Why I’m Optimistic About this Team

[robblin17]

While I know yesterday’s game was disappointing, looking at this week as a whole gives me a lot of optimism for the future (both short and long term) of this team. 

This week, we’ve beat the Dodgers twice, including a game started by Ryu, and have taken two of three from the Rays, including games started by Snell and Morton in which we touched both of them. Even though we should probably be 5-0, the loss meant the designating of Allen, which will be worth it in the long run since we get to replace him, and that makes us better. Any pitcher will be better and give the bullpen another useful piece to help lighten the load. 

I love how this GM and manager have made changes and started to inject this team with youth, and hopefully it keeps happening. 

Looking at our team, here is how things are shaping up:

Catcher - I’d like to see Smith get much more playing time. With that, Garneau would make a better backup catcher than Lucroy. Would they get rid of Lucroy? Who knows. But hopefully we see a lot more of Smith either way. 

First Base - Hopefully Bour can keep up his better hitting and give Albert some more days off to keep him fresh. Albert has been decent, but as the season goes on he is only going to get worse. The more days off we can give him now the better. 

Second Base/Third Base - Between La Stella, Rengifo, and Fletcher at these two spots, we are pretty well covered. Hopefully Rengifo starts to hit a little bit more, otherwise we might see a guy like Thaiss up with all the work he has been getting at third base. 

Shortstop - Once Simmons is back, we’re good. 

Right Field - Calhoun seems to be cooling off. I think you have to legitimately consider moving him if you can acquire a SP prospect of some kind. It’ll be interesting to see what happens here. This will also depend on what Adell is looking like at that time.

Center Field - Mike Facking Trout 

Left Field - With Upton coming back, it sucks that we might lose one of Puello or Goodwin, but an obvious upgrade and who knows whether Goodwin and Puello are just flashes in the pan. I’d probably send Puello down since Goodwin seems to be the better fielder and can play right, even though that’s not saying much. 

Designated Hitter - Shohei Facking Ohtani

Starting Pitching - Here is the elephant in the room. With Canning and Suarez, things are looking much better, but Skaggs and Heaney really need to pick their shit up. I’d look to acquire a controllable starter if the price is right at the deadline, or even a starter that helps us and doesn’t require a top 10 prospect. With Harvey and Cahill, you might just have to cut bait, but I think we will see at least one of them back to try and generate some trade value. However, it’s highly unlikely that they do and we should send them in the same direction we sent Allen.

Bullpen - With the designating of Allen our bullpen is in a better position. We now have another arm that is actually usable to lighten the load on Buttrey and Robles. If Bedrosian keeps up his good work, and Ramirez, Anderson, and Garcia can improve, our bullpen is very solid.

If the Angels are contending come the deadline, which I think they will be, it should be an active deadline for us. I’d move as many of the following as possible in a trade or by way of DFA. I’m talking Cahill, Harvey, Cozart, Lucroy, Calhoun, with Calhoun and Lucroy probably the only ones carrying any type of value. Look to acquire prospects.

If the right trade presents itself for a longer term solution at SP for some of our prospects not named Adell, you have to heavily consider it because this team is going to be good next year IF the starting pitching improves. 

[T.G.]

Five game losing streak incoming...

[Drink More Yakult]

I agree. Getting Middleton back will also help the bullpen. I was wondering if Cahill and/or Harvey could be a long reliever or just get any type of value from them in the pen.

[robblin17]

1 minute ago, True Grich said:

Five game losing streak incoming...

Doubt it. 

[Vlad27Trout27]

The .500 Curse!

[T.G.]

6 minutes ago, robblin17 said:

Doubt it. 

I was kidding... but buttercup is waiting in the wings

[UndertheHalo]

Last weekend they got smoked by the Mariners.  The hallmark of this team has been inconsistency.  It’s been a fun week.  I’ll revisit optimism when I see some stretch of consistency from the starters. 

[tdawg87]

Let's get to .500 first. We've been here before and we've all seen what happens.

[UndertheHalo]

And by consistency, I mean ability to pitch past the 5th. 

[robblin17]

Just now, UndertheHalo said:

Last weekend they got smoked by the Mariners.  The hallmark of this team has been inconsistency.  It’s been a fun week.  I’ll revisit optimism when I see some stretch of consistency from the starters. 

I hear you. I could be wrong about this year, but definite optimism for next year.

[robblin17]

2 minutes ago, tdawg87 said:

Let's get to .500 first. We've been here before and we've all seen what happens.

