It's the General Managers job to build a winner....

[VariousCrap]

The pitching staff, even on paper, is not a winner.

 

 

This is 100% true.  Going into this season, anybody who thought this team was a lock for the playoffs with three #5's in the starting rotation was a complete tool.

 

On paper, this team looked competitive due to the potential of the offense, but the pitching was average at best.

[HBMike]

But we were picked to make the playoffs in 2010-2011-2012 also so what has changed? We are in a deeper hole than any of the Reagins years. Finacially, on the field and in the standings. My point is that Dipoto's magic wand is not working like it was touted to work. He was called the stealth JeDi genius. Hamilton, Blanton, Madson, Burnett, Hanson and Lowe? Really? Why is it now that the players get the blame (rightly so) while Dipoto is the GM while Reagins got torched for the same situation. They both made bad decisions.

My theory; Iannetta gets excused for his poor play because everyone hated Mathis. Dipoto gets excused for his poor decision making because everyone hated Reagins.

We might have been picked by some, but 2010 the Angels lost Vlad, Figgy and Lackey along with the fact Kendrys broke his ankle.  Who picked us in 2011, the Rangers had a better team, I assume they were counting Kendrys coming back and that didn't happen. I will say 20012 the Angels should have made the playoffs.

 

Just looked this up, doesn't look like we were picked to the playoffs except for a few in 2011. 

 

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/preview/2011/news/story?page=11expertpicks

[Ohtaniland]

We might have been picked by some, but 2010 the Angels lost Vlad, Figgy and Lackey along with the fact Kendrys broke his ankle.  Who picked us in 2011, the Rangers had a better team, I assume they were counting Kendrys coming back and that didn't happen. I will say 20012 the Angels should have made the playoffs.

 

We might have been picked by some, but 2010 the Angels lost Vlad, Figgy and Lackey along with the fact Kendrys broke his ankle.  Who picked us in 2011, the Rangers had a better team, I assume they were counting Kendrys coming back and that didn't happen. I will say 20012 the Angels should have made the playoffs.

 

2010 http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/baseball/mlb/03/29/expert.picks/index.html

 

In 2010 we lost Morales in late May. On June 15th 2010 we were 36-32, in 2nd place and only 2 games back. Not 29-38, in 4th place and 11 games back.

[EE_]

Letting Haren and Hunter go look like good decisions.

Haren has been atrocious for Wash. (5.70 ERA). Picking up his option at $15.5M would have been dumb.

 

Hunter started hot but had a .655 OPS in May and a .494 OPS so far in June. Two more home runs on the season than Reggie Willits. He will likely turn it around some but $26M isn't cheap either.

 

Both Vargas and Morales have been good but the Angels needed pitching more than another DH type. Especially if those at-bats came at the expense of Trumbo. Good trade.

 

None of those moves absolve the terrible Hamilton signing.

[HBMike]

2010 http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/baseball/mlb/03/29/expert.picks/index.html

 

In 2010 we lost Morales in late May. On June 15th 2010 we were 36-32, in 2nd place and only 2 games back. Not 29-38, in 4th place and 11 games back.

Yeah, wasn't my point. 

[Docwaukee]

No one could argue that the way the SP was constructed would strike fear in opposing teams.  Fielding a rotation with a top four being all-star caliber was totally unrealistic considering the starting point.  Again, you can't blame JD for injuries or a lack of SP depth.  Getting Hanson and Vargas were nice additions and Weaver and Hanson losing starts for guys like Enright et al was out of his control.  As noted, his major misstep was Blanton, but a fully healthy rotation of Weaver, Wilson, Vargas, Hanson, Blanton would have been good enough to complement a supposed high powered offense.  A middle of the pack rotation that started with Weaver and Wilson and ZERO minor league possibilities is about all you could expect.  If not for injury, they'd be there even with Blanton sucking.  If he get's a legit #4 instead of Blanton, then I would be fairly pleased. 

 

Are the Hamilton and Pujols contracts good ones?  No. 

Were those players capable keeping the team in contention in the short term ie at least the first three years of those deals?  Absolutely, and that was the goal. 

Four to five years from the beginning of the Pujols contract?  They were expecting to have reloaded the farm by then. 

 

If the farm system still sucks in 2016/2017 and the supposed albatross portion of the Pujols and Hamilton contracts kick in, then I would say JD didn't properly move the team in the right direction.  This early in those contracts?  That is on the players.  Especially Hamilton. 

[Brent Maguire]

No one could argue that the way the SP was constructed would strike fear in opposing teams.  Fielding a rotation with a top four being all-star caliber was totally unrealistic considering the starting point.  Again, you can't blame JD for injuries or a lack of SP depth.  Getting Hanson and Vargas were nice additions and Weaver and Hanson losing starts for guys like Enright et al was out of his control.  As noted, his major misstep was Blanton, but a fully healthy rotation of Weaver, Wilson, Vargas, Hanson, Blanton would have been good enough to complement a supposed high powered offense.  A middle of the pack rotation that started with Weaver and Wilson and ZERO minor league possibilities is about all you could expect.  If not for injury, they'd be there even with Blanton sucking.  If he get's a legit #4 instead of Blanton, then I would be fairly pleased. 

 

Are the Hamilton and Pujols contracts good ones?  No. 

Were those players capable keeping the team in contention in the short term ie at least the first three years of those deals?  Absolutely, and that was the goal. 

Four to five years from the beginning of the Pujols contract?  They were expecting to have reloaded the farm by then. 

 

If the farm system still sucks in 2016/2017 and the supposed albatross portion of the Pujols and Hamilton contracts kick in, then I would say JD didn't properly move the team in the right direction.  This early in those contracts?  That is on the players.  Especially Hamilton. 

Well said Doc.

[YouthofToday]

Hamilton and the Albert Pujols were all Arte.

[Docwaukee]

Hamilton and the Albert Pujols were all Arte.

Even if they weren't totally, how could a GM expect that either of those guys would be performing at the level they are this early in the contracts. 

[Ohtaniland]

Well if Arte made those deals and then told Dipoto that he has three dollars left to fix the rest of the team, then the Angels GM position is dysfunctionally useless and controls nothing.

[Lifetime]

Hamilton and the Albert Pujols were all Arte.

No they weren't. 

[mulwin444]

No they weren't. 

Nah, he's got facts...just can't show us, of course.

[RePLAY]

When everyone and thier mom thinks the Angels are going to the World Series with this line up, you dont blame the GM.

[austin724]

Vlad didn't suck and neither did Hunter.