Is Jared Walsh the answer for 1B?

[Angels 1961]

50 minutes ago, Stradling said:

The only thing I’ve read is Walsh saying he hasn’t pitched this year due to a shoulder issue but that he’d still like to try pitching next year. 

Stay away from the mound your career is at 1B.

[Warfarin]

17 minutes ago, DMVol said:

If Pujols is still in the lineup next year, I think it would tell you a lot about the commitment to winning in 2021.....not bashing Pujols, he gets enough of that and doesn’t deserve a lot of it....but to continue to play any 40+ year old long past his prime, Pujols or anybody else, for wrongheaded reasons that deprive the team of a younger, better bat in the lineup, doesn’t show commitment to winning....sometimes commitment isn’t about spending money...Arte has done plenty of that....it’s about making a tough call....and sitting a Hall of Famer is a tough call....but it needs to happen...

I hear you and I agree.

Ideally, he’d just agree to retire and move on.  We save the 24mil cap hit and sign Bauer with that money.  With the rest of our remaining money, we can either sign a solid mid-rotation SP like Gausman or re-sign Simba.

That’d be great, but no one walks away from that kind of money, and I don’t think Arte would approve Eppler (or whoever the GM is) to release him

[Warfarin]

2 minutes ago, Angels 1961 said:

Stay away from the mound your career is at 1B.

Given that Walsh mainly projects as a mop-up duty reliever, yeah - I’d just have him focus on his offense and defense.  Forget pitching.  

[kevinb]

Walsh needs to start every day if not everyday every other with Thaiss playing the opposite. Pujols is not the answer and we need to figure out if either of those two guys are the answer for the future. Plain and simple. I like what we are seeing from Walsh lately. It brings hope that we may have an above average first baseman for the first time in 8 years. 
 

random question? Who drafted Walsh? Thaiss? Ward?

[Second Base]

Just a guess on my part, but Maddon has definitely shown an affinity for Swiss army knife players, and that seems to fit the Angels current depth. So I don't think the Angels will have a set 1B in the future. 

Walsh will get some time there, and occasional appearances on the mound. Marsh will play there too, as well as the OF. Ohtani should resume two-way duty, but is going to need to earn those DH at bats, as he's underperformed and there are too many replacements knocking on the door. Ward and Thaiss will both play 1B, corner outfield, third base and catcher.

[Stradling]

4 minutes ago, Kevinb said:

Walsh needs to start every day if not everyday every other with Thaiss playing the opposite. Pujols is not the answer and we need to figure out if either of those two guys are the answer for the future. Plain and simple. I like what we are seeing from Walsh lately. It brings hope that we may have an above average first baseman for the first time in 8 years. 
 

random question? Who drafted Walsh? Thaiss? Ward?

Dipoto, Eppler, Dipoto

[DMVol]

40 minutes ago, Warfarin said:

I hear you and I agree.

Ideally, he’d just agree to retire and move on.  We save the 24mil cap hit and sign Bauer with that money.  With the rest of our remaining money, we can either sign a solid mid-rotation SP like Gausman or re-sign Simba.

That’d be great, but no one walks away from that kind of money, and I don’t think Arte would approve Eppler (or whoever the GM is) to release him

Been over and over this....he’s not going to retire and walk away from the money....that is not what I said.....we are stuck with his salary...you take the hit but do not feel obligated to play him....that is the tough call....

[kevinb]

10 hours ago, Angelsjunky said:

.705 SLG. Only 48 PA, but still. I'd like to see him take some walks, though.

With a 705 slg I don’t care if he ever walks  

[kevinb]

2 minutes ago, Stradling said:

Dipoto, Eppler, Dipoto

Thanks sir. 

[Warfarin]

4 minutes ago, DMVol said:

Been over and over this....he’s not going to retire and walk away from the money....that is not what I said.....we are stuck with his salary...you take the hit but do not feel obligated to play him....that is the tough call....

I know.  But I'm saying I think the decision to retain him comes from up top.  I'm sure if it was totally Eppler's call, he likely would have already released him.

So, given:

A.  He won't retire on his own

B.  Arte won't approve of his release

It is likely he will be here next year, too.

[Chuck]

9 hours ago, Stradling said:

Thaiss is probably just as good as Walsh and he is two years younger.

Minor League numbers.

Walsh: .301/.375/.538/ for an .913 OPS with 85 HR (400+ games)

Thaiss: .279/.363/.445/ for an .808 OPS with 45 HR (400+ games)

[Stradling]

4 minutes ago, Chuckster70 said:

Minor League numbers.

Walsh: .301/.375/.538/ for an .913 OPS with 85 HR (400+ games)

Thaiss: .279/.363/.445/ for an .808 OPS with 45 HR (400+ games)

Yep and Thaiss is two years younger.  

[stormngt]

1 hour ago, DMVol said:

If Pujols is still in the lineup next year, I think it would tell you a lot about the commitment to winning in 2021.....not bashing Pujols, he gets enough of that and doesn’t deserve a lot of it....but to continue to play any 40+ year old long past his prime, Pujols or anybody else, for wrongheaded reasons that deprive the team of a younger, better bat in the lineup, doesn’t show commitment to winning....sometimes commitment isn’t about spending money...Arte has done plenty of that....it’s about making a tough call....and sitting a Hall of Famer is a tough call....but it needs to happen...

Most of the time Pujols isn't in the lineup this year.  He is now a reserve player.

Edited September 13, 2020 by stormngt

[Warfarin]

4 minutes ago, Chuckster70 said:

Minor League numbers.

Walsh: .301/.375/.538/ for an .913 OPS with 85 HR (400+ games)

Thaiss: .279/.363/.445/ for an .808 OPS with 45 HR (400+ games)

Yeah.  Thaiss always seemed like a "safer" choice to succeed while Walsh was more boom or bust, in the sense that Thaiss has better bat control / less prone to Ks.  The key for Walsh was going to be whether or not he could keep his Ks low enough to be legit, as the power was always there for him.