True, but we’ve also been yo-yo-ing .500 with guys like Cahill, Harvey, Allen, Cozart, Bour (pre-option), etc. The overall roster of this team is better now, and more reinforcements coming in Simmons and Upton, and further down the road Middleton and Ramirez. 

[Taylor]

1 hour ago, True Grich said:

Five game losing streak incoming...

I was literally going to post this same thing, word for word.

[Inside Pitch]

2 hours ago, UndertheHalo said:

And by consistency, I mean ability to pitch past the 5th. 

Well... they have consistently failed to do that so.....  CONSISTENCY ACHIEVED!!!!

[Inside Pitch]

1 hour ago, Taylor said:

I was literally going to post this same thing, word for word.

I went straight to sacrificing live chickens to try to counter this evil...

[ten ocho recon scout]

3 minutes ago, Inside Pitch said:

Well... they have consistently failed to do that so.....  CONSISTENCY ACHIEVED!!!!

Beat me to it.

Ill say this. Still no shot this year. But were a hell of a lot closer than some choose to believe. 

Trout, ohtani, simmons and upton are a solid as hell core. Fletcher should be here a while. La stella im not sure. But even albert has surprised.

If we land some pitching this winter, i think we turn a corner for sure.

 

[Second Base]

If you're the optimist, I'll take the view of the realist.

This is an Angels team in transition. Lucroy, Allen, Harvey, Cahill, Calhoun, they're all here for 2019 only. If the Angels were a serious contender, 1/5 of their active roster would not be on a one year deal. Their only role is to keep the team competitive "just in case" and to play well enough to get traded at the deadline.

The Angels are a .500 team. They aren't going to catch Houston, and for WC2, they would need to beat Boston and Cleveland. 

This is the year where the prospects get their feet wet in preparation for a run in 2020 and beyond. Guys like Rengifo, La Stella, Fletcher, Ward, Walsh, Thaiss, Canning and Suarez are auditioning for a spot next year. 

When the trade deadline comes, the Angels will trade any of the short-term players they can, and that includes La Stella and Skaggs, though I doubt Eppler trades either of them at the deadline.  La Stella is necessary for 2020, and Skagfs can be dealt in the offseason for just as much as the trade deadline, plus it will give the Angels a chance to assess whether or not Suarez, Heaney and Pena pitch well enough to justify taking Skaggs.

I expect Lucroy and Calhoun wil be traded, that's it. No one will want Harvey or Cahill. Allen already got DFA'd and the same fate awaits Harvey and Cahill. Lots of sunken costs here.

The Angels will continue to play through spots of inspired ball mixed equally with incompetence and finish around 81 wins, a solid 9- ish wins short of the wild card. 

But in 2020, with Ohtani back in the rotation, as well as a full year of Canning and Suarez, in addition to whatever front of the rotation starter they trade for or sign, combined with Adell in RF and better production from 1B, the Angels wil win 90+.

[robblin17]

6 minutes ago, Second Base said:

If you're the optimist, I'll take the view of the realist.

This is an Angels team in transition. Lucroy, Allen, Harvey, Cahill, Calhoun, they're all here for 2019 only. If the Angels were a serious contender, 1/5 of their active roster would not be on a one year deal. Their only role is to keep the team competitive "just in case" and to play well enough to get traded at the deadline.

The Angels are a .500 team. They aren't going to catch Houston, and for WC2, they would need to beat Boston and Cleveland. 

This is the year where the prospects get their feet wet in preparation for a run in 2020 and beyond. Guys like Rengifo, La Stella, Fletcher, Ward, Walsh, Thaiss, Canning and Suarez are auditioning for a spot next year. 

When the trade deadline comes, the Angels will trade any of the short-term players they can, and that includes La Stella and Skaggs, though I doubt Eppler trades either of them at the deadline.  La Stella is necessary for 2020, and Skagfs can be dealt in the offseason for just as much as the trade deadline, plus it will give the Angels a chance to assess whether or not Suarez, Heaney and Pena pitch well enough to justify taking Skaggs.

I expect Lucroy and Calhoun wil be traded, that's it. No one will want Harvey or Cahill. Allen already got DFA'd and the same fate awaits Harvey and Cahill. Lots of sunken costs here.

The Angels will continue to play through spots of inspired ball mixed equally with incompetence and finish around 81 wins, a solid 9- ish wins short of the wild card. 

But in 2020, with Ohtani back in the rotation, as well as a full year of Canning and Suarez, in addition to whatever front of the rotation starter they trade for or sign, combined with Adell in RF and better production from 1B, the Angels wil win 90+.

Did you read the post? I pretty much said exactly this outside of trading La Stella and Skaggs. I’d trade Skaggs, but probably not La Stella.

