Will Eppler be the Angels GM in 2021?

[bloodbrother]

3 hours ago, Tyler said:

He's toast. Watch us end up with Dombrowski. 

Please no

[totdprods]

6 hours ago, Second Base said:

I'd say if Billy pulls off some fireworks at the trade deadline, he'll be retained. If not, Arte will likely replace him. 

In this sense, fireworks would probably mean Barreto hits his celling immediately, Reyes comes in throwing bb's, and he somehow turns Goodwin, Simmons and Jordyn Adams into Mike Clevinger and Francisco Mejia. 

Long shot.

This is actually where I'm kind of at too. 
I'd like to see Eppler back, but think he's gone...

...but if he can be involved in a bold trade today, it could get him at least another year. I could see him pulling a trigger and going for something. It could be a big sell, or being involved in a big three-team deal.

[tdawg87]

There needs to be a Maybe option.

[Angels 1961]

2 hours ago, totdprods said:

This is actually where I'm kind of at too. 
I'd like to see Eppler back, but think he's gone...

...but if he can be involved in a bold trade today, it could get him at least another year. I could see him pulling a trigger and going for something. It could be a big sell, or being involved in a big three-team deal.

Unless your trading Adell or Marsh halos do not have players to get impact pitcher.

[Claude]

Los Angeles Angels

13 OF 30

 

Jeff Chiu/Associated Press

Record: 12-22

Another Los Angeles Angels season, another year of Mike Trout's prime wasted on a non-playoff team.

The Angels have struggled in nearly every facet of the game in 2020, but the biggest culprit has been a starting pitching staff that ranks 28th with a 6.06 ERA.

Despite signing star third baseman Anthony Rendon during the offseason, and even with 16 teams going to the dance, the Halos won't be invited.

Their offseason directive is clear: Do what it takes to add pitching while hoping Shohei Ohtani returns to health and youngsters such as outfielder Jo Adell develop quickly.

Even a player of Trout's caliber can't wait forever.

Grade: F

[angelsnationtalk]

2 hours ago, totdprods said:

This is actually where I'm kind of at too. 
I'd like to see Eppler back, but think he's gone...

...but if he can be involved in a bold trade today, it could get him at least another year. I could see him pulling a trigger and going for something. It could be a big sell, or being involved in a big three-team deal.

This is said perfectly. 

[angelsnationtalk]

It's true Eppler needs to likely make a flashy splash today to be our GM next year. If he doesn't then the Angels could go on a small win streak and miss the playoffs with another mid-draft pick. lose-lose.

They should:
Sell Simmons and Goodwin for whatever they can get
Sell Bundy/package with him IF AND ONLY IF it nets a top prospect (preferably pitching).
Listen on deals if teams are calling on Heaney.

If they trade Bundy for someone like Kirilloff or Larnach, then expect Adell or Marsh to be moved for a solid arm in the offseason. 

[kevinb]

2 hours ago, angelsnationtalk said:

It's true Eppler needs to likely make a flashy splash today to be our GM next year. If he doesn't then the Angels could go on a small win streak and miss the playoffs with another mid-draft pick. lose-lose.

They should:
Sell Simmons and Goodwin for whatever they can get
Sell Bundy/package with him IF AND ONLY IF it nets a top prospect (preferably pitching).
Listen on deals if teams are calling on Heaney.

If they trade Bundy for someone like Kirilloff or Larnach, then expect Adell or Marsh to be moved for a solid arm in the offseason. 

Someone said it somewhere else but along with that they should try to trade Teheran for whatever they can as well. Angels should be cutting salary and saving money while also just adding anything. Angels need to go for broke and the first pick in the draft. We are already one of the worst teams in the league, we need to be the worst by the end of this year to get that number 1 pick. 

[Dtwncbad]

I heard it is now up to Gavin Newsom, like everything else.

[kevinb]

8 minutes ago, Dtwncbad said:

I heard it is now up to Gavin Newsom, like everything else.

Our new GM Gavin Newsom

[Vlad27Trout27]

 

[kevinb]

47 minutes ago, Vlad27Trout27 said:

 

Of course he'd say that. He's still technically his boss. 

[Lou]

2 hours ago, Kevinb said:

Someone said it somewhere else but along with that they should try to trade Teheran for whatever they can as well. Angels should be cutting salary and saving money while also just adding anything. Angels need to go for broke and the first pick in the draft. We are already one of the worst teams in the league, we need to be the worst by the end of this year to get that number 1 pick. 

