Angels to Acquire Max Stassi for OFs Rainier Rivas, Raider Uceta

[totdprods]

I would’ve traded Raider and Rainier for Sandoval.

Stassi for Maldonado would’ve been fair last year.

It evens out. 

[rafibomb]

I read somewhere in an interview that Gerrit Cole loves pitching to Max Stassi so maybe there's something there.

[jsnpritchett]

3 minutes ago, totdprods said:

Does it make you feel better if you count it as Patrick Sandoval and Max Stassi for Martin Maldonado, Raider Uceta, and Rainier Rivas?

Because it looked like we destroyed them on that trade last year.

No, it doesn't make me feel better to balance out a good trade with a head-scratching one. 

[tomsred]

Before you think this is a really stupid move, read this.......

https://www.crawfishboxes.com/2019/7/23/20706682/the-houston-astros-are-ready-to-move-on-from-max-stassi-and-that-would-be-a-mistake

 

I can see some logic in this.  The two outfielders we gave up may never see the bigs, and they are surplus to us.  There are two ways to improve pitching, most of the time you get better pitchers and better pitching depth.  You can also help it to some degree by getting better catchers than the dreadful catching performance from our catchers this year.  

[totdprods]

Just now, jsnpritchett said:

No, it doesn't make me feel better to balance out a good trade with a head-scratching one. 

If last year’s trade had been Stassi for Maldonado we would’ve loved it and said we just stole away our catcher of the future.

If we traded Uceta and Rivas today for Sandoval we would’ve called it at worst a fair deal. 

[jsnpritchett]

4 minutes ago, Stradling said:

Stassi has a 2.8 WAR in 2018. 

Or 1.0 if you look at BB Reference.  Another example of why WAR drives me crazy sometimes...

[mulwin444]

Backup Catcher for two 18 year olds in AZ

I'll pencil in my "freak out" sometime in the next 3 to 4 years

[jsnpritchett]

1 minute ago, totdprods said:

If last year’s trade had been Stassi for Maldonado we would’ve loved it and said we just stole away our catcher of the future.

If we traded Uceta and Rivas today for Sandoval we would’ve called it at worst a fair deal. 

Again, just because you got a steal last year doesn't make the current deal any more palatable. 

[jsnpritchett]

 

[Angel Oracle]

Yeah regarding Smith, if he could stay healthy for a change?

[ten ocho recon scout]

Im late to this, but isnt Smith hurt? 

Lucroy wont be resigned, and perhaps Smith is out for a while... im not familiar with our depth chart, but isnt C one of our weakest positions?

Im not saying that as "i like this move". But we may have needed to grab a C, and he may have been the best we could do?

[jsnpritchett]

1 minute ago, ten ocho recon scout said:

Im late to this, but isnt Smith hurt? 

Lucroy wont be resigned, and perhaps Smith is out for a while... im not familiar with our depth chart, but isnt C one of our weakest positions?

Im not saying that as "i like this move". But we may have needed to grab a C, and he may have been the best we could do?

Smith has a toe issue.  Doesn't sound like a huge deal.  Still, unless the Angels are gonna go with 3 catchers on a 25-man roster once Smith is back, this move makes even less sense.

[Angelsjunky]

5 minutes ago, jsnpritchett said:

 

I think it is simple: if the Angels can trade Lucroy they will, but if not then they DFA him when Smith comes off the IL.

[rafibomb]

12 minutes ago, rafibomb said:

I read somewhere in an interview that Gerrit Cole loves pitching to Max Stassi so maybe there's something there.

 

 

[floplag]

1 minute ago, jsnpritchett said:

Smith has a toe issue.  Doesn't sound like a huge deal.  Still, unless the Angels are gonna go with 3 catchers on a 25-man roster once Smith is back, this move makes even less sense.

How could we even with the already rotating daily DFAs to keep a pitching staff intact, losing one of those roster spots makes little sense

[jsnpritchett]

Just now, Angelsjunky said:

I think it is simple: if the Angels can trade Lucroy they will, but if not then they DFA him when Smith comes off the IL.

They can't trade him.  The deadline today was a true deadline: no trades of any sort allowed until after the World Series, under the new rule.

[ten ocho recon scout]

1 minute ago, jsnpritchett said:

Smith has a toe issue.  Doesn't sound like a huge deal.  Still, unless the Angels are gonna go with 3 catchers on a 25-man roster once Smith is back, this move makes even less sense.

Going from what we know, yes. But like icebergs, we only see a small portion.

Again, i dont "like" this trade. But until all is known, Ill believe there was reasoning behind it.

[floplag]

Just now, Angelsjunky said:

I think it is simple: if the Angels can trade Lucroy they will, but if not then they DFA him when Smith comes off the IL.

This is about the only thing which makes any sense, which it to say it doesnt really make sense. 

[Angelsjunky]

After the initial knee-jerk WTF, I'm a bit more open to this trade....if it is part of the Gerrit Cole welcome party and Stassi is what that article says he is.

Still, I think it was a bit much to give up. Uceta and Rivas are both fringe top 30 prospects (in the org) with some upside. I know the Angels have a ton of OF prospects ahead of them, but they're still the type  of guys you stash in the minors and trade later when they have more value.

[ten ocho recon scout]

1 minute ago, rafibomb said:

 

 

There it is.

 

And even if it means nothing, this will still provide some badass talking points we can argue about during the hot stove season.

[ten ocho recon scout]

I mean, who was the last good raider anyway? 

[totdprods]

10 minutes ago, Angelsjunky said:

Still, I think it was a bit much to give up. Uceta and Rivas are both fringe top 30 prospects (in the org) with some upside.

That’s a little bold - they are good prospects and could come around but even fringe Top 30 is a bit of a stretch now.

It’s not to much of a stretch to think they can’t replicate those two with similar signings next year.

That’s not to see neither will amount to anything, but at this stage in their prospect career, they really weren’t that valuable or critical.

[ScottT]

Surprises me that Stassi is worth two 18 year olds with a pulse..   and it seemed like they were doing ok

[tomsred]

14 minutes ago, REDneck said:

Oh Shi t!!

This is a devious plan by Eppler...now I like it!

 

Yes it is.  And those two surplus outfielders mean nothing at this point.  Five years from now we have Trout, Adel and Marsh in the outfield.  Stassi can help the young pitchers, entice Cole and maybe other top grade pitchers, and get some help from Jetemy Reed on hitting.  We have to eliminate all the missed catching blocks on pitches in the dirt like this year.  Pitchers have to have confidence they can sometimes bury pitches, and not risk advancing runners.  Houston needs help now, that’s why Maldonado, we need help next year in improving our pitching through better catcher defensive skills, and in pitch framing.

[m0nkey]

It'll be funny if Cole doesn't come here