Eppler at deadline

[Angels 1961]

Eppler may not be back next year so how does this affect his decisions at trade deadline? Does he go about it as if he's coming back? His decisions in next week affect this club in future and maybe he's not the one you want doing the trading.

[Stradling]

I would think there’s only one option and that’s do business under the assumption he will be returning. 

[Jason]

If Arte has no plans to resign him then the Halos should do what they usually do at the trade deadline, stand pat 

[mmc]

Eppler will sell in hopes of convincing Arte that he is continuing to improve the farm system and setting us up well to contend in the not too distant future 

 

[Stradling]

1 minute ago, mymerlincat said:

Eppler will sell in hopes of convincing Arte that he is continuing to improve the farm system and setting us up well to contend in the not too distant future 

 

Which is the right thing to do. 

[Lhalo]

1 hour ago, Stradling said:

I would think there’s only one option and that’s do business under the assumption he will be returning. 

This seems strikingly familiar to what you said about Dipoto. 

[Stradling]

4 minutes ago, Lhalo said:

This seems strikingly familiar to what you said about Dipoto. 

Link?  Dipoto was never on the hot seat.  He quit after his option was picked up.  
I guess there’s another option I mentioned in another thread.  If you know you’re not bringing him back fire him now.  

[Stradling]

If you aren’t going to let him trade the expiring contracts then fire him.  Does someone have a better option?

[Lhalo]

12 minutes ago, Stradling said:

If you aren’t going to let him trade the expiring contracts then fire him.  Does someone have a better option?

I’d say Arte sells the team but there is zero chance of that happening. He’s sitting on a goldmine of real estate. 

[Angel Oracle]

However it’s done, the culture needs to change, after 4+ years of losing.

That doesn’t mean more overpriced 30s players.   It means creating a winning atmosphere throughout the org.   

[Angel Oracle]

1 minute ago, Lhalo said:

I’d say Arte sells the team but there is zero chance of that happening. He’s sitting on a goldmine of real estate. 

Does make you wonder if he even cares about winning, in the long run, vs advertising.

The past 11 seasons do not paint a good picture.

[Stradling]

4 minutes ago, Angel Oracle said:

Does make you wonder if he even cares about winning, in the long run, vs advertising.

The past 11 seasons do not paint a good picture.

No it doesn’t. 

[Stradling]

Also it’s 5 seasons.  

[Lhalo]

8 minutes ago, Angel Oracle said:

Does make you wonder if he even cares about winning, in the long run, vs advertising.

The past 11 seasons do not paint a good picture.

Arte wants to win. He’s just not good at it when it comes to baseball 

[DMVol]

50 minutes ago, Stradling said:

If you aren’t going to let him trade the expiring contracts then fire him.  Does someone have a better option?

Why would an interim necessarily be a better option?  I’m not sure there is a good answer with a lame duck but if you fire him, somebody is still calling the shots....

[Stradling]

Just now, DMVol said:

Why would an interim necessarily be a better option?  I’m not sure there is a good answer with a lame duck but if you fire him, somebody is still calling the shots....

Which is why I said let him carry out his job as if he is returning next year.  He has done well with the trades he has made.  Do we really think in a season like this someone will be that much better at trading Simmons or La Stella or Castro?  

[stormngt]

3 minutes ago, DMVol said:

Why would an interim necessarily be a better option?  I’m not sure there is a good answer with a lame duck but if you fire him, somebody is still calling the shots....

Firing a GM mid season  serves no purpose. 

[DMVol]

21 minutes ago, Stradling said:

Which is why I said let him carry out his job as if he is returning next year.  He has done well with the trades he has made.  Do we really think in a season like this someone will be that much better at trading Simmons or La Stella or Castro?  

What if Arte is leaning pretty strongly toward not to being him back (none of us know obviously ) but isn’t 100% sure, why do you have to fire him? My point is, do you want an interim making decisions if things are trending against bringing him back? Stoneman did it in 2015 but it isn’t ideal....I’d let him ride it out...I don’t think any big trades are going down regardless, so I’d let him finish....Just my thought....

[Jeff Fletcher]

1 hour ago, Angel Oracle said:

However it’s done, the culture needs to change, after 4+ years of losing.

