2018 Hot Stove League

[Spirit]

8 hours ago, Lou said:

 

 

footnote: @Geoff

 

There it is.  "Sweet bouncing Buddha" 

 

 

[Stradling]

6 hours ago, Dochalo said:

Boras is turning into Don King

Scott Boras, never at a loss for colorful phrasing, describes this type of contract as a “swellopt,” as the agent tells The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal (Twitter link).  “For the club, if the player performs well, the club can opt in (contract swells). For the player, if the club doesn’t opt in, the player has the choice to continue with contract (swell) or opt out. It’s a swell option for both,” Boras explained. 

It’s a nice way to say option but it’s really just another guarantee Year 

[Tank]

2 hours ago, Geoff said:

 

There it is.  "Sweet bouncing Buddha" 

sounds like something phil would say on modern family. it also sounds like a good name for a band.

[floplag]

8 hours ago, Dochalo said:

Boras is turning into Don King

Scott Boras, never at a loss for colorful phrasing, describes this type of contract as a “swellopt,” as the agent tells The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal (Twitter link).  “For the club, if the player performs well, the club can opt in (contract swells). For the player, if the club doesn’t opt in, the player has the choice to continue with contract (swell) or opt out. It’s a swell option for both,” Boras explained. 

I kinda always thought we was on that level of silliness.  

[ukyah]

21 hours ago, Lou said:

The Pirates have hired former major league infielder David Eckstein to serve as a special assistant for baseball operations, Adam Berry of MLB.com was among those to cover. He’s now in the same organization as his brother Rick Eckstein, who’s entering his first season as the Pirates’ hitting coach.

reports are the angels were finalists for eckstein's services.

[JAHV76]

9 hours ago, Dochalo said:

Boras is turning into Don King

Scott Boras, never at a loss for colorful phrasing, describes this type of contract as a “swellopt,” as the agent tells The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal (Twitter link).  “For the club, if the player performs well, the club can opt in (contract swells). For the player, if the club doesn’t opt in, the player has the choice to continue with contract (swell) or opt out. It’s a swell option for both,” Boras explained. 

Undoobly without the hair.

[Angel Oracle]

Halos = candidates for the Runnerup Bowl.  

These salaries (and rumored offers) seem to be going back up, after a year of being down?

Come on down, Ottavino! 

 

[Hubs]

3 minutes ago, Angel Oracle said:

Halos = candidates for the Runnerup Bowl.  

These salaries (and rumored offers) seem to be going back up, after a year of being down?

Come on down, Ottavino! 

 

I think the Runner-Up thing is just showing the Angels are showing financial restraint.

But yes, I also would like Ottavino. I didn't really want to spend money on the pen, but with Parker being cut (whom I would bring back right now as well, maybe even Bud Norris as well) they don't have an established closer, so I would like to give someone that role.

Kimbrel I think will be too expensive. And he's older.

[Angel Oracle]

1 minute ago, Hubs said:

I think the Runner-Up thing is just showing the Angels are showing financial restraint.

But yes, I also would like Ottavino. I didn't really want to spend money on the pen, but with Parker being cut (whom I would bring back right now as well, maybe even Bud Norris as well) they don't have an established closer, so I would like to give someone that role.

Kimbrel I think will be too expensive. And he's older.

This

They truly need an experienced guy in the pen.   There are good arms in the pen, but they need a mentor in the late innings.  Kimbrel may well stay with the Red Sux.  

[TroutField]

Herrera headed to the Pale Hoes on a 2/18 deal.

 

i wanted him to solidify the back end of the bullpen. Oh well. 

[Angel Oracle]

I still like Ottavino over Herrera, though.   However, the targeted relievers list for the Halos is getting shorter every day.   How much longer can Billy hold out for a lower cost?   Granted, there are still 5 weeks to go until ST.

[Chuck]

5 minutes ago, TroutField said:

Herrera headed to the Pale Hoes on a 2/18 deal.

 

i wanted him to solidify the back end of the bullpen. Oh well. 

He's not missing bats anymore, pass. 

[Chuck]

3 minutes ago, Angel Oracle said:

I still like Ottavino over Herrera, though.   However, the targeted relievers list for the Halos is getting shorter every day.   How much longer can Billy hold out for a lower cost?   Granted, there are still 5 weeks to go until ST.

Man if we just added Ottavino I would be super stoked.

There's no way we're breaking the bank for Kimbrel and one can argue that Ottavino shouldn't demand more than Britton/Robertson (but we know he will). 

[Angelsfan1984]

2 minutes ago, Chuckster70 said:

Man if we just added Ottavino I would be super stoked.

There's no way we're breaking the bank for Kimbrel and one can argue that Ottavino shouldn't demand more than Britton/Robertson (but we know he will). 

