The Angels need to sell

[GrittyVeterans]

Obviously you don't blow anything up and you still look for upgrades if you can get a starter under club control past next season.

But the bottom line is this team isn't good enough to go for anything this year. It's frustrating to say that again, but our window to contend just isn't quite open yet. They've been hovering between 5 games under .500 and 2 games over .500 the entire year. That basically tells me that 80 wins (which means @Stradling and I get to both say we were right) is about what they'll finish at again, barring some unforeseen performances.

Guys like Calhoun, La Stella, Goodwin, etc should be on the block in order to acquire more help for future seasons.  And they should listen at least on Simmons. Yes, it sucks to trade contributors/fan favorites but it's the reality of the situation we are in

[DMVol]

I just don’t think it’s going to happen, absent a disastrous July....To me, it would depend on the return....and that could be Eppler’s plan, I guess...even if we’re struggling, I don’t see trading Calhoun or LaStella for marginal prospects...they are under control beyond this year (Calhoun has an option) so keep them if the offers are meh....Lucroy, others on expiring contracts, I’d move....

[Bronson]

Why would you trade Simmons????? Are we just gonna rebuild forever??? We have a top 3 shortstop in the game right now and are on the verge of contending.....

 

That literally makes zero sense. Let’s just keep getting prospects and be able to contend in 2026 when Trout is 34....

[Claude]

Scrap Harvey, Cozart, Lucroy and Cahill. Trade Calhoun for a solid middle relief type or a top tier prospect from a contender. If we miss him, target him back in the offseason. 

Try to buy out Albert but do it with respect. Heck I think it would be awesome to let him do his swan song season in St. louis. This would allow us to open a huge important roster spot and unclog the DH/1B/pinch runner. 

Try to move Heaney or put him in the bullpen. He can also be an opener if they plan on using that concept in the future. 

Ohtani, Canning, Skaggs, Suarez and a high end FA looks like a decent plan for 2020.

Keep an eye open for a catcher.

 

 

Edited July 1, 2019 by Calzone 2

[GrittyVeterans]

1 minute ago, Bronson said:

Why would you trade Simmons????? Are we just gonna rebuild forever??? We have a top 3 shortstop in the game right now and are on the verge of contending.....

 

That literally makes zero sense. Let’s just keep getting prospects and be able to contend in 2026 when Trout is 34....

I said they should listen, which they should. He's about to be 30 and his contract status is questionable. I don't think it's a must move to make but if some team blows you away with an offer, you consider it IMO

[Bronson]

5 minutes ago, GrittyVeterans said:

I said they should listen, which they should. He's about to be 30 and his contract status is questionable. I don't think it's a must move to make but if some team blows you away with an offer, you consider it IMO

Agree to disagree. You try to lock Simmons up to an extension. Simmons is getting better with age and has a strong possibility to hit his peak in his early 30’s. 

 

Simmons is gonna be part of the core when this team is gonna start contending. Having the best fielding shortstop in the game is gonna be huge come playoff time. I sure as he’ll dont trust Regnifo at short. Trout, Simmons, Canning and Buttrey should be the untouchables IMO.

[floplag]

Every losing streak, its the same... the bottom line is this, we have three choices and one reality. 
The reality is that as we sit today we are not good enough.
We can either a) make moves to improve to try to be good enough, b) sell of everything not nailed down, c) do nothing and let it play itself out whatever will be will be. 
Im expecting c, simply because i dont think we can afford to go get anyone that will make a difference so paying that price for the probably outcome makes little sense.  AS a fan, its not what i want, but its what i think they will do.  
Selling off out best commodities though is absurd, this team isnt that far away from being competitive, if youre going to do that then we might as well go full rebuild, which they will not do with Trout. 
Why are people here so obsessed with being able to say i told you so and shit.. who cares, we all want the team to win, why is that a thing?   IDK whatever but no you dopnt sell off everything in sight unless you go full rebuild, which we wont do, so its moot 

[Slegnaac]

44 minutes ago, GrittyVeterans said:

I said they should listen, which they should. He's about to be 30 and his contract status is questionable. I don't think it's a must move to make but if some team blows you away with an offer, you consider it IMO

No one is going make a "blow away" offer for Simmons. 

 

[Slegnaac]

In 2020 the team will need 5 starters plus Ohtani, assuming he pitches every 6th day.

