Eppler's New BP Guys

[UndertheHalo]

6 minutes ago, The Boogie Man said:

Well in the last 28 days (24 games) the A’s have outscored the angels by 1.5 runs per game.  

That’s a lot !

[Stradling]

1 minute ago, UndertheHalo said:

That’s a lot !

Yep

[TroutAdell]

The problems with the pen and the rotation can be directly tied to the lack of pitching prospects in the upper minors. Eppler has to pluck his pen pieces from the waiver wire instead of AAA. Every time a starter goes down, which is often, he has to reach for DFAs or pen guys to start. 

Luckily, there now seems to be a good group of arms in the lower minors. 2019 will probably be another .500 team but maybe by 2020 the farm will finally be ready to contribute on the mound.

As for the everyday lineup Eppler reached  for Cozart thinking that his career year at age 32 could be sustained and the that Kinsler’s downward trend was just a fluke. The teams that are successful build from within and are younger than what the Angels put out this year. As it stands the Angels are quite a ways behind the Astros, Red Sox and Yanks. Cleveland and Seattle, not to mention the A’s are all better at the moment. This will take more than one offseason to right the ship. Arte and Eppler must start by talking Albert into retirement. Go all in on Machado but stay away from the expensive pitching market and hope for a healthy 2019.

 

[Angel Oracle]

36 minutes ago, TroutTrumbo said:

The problems with the pen and the rotation can be directly tied to the lack of pitching prospects in the upper minors. Eppler has to pluck his pen pieces from the waiver wire instead of AAA. Every time a starter goes down, which is often, he has to reach for DFAs or pen guys to start. 

Luckily, there now seems to be a good group of arms in the lower minors. 2019 will probably be another .500 team but maybe by 2020 the farm will finally be ready to contribute on the mound.

As for the everyday lineup Eppler reached  for Cozart thinking that his career year at age 32 could be sustained and the that Kinsler’s downward trend was just a fluke. The teams that are successful build from within and are younger than what the Angels put out this year. As it stands the Angels are quite a ways behind the Astros, Red Sox and Yanks. Cleveland and Seattle, not to mention the A’s are all better at the moment. This will take more than one offseason to right the ship. Arte and Eppler must start by talking Albert into retirement. Go all in on Machado but stay away from the expensive pitching market and hope for a healthy 2019.

 

Eppler is building from within, but when the farm reaches ground zero by the time he is hired, it takes time.    The farm is much better than it was 3 years ago.

Machado may be fools gold.    Give Ward a chance at 3B, and if he doesn’t hold down 3B then look to the FA/trade market.

[GrittyVeterans]

The offense is the thing that needs to be addressed the most. I’ve been banging this drum all season. You cannot go into another season without fixing it. It’s comical looking at our lineup vs real contending clubs.

[T.G.]

3 hours ago, GrittyVeterans said:

The offense is the thing that needs to be addressed the most. I’ve been banging this drum all season. You cannot go into another season without fixing it. It’s comical looking at our lineup vs real contending clubs.

Surprise... you and I agree on this.  The offense is a much bigger problem than the bullpen, IMO.

[mulwin444]

6.1 Scoreless Innings tonight

Only 3 hits allowed, 0 walks and 7 Ks

Also tonight, Cody Allen gave up 6 ERs against the crappy Reds giving the Indians the loss.

Giles and Rondon blew a 4 run lead in the 9th to the A's

Even the "sure things" fail...

[Docwaukee]

40 minutes ago, mulwin444 said:

6.1 Scoreless Innings tonight

Only 3 hits allowed, 0 walks and 7 Ks

Also tonight, Cody Allen gave up 6 ERs against the crappy Reds giving the Indians the loss.

Giles and Rondon blew a 4 run lead in the 9th to the A's

Even the "sure things" fail...

the Reds offense is really good.  Better than ours.  Allen hasn't been great this year by any stretch.  

Giles is very hittable.    

but I get your point.  

I'm coming around on Robles if he can avoid the long ball.  

Taylor Cole was filthy tonight.  Ton of movement.  Nasty change.  Tight breaker.  93-95 with good arm side movement.  

Not sold on Deck.  

I was being a bit hyperbolic when I said we needed 5 arms.  But the point is that with the current construct and philosophy Eppler employs to build his bullpen, you're gonna turn over at least half of it every season.  

I do agree that a lack of starter length and injuries have had a profound effect.  

One thing is for sure.  Eppler was right not to invest anything of significance in this pen.  

[Tank]

On 7/9/2018 at 9:47 AM, mulwin444 said:

6.1 Scoreless Innings tonight

Only 3 hits allowed, 0 walks and 7 Ks

Also tonight, Cody Allen gave up 6 ERs against the crappy Reds giving the Indians the loss.

Giles and Rondon blew a 4 run lead in the 9th to the A'

 

this was an absolutely great game to watch in person. 

we'll be bak on thursday, hoping for more of what we saw tonight.

