THE Official 2019-2020 Hot Stove Thread

[Pancake Bear]

17 minutes ago, beatlesrule said:

6000 miles away

9:57

So you guys had a poll about how many games the Angels would win. Give me your guess.

 

Mark P

9:58

I think they need either one more good SP, or else I'd need a guarantee that Ohtani will be healthy and effective.  Otherwise, I'm not sure they get over .500.  AL will be tougher with Texas, Chicago, Toronto all improved....A's, Astros, Rays, Yankees, Indians, Twins all still tough, BoSox still good

All the good free agents came to the AL or stayed in the NL, it seems like. Are there any major ones that went from AL to NL?

[Inside Pitch]

4 minutes ago, Pancake Bear said:

All the good free agents came to the AL or stayed in the NL, it seems like. Are there any major ones that went from AL to NL?

The best three I can think of were Avisail Garcia, D'arnaud, and Calhoun.....   So none of the big ones went from AL to NL

[Inside Pitch]

Betances and Didi too.

[Pancake Bear]

22 minutes ago, Inside Pitch said:

Betances and Didi too.

Did Betances even pitch last year?

Edit: Just checked. He pitched 2/3 of an inning in one game. Didi played roughly half the season. 

[Tank]

5 hours ago, Lou said:

they suck at football.

except for the Rice Owls.

who, these guys? call me skeptical.

 

[AngelsLakersFan]

3 hours ago, ettin said:

Blind Player Comparison:

Player X is the Blue line

Player Y is the Black line

Player Z is the Green line

Orange line is the average of the three.

Which one would you choose?

 

Answers to come in a bit....

 

Green (Z) is the easy choice.

[GregAlso]

4 hours ago, ettin said:

Blind Player Comparison:

Player X is the Blue line

Player Y is the Black line

Player Z is the Green line

Orange line is the average of the three.

Which one would you choose?

 

Answers to come in a bit....

 

I’ll bite, green seems the obvious choice of these three. Now I assume you’re gonna tell me that green is either someone in our minor league system or someone nobody wants to trade for. After all that’s usually how this game works, right?

[ettin]

4 hours ago, ettin said:

Blind Player Comparison:

Player X is the Blue line

Player Y is the Black line

Player Z is the Green line

Orange line is the average of the three.

Which one would you choose?

 

Answers to come in a bit....

 

So here are the pitchers:

Player X, the Blue line, is Alex Wood

Player Y, the Black line, is Dallas Keuchel

Player Z, the Green line, is Hyun-Jin Ryu

 

The greater point is that Hyun-Jin Ryu signed for 4 years, $80M (AAV $20M), Dallas Keuchel for 3 years, $55M (AAV $18.5M), and Wood was projected for 1 year, $8M but will probably get a bit more like $10M.

Yes, Ryu is the better pitcher but is it $10M worth in AAV? Also over more years? And the fact that Wood is 3-4 years younger in 2020 than the other two?

I am not a big fan of all three of these starters but if you are going to make a value play, Alex I think is the better choice.

That being said the Angels will trade for another starter, I just saw someone make a comment that caught my attention and I threw out the comparison for kicks.

[ettin]

2 minutes ago, RBM said:

Agree 100%.

I hope Eppler signs Alex Wood now. I realized blue was Wood because of the 2019 FIP of 6.38. Well, he only had 7 GS/35 IP because of a back issue. He is reportedly healthy, working out at DriveLine in Kent and his velocity is back.

Sign Wood. Sign Castro. Wait for pitchers and catchers to report.

This is certainly one route they could go. I think there are other, better options for starters in trade and ultimately that is where I think Eppler will go, personally but this would be a solid enough back up option.

 

[beatlesrule]

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2019/12/how-al-teams-have-addressed-their-weakest-positions-of-2019.html

How AL Teams Have Addressed Their Weakest Positions Of 2019

December 30th, 2019 at 12:10am CST • By Mark Polishuk

We took a look earlier tonight at what the National League’s teams have done to improve their weakest position (as per bWAR) from the past season, and now let’s turn our attention to the 15 American League clubs….

Angels (Catcher, -0.7 bWAR Amidst signing Anthony Rendon and bringing in pitching, the Halos have also been looking for catching help in trade talks and free agent negotiations, with potential targets Jason Castro and Robinson Chirinos still among the remaining available names.  The search for catching has yet to bear fruit, however, leaving Los Angels with Max Stassi and Anthony Bemboom as its current backstop tandem, and hardly an improvement over even the position’s meager 2019 output.  First base was another negative (-0.1 bWAR) position last year, though the Angels are hoping Tommy La Stella keeps up his strong hitting while moving to the primary first base role, and anything can be mined from Albert Pujols in the declining slugger’s 20th Major League season.

[ukyah]

4 hours ago, Second Base said:

Yeah I saw that, and Fletch went to Scott Boras with it who denied that was true. So I doubt there's any truth there. 

fletcher made a point about the whole idea of an official offer being ridiculous. they negotiate and discuss terms, if they come to an agreement, then they give them the official offer.

i think the point being is that they aren't walking around with contracts waiting for a decision.

[ten ocho recon scout]

2 hours ago, RBM said:

Green is Ryu.

