#1 and #2 Starters (2019 elephant in the room)

[floplag]

3 hours ago, Stradling said:

I agree with everything except the last sentence.  Hell our division only has one team with a pitcher they’d consider an Ace.  

This is precisely why im not on the starting pitching above all else train.   We've had some very good teams in our division in the last decade without having that ace, i think its time people start to move past that ideology personally as its becoming a crutch. 
You need good pitching, but it doesn't have to be great or ace level, it only needs to be good enough to keep the other team from scoring less than your team can.    Our problem has been as much the latter as the former.  Of our 13 losses we have scored 3 or less in 8 of them.  In our 8 wins we have scored 4 or more in all but 1.   Plenty of blame to go around though our SP has easily been the worst of the worst to date.

[HaloCory22]

The biggest thing for me as a fan (besides watching Trout) is starting pitching. When we had Weaver/Haren at the top of the rotation it was truly fun watching them. They had lights out stuff and made watching them a joy. I felt incredibly confident in the team's chances of winning that day. Not a single one of our guys even remotely gives me that feeling today. Skaggs is the closest due to his stuff but even he is far from it. He's more like CJ Wilson confidence level. I know he has the stuff and potential to do it but will he? That has to take a toll on the offense too. I know 2 of our big bats are out right now so things will get better but it's a lot for the current group to take on. Taking on two bottom of the rotation FA signings and hoping they'll fill the gaps is blind faith. You can argue the team is building for next year, sure. Ohtani could be that "Ace" we're talking about but I'm not putting all my eggs in that basket. I'd love some insurance to build WITH Ohtani. Who knows how Heaney will pan out. Hell, who knows how most of our rotation/prospects will pan out (obviously). We need some stability at the top. Depth is great especially with how crappy the Angels luck has been of late with SP injuries but there needs to be a horse on the hill every 5 days we can truly be confident in. If we have 4/5 guys with 4.50+ ERAs is that actually depth?

[Jeff Fletcher]

21 minutes ago, Angel Oracle said:

The MLB draft is June 3-5, which means that if Keuchel and Kimbrel aren't signed for another 44 days, they are fair game to be signed as it would then not cost the 2nd round pick.

Of course, chances are that they would not be in enough of a groove by late July, and thus not good candidates to be signed to short term deals and then dealt to improve the org long term.

You just lose a pick in the 2020 draft if the 2019 draft has already happened. 

[Dtwncbad]

4 minutes ago, Jeff Fletcher said:

You just lose a pick in the 2020 draft if the 2019 draft has already happened. 

Are you sure about that?  I thought after the draft there would be no loss of a pick.

[Make Angels Great Again]

If some fan came running out of the stands at Shoemaker and took him out at the knees with a hammer I don't think it'd make much sense to say "There goes that Shoemaker getting hurt again! Man, that guy can't stay healthy!"

[Jeff Fletcher]

4 minutes ago, Dtwncbad said:

Are you sure about that?  I thought after the draft there would be no loss of a pick.

They changed it two years ago. 

[Dtwncbad]

7 minutes ago, Jeff Fletcher said:

They changed it two years ago. 

OK thanks.

Very interesting.  The longer it goes on Keuchel, the less a one year deal makes any sense for a team if they still have to surrender a pick.

I heard he will do a one year deal, but unless it is very cheap, I don't see a team wanting to give up a pick for what is now less than one year of service. 

Do you predict a one year deal with a very low salary or do you predict somebody still makes a multiple year deal with him?

 

[Jeff Fletcher]

43 minutes ago, Dtwncbad said:

OK thanks.

Very interesting.  The longer it goes on Keuchel, the less a one year deal makes any sense for a team if they still have to surrender a pick.

I heard he will do a one year deal, but unless it is very cheap, I don't see a team wanting to give up a pick for what is now less than one year of service. 

Do you predict a one year deal with a very low salary or do you predict somebody still makes a multiple year deal with him?

 

I honestly have no idea. I've got to believe for him to sign a one-year deal, it would have to be either for a high salary or else with a team that gives him a good shot at the World Series. Maybe the Yankees or Red Sox pitching injuries prompt one of them to give him $15M or something.