[Angel Oracle]

Only 93 pitches needed in those 6.1 innings.  It’s amazing what recent good command can do for a bullpen.

Robles seems to have settled in for now as a solid 7th and/or 8th innings choice.

[Pujols4MVP]

14 minutes ago, Angel Oracle said:

Only 93 pitches needed in those 6.1 innings.  It’s amazing what recent good command can do for a bullpen.

Robles seems to have settled in for now as a solid 7th and/or 8th innings choice.

Nickname for Robles ? Robles the Robot maybe.

Hoping the 2019 bullpen looks like: Middleton, Parker, Alvarez, Cole, Wood, Bedrosian, Robles.
The way Cole is nasty good at times, I hope he continues to do well so that he may become the future setupman or something.

[Angel Oracle]

Anderson's command has been much better recently, leading to lack of walks.   With his stuff, if that keeps up, that is huge. 

When do relievers generally return from TJS (Middleton and Wood)?

[Dick B Back]

These newbies are groovin’.

[goldenGlove]

11 hours ago, mulwin444 said:

6.1 Scoreless Innings tonight

Only 3 hits allowed, 0 walks and 7 Ks

Also tonight, Cody Allen gave up 6 ERs against the crappy Reds giving the Indians the loss.

Giles and Rondon blew a 4 run lead in the 9th to the A's

Even the "sure things" fail...

I never get why HOU uses Giles as closer when Devo is so much better, but as Angels fan I won't complain!

But yeah our pen did great last night and our team overall has momentum. Relief pitching in general is just so streaky.

[Angelsfan1984]

White Sox designated RHP Bruce Rondon for assignment.

Rondon seemed to be settling into a high-leverage setup role with Chicago in mid-June, but the 27-year-old right-hander is now off the roster after yielding 19 earned runs on 18 hits and 15 walks over his last 7 2/3 innings. He figures to draw some interest on waivers because his fastball can still touch the upper-90s.

 

Looks like we found our next Rondon

[Dick B Back]

5 minutes ago, Angelsfan1984 said:

White Sox designated RHP Bruce Rondon for assignment.

Rondon seemed to be settling into a high-leverage setup role with Chicago in mid-June, but the 27-year-old right-hander is now off the roster after yielding 19 earned runs on 18 hits and 15 walks over his last 7 2/3 innings. He figures to draw some interest on waivers because his fastball can still touch the upper-90s.

 

Looks like we found our next Rondon

Doesn’t matter if you  can touch the upper 90s when everyone is smashing the F out of it. Oh yeah, also if you don’t know where its going.

[Docwaukee]

Deck scares me.  Doesn't seem like he has a clue where it's going.  

[Angel Oracle]

Four more shutout innings from the pen, gotta love BedRock Jr.'s and Robles' pitch counts in each inning of their work.

BedRock in past 18.1 innings:  0.49 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 19/6 Ks/BBs

Robles in past 5.1 innings, 1 hit, 0 runs, 5/1 Ks/BBs

Progress

[Pujols4MVP]

13 hours ago, Angel Oracle said:

Four more shutout innings from the pen, gotta love BedRock Jr.'s and Robles' pitch counts in each inning of their work.

BedRock in past 18.1 innings:  0.49 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 19/6 Ks/BBs

Robles in past 5.1 innings, 1 hit, 0 runs, 5/1 Ks/BBs

Progress

Its just amazing how much better BedRock is doing compared to the first few months of the season, he's been shutting the door on every lineup he's faced lately.

[101halo]

Is it crazy to think there are GMs dumb enough to not realize that relievers are highly volatile? Because if there are any such dummies, then I'd suggest we should sign 3-5 of these randos a year and then trade the 1-2 that inevitably each year have good stats ahead of the trade deadline if Eppler and team can go "yeah, that's not sustainable." Basically free way to load the farm even if it's just high floor low ceiling prospects or even better low floor high ceiling guys with low chance of reaching that ceiling. Eventually you have one or two of those guys work out and it's a huge boon. 

Unrealistic in the analytics age or possible? 

[Tank]

Nice to see Drake come in and do well tonight.

But it got me to wondering . . . who the hell is Drake and why haven't I heard of him before tonight?

[Pujols4MVP]

11 minutes ago, Tank said:

Nice to see Drake come in and do well tonight.

But it got me to wondering . . . who the hell is Drake and why haven't I heard of him before tonight?

I just read Drake is also an actor/singer from Orange County https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0068166/

Probably the only reason they acquired him & he's related to former MLB pitcher Heath Bell.

[2020worldseries]

https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/baseball/news/angels-junichi-tazawa-inks-minor-league-deal-with-angels/

 

[Angel Oracle]

Can't hurt to bring in Tazawa for AAA, and see what can be done with him, still only 32.   Used to have great control (with the Red Sux), until the past two seasons in Miami. 

The Ks came back up, after dropping significantly in 2017.   The BBs are crazy though (about 1 per inning).

[2020worldseries]

Will eppler give rondon a shot?

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2018/07/bruce-rondon-elects-free-agency.html