Are the Angels simply 2 players away?

[Reveille1984]

On 7/7/2018 at 10:26 AM, UndertheHalo said:

I disagree that the focus should be on pitching. I think they need to get a legitimate back end bullpen guy.  Additional bullpen pieces I think we just need to keep doing what we’re doing.  To me it doesn’t make sense to invest significant money into mid relievers.  Not a lot of evidence that is something that works. 

Imo the Angels need significantly work on the line up.  As far as I’m concerned, this year has to be Alberts last as an everyday player.  I also think they probably need to walk away from Calhoun.  I mean we’ll see how he finishes up the year.  But I’m not optimistic.  I don’t think him batting .250 or .240 down the stretch is a good enough signal to plan on him being a regular player.  We just can’t have these gaping failures all over the line up.  It not something that can be overcome in any consistent fashion. 

You know, we had great bullpens and pitching in the mid 2000’s.  We had a shitty line up and in the end it always killed us.  The same thing is going to keep happening.  We can’t keep leaning on  terrible hitters like Kole Calhoun and Albert Pujols.  I mean, for fucks sake.  We’ve got these guys leading off and batting in the heart of the order. 

I still cannot believe Albert is on this team until 2021, it makes me physically ill even thinking about it.  

The sad thing is if a lot these players were even average we would be in an okay spot to compete.  It's just typical of the Angels though; when it rains it pours for us and it''s been pouring for years now.  Does any other team have THREE regulars in their lineup hitting .215 or below?  And that doesn't even include the black hole that is Pujols.  It puts so much pressure on Simmons and Upton to perform, and when these guys have slumps or get out of whack we get to enjoy extended periods of scoring 1-3 runs a game.   Over the past two weeks we're last in baseball with a team .209 AVG and also last with a .331 SLG... that is abysmally bad.

[Stradling]

I see absolutely zero chance that Albert will be on the team past 2020, and my guess is next year is his last.  

[UndertheHalo]

Even if they’re stupid and keep forcing Albert into the line up.  They cant have half of the line up consisting entirely of terrible hitters.  

We have to do a better job looking for players.  I mean the Jays got Justin Smoak.  The Astros got JJ Reddick.  We got fuckin Luis Valbuena.  We can’t keep screwing up like this.  Look at what the Dodgers do.  They dig up a useful player every year.  I understand there’s luck associated with this but iwe’ve got guys failing year or over year we need to find evaluators that can do this job.  Their entire job is to identify players that can contribute.  Every year there are guys who are reasonably average acessible cheaply.  Every year teams cast off players that can play but don’t fit into their plans.  We need average players.  If Epplers no good at it he needs to find guys who capable of advising him.  

Edited July 8, 2018 by UndertheHalo