Or else he's waiting for some team with young players, but a chance this year, to give him a multiyear deal, to get him for the stretch run this year and then have him to anchor their young staff for, maybe, 2 more years. Braves or Padres?

[UndertheHalo]

The Yankees granted Gio Gonzalez his release.  So the Angels have a shot at him again.  

[floplag]

12 minutes ago, UndertheHalo said:

The Yankees granted Gio Gonzalez his release.  So the Angels have a shot at him again.  

only he earned that release, his ST and minor numbers were terrible, i looked. 

[UndertheHalo]

His last start was good.  Not that surprising that he wasnt sharp in a couple of extended ST starts which is what it was for him, except against AAA players who did have ST. I wouldn’t mind rolling the dice on him. 

Edited April 22, 2019 by UndertheHalo

[Lou]

6 hours ago, Jeff Fletcher said:

Congratulations. 

In poker we call this being “results oriented.”

if only baseball were a results oriented game 

[zenmaster]

6 minutes ago, UndertheHalo said:

His last start was good.  Not that surprising that he wasnt sharp in a couple of extended ST starts which is what it was for him, except against AAA players who did have. ST. I wouldn’t mind rolling the dice on him. 

His last 2 were good and his 2nd start was his best.

DATE	OPP	W	L	ERA	SV	IP	H	ER	BB	SO
04/04/2019	@BUF	0	1	18.00	0	4.0	8	8	3	1
04/09/2019	@LHV	1	0	7.20	0	6.0	3	0	1	10
04/14/2019	BUF	1	0	6.00	0	5.0	8	2	2	8
TOTALS		2	1	6.00	0	15.0	19	10	6	19

[Jeff Fletcher]

24 minutes ago, Lou said:

if only baseball were a results oriented game 

Guys, help me out.

Is he just messing with me? Or does he really believe what he's arguing?

[Lou]

Hi, Jeff. I'm Lou.

Nice to meet you. 

[Jay]

19 minutes ago, Jeff Fletcher said:

Is he just messing with me? Or does he really believe what he's arguing?

yes

[Make Angels Great Again]

25 minutes ago, Jeff Fletcher said:

Guys, help me out.

Is he just messing with me? Or does he really believe what he's arguing?

 

That's the thing about Lou, I don't think even he knows most of the time.

[Make Angels Great Again]

Having said that, Lou is not dumb.

[Lou]

Just now, Make Angels Great Again said:

 

That's the thing about Lou, I don't think even he knows most of the time.

knows what?

[T.G.]

Lou is such an agreeable chap.

[Ace-Of-Diamonds]

15 hours ago, Jeff Fletcher said:

You just lose a pick in the 2020 draft if the 2019 draft has already happened. 

 

15 hours ago, Dtwncbad said:

Are you sure about that?  I thought after the draft there would be no loss of a pick.

http://m.mlb.com/glossary/transactions/qualifying-offer

Players who are unsigned after the start of the Rule 4 Draft in the year that follows the rejection of their qualifying offer are no longer tied to draft pick compensation and can be signed without their new club needing to forfeit a draft pick.

 

Edited April 23, 2019 by Ace-Of-Diamonds

[Jeff Fletcher]

4 hours ago, Ace-Of-Diamonds said:

 

http://m.mlb.com/glossary/transactions/qualifying-offer

Players who are unsigned after the start of the Rule 4 Draft in the year that follows the rejection of their qualifying offer are no longer tied to draft pick compensation and can be signed without their new club needing to forfeit a draft pick.

 

http://www.mlbplayers.com/pdf9/5450407.pdf

page 96. Have at it 

[Ace-Of-Diamonds]

1 hour ago, Jeff Fletcher said:

http://www.mlbplayers.com/pdf9/5450407.pdf

page 96. Have at it 

I was having an argument with my son when I mention your post. He sent me the link I posted. I'm pretty sure I believe you, but to truly understand that legalese stuff on page 96 I may need a lawyer. Because I couldn't find any reference specifically talking about a player waiting until after the draft.

Edited April 23, 2019 by Ace-Of-Diamonds