Gerrit Cole seems to be a must signing.

[Angel Oracle]

7 minutes ago, Lou said:

It's more like a savings of $41M, not $50M. 

You're forgetting that raises to Trout, Pujols and Upton are $24M. Arbs to Robles, Lastella,Cam,etc. will eat up some more money, too. 

I get it from the actual payroll for 2020 vs 2019 standpoint.   From the AAV standpoint, is where it's closer to $50 million.

I can't see why Arte would be hesitant to spend that much extra in the short term though.   It's not like they are going to have a $250 million payroll yearly. 

Someone brought up Ryu in this thread.   Problem is, he turns 33 next March, and has just TWO seasons of pitching over 126 innings (none after 2014).   That is a big risk, especially if someone decides to go all Eovaldi and offer him $20 million/season for 4 years.

[Jeff Fletcher]

1 hour ago, Inside Pitch said:

Has anyone actually seen anything coming from the Angels talking about next years budget it's limits or anything remotely along those lines?  

Curious if this has actually been said.

I have been told that they will be more willing to spend for 2020 than they were for 2019 because they expect to have a better, cheaper core in place then. 

Also, last winter they had a big Trout question mark affecting their future budget, and now they don’t  

There are some assumptions there, but we’ll see. 

Edited June 21, 2019 by Jeff Fletcher

[Lou]

1 minute ago, Angel Oracle said:

I get it from the actual payroll for 2020 vs 2019 standpoint.   From the AAV standpoint, is where it's closer to $50 million.

I can't see why Arte would be hesitant to spend that much extra in the short term though.   It's not like they are going to have a $250 million payroll yearly. 

Fletch has mentioned it countless times - our budget is based on annual payroll, not AAV 

[Angelsjunky]

Emily Ratajkowski is a must date for me.

[Angel Oracle]

7 minutes ago, Lou said:

Fletch has mentioned it countless times - our budget is based on annual payroll, not AAV 

True, but couldn't that be changed for the short term only (2020-2021 at the most)?    Once Pujols' contract is over, that's $30 million less payroll in 2022 vs 2021.   Once Upton's contract is up after 2022, that's another well over $20 million freed up.   Plenty to re-sign Ohtani after 2023 and pretty much stay within budget.   Even looking further down the road, Cole's salary would then pretty much come off payroll by around November 2025 (if 6 years).   

As mentioned earlier, with the wealth of prospects now coming on in this org, the need to sign another big FA (other than re-signing Ohtani after 2023) after Cole is pretty much negated through maybe the latter 2020's.   Cole is necessary because the one HUGE weakness in this org (here and at higher farm levels) currently is starting pitching. 

If the starting pitching wasn't such a weakness, I would probably be singing a different tune regarding Cole.  

[Lou]

1 minute ago, Angel Oracle said:

True, but couldn't that be changed for the short term only (2020-2021 at the most)?    Once Pujols' contract is over, that's $30 million less payroll in 2022 vs 2021. 

No 

[Docwaukee]

2 minutes ago, Angel Oracle said:

True, but couldn't that be changed for the short term only (2020-2021 at the most)?    Once Pujols' contract is over, that's $30 million less payroll in 2022 vs 2021. 

they might see an opportunity to stretch a bit during those two seasons, but it doesn't change that they budget based on the real number and merely keep an eye on the CBT as a potential penalty as opposed to it being the determining factor.  

[Inside Pitch]

9 minutes ago, Jeff Fletcher said:

I have been told that they will be more willing to spend for 2020 than they were for 2019 because they expect to have a better, cheaper core in place then. 

Also, last winter they had a big Trout question mark affecting their future budget, and now they don’t  

There are some assumptions there, but we’ll see. 

Well, it's always nice to see confirmation of the plan having been what many of us believed it to be.  Obviously they can't act as if it's a done deal, but at least they are better positioned to make things happen which is what we were all hoping would  be the case.

[Inside Pitch]

29 minutes ago, Lou said:

You're forgetting that raises to Trout, Pujols and Upton are $24M. 

Wait, where are you getting this total from?   

I got Upton going up 3 mil from 18 to 21. 
Trout's rework resulted in him making 36.8 M this year (16.8 mil salary and 20 Mil signing bonus that was payable 5/31), and next before becoming basically 35.5 mil or something.  
Lastly I have AP going from 28 to 29 mil

So, I had it at 4 mil total increase.   I think Cot's and some other sources didn't account for the 20 mil payable this year...   So, maybe that's the difference.

 

[Blarg]

2 hours ago, Glen said:

There will be a handful of teams seriously interested in him, which means he'll be overpaid. I don't see the Angels getting involved in a bidding war.

Every season AO and a few others get fixated on an upcoming free agent and will be hammering on this idea all the way until he signs somewhere else. 

This year it is Cole.

[Inside Pitch]

9 minutes ago, Blarg said:

Every season AO and a few others get fixated on an upcoming free agent and will be hammering on this idea all the way until he signs somewhere else. 

This year it is Cole.

Pretty sure every fan-base does that. 

At least we no longer have to hear from the same people constantly telling us Mike Trout will be gone.  But I'm sure we will still get to hear all about how Cole and others will sign with the Yankees/Dodgers/Manchester, because of endorsement opportunities, the limelight, aura and mystique...

Also, yacht fuel...

[Inside Pitch]

4 minutes ago, RBM said:

I really think based on our controllable assets this offseason it will be different. We will have flexibility that we haven’t had in the past. 

I think his point is that people tend to zero in on ONE guy....not that they won't chase FAs.

[Angel Oracle]

Now, this is a good thread (okay, I'm biased).    Pretty solid takes, and it's always good to get Fletch's input. 

