Jump to content
  • Welcome to AngelsWin.com

    AngelsWin.com - THE Internet Home for Angels fans! Unraveling Angels Baseball ... One Thread at a Time.

    Register today to join the most interactive online Angels community on the net!

    Once you're a member you'll see less advertisements. Become a Premium member and you won't see any ads! 

     

IGNORED

OC Register: Angels move prospect Taylor Ward from catcher to third base


Recommended Posts

8 minutes ago, tdawg87 said:

He seemed to have made significant strides in 2017. He had a .400 OBP at Mobile.

Plus, he's always been seen as a defensive minded catcher with a canon for an arm. I guess the Angels FO doesn't like his defense. No idea. 

The only reasons why a FO would move someone away from catcher is:

1) their offense is so legitimate, that they're concerned about them wearing down behind the plate and want to find a different defensive spot for them

2) their defense, for one reason or another (framing? pitch calling?  arm? etc), is not good

As it's obvious Ward does not fall into option 1, it has to be option 2.  This, combined with the fact that we have no real catching prospects in our system, indicates he must be greatly lacking defensively in the eyes of our FO, with no reasonable expectation to become good.  

It's a shame, because the common perception was that he was good defensively, but I guess he's not.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Did anyone read the article.  The team wants him to focus on his hitting.   As a catcher his hitting tool takes a back seat to everything else.  He will be able to play third base at a high level is my guess.  This isn’t to end his career this is to find out if he has more to offer the major league team in the future.  What if he turns into someone that can field like a Cowart but with a .370 OBP.  There is value in that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, Jeff Fletcher said:

Eppler: “Basically now he’s responsible for himself.....”

i think you all can infer what that means to understand this move. 

And just before that....

Eppler suggested the position move could help Ward reach the majors sooner, because now he will no longer have to deal with handling pitchers.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, OHTANILAND said:

Remember when Jerry was “The Right Man” when Eppler was there for the taking?

Remember how you constantly mocked Eppler with memes?...  Remember how you constantly made reference to his being inexperienced and in over his head?  Remember you said he was just another cheap hire?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, Inside Pitch said:

Remember how you constantly mocked Eppler with memes?...  Remember how you constantly made reference to his being inexperienced and in over his head?  Remember you said he was just another cheap hire?

no that was Dipoto. I actually think Eppler has a good blue print to future success. I’m extremely happy that he’s not going after the high cost free agents. If you could ever scroll back the archives you would see that I wanted the Angels to hire Oppenheimer or Eppler at the time. I was never a fan of Dipoto as Chuck will tell you. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

24 minutes ago, Jeff Fletcher said:

Eppler: “Basically now he’s responsible for himself.....”

i think you all can infer what that means to understand this move. 

Given his struggles with establishing a rapport with his pitchers, and before that with keeping the ball in front of him, the statement that now he's only responsible for himself speaks volumes.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

16 minutes ago, OHTANILAND said:

no that was Dipoto. I actually think Eppler has a good blue print to future success. I’m extremely happy that he’s not going after the high cost free agents. If you could ever scroll back the archives you would see that I wanted the Angels to hire Oppenheimer or Eppler at the time. I was never a fan of Dipoto as Chuck will tell you. 

Sorry bud but yes you said all those things about Eppler as well.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

19 minutes ago, OHTANILAND said:

no that was Dipoto. I actually think Eppler has a good blue print to future success. I’m extremely happy that he’s not going after the high cost free agents. If you could ever scroll back the archives you would see that I wanted the Angels to hire Oppenheimer or Eppler at the time. I was never a fan of Dipoto as Chuck will tell you. 

Actually both statements are true.   

In one breath you would talk him up, then you'd mock him for being Arte's task boy...     You both praised him for refusing to spend and then posted Memes about him having to dumpster dive or not being able to add anyone at the all star break.   Basically, anything to troll and try to annoy fans as is your usual modus operandi.

But it's definitely true you were always higher on Eppler than JD.   

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If Ward can continue making the same strides he made at the plate in Mobile, and add some defensive versatility, I can see it working for him. Bigger names like Donaldson and Martin hopped around the infield some, and you're seeing bench guys like Mitch Garver and I think a couple Dodgers players play multiple positions in addition to catching.

Ohtani and the 6-man rotation factor into this a bit too. Especially with the 10-day DL, think we're entering a new era where teams *really* utilize options and start treating the 25th spot as a rotating player series by series. If you have a corner-infielder who can catch like Ward on your bench, allowing Cozart to back up any infield spot, you don't need to carry a traditional back-up catcher - maybe just have one with options you can shuttle up when you know you need to give your primary guy a day off.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 minutes ago, SuperTroopers said:

Sorry bud but yes you said all those things about Eppler as well.  

Selective memory -- he was just so full of praise after the Maybin and Espinosa moves...    Or last April when he mocked him for saying the Angels intended to contend after the usual April stumbles..

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

2 minutes ago, Inside Pitch said:

Actually both statements are true.   

In one breath you would talk him up, then you'd mock him for being Arte's task boy...     You both praised him for refusing to spend and them posted Memes about him having to dumpster dive.   Basically, anything to troll and try to annoy fans as is your usual modus operandi.

But it's definitely true you were always higher on Eppler than JD.   

 

 

 

4 minutes ago, SuperTroopers said:

Sorry bud but yes you said all those things about Eppler as well.  

Yes I’ve poked fun at Eppler in a joking kinda way but I truly believe that he’s the right GM to help get the organization where it needs to be. I was never on board with Dipoto. Remember I did say that I thought Reagins was a patsy at the time. Maybe he wasn’t as bad as portrayed but that’s so many years ago. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

22 minutes ago, SuperTroopers said:

“Why don’t they hire a president of baseball operations instead of another inexperienced candidate”.   

One minute he does his best to blow the Yankees and the next he criticizes us hiring Eppler, a Yankee “castoff”.  

I still believe that today. The Angels should’ve hired a Baseball Operations President that would’ve hired his own GM and Manager. Arte and Carpino were acting in that capacity and they shouldn’t have been. They wanted to protect Scioscia but it’s water under the bridge. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...