Which relievers do you want the Angels to target in free agency?

[Second Base]

As I've said before, every GM has their strengths and weaknesses.  Eppler's strengths are pretty clear.

1. Great communicator.  He's able to connect with and find common ground with pretty much everyone on the field, in the dugout and in the office. 

2. Farm system.  Billy's work on the farm system has no rival.  No system has improved more over the last four years than the Angels. 

3. Buy low relievers.  I don't know if it's the scout in him, or if he's got great scouts, but Billy has brought in a lot of "after-thoughts" who have gone on to become very good pitchers, whether it be with the Angels or elsewhere. 

------It's for these reasons I wouldn't spend on relievers.  We have some pretty intriguing arms down on the farm that can go multiple innings.  And there are a lot of pitchers out there that can still get outs that not a lot of people are looking at.  But Billy finds them more often than the next guy. 

[mmc]

7 minutes ago, Second Base said:

As I've said before, every GM has their strengths and weaknesses.  Eppler's strengths are pretty clear.

1. Great communicator.  He's able to connect with and find common ground with pretty much everyone on the field, in the dugout and in the office. 

2. Farm system.  Billy's work on the farm system has no rival.  No system has improved more over the last four years than the Angels. 

3. Buy low relievers.  I don't know if it's the scout in him, or if he's got great scouts, but Billy has brought in a lot of "after-thoughts" who have gone on to become very good pitchers, whether it be with the Angels or elsewhere. 

------It's for these reasons I wouldn't spend on relievers.  We have some pretty intriguing arms down on the farm that can go multiple innings.  And there are a lot of pitchers out there that can still get outs that not a lot of people are looking at.  But Billy finds them more often than the next guy. 

Marlins?  Mariners?

[Second Base]

56 minutes ago, mymerlincat said:

Marlins?  Mariners?

Not even close, and they both underwent a rebuild too.

[mmc]

3 hours ago, Second Base said:

Not even close, and they both underwent a rebuild too.

They both have a lot more higher end prospects, the only player worth a damn in the majors that was an Eppler prospect is Canning.

[Stradling]

3 hours ago, mymerlincat said:

They both have a lot more higher end prospects, the only player worth a damn in the majors that was an Eppler prospect is Canning.

Yep that’s what happens when you draft high upside high school kids. So in the last 4 years who have the Marlins and Mariners drafted that are in the majors and worth a damn?  

[tdawg87]

6 hours ago, mymerlincat said:

They both have a lot more higher end prospects, the only player worth a damn in the majors that was an Eppler prospect is Canning.

Both systems have improved immensely, and I think people are forgetting when Kyle Lewis was the only legitimate prospect in Seattle's system. Now he's barely in their top 10. The Cano trade got them Kelenic and Dunn but they also drafted very well in 2018.

To your point about Canning, I think if we're going to consider him "worth a damn" based on his performance then we can also consider Thaiss as well. Obviously Canning has the higher upside but that's not what we're talking about. Both players showed promise but didn't exactly light the world on fire. Adell and Marsh are just about ready to break into the league as well.

4 years isn't a long time in the minors, especially for younger guys fresh out of High School. But in those 4 years, Eppler has turned this system from literally one of the worst and most barren systems ever, into one of respectability. 

[Second Base]

9 hours ago, mymerlincat said:

They both have a lot more higher end prospects, the only player worth a damn in the majors that was an Eppler prospect is Canning.

That statement alone makes me realize the level of stupidity I'd be dealing with if I went any further down this rabbit hole.

[tdawg87]

He's not really wrong though.

[Stradling]

8 minutes ago, tdawg87 said:

He's not really wrong though.

Yea, he kind of is wrong when, as you point out, we went from possibly the worst in history to respectable.  He also is implying that they have done better in drafting players based on him saying only Canning has shown anything at the major league level.  So who have those two teams drafted in the last 4 years that are excelling at the major league level.  That is where he is wrong.  

