Why Eppler's patience with the farm may lead to sustained future success

[Chuck]

The San Diego Padres were just ranked as having the best farm system in baseball by Baseball America. 

Did you know the last time the Angels were ranked with the #1 farm system in baseball? 2005.

Unlike the Padres, who haven't been in the playoffs since 2006, the '05 Angels made the playoffs the year prior to being ranked as the No. 1 farm system, and were the World Series champions three years prior to that. After being ranked as having the best farm system in baseball in 2005, the Angels went on to make the playoffs in four of the next five seasons.

The Angels' top 30 prospects in 2005 had a bunch of talent that made it to the big leagues. Twenty of them made it to the big leagues, and half of them had a solid career. That was an incredible amount of talent.

Now, think think about the fact that we finally have a top 10 farm system again. Combine that with the talent we have on the Major League club such as Trout, Ohtani, Simmons, Upton, Skaggs, Heaney, Barria, Buttrey, and Anderson.

I liken our 2019 club to our 2006 team. We graduated most of those '05 top 30 prospects that year and they began contributing along with our existing core of vets in Vlad, GA, OC, Weaver, Lackey, K-Rod, Shields, Escobar, Colon. This year, we should do the same with many of our current top 30 prospects starting to contribute along with our current core of vets.

Now consider that next year, in our 2020 season, we'll have an established mix of veterans and young core that can hit the ground running. That could lead to a magical run like 2007-2009.

While it may wear on our patience at times that the 2019 Los Angeles Angels may resemble the 2006 club, especially by missing the playoffs, ultimately, we need to see that this year will be a stepping stone, much like 2006 was. Making the playoffs for 3 straight years couldn't have happened without that transitional season in 2006. We needed the '06 season to introduce to the prospects to the Majors and give them the opportunity to succeed.

I believe the present Angels may have a chance to be a bit better and sustain longer success than they did from '07-'09. Eppler appears to have set up this club up for more success than we had in 2007-2009. His one year deals for veteran help this season could catapult the Angels into a playoff berth this year. Or, they could end up being yet another boon to the farm system by adding more players like they did in the Maldonado and Kinsler trades. The Angels have the talent to acquire a piece in a trade, if warranted, or, can continue to stock up on talent to sustain the parent club for years.

By the end of 2019, the Angels could very well be a top 3 farm system. And, at the same time, they could be on the verge of challenging the Houston Astros in the standings. This season will be an integral part of a larger plan to vault the Angels back into dominance of the A. L. West for a long time.

[Chuck]

BA ranked us at #12. 

 

[GrittyVeterans]

Encouraging but still not a great enough system to say we’re closing in on sustained success imo

[Chuck]

1 hour ago, GrittyVeterans said:

Encouraging but still not a great enough system to say we’re closing in on sustained success imo

You could have just left it at Encouraging and hit submit reply.

[Stradling]

2 hours ago, Chuckster70 said:

You could have just left it at Encouraging and hit submit reply.

No he couldn’t.  

[Inside Pitch]

6 hours ago, GrittyVeterans said:

Encouraging but still not a great enough system to say we’re closing in on sustained success imo

Patience is key...

[Angel Oracle]

Grasshopper loves patience.

[Torridd]

I don't look at sustained success as 5 years (2005-2009) I look at it as more a Yankees, St. Louis, Boston staple. I would say that we had very bad luck with Morales and Adenhart, but I think we'll still need help from free agency.

[Chuck]

2 hours ago, Torridd said:

I don't look at sustained success as 5 years (2005-2009) I look at it as more a Yankees, St. Louis, Boston staple. I would say that we had very bad luck with Morales and Adenhart, but I think we'll still need help from free agency.

I think anytime you can have 5-6 playoff appearances and division titles over a 10-year span, that's sustained success. 

The Yankees of old were a Dynasty, and the Red Sox, Cardinals and Giants over the past decade or two have been pretty close to one as well. 

 I think the Angels can get back to their 2002-2009 run where they missed the playoffs only twice during that span, but won a bunch of division titles, one World Series and did it with a good core of homegrown talent and outside help via trades or free agency. 

[ettin]

3 hours ago, Inside Pitch said:

Patience is key...

You missed an opportunity:

Patience is Major Key...

[Stradling]

2 hours ago, Torridd said:

I don't look at sustained success as 5 years (2005-2009) I look at it as more a Yankees, St. Louis, Boston staple. I would say that we had very bad luck with Morales and Adenhart, but I think we'll still need help from free agency.

You’ve got three choices, be a Yankee fan, change your perspective or be constantly disappointed. 

[Chuck]

3 minutes ago, Stradling said:

You’ve got three choices, be a Yankee fan, change your perspective or be constantly disappointed. 

I really wonder if this is an attitude that has been adopted by many Angels fans after Arte had said he wanted to be the Yankees of the West Coast, or AL West (or whatever he exactly said and was misunderstood?). 