No contender wants Teheran. 

[kevinb]

24 minutes ago, Lou said:

No contender wants Teheran. 

We did. 

[Stradling]

Just now, Kevinb said:

We did. 

We really didn’t learn anything about Teheran this year.  No spring training, then missed most of summer camp because of having Covid.  I realize I am more patient than most, but I am not ready to say he is done.  

[Inside Pitch]

2 minutes ago, Kevinb said:

We did. 

Nobody still in the hunt is willing to take a chance on a guy remaking himself during a pennant run.     He was signed when everyone thought they would be playing 162 games, not 60.

[Lou]

2 minutes ago, Kevinb said:

We did. 

"contender"

[kevinb]

1 minute ago, Lou said:

"contender"

I considered us a contender with all our moves and Trout this off season. I have clearly changed that thought process.

[kevinb]

4 minutes ago, Stradling said:

We really didn’t learn anything about Teheran this year.  No spring training, then missed most of summer camp because of having Covid.  I realize I am more patient than most, but I am not ready to say he is done.  

Don't we only have him signed for this year? I don't know what patience has to do with it? 

[Stradling]

Just now, Kevinb said:

Don't we only have him signed for this year? I don't know what patience has to do with it? 

My point is people consider him to be another shitty signing.  I think his lack of success is more to do with not having a proper spring

[kevinb]

4 minutes ago, Stradling said:

My point is people consider him to be another shitty signing.  I think his lack of success is more to do with not having a proper spring

I don't know the guy has an era over 9 if he wasn't ready to pitch he shouldn't have pitched simple as that. No one made him. I liked the signing when it happened. Probably not for that amount of money but he hasn't worked out well for us. So it's a bad signing. It happens. Maybe he turns it around the rest of the year, but I am in the camp now. I hope he doesn't I want the first pick in the draft. 

[Stradling]

3 minutes ago, Kevinb said:

I don't know the guy has an era over 9 if he wasn't ready to pitch he shouldn't have pitched simple as that. No one made him. I liked the signing when it happened. Probably not for that amount of money but he hasn't worked out well for us. So it's a bad signing. It happens. Maybe he turns it around the rest of the year, but I am in the camp now. I hope he doesn't I want the first pick in the draft. 

That is certainly one way to look at it.  

[kevinb]

2 minutes ago, Stradling said:

That is certainly one way to look at it.  

I guess I don't know how you can look at it a different way. At least the first part of what I said. I don't think there is a way you can view him as a successful signing. He hasn't been good for the Angels. That's really all we can judge him on. How do you judge him on things that haven't happened? or that he wasn't ready yet? If you are not ready and you play and you hurt your teams chances of winning than that's on them. I guess I just don't understand how you or anyone can view him as of now as a successful signing. 

[totdprods]

Thought it was worth mentioning this here...

• Brian Goodwin: 166 G, 567 PA, 36 doubles, 4 triples, 21 HR, .258/.327/.469/.795, 2.3 bWAR
• Tommy LaStella: 108 G, 438 PA, 16 doubles, 20 HR, 35 BB, 35 K, .289/.353/.483/.836, 2.3 bWAR

That's a lot of really solid offensive production that Eppler acquired, and it cost us nothing more than a AA lefty reliever who appears to be out of baseball.

• Dylan Bundy: 7 GS, 44 IP, 2.47 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 1.4 bWAR - acquired for four relatively modest pitching prospects
• Felix Pena: 54 G, 24 GS, 205 IP, 4.21 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 2.2 bWAR - cost nothing
• Noe Ramirez: 144 G, 173 IP, 4.11 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 1.7 bWAR - cost nothing
• Jacob Barnes, Hoby Milner, and Mike Mayers all have decent peripherals too. Cost nothing.
• Luis Rengifo, Ty Buttrey and Patrick Sandoval brought in for fairly mediocre expiring vets.
• And now Packy Naughton, Gerardo Reyes, and Franklin Barreto are all added to the mix. 

It's really aggravating because you can see that Eppler does have a knack for finding some good value, even some reasonably solid production, without basically spending anything. 
If he could only get free agents right and surrender some actual prospect value for some proven MLB-ready impact, he could be a hell of a GM. 

Interesting to see if he gets a shot here next year. 

 

[The Ghost of Bob Starr]

More years of fire sales ahead.  Get your marshmallows Angel fans.