At least 2 and probably 3 of the Starters will need options so they can have enough Bullpen arms each night.

[Troll Daddy]

47 minutes ago, Bronson said:

Agree to disagree. You try to lock Simmons up to an extension. Simmons is getting better with age and has a strong possibility to hit his peak in his early 30’s. 

 

Simmons is gonna be part of the core when this team is gonna start contending. Having the best fielding shortstop in the game is gonna be huge come playoff time. I sure as he’ll dont trust Regnifo at short. Trout, Simmons, Canning and Buttrey should be the untouchables IMO.

I don’t see Buttrey as untouchable ... he might be your best trade piece. The top teams are looking to bolster their bullpen. 

[floplag]

10 minutes ago, Slegnaac said:

In 2020 the team will need 5 starters plus Ohtani, assuming he pitches every 6th day.

At least 2 and probably 3 of the Starters will need options so they can have enough Bullpen arms each night.

This rotating bullpen is not s sustainable model... not at the rate were churning it. 

[Troll Daddy]

24 minutes ago, floplag said:

Every losing streak, its the same... the bottom line is this, we have three choices and one reality. 
The reality is that as we sit today we are not good enough.
We can either a) make moves to improve to try to be good enough, b) sell of everything not nailed down, c) do nothing and let it play itself out whatever will be will be. 
Im expecting c, simply because i dont think we can afford to go get anyone that will make a difference so paying that price for the probably outcome makes little sense.  AS a fan, its not what i want, but its what i think they will do.  
Selling off out best commodities though is absurd, this team isnt that far away from being competitive, if youre going to do that then we might as well go full rebuild, which they will not do with Trout. 
Why are people here so obsessed with being able to say i told you so and shit.. who cares, we all want the team to win, why is that a thing?   IDK whatever but no you dopnt sell off everything in sight unless you go full rebuild, which we wont do, so its moot 

I agree with option C 

It makes little sense to make a big trade for a pitcher in hopes of a one game playoff unless it’s comes with additional years. 

[Jeff Fletcher]

As soon as the Angels can’t win in 2019, they will turn their focus to winning in 2020... not 2021 or 2022.

What that means is that the players who have a chance to be major league contributors in 2020 will not be traded. 

Any team that would trade for a guy like Skaggs would be giving you back a younger, more risky player. That player may be better in 2021 or beyond, but he’s not likely to be better in 2020, or else the other team wouldn’t trade him. 

The Angels could have traded Cahill, Harvey, Allen, Lucroy, Calhoun, but now that list is pretty much just Lucroy (who some team still may want if their catcher gets hurt) or Calhoun. And I can’t see them trading Calhoun until very close to deadline, when they have another month worth of info about this year’s chances and Adell’s readiness for 2020.

[angelsnationtalk]

2 hours ago, GrittyVeterans said:

Obviously you don't blow anything up and you still look for upgrades if you can get a starter under club control past next season.

But the bottom line is this team isn't good enough to go for anything this year. It's frustrating to say that again, but our window to contend just isn't quite open yet. They've been hovering between 5 games under .500 and 2 games over .500 the entire year. That basically tells me that 80 wins (which means @Stradling and I get to both say we were right) is about what they'll finish at again, barring some unforeseen performances.

Guys like Calhoun, La Stella, Goodwin, etc should be on the block in order to acquire more help for future seasons.  And they should listen at least on Simmons. Yes, it sucks to trade contributors/fan favorites but it's the reality of the situation we are in

This is well said as much as most Angels fans don’t want to hear it. LaStella is under control though so his price would have a nice return. But yes, defiantly agree we should be sellers to trade for some pitching. 

[Second Base]

Selling was always the plan. This isn't a sudden development. If selling wasn't the plan, then the Angels wouldn't have signed Cahill, Harvey, Allen, Bour and Lucroy to a one year deal. 

Unless Cahill has a breakout performance in his return to relief, he won't be traded. At any rate, Cahill won't be a member of this team behind the deadline. Matt Harvey too. Eppler clearly had no faith in Allen recovering the lost velocity if being successful, so he just cut bait. Bour is doing pretty well right now, but the market isn't favoring 1B only platoon players. Even if he stays hot, teams would be looking to invest in him. Lucroy will almost certainly be traded. Calhoun.... that's largely dependent upon the market. 