[HaloNArizona]

I am excited about the farm system and the future of this club.....when you think of successful franchises year in and year out...it starts with homegrown talent, supplemented with key, smart FA signings.  Baseball is such a different animal in regards to the draft...often times the guys who are picked in the 5-15 rounds are key contributors for a long long time.....

As we pointed out yesterday, next years staff of Heaney, Skaggs, Ohtani, Suarez, Canning and Barria are just about all homegrown talent.  

If Adell is promoted next year and Herm takes over 4th OFer role, three of the four will be home grown talent.

We have a chance to have half of our infield being homegrown talent....

The better your farm, the better the chance to improve today, tomorrow and three to five years from now.

[mulwin444]

9 hours ago, Chuckster70 said:

You could have just left it at Encouraging and hit submit reply.

Some literally cannot...

[Torridd]

1 hour ago, Stradling said:

You’ve got three choices, be a Yankee fan, change your perspective or be constantly disappointed. 

I guess I picked C. I've been an Angels fan for a long time.

[floplag]

Its spring training so im going to let my disappointments go for now and simply hope the team rises to the occasion.  What else can i do. 

[Dtwncbad]

5 hours ago, Inside Pitch said:

Patience is key...

I was waiting for you to say that.

[Inside Pitch]

2 minutes ago, Dtwncbad said:

I was waiting for you to say that.

I'm here to help.

[Stradling]

For those of you who don’t want to be patient, please show me a farm system that was built faster without trading your best asset to get prospects.  

[floplag]

4 minutes ago, Stradling said:

For those of you who don’t want to be patient, please show me a farm system that was built faster without trading your best asset to get prospects.  

The thing is though that it isn't even about that.  It 100% isn't that those us us that aren't all in on the patience plan don't get it or understand it and its eventual benefits, its just very hard to understand why it requires sacrificing the present at the ML level for it when there is no guarantee it will work out as well as you hope, has no timetable attached, and feels unnecessary to do so. 
 

[Torridd]

16 minutes ago, Stradling said:

For those of you who don’t want to be patient, please show me a farm system that was built faster without trading your best asset to get prospects.  

Like I said, St. Louis, Boston and NY and like, Chuck said, the Giants, are the hallmarks of the league. I don't think the farm system is the only thing that makes success like that happen. 

[Stradling]

5 minutes ago, Torridd said:

Like I said, St. Louis, Boston and NY and like, Chuck said, the Giants, are the hallmarks of the league. I don't think the farm system is the only thing that makes success like that happen. 

Correct, but without a farm system they won’t win.  If you want an example, look at the Angels the last several years, no farm no success. Show me the last team that wasn’t built through the farm or trading the farm for players that had success.  

[Stradling]

15 minutes ago, floplag said:

The thing is though that it isn't even about that.  It 100% isn't that those us us that aren't all in on the patience plan don't get it or understand it and its eventual benefits, its just very hard to understand why it requires sacrificing the present at the ML level for it when there is no guarantee it will work out as well as you hope, has no timetable attached, and feels unnecessary to do so. 
 

They aren’t sacrificing the present, they just aren’t signing the guys you want them to sign.  You might also remember you think most of these free agents have been overpays.  Not to mention the Angels have been in the running for 4-5 free agents that chose to go to other teams, most of them on the east coast and a couple of them stayed on their previous teams.  Lots of the premium free agents have draft picks attached so that sacrifices the farm.  You are critical early on that they don’t trade for a guy like Realmuto.  Even though people told you that the price will be too high in prospects, then when the price is actually really high you call it an overpay.  It isn’t like Eppler is giving up, he just knows what the player is worth and won’t get screwed over by a team overpaying.  

No plan has a timetable attached to it other than the all in win now, which very seldom works and mortgages the future, always.  You want a guarantee?  Now you sound like me.  But free agency is FAR from a guarantee.  Albert Pujols ring a bell?  

As for unnecessary, you have ZERO idea whether or not it is necessary or not.  How many teams have less revenue than the Angels and a higher payroll, when you find out it is zero, tell me why.  Oh and the teams that spend $30-50 million more per year on payroll are bringing in $200-300 million more in revenue, so my guess is that is sustainable for those teams.  

[Inside Pitch]

Hey guys, remember how spending on FA's totally guaranteed winning?  Autry, Disney, Arte -- so much success buying pennants...   Meanwhile, they spent a good decade as legit contenders after establishing the farm system as their primary source of talent acquisition.

[Stradling]

Just now, Inside Pitch said:

Hey guys, remember how spending on FA's totally guaranteed winning?  Autry, Disney, Arte -- so much success buying pennants...   Meanwhile, they spent a good decade as legit contenders after establishing the farm system as their primary source of talent acquisition.

I mean, why build a farm when you can sign guys like Cozart, Valbuena and trade for a guy like Nolasco.