Ohtani: "...like the team. Love the fans...but more than that, I want to win. I'll leave it at that."

[AngelsLakersFan]

Just now, Ace-Of-Diamonds said:

With Trout, Rendon, Walsh, Marsh, and Adell plus Shohei as the DH we should have plenty of offense. Look we could have AS at every position and with a shit pitching staff we're going nowhere fast. Great pitching wins games. We could also look at Michael Stefanic...

I'm just saying, teams that are trying to win don't plan on playing a AAAA player at short stop.

[Lhalo]

5 minutes ago, AngelsLakersFan said:

The goddamn plane has crashed into the mountain!

[m0nkey]

Angels career over

[tdawg87]

Mexican Walt Disney needs to pony the fuck up.

[eligrba]

The Onion nailed it in 2018.

 

Ohtani Regrets Not Researching Which Teams Were Good Before Signing With the Angels

[UndertheHalo]

[AngelsLakersFan]

7 minutes ago, UndertheHalo said:

We haven't burned our kids up in a fire just yet. There's still hope!

[UndertheHalo]

3 minutes ago, AngelsLakersFan said:

We haven't burned our kids up in a fire just yet. There's still hope!

You’re right.  One more year before it’s exactly the same ! 

[AngelsLakersFan]

1 minute ago, UndertheHalo said:

You’re right.  One more year before it’s exactly the same ! 

[Junkballer]

This isn't going to be news to the front office, and it won't motivate Arte to spend over the internal self-imposed cap.  This was a placeholder year for Minasian no matter what, so that he could evaluate who he had in Marsh, Adell, Sandoval, Suarez, Barria, the rest of the farm.  Also to vet Walsh and Stassi after the COVID year and see what a healthy Ohtani really brought to the table.  Sure, had they been better positioned at the trade deadline we would have seen some additional help acquired, but I doubt that significant prospect capital would have been expended.  They won't be all-in this off-season either and the internal cap will remain. 

I am guessing here, but I doubt Minasian would go to Arte to ask for permission to exceed the internal cap until the team establishes themselves as capable of making the playoffs.  In my opinion an organization like the Angels (that doesn't have an unlimited budget like one other team) shouldn't ever exceed the cap in order to make the playoffs, but only to span that difference between a marginal playoff team and a true championship contender.  I'm sure Minasian is more concerned with getting the Angels into that marginal playoff team level more than the implications of Ohtani's comments were, being that his continued employment will depend on that, and if they do establishes himself, the Ohtani question will resolve itself.

 

[Ace-Of-Diamonds]

23 minutes ago, AngelsLakersFan said:

I'm just saying, teams that are trying to win don't plan on playing a AAAA player at short stop.

If you had to chose between a top SS @ $15-20M, at scrimp on getting 1 top tier pitcher and a #3 or scrimp on SS and get 2 quality pitchers and sign Iglesias, which would you chose? The Angels have $110M tied up in Trout, Rendon, Upton, Fletcher, and Shohei before we even start talking about adding pitching and/or a SS.

[jsnpritchett]

5 minutes ago, Ace-Of-Diamonds said:

If you had to chose between a top SS @ $15-20M, at scrimp on getting 1 top tier pitcher and a #3 or scrimp on SS and get 2 quality pitchers and sign Iglesias, which would you chose? The Angels have $110M tied up in Trout, Rendon, Upton, Fletcher, and Shohei before we even start talking about adding pitching and/or a SS.

Of the top-tier free agent SS, Semien is probably the cheapest, and he'll likely get well over $20M a year.

[Angel Oracle]

Only MLB team to be below .500 each of the past 6 seasons, that’s all that needs to be said.

[Taylor]

2 minutes ago, Angel Oracle said:

Only MLB team to be below .500 each of the past 6 seasons, that’s all that needs to be said.

That's an insanely sad statistic. 

[T.G.]

8 minutes ago, Angel Oracle said:

Only MLB team to be below .500 each of the past 6 seasons, that’s all that needs to be said.

And you've said it a million times.

[Docwaukee]

6 minutes ago, Taylor said:

That's an insanely sad statistic. 

I wonder what our payroll is vs. the other teams that have a similar winning pct over the last 6 years?