Teams that are in contention, do they need a RF? Maybe Tampa Bay? And even then, there's still Castellanos on the market. I'm guessing Calhoun stays put.

Just my guess, Harvey is released, Cahill has a nice little run in the bullpen and some team will give up basically the base minimum for him. Lucroy wil be traded but the return won't be for much more than a AA pitcher that figures to be a backend starter. La Stella stays, Bour is sent back to the minors in favor of Matt Thaiss. Calhoun stays.

[Chuck]

There's really nothing to sell with the exception of Tommy La Stella. 

I doubt they get anything solid in return for Kole Calhoun unless he gets hot in July and a contending team needs a RF. 

[JoJo26]

Maybe the D-backs will get hot...then Dyson & Jones will collide in the field...they need a Gold Glover for their playoff run...Angels send Kole back to his stompin' grounds...demand - then receive a pitcher like Weaver or Clarke...bring up Jo Adell who starts raking the ball from Day 1... - Arte decides to sell the team.

{then I woke up}

[Torridd]

Could this just be three bad games? The team deserves more rope considering how they've come back to .500

[mulwin444]

They are 4.5 out of the 2nd wild card with 77 to play...they are not selling.

As long as the players continue to be healthy, the offense will gel and it could be potent.

The bullpen needs one really good arm to replace the Jewels and Bards that occupy the end of the bench.

The rotation is where the Angels need help.

Canning will continue to have his innings limited so they need a guy that can go every 5th day and give you 6-7 solid innings to replace what they get from the "opener"/Pena and push Skaggs and Heaney back further in the rotation.  Some guys who might be available and might provide some of that depth:

Andrew Cashner - 4.03 ERA 1.254 WHIP 113 ERA+ 5.52 IP per start and has a $10 mil option for next season.  

Robby Ray - 4.10 ERA 1.358 WHIP 109 ERA+ 5.5 IP per start and is still arb eligible in 2020.

Anyone else appears to be on a team close to the Wild Card, a free agent in 2020 or awful.

[floplag]

9 hours ago, Second Base said:

Selling was always the plan. This isn't a sudden development. If selling wasn't the plan, then the Angels wouldn't have signed Cahill, Harvey, Allen, Bour and Lucroy to a one year deal. 

Unless Cahill has a breakout performance in his return to relief, he won't be traded. At any rate, Cahill won't be a member of this team behind the deadline. Matt Harvey too. Eppler clearly had no faith in Allen recovering the lost velocity if being successful, so he just cut bait. Bour is doing pretty well right now, but the market isn't favoring 1B only platoon players. Even if he stays hot, teams would be looking to invest in him. Lucroy will almost certainly be traded. Calhoun.... that's largely dependent upon the market. 

Teams that are in contention, do they need a RF? Maybe Tampa Bay? And even then, there's still Castellanos on the market. I'm guessing Calhoun stays put.

Just my guess, Harvey is released, Cahill has a nice little run in the bullpen and some team will give up basically the base minimum for him. Lucroy wil be traded but the return won't be for much more than a AA pitcher that figures to be a backend starter. La Stella stays, Bour is sent back to the minors in favor of Matt Thaiss. Calhoun stays.

I agree that it was always the plan to sell, unfortunately they made poor investment and have little value to sell at this point. 

[fan_since79]

It's too bad there can't be four or five wild cards. Then we'd really have a chance.

Just do whatever it takes to position ourselves better for 2020 and beyond. That should be the only focus right now. 

[floplag]

17 minutes ago, Torridd said:

Could this just be three bad games? The team deserves more rope considering how they've come back to .500

for the 8th, 9th time now i think?    one more and we get a set a steak knives.  

[Angel Oracle]

I saw where Cashner shut down the Indians this weekend, and has had a nice rebound season.

He is an Eppler type mid-season acquisition, club control through 2020 (assuming exercising $10 million option next season).

[fan_since79]

4 minutes ago, mulwin444 said:

They are 4.5 out of the 2nd wild card with 77 to play...they are not selling.

...with FOUR teams to pass for that 2nd WC.

 

[Jay]

13 minutes ago, mulwin444 said:

They are 4.5 out of the 2nd wild card with 77 to play...they are not selling.

The only piece they have to sell is LaStella.

If somebody wants him and is willing to pay, I say flip him.