GM Billy Eppler has one year to turn Angels into a winner after four losing ones

[Ace-Of-Diamonds]

https://www.latimes.com/sports/angels/story/2019-09-07/angels-general-manager-billy-eppler-job-jeopardy-mike-trout

GM Billy Eppler has one year to turn Angels into a winner after four losing ones

 

 

[tdawg87]

Pretty much, yeah.

Arte needs to give him some breathing room with the payroll, though. After this season, pinching pennies and expecting Eppler to pull out a magical golden peanut isn't fair.

[mmc]

8 minutes ago, tdawg87 said:

Pretty much, yeah.

Arte needs to give him some breathing room with the payroll, though. After this season, pinching pennies and expecting Eppler to pull out a magical golden peanut isn't fair.

Eppler made Cahill and Harvey the highest paid starters on one year deals, and Allen the highest paid reliever on a one year deal.  I agree that he needs to have flexibility with the payroll, but that does not excuse him being incredibly stupid with the money he was given.

[Pancake Bear]

5 minutes ago, tdawg87 said:

Pretty much, yeah.

Arte needs to give him some breathing room with the payroll, though. After this season, pinching pennies and expecting Eppler to pull out a magical golden peanut isn't fair.

The roster is significantly fixed. So, I mean all Eppler can do is control who he acquires this offseason. And even there he’ll be limited. If he hit on all his acquisitions he’d be the greatest conceivable GM. Nobody bats 1.000. 

If he really only has 35ish to work with, that’s one high end guy, and 1 okay pitcher/2 bargain box starters. No guarantee that elevates this team to even a sure WC spot. If we assume that the Rays and Red Sox remain competitive, and the Twins/Indians and A’s remain in the mix, there’s a lot of competition for a spot. I’m hopeful, but not demanding miracles. 

[Claude]

YES! Fix it or GTFO!

 

[Pancake Bear]

5 minutes ago, mymerlincat said:

Eppler made Cahill and Harvey the highest paid starters on one year deals, and Allen the highest paid reliever on a one year deal.  I agree that he needs to have flexibility with the payroll, but that does not excuse him being incredibly stupid with the money he was given.

“Highest paid”. 10mil isn’t a highly paid pitcher. And these were one year deals. Look at Boston with Eovaldi, or NY with Happ. Chicago grabbed Darvish (Dodgers blew it with him before that) and Chatwood. Philly has Arrieta. Most contenders have made bad deals at SP. 

But sure, he’s been “incredibly stupid”.

[mmc]

Just now, Sean-Regan said:

“Highest paid”. 10mil isn’t a highly paid pitcher. And these were one year deals. Look at Boston with Eovaldi, or NY with Happ. Chicago grabbed Darvish (Dodgers blew it with him before that) and Chatwood. Philly has Arrieta. Most contenders have made bad deals at SP. 

But sure, he’s been “incredibly stupid”.

They were paid the highest salary of all of the pitchers on one year deals (before Keuchel signed midseason).

[Pancake Bear]

1 minute ago, mymerlincat said:

They were paid the highest salary of all of the pitchers on one year deals (before Keuchel signed midseason).

Key detail: One year deals. That’s what you get when you’re not good enough to get a longer deal. You’re trying to frame it as if this was some signing that was expected to be amazing. Not true. 

They were expected to be roughly 1 win players at that price. Maybe slightly over? If we got lucky, they’d be above average. We got the shit end of the stick and they both were awful. Cahill at least turned into a mediocre long reliever. So his value was slightly better in the end. 

[tdawg87]

No one denies that Harvey and Cahill were terrible signings. But Eppler still had a tight budget and he tried getting two starters out of it. It failed. 

He should have significantly more to work with this off-season. I only expect a Cahill type as an add on to Cole and Wheeler/Odorizzi/trade.

[Claude]

My neighbors car needs a new exhaust system, new tires, brakes and he has an oil leak. The problem is that he’s still making payments for the vehicle, his new chrome rims and the fancy paint job. 

[AngelsLakersFan]

SPECULATION

[tdawg87]

4 minutes ago, Calzone 2 said:

My neighbors car needs a new exhaust system, new tires, brakes and he has an oil leak. The problem is that he’s still making payments for the vehicle, his new chrome rims and the fancy paint job. 