So far, he's shown some solid growth.  He needs to improve his plate discipline and walk more, but his Ks have been under control, and the power is definitely manifesting.  I'm optimistic about him in the future, in terms of at least being an average to above average first baseman.  On a team with star talent (Trout, Rendon, kinda Fletcher), we just need to occupy other positions with average to above average talent, and avoid black hole-esque type production (i.e. Upton for most of this year, Adell, etc).

[Chuck]

1 minute ago, Stradling said:

Yep and Thaiss is two years younger.  

I think he may have trade value since he can play 3B and 1B, but I'm not sure he's going to outpace Walsh at this point for playing time and I don't really see how he fits into our plans with Rendon at 3B. 

Thaiss and Wilson were real head scratchers for first round selections under Eppler's watch. 

[Stradling]

1 minute ago, Chuckster70 said:

I think he may have trade value since he can play 3B and 1B, but I'm not sure he's going to outpace Walsh at this point for playing time and I don't really see how he fits into our plans with Rendon at 3B. 

Thaiss and Wilson were real head scratchers for first round selections under Eppler's watch. 

Wasn’t there a story that came out that Thaiss was drafted as a safe pick/easy sign because they were going after a harder sign/over slot guy in the 2nd round?  

[Angelsjunky]

25 minutes ago, Kevinb said:

With a 705 slg I don’t care if he ever walks  

True, true. Though you jest, the obvious caveat is that it isn't sustainable. But I think something like .270/.330/.500 is, which will be a nice player to have.

[Warfarin]

3 minutes ago, Angelsjunky said:

True, true. Though you jest, the obvious caveat is that it isn't sustainable. But I think something like .270/.330/.500 is, which will be a nice player to have.

Absolutely.

If Walsh can produce like that, while being under team control and cheap, that’s a huge win for us.

If Ohtani can return to his 2018-2019 offensive form as well, that gives us two legit LHH, with a potential for a significant third if Marsh continues to develop 

[DMVol]

27 minutes ago, stormngt said:

Most of the time Pujols isn't in the lineup this year.  He is now a reserve player.

He has been a part time starter, probably started 35% of our games.....and he hasn’t been terrible....if they want to use him strictly as a bench guy, ok....but if we have a viable option to play every day at 1b....Walsh or Thaiss or even Ohtani...I don’t think it’s putting your best lineup out there to start a 41 year old guy 35% of the time....

[Inside Pitch]

It's awesome he's doing well, but PSA time...   It's been 44 PAs.

[Inside Pitch]

4 minutes ago, DMVol said:

He has been a part time starter, probably started 35% of our games.....and he hasn’t been terrible....if they want to use him strictly as a bench guy, ok....but if we have a viable option to play every day...Walsh or Thaiss or even Ohtani...I don’t think it’s putting your best lineup out there to start a 41 year old guy 35% of the time....

Agree with your general thoughts but the dude has been terrible.   It's really a sad state of affairs that AP has devolved to where we think he's not terrible when he's put up a 79 OPS+.   Upton's career worst start to the season has him at 78 OPS+ on the season and people were putting him in a pine box.   I will say this though, he's been better defensively than most of the guys they have put out there at 1B.

Thanksfully it seems Upton is okay, because getting rid of one horse needing to put out to pasture only to be shackled with another one..  ugh.

[Angelsjunky]

7 minutes ago, Inside Pitch said:

It's awesome he's doing well, but PSA time...   It's been 44 PAs.

48. Those +4 make all the difference.

But seriously, I think the excitement--however cautious--is understandable, seeing as 1B has been a big hole for years AND we've been waiting for one of the Mediocre Trio to show some life. Walsh finally is.

[DMVol]

3 minutes ago, Inside Pitch said:

Agree with your general thoughts but the dude has been terrible.   It's really a sad state of affairs that AP has devolved to where we think he's not terrible when he's put up a 79 OPS+.   Upton's career worst start to the season has him at 78 OPS+ on the season and people were putting him in a pine box.   I will say this though, he's been better defensively than most of the guys they have put out there at 1B.

Thanksfully it seems Upton is okay, because getting rid of one horse needing to put out to pasture only to be shackled with another one..  ugh.

He is solid defensively but his range is limited obviously.....I would rather have a more versatile bench guy but if he signs off to be strictly a bench guy next year, not a part time starter, I could live with it....I would doubt that he would sign off on that though....

[Warfarin]

2 minutes ago, Angelsjunky said:

48. Those +4 make all the difference.

But seriously, I think the excitement--however cautious--is understandable, seeing as 1B has been a big hole for years AND we've been waiting for one of the Mediocre Trio to show some life. Walsh finally is.

Yeah.  As he gets more PAs, it's reasonable to expect his SLG to go down but his BB rate to climb (based on his minor league career averages).

As was stated earlier, if he can be an 800-850 OPS-ish first basemen who earns the minimum for several years, that's a HUGE win for us, as it enables us to consider one hole plugged up (1B) while using money to attack other areas of weakness (SP, etc).

If Walsh can just be an average to above average first baseman, I will very happily take that outcome.

[Angel]

10 hours ago, Stradling said:

Thaiss is probably just as good as Walsh and he is two years younger.

So age makes up for that uncanny valley between a minor league professional and Major League Ballplayer? Who's to say Thaiss isn't infinitely far away from being an average MLB infielder.  Like a lunar probe originally destined for the Moon is now set course for the nearest star, it should only take 80,000 years or so.

Not once has Thaiss looked even remotely as confident or talented as Walsh has the last week.  Time is not on our side to wait around and hope to see it.