[floplag]

i believe, in my soul, that if this team can actually get back over 500 it will take off...
Then again i also believe in bigfoot so it could just be gas... but im hopeful 

[eligrba]

43 minutes ago, floplag said:

i believe, in my soul, that if this team can actually get back over 500 it will take off...
Then again i also believe in bigfoot so it could just be gas... but im hopeful 

I believe.

[T.G.]

Optimists unite!!

I too believe!!!

Pass the chili cheese fritos!

 

[Angel Oracle]

6 hours ago, robblin17 said:

While I know yesterday’s game was disappointing, looking at this week as a whole gives me a lot of optimism for the future (both short and long term) of this team. 

This week, we’ve beat the Dodgers twice, including a game started by Ryu, and have taken two of three from the Rays, including games started by Snell and Morton in which we touched both of them. Even though we should probably be 5-0, the loss meant the designating of Allen, which will be worth it in the long run since we get to replace him, and that makes us better. Any pitcher will be better and give the bullpen another useful piece to help lighten the load. 

I love how this GM and manager have made changes and started to inject this team with youth, and hopefully it keeps happening. 

Looking at our team, here is how things are shaping up:

Catcher - I’d like to see Smith get much more playing time. With that, Garneau would make a better backup catcher than Lucroy. Would they get rid of Lucroy? Who knows. But hopefully we see a lot more of Smith either way. 

First Base - Hopefully Bour can keep up his better hitting and give Albert some more days off to keep him fresh. Albert has been decent, but as the season goes on he is only going to get worse. The more days off we can give him now the better. 

Second Base/Third Base - Between La Stella, Rengifo, and Fletcher at these two spots, we are pretty well covered. Hopefully Rengifo starts to hit a little bit more, otherwise we might see a guy like Thaiss up with all the work he has been getting at third base. 

Shortstop - Once Simmons is back, we’re good. 

Right Field - Calhoun seems to be cooling off. I think you have to legitimately consider moving him if you can acquire a SP prospect of some kind. It’ll be interesting to see what happens here. This will also depend on what Adell is looking like at that time.

Center Field - Mike Facking Trout 

Left Field - With Upton coming back, it sucks that we might lose one of Puello or Goodwin, but an obvious upgrade and who knows whether Goodwin and Puello are just flashes in the pan. I’d probably send Puello down since Goodwin seems to be the better fielder and can play right, even though that’s not saying much. 

Designated Hitter - Shohei Facking Ohtani

Starting Pitching - Here is the elephant in the room. With Canning and Suarez, things are looking much better, but Skaggs and Heaney really need to pick their shit up. I’d look to acquire a controllable starter if the price is right at the deadline, or even a starter that helps us and doesn’t require a top 10 prospect. With Harvey and Cahill, you might just have to cut bait, but I think we will see at least one of them back to try and generate some trade value. However, it’s highly unlikely that they do and we should send them in the same direction we sent Allen.

Bullpen - With the designating of Allen our bullpen is in a better position. We now have another arm that is actually usable to lighten the load on Buttrey and Robles. If Bedrosian keeps up his good work, and Ramirez, Anderson, and Garcia can improve, our bullpen is very solid.

If the Angels are contending come the deadline, which I think they will be, it should be an active deadline for us. I’d move as many of the following as possible in a trade or by way of DFA. I’m talking Cahill, Harvey, Cozart, Lucroy, Calhoun, with Calhoun and Lucroy probably the only ones carrying any type of value. Look to acquire prospects.

If the right trade presents itself for a longer term solution at SP for some of our prospects not named Adell, you have to heavily consider it because this team is going to be good next year IF the starting pitching improves. 

+1 except for the Garcia ref

Dude has a 1.60 WHIP this season, and struggled with the Phillies in 2018.   If anyone else needs to be DFA’d, it’s Garcia.

[robblin17]

8 minutes ago, Angel Oracle said:

+1 except for the Garcia ref

Dude has a 1.60 WHIP this season, and struggled with the Phillies in 2018.   If anyone else needs to be DFA’d, it’s Garcia.

Yeah, Garcia is trash. Would much rather have kept Alvarez, even though he has struggled in Philly. 

[Ace-Of-Diamonds]

We move to .500 today, and then a 4 game sweep of the Jays. We will go into Pujols' old stomping grounds 4 games over .500, the rest is history...

How's that for optimism?

Let's go get'um Griffin..

Edited June 16, 2019 by Ace-Of-Diamonds

[Ace-Of-Diamonds]

score early, it seems to be working

[failos]

Like clockwork