It's a good thing he has the funds to easily fix the problems, otherwise he'd be screwed!

[AngelsLakersFan]

15 minutes ago, mymerlincat said:

They were paid the highest salary of all of the pitchers on one year deals (before Keuchel signed midseason).

Just like you are the smartest of all the retarded posters on this message board.

[Docwaukee]

19 minutes ago, AngelsLakersFan said:

Just like you are the smartest of all the retarded posters on this message board.

let's not get carried away.  

[Claude]

17 minutes ago, tdawg87 said:

It's a good thing he has the funds to easily fix the problems, otherwise he'd be screwed!

He’s waiting for the 2024 models to come out. That’s when he’ll be done paying for all of his bad decisions. 

[tdawg87]

4 minutes ago, Calzone 2 said:

He’s waiting for the 2024 models to come out. That’s when he’ll be done paying for all of his bad decisions. 

[Troll Daddy]

Pinching pennies 

[tdawg87]

Just now, Troll Daddy said:

Pinching pennies 

Yes? Do you have something to add?

[Stradling]

59 minutes ago, mymerlincat said:

Eppler made Cahill and Harvey the highest paid starters on one year deals, and Allen the highest paid reliever on a one year deal.  I agree that he needs to have flexibility with the payroll, but that does not excuse him being incredibly stupid with the money he was given.

Fuck dude you just copy and paste this like you are making a point.  

[Stradling]

8 minutes ago, tdawg87 said:

Such a fucking knob. 

[Docwaukee]

so let's say that Harvey, Cahill, Lucroy, Bour and Allen all had varying degrees of solid seasons and the team won 86 games.  

would that have made people feel better?  Because we'd be in the exact same position that we are now.  Needing starting pitching for next year.  

The team is in a position to be good next year.  If we had a different GM, maybe that's the case and maybe not.  

If Arte has higher expectations than an 85-90 win team for next year, then he better be willing to pay for it.  

If they gut the farm because of those expectations then this franchise can't get out of their own way.  

I hope Arte is willing to put some of this on himself.  

[Pancake Bear]

Just now, RBM said:

“We made the conscious decision to pivot to one-year deals,” Eppler said. 

So he spent $34.35 million on one-year contracts for pitchers Matt Harvey, Trevor Cahill and Cody Allen, catcher Jonathan Lucroy and first baseman Justin Bour. He went 0 for 5. 

So when his plan fails miserably it's ok to be critical of his plan. He could have signed Fiers and Sanchez to affordable two year deals and still pick up Cole this offseason.

 

Bour and Lucroy cost next to nothing. Cahill has had some value, albeit limited. Harvey and Allen basically just sucked. One year. Not five years like Josh Hamilton, or however many Vernon Wells. Those weren’t even as bad as a lot of moves made by contenders this last offseason. And it none of those will handcuff us this offseason. They’re done. Geez, people, some perspective. 

[tdawg87]

Arte has money. This winter, more than any other, is the time to show it.

If Eppler can add Cole and another pitcher like Wheeler then that would be huge. But if Arte is going to be a douche and shy away from Cole's asking price, then we need a new owner. And I have been an Arte defender for years. Time to pony up you rich, Hispanic douche.

[Pancake Bear]

6 minutes ago, RBM said:

"Eppler has one more chance, and likely one last chance, to put up one winning record."

I agree with Bill Shaikin's perspective.

Good for you. He gets paid to be throw gasoline, so I guess you have that in common. At least he found a way to monetize it.  

[Docwaukee]

8 minutes ago, RBM said:

Why are you making this personal? That is silly. It's a discussion. We can agree to disagree and move on.

1. I think Eppler's 2019 plan of one year contracts was flawed and the execution of his plan was horrible.

2. I believe if Eppler's overall plans do not result in wins in 2020, his 5th year, then he will be gone.

I have no concern whether or not you agree or don't agree with those two things. Moving on. Have a nice day.

it was only flawed because the execution was horrible.  Unless you can go back and show us what you said he should have done at the time without using what you know now.