OC Register: Angels planning to allow farm system to continue to grow

[Lou]

[Jeff Fletcher]

23 hours ago, floplag said:

Im not asking anyone to make me an optimist about it, im asking them to explain why they are.  
From where i sit it seems its all based on a group of toolsy kids suddenly making the grade that they do not appear to make as of today and how thats going to translate into wins at the MLB level in 19 or maybe even 20.  That would take a pretty mercurial rise to expect it would seem. 
Long term (21 and beyond) i get it,  short term i dont. 

The Angels did try to sign Corbin and Eovaldi, both of whom had significant non-financial reasons that may have pushed them to other teams. You can’t say the Angels aren’t trying.

Its also notably that both of those players are under 30.

Theyre trying to line things up to be consistently good for a span of years. Whether or not it works is anyone’s guess, but there are no guarantees with any plan. 

And I don’t believe they are trying to “impress Trout” or anything to sign him because I think they already believe they’re going to sign him. They want to have a good young team around him for the long term. 

[m0nkey]

Sometimes I think @Dochalo and @Inside Pitch have multiple accounts just to set themselves up with softball arguments.

[floplag]

2 hours ago, Jeff Fletcher said:

The Angels did try to sign Corbin and Eovaldi, both of whom had significant non-financial reasons that may have pushed them to other teams. You can’t say the Angels aren’t trying.

Its also notably that both of those players are under 30.

Theyre trying to line things up to be consistently good for a span of years. Whether or not it works is anyone’s guess, but there are no guarantees with any plan. 

And I don’t believe they are trying to “impress Trout” or anything to sign him because I think they already believe they’re going to sign him. They want to have a good young team around him for the long term. 

Without knowing how close they were to know if it was really close, ill take your word for it. 
I get what they are doing, but when does this span begin?  it certainly to date doesnt seem like 19 or maybe even 20 is a concern.  well see how the rest of the off season goes.
They give such conflicting comments... "Were ready to go" combined with  "were going to continue to let the farm develop"... what conclusion is there to be had as those 2 things dont line up. 
Im sure your view on Trout will resonate with many here, but im skeptical.    I hope you and they are right .

[Jeff Fletcher]

4 minutes ago, floplag said:

Without knowing how close they were to know if it was really close, ill take your word for it. 
I get what they are doing, but when does this span begin?  it certainly to date doesnt seem like 19 or maybe even 20 is a concern.  well see how the rest of the off season goes.
They give such conflicting comments... "Were ready to go" combined with  "were going to continue to let the farm develop"... what conclusion is there to be had as those 2 things dont line up. 
Im sure your view on Trout will resonate with many here, but im skeptical.    I hope you and they are right .

It's not that complicated. They are trying to be as good as they can be without sacrificing the long term. That means if they're going to trade players, they will not be very good prospects. If they are going to sign free agents, they will be on the younger end, or to low-risk short-term deals. The idea is that neither free agency nor trades are how you get good. The only way you get a solid core is building it from within. Once you've done that, you can put the finishing touches on it by signing free agents and by trading your surplus prospects.

The fact that Eppler said "get to the top five" shouldn't be taken so literally. There's no official objective ranking of farm systems. This time next year they could be 5-8ish.

They also could still be a playoff team in 2019 with just a few breaks going their way. They won 80 games last year. The three teams between them and a playoff spot were the A's, Mariners and Rays, who each have issues themselves.

The Astros also lost Morton. They may lose Keuchel. They are going to lose Marwin Gonzalez (from what I hear). Verlander is going to get a year older. They don't have a frontline catcher. They're certainly the division favorites but I wouldn't pencil them in for 100 wins as of now. Teams go from 100 to 90 all the time. Look at the Cubs from 16-17 and Dodgers from 17-18.

As for Trout, all I can tell is you is my opinion is based on talking to Trout and Angels management. Nobody says flat out that he's going to re-sign, but my sense is that Trout is happy and appreciates how the Angels treat him, and also that he would not be happy playing someplace like New York or Boston. I also believe the Angels will pay him whatever it takes, so it's just a matter of him deciding he wants to be there. Also, the same guy who talked Ohtani into picking the Angels is going to be the one talking to Trout.