That doesn’t mean more overpriced 30s players.   It means creating a winning atmosphere throughout the org.   

What does that mean?

By the way, 95 percent of free agents are overpriced 30s players. 

[kevinb]

21 hours ago, Stradling said:

I would think there’s only one option and that’s do business under the assumption he will be returning. 

Agree with Stradling. You can't do business as a GM with the fear you're going to be fired. You can only try and best help the team you are employed by as best as possible. Hope it works out and hope you get re signed. If it doesn't then going to your next employer you can show them what you have done in your previous job. Just like any other job. Do the best you can. That's all you can control. 

[kevinb]

17 hours ago, Jeff Fletcher said:

What does that mean?

By the way, 95 percent of free agents are overpriced 30s players. 

Stop playing in the free agent market. Play in the trades and drafting markets. Free agency should be the last resort of getting the final one or two pieces to build a championship team. Not a way to build a long lasting organization. 

[Jeff Fletcher]

11 minutes ago, Kevinb said:

Stop playing in the free agent market. Play in the trades and drafting markets. Free agency should be the last resort of getting the final one or two pieces to build a championship team. Not a way to build a long lasting organization. 

Isn’t that exactly what they’ve done?

Its why they limit themselves to 4-5 serious FA pursuits each year and if they don’t get them they turn to 1-year deals in the bargain bin, where there are really no deals that hurt you long term. 

[Stradling]

1 minute ago, cvdog said:

They should fire him now. I don't understand why Arte is dicking around here with the deadline coming up. The mini season is clearly lost. Get as much pitching as you can and hope the new GM can continue that trajectory. 

Ok, so when you fire him now, who makes the trades?  If you aren’t going to let him make moves then fire him.  If you are him and they won’t let you make moves then you quit.  But bottom line is no one from the outside will know our players better.  Also more than likely anyone they hire mid season won’t know the current value of players and will have 6 days to figure that out and one day to make a trade.  

[Hubs]

13 minutes ago, Jeff Fletcher said:

Isn’t that exactly what they’ve done?

Its why they limit themselves to 4-5 serious FA pursuits each year and if they don’t get them they turn to 1-year deals in the bargain bin, where there are really no deals that hurt you long term. 

Ya I don’t see them fixing the pitching in the trade market. Everyone wants Clevinger and it’s not gonna happen. Next offseason, go after Bauer or Stroman, bring back Richards on a decent deal. He’ll be 33, but everyone wanted those types of guys last offseason so... 

Sign a reliever or a closer or both. Pen has been a dumpster fire and inherited runners seem to be let in every time they are on. 

I’d bring back Castro as he’s been fine. He and Stassi make a good platoon. They need to decide what to do with Simmons now. I doubt LaStella returns. I doubt Teheran is back but who knows. 
 

They don’t have an infielder except Jam Jones who might be ready to contribute at 2nd in 21, so do they keep Fletcher there and try to resign Simmons? Or do they move Fletcher to SS full time? And grab a 2B in free agency?

This team isn’t that far away. They’ve had a lot of terrible luck this season. 1-4 in extras alone. just 4 saves and  8 blown saves.

I’d trade LaStella and Goodwin and evening Castro now. I’d try to hang on to Bundy and Canning but the rest of the rotation is also up for the block.

 I’m not expecting a huge return or a blockbuster trade, but they got Ty Buttrey a few years ago for Kinsler? Same type of return for LaStella I think and maybe a bit more. Same for Goodwin on a OF needy team. 
 

Pujols last year with the team is next year and I expect he gets 100 starts between DH and 1B. It’s been a bad contract but they won’t release him. Upton likely is impossible to move now and won’t be movable this offseason unless they eat a lot of the contract and then what’s the point of moving him. He’s got to play to prove he can still hit so he becomes tradeable , so trading Goodwin makes some sense so he can play. 

 

[Angel Oracle]

18 hours ago, Jeff Fletcher said:

What does that mean?

By the way, 95 percent of free agents are overpriced 30s players. 

Might not have been worded the best.

It just seems that the best way to build long term success is through the farm system and strategic trades, focusing on only keeping the best of your own FAs and not relying on big money acquisitions from outside the org.

Concur on your last sentence, and that’s the purpose of my post.