Just go for offense?

[Torridd]

We seem to run into roadblocks for pitching so should we choose to bulk up on offense until we can find some mediocre pitching? Better to be a bulldozer than be bulldozed.

[failos]

I don’t have faith in Eppler being able to outwit the Dodgers (who also want Rendon).

[Jason]

Just now, failos said:

I don’t have faith in Eppler being able to outwit the Dodgers (who also want Rendon).

It's not about outwitting the them. The Dodgers are a playoff ready team as is. The Angels need work, luck and probably some divine intervention. If I were Rendon my choice would be the Dodgers knowing they will be in the playoffs again. Now if the Angels outbid them then that is different but I don't think that will be the case either. 

[failos]

6 minutes ago, Jason said:

It's not about outwitting the them. The Dodgers are a playoff ready team as is. The Angels need work, luck and probably some divine intervention. If I were Rendon my choice would be the Dodgers knowing they will be in the playoffs again. Now if the Angels outbid them then that is different but I don't think that will be the case either. 

If that’s the case then the Angels will be lucky to net even 1 top FA. Doyyers are going hard for Bum so that might be out of the question too. 
 

Things are looking bleak

Edited December 11, 2019 by failos

[Dtwncbad]

Rendon is an elite offensive player.  He was a 7 WAR last year and that isn’t a career outlier.

Cole was a 7.4 WAR.

I know the Angels need pitching more than offense but the reality is Rendon makes this team a lot better.

[Jason]

3 minutes ago, failos said:

If that’s the case then the Angels will be lucky to net even 1 top FA. Doyyers are going hard for Bum so that might be out of the question too. 
 

Things are looking bleak

I will be surprised if they do 

[Bronson]

3 minutes ago, Dtwncbad said:

Rendon is an elite offensive player.  He was a 7 WAR last year and that isn’t a career outlier.

Cole was a 7.4 WAR.

I know the Angels need pitching more than offense but the reality is Rendon makes this team a lot better.

Well now we just have to fucking get him and that’s easier said then done.

 

I think Arte is gonna make more of a push on him then Coek though. Sounds like he really likes him and wants him.

[jchalos89]

well this team needs major upgrades in C,1B,and bench. They were just not priority cuz their starting pitching was the worst in the league (29th in ERA, 30th in Innings pitched)

Now that 3 top starting pitchers are off the market and there are only declining pitchers and injury prones left out there, I guess it's better to sign bats to add more firepower (especially middle of order. We can't have Pujols in the middle of lineup and expect to compete) and add more depth in the bench too.

Look at the teams we need to compete for the title. AssTrolls, Doyers, Junkies, any team in the Post season this year has better bench players or platoon guys than Angels' regular starter. Angels bench was just filled with AA or AAA players who bat way below Mendoza line and some of em were even batting below .100. Even worse thing is, due to a lot of injuries this team had (just like past 5 seasons), those AA guys were starting majority of games in the 2nd half of the season and it's becoming a trend for this team. 

Angels need to seek for bench/platoon guys who can actually provide something positive for the team, not those minor leaguers who just plays out there and post negative WAR and bat .150

[Stradling]

7 minutes ago, jchalos89 said:

well this team needs major upgrades in C,1B,and bench. They were just not priority cuz their starting pitching was the worst in the league (29th in ERA, 30th in Innings pitched)

Now that 3 top starting pitchers are off the market and there are only declining pitchers and injury prones left out there, I guess it's better to sign bats to add more firepower (especially middle of order. We can't have Pujols in the middle of lineup and expect to compete) and add more depth in the bench too.

Look at the teams we need to compete for the title. AssTrolls, Doyers, Junkies, any team in the Post season this year has better bench players or platoon guys than Angels' regular starter. Angels bench was just filled with AA or AAA players who bat way below Mendoza line and some of em were even batting below .100. Even worse thing is, due to a lot of injuries this team had (just like past 5 seasons), those AA guys were starting majority of games in the 2nd half of the season and it's becoming a trend for this team. 

Angels need to seek for bench/platoon guys who can actually provide something positive for the team, not those minor leaguers who just plays out there and post negative WAR and bat .150

This team's bench is far from the problem.  It needs pitching, pitching, pitching a catcher and for Thaiss or La Stella to play well enough to relegate Albert to the bench.  

[jchalos89]

4 minutes ago, Stradling said:

This team's bench is far from the problem.  It needs pitching, pitching, pitching a catcher and for Thaiss or La Stella to play well enough to relegate Albert to the bench.  

Yes I mentioned starting pitching is priority. Problem is, the best options are already gone and Angels better seek for trades or sign risky guys (like Ryu) at this point.

If you think this team's bench is not a problem, you are delusional. Look at those bench guys. Rengifo, Thaiss, Tovar, Walsh, Bemboom, Stassi, Ward, etc. Every single on of them has WAR between negative and 1, posting OPS+ way below 100. Every competitive teams have multiple guys who can be a regular starters in weak teams in the bench and this team has none of them. Actually many of them are guys we shouldn't even see in ML opening roster if you want to see the Angels shooting for PS appearance.

I know Thaiss is future 1B prospect that the Angels has been pushing for. He's turning 25 and still has potential to be better, but you can't just expect a guy who just batted 0.211 and posted 0.7WAR to immediately become solid regular starting 1B just because he is only 25 and EVEN IF he does, Albert being the best player in the bench means this team's bench is garbage.

 

[floplag]

Not JUST offense, but yes you absolutely turn to that.  If you cant get the arms to out pitch someone you get the bats to out hit them, simple logic.

That having been said we still need arms and there are guys out there that will make us better, you dont give up on that completely, you create a more balanced team not relying on one or the other.

My idea all along was this, its why i started to balk at Cole when the number got to high out of fear it would be all we did, and that wouldnt come close to being enough.  Sign 2 arms from the remaining pool, preferably those who eat innings as well as put up good (not great) numbers... get Rendon or Donaldson, trade for Contreras or similar... thats still a playoff team, maybe more if the kids develop. 

[totdprods]

Rendon also immediately upgrades 1B in that it shifts La Stella and potentially Thaiss fully into the 1B mix - it cuts back on Albert's playing time and ideally gets better bats in.

[JustATroutFan]

So the Angels need to be like the Rockies, I guess. It's hard to see it working that way. Rockies had many losing seasons trying to just outscore the opposing teams. And Rendon might have a tough time in the American League in his first year. A lot of new pitchers whom he has never faced before. Money stealing Pujols had the same issues in 2012, his first year with the Angels.