[Blarg]

I wish Eppler would talk to Floplag. Or trade him to the Cincinnati Reds message board for a couple prospects with good typing skills. 

[T.G.]

12 minutes ago, Jeff Fletcher said:

The Astros also lost Morton. They may lose Keuchel. They are going to lose Marwin Gonzalez (from what I hear). Verlander is going to get a year older. They don't have a frontline catcher. They're certainly the division favorites but I wouldn't pencil them in for 100 wins as of now. Teams go from 100 to 90 all the time. Look at the Cubs from 16-17 and Dodgers from 17-18.

They also lost Lance McCullers to TJ surgery.

[Barrett]

The same argument about the Astros getting older could be said about the Angels as well. Simmons will be 30 this upcoming year. Upton will be 32 this year. Pujols is a year older etc. If by waiting for the prospects to get here in 2020 or later the core of Simmons Upton and Trout will be well in their 30s and the decline will start. Most prospects amount to not much, There are thousands of prospects across all the minor leagues most don't turn into stars, some do. To think that out of 15 of the prospects coming up in the next 3 years some will be stars I think is greatly exaggerated maybe one will be a star maybe a couple will be good the rest will be either mediocre or will flame out. To think about it this way since Trout has gotten here who is the best player in the league what other players that have come up through our system have been stars that are on our team currently? Is Kole Calhoun really a star? Tyler Skaggs? I really want the Angels to be good. I understand the argument on not spending idiotically on free agents, it's usually a bad idea. Unless some "major" upgrades happen this off season I just don't know how the Angels win the division next year, and just hoping to compete for a wild card is absolutely settling. I would rather the Angels just sit tight with what they have now and let the kids play and keep building up the farm. My ideal situation would be to trade off assets that won't help us when the farm gets here but I don't see the Angels doing that either.  

[Inside Pitch]

19 minutes ago, Barrett said:

The same argument about the Astros getting older could be said about the Angels as well. Simmons will be 30 this upcoming year. Upton will be 32 this year. If by waiting for the prospects to get here in 2020 or later the core of Simmons Upton and Trout will be well in their 30s

Call it a nitpick but this will be Simmons' age 29 season and Upton's age 31 season.    Mike Trout will be in his age 28 season in 2020.

19 minutes ago, Barrett said:

Most prospects amount to not much, There are thousands of prospects across all the minor leagues most don't turn into stars, some do. To think that out of 15 of the prospects coming up in the next 3 years some will be stars I think is greatly exaggerated maybe one will be a star maybe a couple will be good the rest will be either mediocre or will flame out. 

Exactly why they need to keep adding prospects....  because attrition is king and the farm system isn't really ready to take that next step.   Next year maybe -- who knows.

19 minutes ago, Barrett said:

Unless some "major" upgrades happen this off season I just don't know how the Angels win the division next year, and just hoping to compete for a wild card is absolutely settling. I would rather the Angels just sit tight with what they have now and let the kids play and keep building up the farm. My ideal situation would be to trade off assets that won't help us when the farm gets here but I don't see the Angels doing that either.  

The thing is they can both add guys on short term deals they make them incrementally better and not blow their wad for 2020 and beyond.   

Doing nothing won't add prospects.  Doing nothing won't make the guys already in the farm system better.  But add a mid range guy on a two year deal and if the team is dead in the water at the break -- trade him off like they did Maldy and Kinsler last year.   They used low level assets to obtain both and turned them into a potential closer and and a potential back of the rotation guy..   There is also nothing keeping them from trading guys they already have to get younger or add to their prospect cache regardless of whether they add anyone or not.

The only thing doing nothing does is pad Arte's pockets.   Money not spent today isn't going to be extra money they spend in 2021+
 

Edited December 13, 2018 by Inside Pitch

[Barrett]

@Inside Pitch I guess my thinking on not adding is kind of my thinking for the Angels in general. I don't see any positive to finishing the year 500. I don't believe in a carry over effect I don't believe in momentum. I think both are myths. I would rather the Angels be worse now and better in the future than be mediocre now and who knows about the future. Saving the money now then spending up to their cap just to finish 20 games below the Astros was kind of annoying to watch. I guess I don't see the point in having an Upton type if by the time the Angels are actually competing for division titles he will be past his prime and in his later 30's. But maybe that's me. 

