year/$140 million 1B here.   Santana will command half the years, and maybe 1/3 the total money. 

Every GM is thinking the same thing. That will bring Santana's salary UP UP UP. 

I"m with VariousCrap. Santana might get MORE attention, due to a perception that he can be had for less money and years than Hosmer.

[Vlad27Trout27]

1 hour ago, Vlad27Trout27 said:

a bit more stats- avg AB per month= 90

2017 July   .290

.333

.613

.946

 

.2016  303

.361

.470

.83

.364

.405

.879

1.284(33 AB

.364

.378

.636 (44 AB)

2015 -. 343

.373

.586

.959

.321

.368

.531

.899

  Now the bad months (Pay attention to AB'S)

2017- 60 Ab-

.233

.277

.267

.544

.22AB- 227

.292

.409

.701

(36 AB).167

.231

.278

.509

these 3 involve platooning between valbuena

(95 AB).221 .276 .400 .676 ( Sept almost everyone struggled this year) 2016- (69 Ab) .203 .295 .290

.286

.316

.473

.789 ( 91 Ab, ok month)

.250

.295

.385

.680 96 abs so looks like he struggles in Sept.

 2015 were similar results, started slow Ab declined got bat at Triple A came back hot until A decent Sept. 

If he can stay constintwith going up the middle and right field we could get a.270- .280/ .335-.340/ .590/.800

Oh!!! Wow what happened here.

[gurn67]

A platoon of Cron and Adam Lind would put up better numbers than a lot of the free agent acquisitions on this board with a total commitment for both at 1 year and around $4-5 million. Even if they were to match the production of their worst season in the last four years, you're looking at around 27 home runs and 85 RBI in 600 plate appearances combined. Frees up a ton of money to do other things. Every scenario I'm seeing out there is basically ignoring the fact that the Angels need some solid arms.

[Second Base]

I'm buying Lomo's breakout. The power has always been real, but now it seems he's comfortable at the plate, confident in what he can and can't do.

I think his numbers are what we can expect moving forward.

.250/.380 30 DB and 30 HR (adjusted from leaving the AL East).

[tdawg87]

Your OBP projections are always adorable. 30 doubles would be a career best too.

[tdawg87]

17 minutes ago, Blarg said:

That was unreadable formatted  garbage. 

You're unreadable formatted garbage.

[ukyah]

20 minutes ago, tdawg87 said:

You're unreadable formatted garbage.

is this a very disguised reference to in bruges?

[Second Base]

1 hour ago, tdawg87 said:

Your OBP projections are always adorable. 30 doubles would be a career best too.

Oh I dunno TD, losing 8 HR's and gaining 8 doubles while moving from the AL East to the AL West does not sound so unexpected.

I mean in very basic terms, we could say Arlington and Houston line up with Yankee Stadium and Fenway. So he'd be exchanging Toronto, Baltimore and St. Petersburg for Seattle, Oakland and Anaheim. 

[tdawg87]

He could hit 30 HR and 30 doubles (something Mike Trout has only done twice, same with Upton) but I'm a little less optimistic. I'm especially not seeing a .380 OBP from a guy with a career .330 OBP. That would have been 6th in the AL this year btw. 

But I don't know any more than you do. You could be right. I'd just rather stay away from Morrison.

[Second Base]

6 hours ago, tdawg87 said:

He could hit 30 HR and 30 doubles (something Mike Trout has only done twice, same with Upton) but I'm a little less optimistic. I'm especially not seeing a .380 OBP from a guy with a career .330 OBP. That would have been 6th in the AL this year btw. 

But I don't know any more than you do. You could be right. I'd just rather stay away from Morrison.

The .380 was a mistake on my part. I actually meant to say .350. I have no idea why my finer went to the 8 instead.

[totdprods]

I really prefer Santana still but with the interest he's getting, I don't know if he's going to be an easy target or worth less than a 4/$64m or so, which would be approaching my max.

Any of the LoMo, Alonso, Duda tier would be fine on a 2-yr/$10-12m annually deal. Risky but not too expensive to gamble. I just can't bank on Cron anymore and wait two months for him to hit.

I'm starting to come around to the idea of filling out the infield with one of these 1B, Walker at 2B, and Frazier at 3B, and just being set across the board for the next 2-3 years. Everyone under contract, no glaring holes that need filling year to hear, sink or swim with this year's FA class.

You wouldn't tie up insane money and you'd have your team set for the next two or three years and just build your farm in that time to see what happens with Trout. Save all your prospects, no more need to trade prospects midseason unless it's for pitching, and keep a stable vet team so we don't have to fill a million holes each offseason. It all turns over right around when Trout/Pujols contracts are up and hopefully by then we will have built a very strong farm and have insane money freeing up all at once.

Walker 2B, Santana 1B, Trout CF, Upton LF, Pujols DH, Frazier 3B, Calhoun RF, Simmons SS, Maldonado C - good blend of handedness, OBP, power, and a ton of vet experience without anyone aside from Pujols being too old. Good defense, not much speed though. Lot of lineup flexibility, keeps pressure off Pujols and Upton from carrying the team (we already know Trout can) - re-sign Norris or Petit or both, sign Reed if you have enough money. Let the pitching sort itself out with what we have in place the next couple years, trade Cron for Profar and have him be the UT IF, and then let Eppler just keep unearthing cheap gems in the meantime.