[Docwaukee]

10 hours ago, mymerlincat said:

They both have a lot more higher end prospects, the only player worth a damn in the majors that was an Eppler prospect is Canning.

this isn't even remotely true.  

Ohtani, Rengifo, Thaiss, Buttrey, Sandoval.  

[tdawg87]

11 minutes ago, Stradling said:

Yea, he kind of is wrong when, as you point out, we went from possibly the worst in history to respectable.  He also is implying that they have done better in drafting players based on him saying only Canning has shown anything at the major league level.  So who have those two teams drafted in the last 4 years that are excelling at the major league level.  That is where he is wrong.  

I'm taking his comment at face value. I also think he's referring to players Eppler drafted specifically. Seattle and Miami do have more higher end prospects.

[mmc]

7 hours ago, Stradling said:

Yep that’s what happens when you draft high upside high school kids. So in the last 4 years who have the Marlins and Mariners drafted that are in the majors and worth a damn?  

It’s fine to think that the high school kids will all break out in the high minors and get our farm to that status eventually, but we aren’t there yet.  The Mariners had Sheffield who pitched similar to Canning (slightly better xFIP), and Kyle Lewis and Shed Long showed some promise as well. The Marlins acquired Alcantara who was an All Star this season, Pablo Lopez and Jordan Yamamoto who are good starters as well, Zac Gallen and Trevor Richards (though they ended up getting traded away), are also very good major league pitchers. 

4 hours ago, tdawg87 said:

Both systems have improved immensely, and I think people are forgetting when Kyle Lewis was the only legitimate prospect in Seattle's system. Now he's barely in their top 10. The Cano trade got them Kelenic and Dunn but they also drafted very well in 2018.

To your point about Canning, I think if we're going to consider him "worth a damn" based on his performance then we can also consider Thaiss as well. Obviously Canning has the higher upside but that's not what we're talking about. Both players showed promise but didn't exactly light the world on fire. Adell and Marsh are just about ready to break into the league as well.

4 years isn't a long time in the minors, especially for younger guys fresh out of High School. But in those 4 years, Eppler has turned this system from literally one of the worst and most barren systems ever, into one of respectability. 

Thaiss isn’t that impressive, below average hitter with a .293 OBP and not exactly a great defender.  Most teams have a Thaiss currently.

1 hour ago, Second Base said:

That statement alone makes me realize the level of stupidity I'd be dealing with if I went any further down this rabbit hole.

Lol.

1 hour ago, Dochalo said:

this isn't even remotely true.  

Ohtani, Rengifo, Thaiss, Buttrey, Sandoval.  

I’ll give you Buttrey and Rengifo, though it remains to be seen if Rengifo can play consistently well enough to be a starter in the majors, but Ohtani was hardly a prospect and Thaiss and Sandoval, while they showed flashes at times, really didn’t produce much as a whole.

[Stradling]

So Shed Long showed promise with his negative WAR but Thaiss in the same number of at bats is a question mark with his .7 WAR.  In half the at bats Lewis had half the WAR as Thaiss. Rengifo our produced all of them but he’s still a question mark even though he’s younger than the others. 

[mmc]

9 minutes ago, Stradling said:

So Shed Long showed promise with his negative WAR but Thaiss in the same number of at bats is a question mark with his .7 WAR.  In half the at bats Lewis had half the WAR as Thaiss. Rengifo our produced all of them but he’s still a question mark even though he’s younger than the others. 

I’m assuming you’re looking at bWAR, Long had a 0.7 fWAR compared to Thaiss’s 0.1

[Stradling]

Just now, mymerlincat said:

I’m assuming you’re looking at bWAR, Long had a 0.7 fWAR compared to Thaiss’s 0.1

Yes I was looking at bWAR.  

