Why the Angels won't sign Wilson Ramos

[kevinb]

1 minute ago, Stradling said:

Yes the owner has to sign off on a big deal, but I highly doubt Arte would have to sign off on a deal to get a guy like Ramos.  My guess is Arte gives a budget and Eppler decides the best way to use that budget.  Now if Arte wants to kick the tires on a guy, for example I have been told Arte really likes Machado, then he would have to approve a deal of that magnitude for sure.  I am sure he signed off on Upton.  But a $20-30 million deal, doubtful.

Whatever the cost. I am sure Eppler has to at least run it by Arte saying I’m about to offer 2/20 on Ramos. I know 20 million isn’t a lot of money in terms of baseball contracts but Arte still signs the checks and my guess is Eppler is in constant communication with Arte. 

[Vegas Halo Fan]

Wilson Ramos, Mets reportedly agree to two-year contract

The New York Mets continued their busy offseason Sunday, agreeing to a two-year contract with veteran catcher Wilson Ramos, according to multiple reports. The deal is pending a physical. Once completed, it will be worth a total of $19 million, according to Fancred.

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[ten ocho recon scout]

4 hours ago, rafibomb said:

That meme is so great, lol. Poor kid.

[Angelsjunky]

That's too bad. 2/$19M is a bargain, all things considered. 

[Second Base]

There is still time for Eppler to build a surprisingly deep, well thought out team. 

- He trades for Alex Avila to take the majority share of catching starts. Avila has a good defensive reputation, gets on base, has pop, is coming off a down season knocking down his price, has only 4 million left on his contract, plays for a D-Backs team that's shown a willingness to trade current pieces for prospects, and Avila is familiar with Ausmus from Detroit. He could probably only give up a poor performing yet projectable arm like Luis Pena or Joe Gatto and a future borderline starter like Leo Rivas.

- Yusei Kikuchi signing

- Anibal Sanchez signing. Another former player of Ausmus', Sanchez eats innings and with the help of a new cutter, he's reinvented himself a little. He started working ahead in the count a lot more, generated more swings and misses and more chases, as well as generating the weakest contact in MLB last year. If it works, you've got another #2/3 starter, and if it doesn't, you still get your choice between innings, or replacing him with Suarez or Canning. 

Suddenly, the Angels have a better catching situation, better 1B situation and better rotation that last year. And for cheap.

[Chuck]

2 hours ago, Tyler said:

Our money has got to be tied up to a bigger FA.... this makes no sense to not offer a 2/20 to Ramos. 

Seriously.

C'mon Eppy. Wake the eff up!

[ten ocho recon scout]

With the rumors that we were in on eovaldi and corbin, there has to be some reason we havent signed anybody yet. 

[Stradling]

Greinke as the fall back?  Or they have some deals they can do that bring on money?  

 

[AngelArcher]

He wanted to play for the OG Mets, not the west coast version.

[Second Base]

8 minutes ago, Chuckster70 said:

Seriously.

C'mon Eppy. Wake the eff up!

That's the only explanation I have for this lack of activity.  Well, one of three explanations anyway.

1. Eppler is big game hunting and no one realizes it. Think about it, he was in on both Corbin and Eovaldi, the top two pitchers on the market. He's the mystery team in on Machado, and he's the front runner for Kikuchi.

2. Eppler is really just saving up as much money a she can for the inevitable slough of extensions that should be incoming for Trout, Simmons, Skaggs and Heaney.

3. Eppler legitimately just doesn't like the prices on the market and would rather roll into the season as is than sacrifice 2020 and beyond just for 2019..

[Docwaukee]

5 minutes ago, ten ocho recon scout said:

With the rumors that we were in on eovaldi and corbin, there has to be some reason we havent signed anybody yet. 

I think the reason is that Corbin, Eovaldi, and Happ all got paid anywhere from a lot to a little more by division contenders.  Texas had to give Lynn 3/30 to get him.  The padres had to give GR 15mil for what amounts to 1yr.  Morton limited his own options and still got good money.  Donaldson got paid more than expected.  

Eppler hasn't been willing to go above and beyond on guys like Happ or Eovaldi.  Which would require being stupid. 

There are certain shots he just doesn't have in his bag.  He's hit a poor drive but he's not pulling out driver from the fairway when he's 280 yds away.  He's gonna hit a rescue down the middle, a wedge onto the fringe and then two put for bogey.  

[Docwaukee]

6 minutes ago, Second Base said:

That's the only explanation I have for this lack of activity.  Well, one of three explanations anyway.

1. Eppler is big game hunting and no one realizes it. Think about it, he was in on both Corbin and Eovaldi, the top two pitchers on the market. He's the mystery team in on Machado, and he's the front runner for Kikuchi.

