What Direction Should the Angels Take?

[Angelsjunky]

Vote in the poll and discuss. If possible, pick one of my options but if none are close to what you prefer, pick other. Enjoy.

[Torridd]

I said Proceed with Caution. I would be willing to trade some if the team totally tanked, perhaps Aybar, Hanson, Bourjos.

[Jay]

The Angels should keep doing what they're doing, it's funny.  I need a good laugh.

[kevinb]

Fire sale. Trade everyone you can who has any value. CJ, Weav, Vargas, Hanson. If anyone will take on Pujols or Hamiltoe I doubt it. I love Aybar and Kendrick but if your going all out fire sale might as well trade those two and Iannetta while you can. Keep Trout Bourjos and Trumbo as the center pieces for years to come and lets build this team again for the future. 

[Brent Maguire]

I'm torn on what they should do. They could keep the same team around and hope they gel together as the season goes and it carries into next season.

 

Or they could attempt to retool the roster and hope Pujols opts out and compete again in 2-3 years. 

[Tyler]

Trade Trumbo and Bourjos at the deadline for a boatload of prospects.

[Ohtaniland]

Arte should sell the team to Frank McCourt.

They should get Mathis back so we can get Scioscia back on board.

Mathis can at the very least catch and throw.

[The God of Runs]

Is there anyway the Halos can start playing in the the California League? I think they might be able to beat those teams.

[70runner]

So many things wrong with this team, it's difficult to know where to start.  Keep Trout, Trumbo, PB, Richards, Weav, perhaps Frieri as a core; everyone else expendable.  No sane GM will take Pujols/Hamilton so we're stuck with them.  Pretty much like we're stuck with a lifeless manager with his own big long term contract.  May take years to fix. 

[mota_madness]

The Angels should keep doing what they're doing, it's funny.  I need a good laugh.

Ur eff'ed up man... this aint funny.

[Jay]

Although I think a Boston type fire sale would be the best option in order to have any sort of success in the distant future, Pujols/Hamilton have ZERO trade value.  Zero.  The Angels would have to eat 75%+ of both contracts to find a team that would even be remotely interested. I'm afraid that this team is locked in to suck for many years to come.

 

solid work, Dipoto

[haloman]

It's mindboggling how some of you would be ok with 4 years of rebuilding. Wow!

[kevinb]

It's mindboggling how some of you would be ok with 4 years of rebuilding. Wow!

Why? This team is not a player or two away. We are an overhaul away from being back on top of this division. Texas and even Oakland are the teams to beat in this division. We are a distant 3rd. With a terrible bullpen, bland starting rotation and a line up filled with age and decline in its future. 

[gotbeer]

Problem with fire sales and or trading our best players for prospects.  You are still stuck with Hamilton for 4 more years and Pujols for 8 more years.  No matter how much rebuilding you do, you will still have older versions of them, and probably not be as good players as you are have right now.  Because all prospects, no matter how good, don't always equate to anything in the MLB.  

[LBHalos17]

Lots of issues, lots of big contracts... I think they're stuck in a wait and see/hope for the best mode.

We have 5 quality pitchers on our Sunday team, but I don't see anything we can afford to trade for on the big club (or that would help us).

[Torridd]

Why? This team is not a player or two away. We are an overhaul away from being back on top of this division. Texas and even Oakland are the teams to beat in this division. We are a distant 3rd. With a terrible bullpen, bland starting rotation and a line up filled with age and decline in its future. 

They have many resources. They just have to be smart. I see no reason to demolish the foundation, although there are cracks that must be filled.

 

It's not an aging team. You'd be surprised what can happen with a good starting staff and a capable bullpen.

[Angelsjunky]

I'm still torn about whether to "proceed with caution" or "maybe the fat lady is singing." I think I'll choose proceed with caution because given the money invested on winning, the Angels really need to give a shot until they're certain they can't win with this core configuration - and that extends to at least next year. What they might want to do is if they're out by mid-July, sit Pujols for the rest of the year, trade Vargas, Hanson and Callaspo for prospects, give Calhoun and Jimenez a shot, maybe Cron.

