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If 2019 doesn’t go as planned, is it time to consider a rebuild?


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The biggest move the Angels could possibly make this winter is extending Trout for life. What if Trout is only willing to consider an extension if the Angels make the playoffs this year? After this offseason if the team is one or two good players away from contending, would trading Adell or Canning in July or sooner be the answer? We have to trade good value to get good value and in the playoffs we have to compete against Houston, Boston, New York. Without Adell or Canning in the farm it becomes weaker but there are still some ok to solid prospects. So in this scenario if 2019 goes wrong jumpstarting a rebuild should be considered. 

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I think that depends entirely on what the plan for 19 actually is. 
Right now we dont know if they plan to make any kind of run or not or what they plan to do if anything in FA or trades.  Or for that matter how any of that might affect Trout.
I think we know Trout doesnt want to rebuild based on his own comments.  Many here seem to think whatever the team does makes no difference to him, i disagree but thats been covered ad nauseam.  
I think the pieces needed to make  a run are out there if they are willing to go get them thru FA or trades, though im not sure it fits in the budget they have set even if we assume there is now 40M available it seems awful tight to get enough.
The reality at this point is that we need to see what they do over the coming weeks before that conversation can be had in my opinion. 

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It's something to consider. Sort of depends what they do this offseason.

Angels could have a ton of interesting pieces set for free agency. Trout, Simmons, Skaggs, Cozart, Calhoun, so no shortage of guys to deal next offseason or midseason to reload the farm if we trade folks away, or a good opportunity to add to the Adell, Thaiss, Ward, Rengifo, Fletcher, Canning, Suarez, Marsh, Jones, Sandoval team if we keep them.

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The Angels are committed to not being a team that goes for it, then rebuilds, and then goes for it, etc.

They have been shoring up the farm system for a couple years now.

They are in better shape to be a little more aggressive now, but I really doubt we see this team tear down for a rebuild like mid and small market teams often do.

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36 minutes ago, CanadianHalo said:

I don’t want to see Adell traded for anyone.

I follow Adell on twitter and he is ALWAYS in the gym. It doesn’t appear he’s taking any time off this offseason and is working right through. Pretty impressive at his age. 

I think he’s going to be special and would HATE to see him go.

Most feel the same way, but you do have to have an open mind.

Realistically there are trades I would make that involve Adell.

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What people seem to forget is the minor league system isn't that great. It's not like Adell is gonna come up and all of a sudden the angels are a 100 win team.

The SP staff is non-existent, the bullpen is an enigma every year, we still dont have a solid closer going on 5 years now. Trout will be a free agent in 2 years, Pujols' contract wont be over until 3 years from now so his money is still crippling the budget. Which means Trout will be 30 by the time the angels can finally do some real free agent spending.

We have no top prospects to fill in 2b, 3b, or C.

Things are definitely an improvement over 5 years ago, but I dont really see an up and coming team that will challenge the astros in the near or far future.

 

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Even if Mike Trout refused to sign an extension, if I'm Billy Eppler, I still wouldn't trade him.  For three reasons....

1. If the Angels immediately become a powerhouse and surge into the playoffs and win some important games, that might change his mind. 

2. Just because Mike Trout reaches free agency, does not mean he won't re-sign with the team. 

3. I would not want to go down in history as the GM that traded Mike Trout. 

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Also, if the Angels were only an Adell/Canning trade away from passing Houston and Oakland, I believe that Billy Eppler would trade them.  But facing facts, they aren't.  Oakland has 2-3 REALLY good starting pitchers in their minor league system that will be ready in 2020.  That party is just getting started.  Granted, they aren't as good as the 97 wins they had last year, you're still looking at a 90-95 win team.  And the Astros were every bit the 103 win team they were last year, but they are losing some important players, and need to save their money to re-sign their core.  They already extended Altuve, in a deal that isn't looking very team friendly at all right now.  And George Springer, Carlos Correa and Alex Bregman are all going to cost a metric ton of cash.  Unless they deplete their farm and trade for assets like JT Realmuto and whoever else, I think the Astros are looking more like a 95-100 win team.  Not nearly as dominant as they were last year.  The Mariners and the Rangers are nothing to worry about. 

And the Angels were better than their 80-82 record.  All things being equal, they probably should have been an 85 win team, and that's even with sustaining those injuries.  This is an onslaught of pitching injuries that no team before has ever experienced.  But when Skaggs was healthy, he was a front of the rotation starter.  Heaney was brilliant in his first campaign back from TJ surgery, he's only going to get better from here.  Barria was a little lucky and the Angels were blessed by the collective performance of Ohtani and Richards, which combined would've been a full season of very solid work. The pitchers they bring in figure to stabilize the rotation, though I'm skeptical they'll improve it.  That all depends on who they get.  And offensively, well let's face it, this isn't a very good team at all.  There's Trout, Ohtani, Upton and Simmons, and then 5 spots of little or no production whatsoever and the way things are shaping up, Billy Eppler doesn't look intent on spending money or making trades to actually improve it.  But the bullpen made big strides and figures to be a solid group next year.  

After whatever acquisitions they make, the Angels are likely an 87 win team in 2019.  But in 2020, they get Ohtani back, Adell will replace Calhoun, either Luis Rengifo or Jahmai Jones will take over at 2B/3B, Thaiss will have replaced Pujols at 1B, they'll have Canning firmly entrenched into the rotation, and Skaggs and Heaney will have further distanced themselves from any injury.  They'll be a brand new, better, less expensive team.  In 2020, without any majors free agent or trade acquisitions, this already looks like a 95-100 win team.  And that's really just the beginning because there are waves after waves of prospects that are coming after that, with guys like Marsh, Rodriguez, Soriano, Maitan, Adams, Jackson, Hernanez, Deveaux, Knowles.....The Angels will be set up for success for the next decade after that, and will also be able to afford a Trout extension. The Angels could very well be the team of the 2020-2030 decade if things go right with all that talent and Trout signs an extension. 

Billy Eppler doesn't have to, or want to do anything to mess with that.  Just be patient and let it happen.

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1 hour ago, Second Base said:

3. I would not want to go down in history as the GM that traded Mike Trout.

Wouldn't to be the GM or owner that let Trout leave as a free agent because they didn't have the balls to release Pujols and surround Trout with enough talent to win in the post season.

Edited by Ace-Of-Diamonds
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3 hours ago, Ace-Of-Diamonds said:

Wouldn't to be the GM or owner that let Trout leave as a free agent because they didn't have the balls to release Pujols and surround Trout with enough talent to win in the post season.

Trout will sign a long term extension.  It will have nothing to do with what happened in 2018 or 2017 or 2016.  

Don't people realize that's a chip?  Hey Mike, we're banking some extra dough for 2021.  You should stick around.  

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21 hours ago, Halokingfish said:

The biggest move the Angels could possibly make this winter is extending Trout for life. What if Trout is only willing to consider an extension if the Angels make the playoffs this year? After this offseason if the team is one or two good players away from contending, would trading Adell or Canning in July or sooner be the answer? We have to trade good value to get good value and in the playoffs we have to compete against Houston, Boston, New York. Without Adell or Canning in the farm it becomes weaker but there are still some ok to solid prospects. So in this scenario if 2019 goes wrong jumpstarting a rebuild should be considered. 

I don't see how Trout could make such a demand. More than being selfish, which seems to go against any personality trait we've heard that he has, how can you guarantee getting into the playoffs?

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