2. Eppler is really just saving up as much money a she can for the inevitable slough of extensions that should be incoming for Trout, Simmons, Skaggs and Heaney.

3. Eppler legitimately just doesn't like the prices on the market and would rather roll into the season as is than sacrifice 2020 and beyond just for 2019..

probably a combo.  He's gonna go hard after the super talented guys to see if he can get them at the right price.  If he can't, he's gonna make a value play because he doesn't want to tie up payroll beyond 2020.  I hate to say this, but I think he knows that the team isn't good enough or bad enough to justify the price the Angels would have to pay in order to grab a mediocre or super high risk player. 

According to Heyman, the Mets were Ramos' first choice which means you'd have to guarantee 3/30 to get him.  

The smartest thing he can do right now is to say disciplined.  Better than then get another Cozart or Valbuena (RIP).    

[TroutField]

4 hours ago, Dochalo said:

I have a hard time imagining the Padres moving Hedges for a package that I'd be comfortable with.  I just don't see them selling low on him.  If you were in the position that SD is, would you trade a former top 25 prospect who showed some signs of improvement offensively last year and is still only 25 at a position that's hard to fill for guys out of the top 100?  Especially considering that he's a really good defensive catcher?  

Kikuchi and Harvey would we ok.  Tons of risk with both.  We really need at least one guy who can get you around 180 ip and an era around and perhaps slightly below 4.00.  

To be clear though, I am not putting all of this on Eppler as he can't force someone to come here and I'm glad he's shown appropriate restraint.  But it's still disappointing.  

They Padres are stacked at Catcher. They have Austin Hedges, Francisco Mejia, and Austin Allen just had a big season in A+ and needs to stay on the roster as he was rule 5 eligible.

[Angel Oracle]

4 hours ago, Dochalo said:

There's actually no reason to even spend at this point.  

we could overpay on Keuchel or Grandal.  Handcuff ourselves for the future by adding someone like Macahdo or Harper who we're not going after anyway (fine with that).  Guys like Moustakas, Pollock, Brantley aren't happening.  Kimbrel is a bad bet and if Eppler spends big on a closer, we'll know he's lost his mind.  Honestly, there isn't much else out there that excites me.  

Just let the kids play at this point.  

Could that have been Eppler’s plan all along?

[Docwaukee]

42 minutes ago, Angel Oracle said:

Could that have been Eppler’s plan all along?

I think his plan was to try to get certain guys at a certain price.  Whether via FAcy or trade.  It hasn't worked out.  He's actually done more with the lineup than he indicated he'd do in that he said he was looking for pitching and maybe a catcher.  

He'll still do all of that but with different guys than we expected.  

[WeatherWonk]

9 hours ago, Angel Oracle said:

Could that have been Eppler’s plan all along?

BINGO!! Except that it was ARTE's plan, all along. Not Eppler's. What GM wouldn't want to spend up to the tax threshold? Arte's put overbearing restraints on Epps, in the interest of maximizing profits. .

Honestly, an overpay of a few million a year, if the contract is three years or less, is not going to hurt us going forward much. And it could have helped us greatly, in the cases of Ramos, McCutcheon, Happ. As limited as Bour is on where he can play, I would rather have had Matt Adams at first. Just as limited, but a better hitter.  Arte has the means to afford it.

I have to conclude, if this season ISNT truly a profit gambit by Arte, then we are going to offer Trout an extension that will have an AAV of 50+ mil. He's the only player that's worth that. Hence, the seemingly miserly start to the Angel's offseason. Sprinkle in a little hope for the AAA prospects to produce THIS year, add a dash of possibly extending Simmons and maybe this is the Angel recipe. It is a recipe for 3rd place in the AL West.

Tampa Bay has improved. The Yankees have held their own, or improved. OAK still has lots of pitching to replace, but so do we.

I cant see the Angel's doing anything for Harper or Machado. Certainly, Arte has learned from the Pujols contract, hasn't he? Eppler would certainly recommend against this, right? Unless you could bring their contracts down to 7 years. I guess Machado could be looked at as a replacement for Simmons, if you let him walk. I guess Harper becomes your Calhoun replacement and your star power, if Trout cant be extended.

So many puzzle pieces. 

[SlappyUtilityMIF]

Because he already signed with the Mets?...

[Slegnaac]

21 hours ago, Stradling said:

One other item of note.  Eppler certainly doesn’t appear to be fearful of losing his job as he’s in the final year of his deal.   If he was more on edge they would be spending more or using more prospect capital.   There may be a plan.  

Eppler will be with the team for at least another 324 games, in my opinion

[T.G.]