 

One ray of optimism is that even if Pujols and Hamilton continue to stink and with $50ish million tied up in them per year, they'll still have $80ish million to play with to build a great team. Oakland's total payroll is less than that and they're doing just fine. This, of course, means the Angels have to be savvy - and that's where I'm worried. Dipoto seems like he wants to be Billy Beane but doesn't quite have the smarts for it, or self restraint, or simply Arte's too involved.

[The Ghost of Bob Starr]

We're stuck with this mess.  

 

We will have to see what they do on the field.   

[fan_since79]

We're stuck with Pujols for several more years, and Hamilton for a couple more years at least.

 

Regarding the rest of the team, get rid of everyone except Trout, Trumbo, and Weaver. Trade for young prospects and develop them. No more trades for aging veterans who can't produce any more. Just stop that in its tracks.

 

Fire the manager and the coaches. They all go. Bring in people who can motivate and inspire.

[Docwaukee]

first of all, they are not going to invest 375mil to scrap the plan after pujols has one subpar yet adequate season followed by part of one where he's injured and hamilton poops the bed for the first third of his first season of a five year contract. 

 

Again, the only realistic possibility for a rebuild is to find someone to bail them out.  The redsox caught absolute lightning in a bottle.  That scenario does not exist and even if there was a team out there with deep pockets that was itching to make some moves there is no way they would make the same mistake so quickly after the Dogs just did it. 

 

They are gonna wait and see if 2014-2016 can be better.  If Albert and Josh can produce.  They'll re-sign Vargas and go get Garza, and pick up another pen piece.  IF both those guys occupy the middle of the lineup with 25-30hrs and .280-.290 .825-875ops EACH, all of a sudden the team is good again.  Is that realistic?  I think it is for Albert for the next three years.  Hamilton?  Who knows.  The guy could decide tomorrow that he's gonna start having quality abs and everything would change. 

 

I know everyone is pissed off about what is going on and so am I.  But think about how reactionary it would be to go down the road that some are outlining.  It's every bit as reactionary as getting Vernon Wells or Zack Greinke or signing Hamilton in the first place. 

 

You want to crush this org for the next five years?  Field a team that includes Trout, Weaver, Pujols and Hamilton.  Watch those guys produce so they win 80 games a season in 2014-2016 because Brandon Harris is your 1bman and Andrew Romine is your SS.  Because Billy Buckner is your 4th starter and Michael Kohn is your closer. 

 

There are no guarantees that the prospects you get for Kendrick, Aybar, Downs, Vargas etal will do anything but give this org a solid yet unspectacular farm system with few high upside guys.  Oh you want high upside guys for our expendables?  Then be prepared to get a bunch of guys that end up the route of Brandon Wood. 

[Tyler]

I can see the Phillies being a potential Dodgers-esque bailout team.

 

I'd give them Hamilton, CJ, and Vargas.

[Bob Trop]

Rebuilding will take 3-5 years. My first move would be to put Trumbo at first and DH Albert. You have to hope Hamilton can find any semblance if his stroke(or he suffers a stroke). Please move Aybar out of the lead off position. Hit him 9th. Leadoff Shuck until Bourjos returns. Move Callaspo to the two hole and hit Trout third where he belongs. Move Pujols to 4th and hit Howie 5th until or if Hamilton can ever hit again.

The rotation should be Weaver, Vargas, Williams, Wilson and Hanson. Put Blanton deep in the pen and only use him in blowouts. Trade Scott Downs now to a team lookibg for a lefty specialist. Come July put everyone on the market except Trout, Trumbo, Weaver and Richards.

Try to load up on Foreign players before there is an international draft in 2015. Draft arms with high ceilings.

Replace Butcher and Eppard immediately. Butcher may be the worst pitching coach ever. Eppard doesn't seem to be helping any one . You know they won't replace Sosh, but they should.

[Troll Daddy]

Trade Trout for the Moon!

[Troll Daddy]

Only took Boston less than a season to rebuild.

[Scott34]

Trading Kendrick would be fine if we aren't planning for this year. We have tons of depth in the minors there, Lindsey, Yarbrough, Johnson, Etc.

Vargas, Hanson, Frieri, Iannetta, Aybar could also fetch a ton of value.