[Angel Oracle]

24 minutes ago, Blarg said:

Every season AO and a few others get fixated on an upcoming free agent and will be hammering on this idea all the way until he signs somewhere else. 

This year it is Cole.

I will admit that was the old me.   But the past couple of off-seasons, I was more of the mindset of building up the org and not spending on a premium FA until knowing that they were getting closer to contention.   They are now getting closer to it, and one clear weakness has been determined, starting pitching durability (through promotion of rookies and through the disapointments that are Heaney and Skaggs).  

Cole just seems to be a great fit, while not costing anything other than a 2nd round pick in 2020.

[Inside Pitch]

1 minute ago, RBM said:

Got it. My point is that we will be able to “zero in” with a much more realistic opportunity of getting the big FA this year. 

We are in a better position this year and can, and I think will, go after the big FA’s. 

I think we all likely believe/agree they are in a much better spot than in recent years and the team likely looks much more attractive to pending FA's than it did a year ago.  

The Mike Trout question hung over this team like a dark cloud.  

[Lou]

40 minutes ago, Inside Pitch said:

Wait, where are you getting this total from?   

I got Upton going up 3 mil from 18 to 21. 
Trout's rework resulted in him making 36.8 M this year (16.8 mil salary and 20 Mil signing bonus that was payable 5/31), and next before becoming basically 35.5 mil or something.  
Lastly I have AP going from 28 to 29 mil

So, I had it at 4 mil total increase.   I think Cot's and some other sources didn't account for the 20 mil payable this year...   So, maybe that's the difference.

 

Yes. 

[Docwaukee]

Albert +1
Upton +3
Simmons +2

Arb increases of about 10 mil or so.  

+16

Harvey -11
Cahill -9
Allen -8.5
Lucroy -3.35
Calhoun -9.5

they probably let Bour (2.5 now), Garcia (1.68 now) walk

Back of the Napkin math I see about 30 mil to spend in order to get to the 170ish they are at right now.  

If Arte is willing to go up to 190m, that would be a real nice chunk to spend

Especially if you can back load a couple contracts to PAP (post Albert Pujols).  

Cole at 6/180 (probably gonna get more than that) with first two years at 22/23 m

Grandal at 3/42 with 12, 15 m

A reliever for a few mil.  

Off season done.  

Cole, Ohtani, Canning, Heaney, Skaggs, Suarez (6)
Robles, Buttrey, Middleton, Anderson, FA, Pena, Cam, Noe or JC (8)
Bench of Smith, Goodwin, Albert, and a guy like Tovar (4)
La Stella 1b
Trout CF
Ohtani DH
Upton LF
Grandal C
Simmons SS
Adell RF
Rengifo 2b
Fletcher 3b

Sick lineup bro.  

Herm or some other OFer platoons with Goodwin in RF for a month or so till Adell is called up. 
need some pen depth so Eppler will have to work his waiver wire option magic.  

Championship!

[Lou]

1 hour ago, Angelsjunky said:

Emily Ratajkowski is a must date for me.

Is she a Blue Jays stadium employee?

[Claude]

Surely he will give us a huge hometown discount like Jered Weaver. Maybe like 6/100

How much more do you need?

Edited June 21, 2019 by Calzone 2

[Tank]

The kids are progressing and the hitting has been good. Time for a significant upgrade in the starting pitching. No more Cahills or Harvey’s. Go get a stud like Cole.

[Warfarin]

16 hours ago, Dochalo said:

Albert +1
Upton +3
Simmons +2

Arb increases of about 10 mil or so.  

+16

Harvey -11
Cahill -9
Allen -8.5
Lucroy -3.35
Calhoun -9.5

they probably let Bour (2.5 now), Garcia (1.68 now) walk

Back of the Napkin math I see about 30 mil to spend in order to get to the 170ish they are at right now.  

If Arte is willing to go up to 190m, that would be a real nice chunk to spend

Especially if you can back load a couple contracts to PAP (post Albert Pujols).  

Cole at 6/180 (probably gonna get more than that) with first two years at 22/23 m

Grandal at 3/42 with 12, 15 m

A reliever for a few mil.  

Off season done.  

Cole, Ohtani, Canning, Heaney, Skaggs, Suarez (6)
Robles, Buttrey, Middleton, Anderson, FA, Pena, Cam, Noe or JC (8)
Bench of Smith, Goodwin, Albert, and a guy like Tovar (4)
La Stella 1b
Trout CF
Ohtani DH
Upton LF
Grandal C
Simmons SS
Adell RF
Rengifo 2b
Fletcher 3b

Sick lineup bro.  

Herm or some other OFer platoons with Goodwin in RF for a month or so till Adell is called up. 
need some pen depth so Eppler will have to work his waiver wire option magic.  

Championship!

Doc, I really like your plan and approve of the "sign Cole/Grandal" vision.  I'd slightly alter the lineup, and perhaps have something more like this:

La Stella 3B (he grades out well there)

Trout CF

Ohtani DH

Upton LF

Grandal C

Adell RF

Walsh or Thaiss 1B

Simmons SS

Fletcher 2B

That's a ton of power 1-7 basically, this lineup would be STACKED.  Our rotation, as you have listed, would still probably be our weakest spot, but it's still much improved over what we've had this year.

[Troll Daddy]

I see a trade more likely to happen. I have no clue who that pitcher is ... maybe you guys might throw out some names. 

@Calzone 2 @Dochalo

[Lou]

I see you guys conveniently forgot about Pujols. 

[HaloMilliVanilli]

Jason Vargas will be available.

So will Felix Hernandez.

We don't have to be sooo fixated on Cole!

[Blarg]

Those both would be stupid choices. Really stupid.