[Docwaukee]

2 hours ago, Jeff Fletcher said:

It's not that complicated. They are trying to be as good as they can be without sacrificing the long term. That means if they're going to trade players, they will not be very good prospects. If they are going to sign free agents, they will be on the younger end, or to low-risk short-term deals. The idea is that neither free agency nor trades are how you get good. The only way you get a solid core is building it from within. Once you've done that, you can put the finishing touches on it by signing free agents and by trading your surplus prospects.

The fact that Eppler said "get to the top five" shouldn't be taken so literally. There's no official objective ranking of farm systems. This time next year they could be 5-8ish.

They also could still be a playoff team in 2019 with just a few breaks going their way. They won 80 games last year. The three teams between them and a playoff spot were the A's, Mariners and Rays, who each have issues themselves.

The Astros also lost Morton. They may lose Keuchel. They are going to lose Marwin Gonzalez (from what I hear). Verlander is going to get a year older. They don't have a frontline catcher. They're certainly the division favorites but I wouldn't pencil them in for 100 wins as of now. Teams go from 100 to 90 all the time. Look at the Cubs from 16-17 and Dodgers from 17-18.

As for Trout, all I can tell is you is my opinion is based on talking to Trout and Angels management. Nobody says flat out that he's going to re-sign, but my sense is that Trout is happy and appreciates how the Angels treat him, and also that he would not be happy playing someplace like New York or Boston. I also believe the Angels will pay him whatever it takes, so it's just a matter of him deciding he wants to be there. Also, the same guy who talked Ohtani into picking the Angels is going to be the one talking to Trout.

If flop like this post I'm gonna carve my eyes out with a spoon.  

[floplag]

2 hours ago, Blarg said:

I wish Eppler would talk to Floplag. Or trade him to the Cincinnati Reds message board for a couple prospects with good typing skills. 

Sorry, full no trade.  

[Blarg]

Shit.

[mulwin444]

4 hours ago, Jeff Fletcher said:

It's not that complicated. They are trying to be as good as they can be without sacrificing the long term. That means if they're going to trade players, they will not be very good prospects. If they are going to sign free agents, they will be on the younger end, or to low-risk short-term deals. The idea is that neither free agency nor trades are how you get good. The only way you get a solid core is building it from within. Once you've done that, you can put the finishing touches on it by signing free agents and by trading your surplus prospects.

The fact that Eppler said "get to the top five" shouldn't be taken so literally. There's no official objective ranking of farm systems. This time next year they could be 5-8ish.

They also could still be a playoff team in 2019 with just a few breaks going their way. They won 80 games last year. The three teams between them and a playoff spot were the A's, Mariners and Rays, who each have issues themselves.

The Astros also lost Morton. They may lose Keuchel. They are going to lose Marwin Gonzalez (from what I hear). Verlander is going to get a year older. They don't have a frontline catcher. They're certainly the division favorites but I wouldn't pencil them in for 100 wins as of now. Teams go from 100 to 90 all the time. Look at the Cubs from 16-17 and Dodgers from 17-18.

As for Trout, all I can tell is you is my opinion is based on talking to Trout and Angels management. Nobody says flat out that he's going to re-sign, but my sense is that Trout is happy and appreciates how the Angels treat him, and also that he would not be happy playing someplace like New York or Boston. I also believe the Angels will pay him whatever it takes, so it's just a matter of him deciding he wants to be there. Also, the same guy who talked Ohtani into picking the Angels is going to be the one talking to Trout.

This essentially sums everything we're trying to convey and I guarantee you there will be those who will either not get it or ignore it entirely.

Great post, though

[Stradling]

2 hours ago, floplag said:

Sorry, full no trade.  

There is no way @Chuckster70 gave you a full no trade clause.