2 years 15M sounds like a nice number...I'm sure it will be closer to 3 years 25M.

[jsnpritchett]

7 minutes ago, Angel Oracle said:

I still like Ottavino over Herrera, though.   However, the targeted relievers list for the Halos is getting shorter every day.   How much longer can Billy hold out for a lower cost?   Granted, there are still 5 weeks to go until ST.

Ottavino has a 3.90 ERA and a 1.4 WHIP in his career away from Coors.  Yeah, he strikes out a bunch of dudes, but pretty much all relievers do these days.  I'm not seeing what's so great about him. 

[Lou]

1 hour ago, Angel Oracle said:

This

They truly need an experienced guy in the pen.   There are good arms in the pen, but they need a mentor in the late innings.  Kimbrel may well stay with the Red Sux.  

Jim Johnson is an experienced reliever.

I prefer good. 

[Chuck]

4 minutes ago, jsnpritchett said:

Ottavino has a 3.90 ERA and a 1.4 WHIP in his career away from Coors.  Yeah, he strikes out a bunch of dudes, but pretty much all relievers do these days.  I'm not seeing what's so great about him. 

Ottavino made a change last season that saw his results improve dramatically. 

Good reads:

https://www.mlb.com/news/adam-ottavino-will-be-reliever-in-high-demand/c-297936550

https://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/adam-ottavino-rebuilt-himself-in-a-vacant-manhattan-storefront/

 

[jsnpritchett]

1 minute ago, Chuckster70 said:

Ottavino made a change last season that saw his results improve dramatically. 

Good reads:

https://www.mlb.com/news/adam-ottavino-will-be-reliever-in-high-demand/c-297936550

https://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/adam-ottavino-rebuilt-himself-in-a-vacant-manhattan-storefront/

 

Thanks, Chuck.  Hadn't seen those.  We'll see what happens.  I'd still bet money that someone is going to sign him to a deal they'll end up regretting.  If the Angels are the ones who sign him, I hope I'm wrong!

[Angel Oracle]

23 minutes ago, Lou said:

Jim Johnson is an experienced reliever.

I prefer good. 

Concur, meant to say solid experienced reliever.

Back on Ottavino talk….It's hard to ignore Ottavino allowing just 41 hits and K'ing 112 in 77 innings in 2018.   That 0.99 WHIP was impressive too, the only down side was the 36 BBs in 77 innings. 

He's 33 in 2019, a two year deal ($16 million total?) would be fine.   Maybe offer a player vesting 3rd year option, if needed?

Can't count on the inexperienced Buttrey and Cole to close, can't count on BadRock or Gopher Ball Ramirez to close, can't count on Middleton or J.C. Ramirez or Jewell until later on during the season.   Who's left amongst the current Halos in the pen?

[Stradling]

Do people think Ottavino will be less or more expensive than Herrera?  I was assuming he was equal to Britton, am I wrong?  

[Lou]

Ottavino has 17 career saves in 8 years. 

[UndertheHalo]

9 minutes ago, Lou said:

Ottavino has 17 career saves in 8 years. 

 

11 minutes ago, Stradling said:

Do people think Ottavino will be less or more expensive than Herrera?  I was assuming he was equal to Britton, am I wrong?  

Just because Colorado was using him as a set up guy, even tho he was their best reliever.  Last year he figured something out.  If you’re interested check him out on YouTube.  This guy is filthy.  I’d love to have him.  I think he’s worth more then Herrera, but I could see how Herrera could end up getting paid more.  He just doesn’t have the pedigree that Britton has.  But I’d take him over Briton as well.  

[NJHalo]

I can see Eppler signing Greg Holland to another of his 1 year contracts, ala Harvey and Cahill

[Lou]

9 minutes ago, UndertheHalo said:

 

Just because Colorado was using him as a set up guy, even tho he was their best reliever.  Last year he figured something out.  If you’re interested check him out on YouTube.  This guy is filthy.  I’d love to have him.  I think he’s worth more then Herrera, but I could see how Herrera could end up getting paid more.  He just doesn’t have the pedigree that Britton has.  But I’d take him over Briton as well.  

I'd love to have him in our BP, too. however, it's disingenuous to refer to him as an experienced closer. 

[Angel Oracle]

46 minutes ago, Lou said:

Ottavino has 17 career saves in 8 years. 

Which is probably greater than the number of MLB saves amongst the current Halos relievers. 

When Treinen arrived in Oakland, he had 185 MLB games pitched and just 4 saves.   He struggled in Washington in 2015 and 2017.

Didn't seem to affect him, when immediately made A'th closer after the July 2017 trade (103 MLB games, 51 saves).   Something immediately clicked. 

Solid MLB experience in late innings work is sorely lacking in this current pen.