What the Maldy trade tells us

[ksangel]

3 hours ago, Warfarin said:

I agree that catcher is the spot we definitely have to upgrade, but why not just sign Grandal as a FA instead and keep the prospects?  We have considerably payroll available and are unlikely to pursue the several franchise players available, so we might as well go all in after Grandal.  Beyond just being a strong defensive catcher, he'd also provide us with the LH power that our lineup really needs.

Not picking on this post but am wondering why the Angels would sign another player (Grandal) 30 years old?  When will they start getting younger?  Why have minor leaguers?  Just to trade them for old players or languish in the minors?

Pujols 39 or more likely 41

Cozart 33

Calhoun 31

Upton 31

Simmons 29

Trout 27

Ohtani 24

Why not sign Donaldson (33) or Beltre (39) to play 3B and then go all out and sign Bartolo (45) as the #5 starter too!!!

The LA Geriatric Angels

Tired of the Angels continuing to sign old players past their prime...time to let players like Fletcher, Ward, Thaiss...etc. play and also get creative and trade for younger players just on the verge of breaking into the majors.

At least Barria (21), Skaggs (27), Heaney (27) and Trop (28) are on the under side of 30.

 

[Lou]

1 hour ago, Angel Oracle said:

What would it take?   3 years?  4 years?   $10 million/season?  $12 million/season? 

he's already making $7.9M this year. 

[2020worldseries]

1 hour ago, Angel Oracle said:

Grandal would make a lot of sense, supplying defense almost comparable to Machete ALONG with a strong LHH.  

Anddd, he's shown that bat since 2015, unlike Cozart's one year breakout in 2017.

What would it take?   3 years?  4 years?   $10 million/season?  $12 million/season? 

Do you think the Dodgers will put a QO on him?

[Angel Oracle]

3 minutes ago, 2020worldseries said:

Do you think the Dodgers will put a QO on him?

That is a big question. 

To Lou's response, maybe that means that if the Dogs don't QO him, it would take around $12-14 million/season for 3-4 years to sign him?   His hitting is certainly more proven than Cozart's was.   The one question is, how smoothly would he make the NL to AL jump, hitting wise?

[WeatherWonk]

3 hours ago, Lou said:

every year it's the same thing: "just sign (insert name of star FA)" 

this never happens, however. 

It happens all the time, with the Angels.

They just never perform the way they were expected. Albert, Hamilton, GMJr. Going back farther, Mo Vaughn. Even Reggie only had one good season for us.

There may not be another organization that has had poorer luck with "star" free agents than the Angels.

[Angel Oracle]

3 minutes ago, WeatherWonk said:

It happens all the time, with the Angels.

They just never perform the way they were expected. Albert, Hamilton, GMJr. Going back farther, Mo Vaughn. Even Reggie only had one good season for us.

There may not be another organization that has had poorer luck with "star" free agents than the Angels.

Other than a curse, what would cause that?    Is Angel Stadium that rough on hitters????    Even with attrition due to poor signings, the drop-offs of those FAs here was ridiculous.

The man upstairs' way of telling the Halos to develop from within????  

[Lou]

I'm not sure. Perhaps someone who happens to be in the Cooperstown area this weekend can ask Vladdy. 

[Lou]

Boston is paying $45 million to 3 players to not play for them this year. 

[WeatherWonk]

1 hour ago, Lou said:

I'm not sure. Perhaps someone who happens to be in the Cooperstown area this weekend can ask Vladdy. 

Ah, the exception to the rule, that brings the Angels success rate up to 10%.

Of course, he never had a year with the Angels as good as with the Expos. He had three years with higher WAR in Montreal,  than his 2005 MVP season.

About 34 total WAR with MON, versus about 23 with the Angels.

But he probably was the best Angel FA signing in their history.

[Lou]

Torii Hunter

Bart 

[Jeff Fletcher]

I didn’t read all this but I saw the Realmuto stuff. 

I think the Andrelton Simmons deal is a good comp for Eppler’s perspective on these type deals. 

He knew they needed a SS and had no internal options. He didn’t want to keep using a patchwork collection of 30-32 year old free agents. Simmons was the only option, so he paid the price. 

I have no idea if he’d do that for Realmuto, but it wouldn’t surprise me. 

[DMVol]

2 minutes ago, Jeff Fletcher said:

.....I have no idea if he’d do that for Realmuto, but it wouldn’t surprise me. 

Would cost a premium prospect for sure, like Newcomb....

[Angelsjunky]

I think the trade someone mentioned, of Marsh, Suarez, and Jones is about what Realmuto would require. And you know what? While I wouldn't wish being traded to the Marlins on anyone it might be worth it. I love Marsh, but there really isn't a place for him with Upton under contract for four more years and Adell the heir apparent to Calhoun. This assumes the Angels extend Trout, of course. Even so, they have plenty of other young outfielders to eventually fill in for Upton (or, god forbid, Trout): Orlando Martinez by 2021, Jordyn Adams, Trent Deveaux, and D'Shawn Knowles by 2022.

The emergence of Rengifo has made Jones expendable, and Suarez is good but has limited upside.

That said, I'd start with trying to sign Grandal or Ramos, and also consider Mesoraco and Lucroy. But Realmuto is the real gem and would lock down a hard position to fill for years to come.

[Warfarin]

10 hours ago, ksangel said:

Not picking on this post but am wondering why the Angels would sign another player (Grandal) 30 years old?  When will they start getting younger?  Why have minor leaguers?  Just to trade them for old players or languish in the minors?

 

I largely agree with your premise that it's important to infuse our team with youth, but at the catcher position, who would that be exactly?  We don't have any significant options to speak of at catcher.  Briceno appears to be more of a backup, not a starter.

It is okay to spend money on a true position of need.  For us, that would be catcher.  I would NOT sign any SPs, relief pitchers who aren't specifically closers, infielders, etc.  We have a lot of young guys coming up soon (Fletcher is already here, we have Ward, Thaiss, Renfigo in AAA as position players, Suarez, Canning, etc etc..), and I would definitely like to see how they fare.  

However, the one spot we truly need help in and don't have minor league options to fill internally is catcher.  Grandal is the perfect solution for us (great defensive catcher and LH power hitter) and the one FA I would pursue.  I imagine he would require 3-4 years at 15mil AAV.  A 4 year deal would last through his age 33 season.

[Lou]

who do the dodgers have to replace him? 

[Jeff Fletcher]

Honestly, if the Angels don’t go for Realmuto, they need to just find someone else’s backup, like that Knapp kid in Philly. That’s how they got Maldonado. 

Continually adding 30+ year olds is the single biggest reason they are where they are IMO. They just keep getting older and older. 

[UndertheHalo]

Hold up.  Realmuto is a possibility ? Don’t do this to me guys. 

Edited July 28, 2018 by UndertheHalo