 

[AngelsLakersFan]

29 minutes ago, Ace-Of-Diamonds said:

If you had to chose between a top SS @ $15-20M, at scrimp on getting 1 top tier pitcher and a #3 or scrimp on SS and get 2 quality pitchers and sign Iglesias, which would you chose? The Angels have $110M tied up in Trout, Rendon, Upton, Fletcher, and Shohei before we even start talking about adding pitching and/or a SS.

Im not asking for a top tier shortstop, just someone better and more reliable than Rengifo.

[Ace-Of-Diamonds]

37 minutes ago, Junkballer said:

This isn't going to be news to the front office, and it won't motivate Arte to spend over the internal self-imposed cap.  This was a placeholder year for Minasian no matter what, so that he could evaluate who he had in Marsh, Adell, Sandoval, Suarez, Barria, the rest of the farm.  Also to vet Walsh and Stassi after the COVID year and see what a healthy Ohtani really brought to the table.  Sure, had they been better positioned at the trade deadline we would have seen some additional help acquired, but I doubt that significant prospect capital would have been expended.  They won't be all-in this off-season either and the internal cap will remain. 

The best realistic scenario IMO will be that they obtain a 1b starter, re-sign Cobb or similar, trade for a SS (1-2 year bridge until Paris/Vera), re-sign R Iglesias, get two new BP arms and rely on in-org up and comers to fill out the bullpen.  Gosselin is controlled next season (arb3) and they will have to make a decision whether to re-sign Lagares.

I am guessing here, but I doubt Minasian would go to Arte to ask for permission to exceed the internal cap until the team establishes themselves as capable of making the playoffs.  In my opinion an organization like the Angels (that doesn't have an unlimited budget like one other team) shouldn't ever exceed the cap in order to make the playoffs, but only to span that difference between a marginal playoff team and a true championship contender.  I'm sure Minasian is more concerned with getting the Angels into that marginal playoff team level more than the implications of Ohtani's comments were, being that his continued employment will depend on that, and if they do establishes himself, the Ohtani question will resolve itself.

 

what comes first making the playoffs before getting a better rotation, or getting a better rotation in order to make the playoffs. It seems obvious to me.

[jsnpritchett]

 

 

[Stradling]

After seeing what I’ve seen offensively from Fletcher this year I wouldn’t be surprised if Rengifo outperforms him with the bat next year. 

[Ace-Of-Diamonds]

51 minutes ago, jsnpritchett said:

Of the top-tier free agent SS, Semien is probably the cheapest, and he'll likely get well over $20M a year.

I could see $20M being better spent on pitching.

[Ace-Of-Diamonds]

29 minutes ago, AngelsLakersFan said:

Im not asking for a top tier shortstop, just someone better and more reliable than Rengifo.

Such as. Iglesias was not any better.

[jsnpritchett]

7 minutes ago, Ace-Of-Diamonds said:

I could see $20M being better spent on pitching.

I don't disagree. My point was simply that there aren't any good free agent SS in the $15-20M range.

[Junkballer]

29 minutes ago, Ace-Of-Diamonds said:

what comes first making the playoffs before getting a better rotation, or getting a better rotation in order to make the playoffs. It seems obvious to me.

That seems like a false dilemma and not at all successive to my post.  Of course, the answer is yes to both, improve the rotation to make the playoffs and improve it more to span the gap to championship contender.  In those two distinct scenarios making a decision to go over the internal or luxury tax thresholds are entirely different, at least in my view.  There is no reason they can't improve the rotation (and fill out the roster gaps) to make the playoffs without exceeding their cap.   I'm dealing with their cap as a reality.  I  would prefer that they adopt the competitive balance tax threshold as their cap, at least until they establish themselves as a solid playoff team, but that isn't the reality.

[Ace-Of-Diamonds]

22 minutes ago, jsnpritchett said:

I don't disagree. My point was simply that there aren't any good free agent SS in the $15-20M range.

Exactly so why bother signing one at all. The first post l responded to wanted to sign Corey Seager and Scherzer. Even if, and it's a huge if, we get Scherzer we would need another top starter. As much as I would love to sign Semien, or any of the other top SS I just don't see it happening. I just wouldn't sign a SS until we get our rotation settled. we have plenty of #4 and #5 pitchers, maybe we could move some of them to boost the pen.

Edited September 27, 2021 by Ace-Of-Diamonds