"No, Ryu is yellow" - @calscuf

[Docwaukee]

@tdawg87 made a stellar point 

to add to that, clearing Cozart's salary was for Cole.  Not just to spend on anyone.  Of the 35m or so they were willing to spend on him, they've already spent 9m of that on Teheran.  If they had signed Cole, they were pretty much done spending so they'd have never signed Teheran otherwise.  The additional delta is not free to spend on just anyone and I certainly don't think it will go to an aging pitcher for his age 34-36 yo season even if you Boston eats some of the money.  And to give up a potentially useful mlb player on top of that when you could have had another player for age 33-36 for virtually the same AAV and no draft pick comp doesn't make any sense.  

Arte has always said he'd spend the extra money for the right guy.  Cole was the right guy.  Ryu and Price are not.  

I definitely think they'll sign a catcher which will cost another 5-7m or so.  Is there enough room in the budget left for a value play on the SP side of things on top of that?  the answer is maybe.  Wood, Nova, Walker or McHugh all fit that bill so I think Eppler plays the waiting game on them.  

The other option is via trade but Billy doesn't seem the type to move farm pieces from the top of the system for a middle of the rotation guy.  And the availability of a top of the rotation arm in trade isn't there.  

[Blarg]

I don't think people quite get that the budget is based around getting the most for their money not the most players regardless of the money. The start of the Hot Stove there were plenty of posts of getting Strasberg and Cole, which was ludicris then and even more so now that the dust has settled and all of the major free agent arms are off the market with contracts that wouldn't even been considered last season. So much for colusion.

The Angels are pretty much done baring a catcher being picked up before the end of January. The pitching staff is set. The relief staff is probably complete and the fielders are in place. There won't be any trades for a front line starter. There won't be any trades or money spent for a 1st baseman. All of this is fantasy talk instead of rational talk.

But then, what fun is it to always be rational? This is the one time of the year that you let go of reality and play GM without restraints. When pitchers and catchers report there is little more to talk about than who is ready to play and if some minor league player (Adell) cracks the opening day roster. It is all lineup cards and speculation which arm will fall off first while Trout is Trout and the rest of the league is only there so he can showcase his talent. I look forward to that. 

 

[zenmaster]

I think we haven't traded for a SP yet because Adell and Marsh are probably off the table. Billy and team are probably trying to see what they can land without giving up these 2 guys. It's still early so I'm not worried, yet. 

[Angel Oracle]

15 hours ago, Lou said:

they suck at football.

except for the Rice Owls.

They won a Cotton Bowl.

 

 

 

 

In 1954

[zenmaster]

The Rice Owls are one B away from being a Chinese restaurant. 

[Second Base]

8 hours ago, beatlesrule said:

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2019/12/how-al-teams-have-addressed-their-weakest-positions-of-2019.html

How AL Teams Have Addressed Their Weakest Positions Of 2019

December 30th, 2019 at 12:10am CST • By Mark Polishuk

We took a look earlier tonight at what the National League’s teams have done to improve their weakest position (as per bWAR) from the past season, and now let’s turn our attention to the 15 American League clubs….

Angels (Catcher, -0.7 bWAR Amidst signing Anthony Rendon and bringing in pitching, the Halos have also been looking for catching help in trade talks and free agent negotiations, with potential targets Jason Castro and Robinson Chirinos still among the remaining available names.  The search for catching has yet to bear fruit, however, leaving Los Angels with Max Stassi and Anthony Bemboom as its current backstop tandem, and hardly an improvement over even the position’s meager 2019 output.  First base was another negative (-0.1 bWAR) position last year, though the Angels are hoping Tommy La Stella keeps up his strong hitting while moving to the primary first base role, and anything can be mined from Albert Pujols in the declining slugger’s 20th Major League season.

So basically, they're saying the Angels really haven't addressed their weaknesses this winter. 

[mmc]

 

[mmc]

 

[mmc]

 

[Bronson]

32 minutes ago, RBM said:

I’m guessing the $35 M they had budgeted this year for Cole went to Rendon ($26 M)  and Teheran ($9 M). If Eppler had signed Cole he doesn’t go after Rendon. 

I’m pretty sure Arte was getting Rendon regardless. They would have had enough money to sign both of them especially since Rendon is taking way less money his first year.

[Second Base]

It's funny how everyone went from, "The Angels aren't even close to being done!" to "The Angels probably aren't done." to "The Angels might be done." and now to "The Angels are probably done."

We are one Eppler quote saying "he's comfortable with the outcome staff" away from calling it.

Most glaring team need in recent history, with the most money available to spend maybe ever, and the deepest free agent and trade class ever available for pitchers, and Eppler comes away with Dylan Bundy and Julio Teheran. 

This is depressing.

[tdawg87]

I'm guessing he's waiting until closer to ST for asking prices to come down. 

Let's be real, every team he approaches about a trade for pitching is going to ask for Marsh. They know we're desperate. But if Eppler hangs around fully prepared to go into the 2020 season with this rotation, I suspect teams may become a little more reasonable. 

Also, we literally need a catcher still. He's not done.

[Angels_Fan]

4 minutes ago, tdawg87 said:

I'm guessing he's waiting until closer to ST for asking prices to come down. 

Let's be real, every team he approaches about a trade for pitching is going to ask for Marsh. They know we're desperate. But if Eppler hangs around fully prepared to go into the 2020 season with this rotation, I suspect teams may become a little more reasonable. 

Also, we literally need a catcher still. He's not done.

I don’t know if that’s the right strategy, considering many teams besides the Angels need pitching help. For all the Angels know, all the best available trade targets could be gone before then.