The Angels amateur drafts under Billy Eppler

[ten ocho recon scout]

38 minutes ago, RBM said:

This is the reality of what Billy Eppler walked into on October 4, 2015.

 

 

[ten ocho recon scout]

I dont think its fair to say eppler didnt have a strong international FA presence as an excuse. I mean, he was gifted Baldoquin.... you get a stud like that, why would you need to sign anyone else the next few years?

[Stradling]

1 minute ago, ten ocho recon scout said:

I dont think its fair to say eppler didnt have a strong international FA presence as an excuse. I mean, he was gifted Baldoquin.... you get a stud like that, why would you need to sign anyone else the next few years?

And yet he wastes time and energy going after that gimmick Ohtani.  

[Docwaukee]

4 hours ago, Chuckster70 said:

2016 may go down as a garbage draft if Marsh and Thaiss don't pan out, Chris Rodriguez cannot stay healthy and Jose Rojas is a 4-A guy only. 

Besides Brandon Marsh who looks like he may be a solid regular in the big leagues, Matt Thaiss, Jose Rojas and Chris Rodriguez will determine if this was an OK draft or garbage draft. 

 

maybe.  but if they both end up decent major league players and Rodriguez becomes a solid reliever and Rojas a fringe bench guy then it can probably be considered a good draft.  

most drafts net you a couple major league players of varying ability.  maybe a reliever or two on top of that.  

As @RBM mentioned earlier, we got literally nothing from 2005-2008.  Our best draft picks for those 4 years were Peter Bourjos and Tyler Chatwood.  

then 2009 happened which this team has essentially been living off of for 7 years.  

then 2010 - Calhoun and that's it

then 2011 - Clevinger which Dipoto wasted  and CJ Cron who's been a meh major leaguer and Eppler was able to turn into Rengifo. 

2012 - literally nothing.  but our highest pick was in the third round where they drafted RJ Alvarez (out of need - SEE WHAT HAPPENS!!).  The high WAR player from that draft is .......wait for it........Austin Adams who is actually putting up solid numbers for .........wait for it........the Jerriners 

2013 - ugh.  Keynan Middleton was our 3rd rounder and he's the best from that draft by far.  I guess Hermosillo could do something at some point.  

2014 - Sean Newcomb who Billy turned into Simmons.  He got 19 WAR for Sean Newcomb with one year still left on Simmons contract.  After that?  nothing.  

2015 - Fletcher, Walsh, Ward and Jam Jones.  Also Grayson Long who Eppler used to get Upton along with Elvin Rodriguez who got to high A this year as a 21 yo.  

The best player drafted under Dipoto in four years was Fletcher.  He's the only player with a WAR above 5 during that time.  

It was just. so. bad.  

so there are some examples of garbage drafts.  

 

[ten ocho recon scout]

Drafting crap aside, the other big killer was (and this has been mentioned already) not drafting abroad.

It seemed like we used to be big players in that. From shiggy and baby pedro, frankie, santana, aybar, morales, etc etc etc. Then we disappeared. 

Plus baldoquin.

[ettin]

20 hours ago, Chuckster70 said:

Wait, I am? There doesn't have to be a right or wrong in this discussion either, It's called a difference in opinion and a discussion. I call it agreeing to disagree. I've listed the good, the bad and the ugly about Eppler in several threads over the course of the year, including this one. 

That said, if I'm going to get roasted I have no problem if it's from the likes of @Dochalo and @Inside Pitch, both of whom I respect. 

I agree. 

I also don't put all of the blame on Eppler's drafts, as Dipoto was awful and put this org in a terrible position that Eppler had to fix. I'm mostly pointing out Eppler's drafts thus far and while more time is needed to fairly judge them, so far on the surface to me, I just find them below average based on need -- but I will be the first to admit I'm wrong 3-4 years down the road after these guys have had time to go through the process in pro-ball and take their lumps first in the big leagues. 

 I agree with IP right now that we shouldn't trade Brandon Marsh, though if we get offered a young cost controlled starting pitcher with ace-like stuff, we may have to look at that down the road. 

WTF Chuck? You don't respect @Baghdad Strad, @tdawg87, @John Smith, @Glen, or myself?!?!?

Roast this SOB some more!!!!!

Hahahahahaahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[DCAngelsFan]

13 hours ago, ten ocho recon scout said:

Drafting crap aside, the other big killer was (and this has been mentioned already) not drafting abroad.

It seemed like we used to be big players in that. From shiggy and baby pedro, frankie, santana, aybar, morales, etc etc etc. Then we disappeared. 

Plus baldoquin.

Agree in every particular - just, please, stop saying "baldoquin" - every time I see that name, I get a sharp pain in the balls, and uncontrollably mutter the words "Junior" and "Major effing league ready" like some Tourettes victim ...

 

[Angel Oracle]

I'm surprised that Baldoquin is still even in the org.   (Sorry DC Angels Fan)

[Docwaukee]

1 hour ago, DCAngelsFan said:

Agree in every particular - just, please, stop saying "baldoquin" - every time I see that name, I get a sharp pain in the balls, and uncontrollably mutter the words "Junior" and "Major effing league ready" like some Tourettes victim ...

 

[Blarg]

Good discussion. Certainly the Angels could have used more home grown talent over the last 10 years to fill holes in the lineup. That seemed to dry up pretty quickly and only a scattered few players did anything for the Angels from the farm once they went through Morales, Trumbo and Calhoun. 

And I am leaving Trout out of the conversation because as much of a freak he is as a player it was even a greater freak ocurance the Angels picked him up when they seem to have no real draft strategy in the past.

What I do see in Epller's draft is a plan and it is never about filling a MLB hole in two years after the player selection. Adell has screamed through the system a lot faster than anticipated. He was still very raw talent with a huge upside of being very smart as well as athletic but I am sure Eppler and Co didn't pick him with the intent of him filling Calhoun's shoes to free up that team option salary.

Chuck is focused on need and I have been guilty of that as well when it came to past drafts. I've screamed for a 3rd baseman or when Kendrick was traded for a second baseman, Hiura was my pick instead of Adell. Seems like my narrow focus would have left a hole in right field where we had a guy in the minors already on his way to securing an field position in Fletcher. 

Drafting for need also fails when the drafted player fails to meet expectations. Not only did you not fill that hole but you wasted a pick forcing a choice. The Angels could have drafted any number of pitchers in the first round but any one of them available at their pick may never offer the team value of Joe Adell. 

So Eppler picked two position players high and then flooded the system with arms though the rest of the draft. The last two seasons he has picked 3 times as many pitchers as position players as fielders. And it shows, the minors are kind of weak outside of the two a year high picks. Just go to a 66ers game and you can see there may be two guys you want to follow in the field. 

So it is not as though Epller has ignored pitching but as Inside Pitch has mentioned, the minors needed a talent overhaul. The first and foremost was the 8 guys in the field and pitching had to be what they could draft as either a steal like Canning or just flood arms and see what comes of it while finally supplementing it all with Latin players.

Yeah, they could have taken a different direction in the draft. And then we would all be looking at Adell and Marsh playing on other teams and wondering what Eppler was thinking picking a sore armed college pitcher that needs another couple years in the minors to learn control. 

Still, we won't know what we've got until they have posted a complete season or two and I look forward to that along with Eppler finally picking up a couple of good arms in free agency.