[TroutCron]

3 hours ago, mymerlincat said:

It’s fine to think that the high school kids will all break out in the high minors and get our farm to that status eventually, but we aren’t there yet.  The Mariners had Sheffield who pitched similar to Canning (slightly better xFIP), and Kyle Lewis and Shed Long showed some promise as well. The Marlins acquired Alcantara who was an All Star this season, Pablo Lopez and Jordan Yamamoto who are good starters as well, Zac Gallen and Trevor Richards (though they ended up getting traded away), are also very good major league pitchers. 

Thaiss isn’t that impressive, below average hitter with a .293 OBP and not exactly a great defender.  Most teams have a Thaiss currently.

Lol.

I’ll give you Buttrey and Rengifo, though it remains to be seen if Rengifo can play consistently well enough to be a starter in the majors, but Ohtani was hardly a prospect and Thaiss and Sandoval, while they showed flashes at times, really didn’t produce much as a whole.

Buttrey, Rengifo and Sandoval were all acquisitions. Buttrey spent maybe one or two weeks at  SLC  after his acquisition from Boston. Rengifo and Sandoval count because they spent over one season in the Angels’ system. 
I would like to see the Angels sign Drew Pomerancz., left handed and a multy inning pitcher who had an outstanding run with the Brewers last season. 

[ettin]

14 hours ago, tdawg87 said:

Both systems have improved immensely, and I think people are forgetting when Kyle Lewis was the only legitimate prospect in Seattle's system. Now he's barely in their top 10. The Cano trade got them Kelenic and Dunn but they also drafted very well in 2018.

To your point about Canning, I think if we're going to consider him "worth a damn" based on his performance then we can also consider Thaiss as well. Obviously Canning has the higher upside but that's not what we're talking about. Both players showed promise but didn't exactly light the world on fire. Adell and Marsh are just about ready to break into the league as well.

4 years isn't a long time in the minors, especially for younger guys fresh out of High School. But in those 4 years, Eppler has turned this system from literally one of the worst and most barren systems ever, into one of respectability. 

I never thought I'd hear you use the word respectability, Toby. 

[Hubs]

Martin Perez fits the bill as a lefty. I'd like a legit lefty reliever.

 

[19HALO71]

This may sound a crazy, but I say try to trade for Edwin Diaz from the Mets. His stuff was electric two years ago and his lousy 2019 had more to do with his environment than anything physical. We may get him cheap after how bad his 2019 went.

Go Halos!!!

[mmc]

10 minutes ago, Hubs said:

Martin Perez fits the bill as a lefty. I'd like a legit lefty reliever.

 

He's a starter.

[Hubs]

4 minutes ago, mymerlincat said:

He's a starter.

Who the Twins are trying to resign and move to the pen. I literally just saw this in an mlbtraderumors post, and thought yeah a lefty who can work multiple innings and throw 95...ok

[Inside Pitch]

1 hour ago, Hubs said:

Who the Twins are trying to resign and move to the pen. I literally just saw this in an mlbtraderumors post, and thought yeah a lefty who can work multiple innings and throw 95...ok

Except your statement isn't remotely close to what the Twins have stated.

You're taking the Mlbtraderumors "writer's" speculation regarding what they could do with him and applying to the actual team.   The article he's quoting simply says the Twins are considering bringing him back for less than the 7.5 mil his option was worth.

Read it again, he even says "speculative speaking"....  

[Tank]

1 hour ago, Inside Pitch said:

Except your statement isn't remotely close to what the Twins have stated.

You're taking the Mlbtraderumors "writer's" speculation regarding what they could do with him and applying to the actual team.   The article he's quoting simply says the Twins are considering bringing him back for less than the 7.5 mil his option was worth.

Read it again, he even says "speculative speaking"....  

you tell him, Chase.

[Inside Pitch]

3 minutes ago, Tank said:

you tell him, Chase.

LOL, you are such a wise ass....

[Tank]

5 minutes ago, Inside Pitch said:

LOL, you are such a wise ass....