Official 2021-22 Hot Stove League Thread.

[ten ocho recon scout]

Just now, Second Base said:

Replacing a bad player with a good player improves the team, but it doesn't add to depth. I think the team needs depth and quality and I think the loves they've made so far solve the depth issues. And as for quality, it's a gamble.

I will say this, Syndergaard and Lorenzen have the POTENTIAL to be great than the players they're replacing. 

Im kind of excited for Syndegaard. No idea how he'll do, but I assume we'll see a handful of dominant starts.

Lorenzen Im not expecting anything out of. Seen too many of these signings. I hope he does well, but he's never been a starter. Has only thrown 100 innings one time. Hope hes another Cobb, but I think its way too risky to expect him to be a plus.

Again, hope Im wrong

[Jeff Fletcher]

2 minutes ago, Hubs said:

They can still discuss trades, cuz who would know? They just can't discuss them with players or finalize anything.

I'm pretty sure they can't. But if you're going with the "it's OK if no one finds out" policy, then all sorts of things could be OK.

[Dtwncbad]

2 minutes ago, angelsnationtalk said:

"Time is on their side". What a joke. Players can't workout at team facilites and some players are still without contracts. If the lockout extends into February then everything else gets pushed back with it.

Great 4 months of Heyman tweeting “Sides said to be engaged in talks.”

[Second Base]

16 minutes ago, Chuckster70 said:

There's no question the Angels are banking on a few things, aside from adding Loup, Syndergaard, Lorenzen, Iglesias. 

Mike Trout and Anthony Rendonn being fully healthy and play a good majority of the games. 

Continued progress and solid returns from Brandon Marsh, Jo Adell, Patrick Sandoval, Jose Suarez and Jamie Barria. 

Fletcher had a down year. Hoping he rebounds. 

Griffin Canning's return.

Time logged and experience from Reid Detmers.

The majority of their improvement needs to come from within. 

Where have we heard that before? 

And frankly, I believe it's a cop out. The belief that the team as constructed is already good enough, you just need to be healthier. I think it's an excuse that holds no water. 

The Angels need to improve. 

They won 77 games last year but their expected win total was 73 games, which suggests they were actually fortunate to win as many games as they did. But even if we can add 8 wins from Trout being healthy, add 5 more from Rendon, your still only looking at an expected win total of 86 games, STILL NOT A PLAYOFF TEAM. 

And yeah, maybe Adell, Marsh, Fletcher and Detmers improve. Maybe they're a 90 win team after that, but that also means no single player on the team can be any worse than they were last year, on top of which, 90 wins still doesn't get you into the playoffs. 

If you want to be a playoff team, expect to need to win 95 games, and even if everything goes right for the Angels they still aren't there, not even with Syndergaard. They need to replace a back end starter with another top end starter like Stroman, and probably one more good reliever.

After that, then I'd say there's a decent chance this is a playoff team. 

Edited December 1, 2021 by Second Base

[mmc]

 

[Inside Pitch]

2 hours ago, Dtwncbad said:

John Olerud says hi.

Everyone knows he wore a helmet and why .... but I missed him wearing shin guards, A chest protector, and a catchers mask.   

[Dtwncbad]

1 minute ago, Jeff Fletcher said:

I'm pretty sure they can't. But if you're going with the "it's OK if no one finds out" policy, then all sorts of things could be OK.

Jeff, I don’t see why teams can’t talk to other teams (trade talks).

That would be like saying the players can’t talk to each other.

Seems like teams wouldn’t be able to engage with players during that time.  Even if it was allowed it wouldn’t be productive anyway not knowing the new rules.  That “teams not talking to players” restriction makes sense.

But I can’t see why teams could not talk to each other about trades—not that they could actually consummate the trade obviously.  But discussions?

[Inside Pitch]

1 hour ago, Stradling said:

I do wonder what your posts will look like when the organization turns it around. 

First they need to turn it around.  

[Angelsfan1984]

5 minutes ago, Dtwncbad said:

Great 4 months of Heyman tweeting “Sides said to be engaged in talks.”

According to sources, There are possibly things happening between 2 potential parties at an unknown location during an undisclosed time. 
 

post script…I will provide my picks for the hall of fame since I am abundantly qualified to provide professional opinions about peoples careers 

[Inside Pitch]

1 hour ago, EdmontonAngelsFan said:

Blast from the past alert!

 

"He just needs a few more at bats" -- unnamed rival executive.

[mmc]

So do you guys expect another move for us before the lockout?

[Angelsfan1984]

1 minute ago, Inside Pitch said:

"He just needs a few more at bats" -- unnamed rival executive.

Let me guess. East coast media will note this as a savvy move by a well run franchise. 

[tdawg87]

I would have lol'd so hard if Baldoquin was signed by Seattle.

[ten ocho recon scout]

4 minutes ago, Inside Pitch said:

First they need to turn it around.  

"We f*ckin need them to mooooore, than ever"

 

[Angelsfan1984]

Just now, tdawg87 said:

I would have lol'd so hard if Baldoquin was signed by Seattle.

Don’t tempt dipoto. I’m sure he’s on the phone right now working up a deal

[angelsnationtalk]

2 minutes ago, mmc said:

So do you guys expect another move for us before the lockout?

Pujols

[Dtwncbad]

2 minutes ago, mmc said:

So do you guys expect another move for us before the lockout?

Maybe a little more movement, yeah.

[Second Base]

9 minutes ago, ten ocho recon scout said:

Im kind of excited for Syndegaard. No idea how he'll do, but I assume we'll see a handful of dominant starts.

Lorenzen Im not expecting anything out of. Seen too many of these signings. I hope he does well, but he's never been a starter. Has only thrown 100 innings one time. Hope hes another Cobb, but I think its way too risky to expect him to be a plus.

Again, hope Im wrong

I'm an optimist by nature, typically. I believe the Angels identified something with Syndergaard and I believe he's fully healthy, so I'm expected him to be a mid or top of the rotation starter. And I think Lorenzen profiles better as a starter than he did as a reliever, but even then, he's still a back end starter. Personally I would've signed him as a reliever, because this bullpen needs him. 

But what I'm not personally optimistic if, is Ohtani replicating his 2021 season. That was one for the record books and it's hard to predict that happening every year. If he gets hurt, this team is in trouble, even if Trout and Rendon are healthy. 

They need another front end starter, they need Ohtani, Rendon, Trout and Sandoval healthy, they need breakouts from Adell and Marsh, and a return to form from Fletcher.

This just isn't a playoff team right now. Not yet. 

[Vlad27Trout27]

On a side note.. Arte and Perry have a few years to not fuck this up! 

 

[mmc]

 

[Dtwncbad]

4 minutes ago, Inside Pitch said:

"He just needs a few more at bats" -- unnamed rival executive.

I am still waiting for an update on Taylor Ward from Roberto Blake Baldoquin.

[Second Base]

4 minutes ago, mmc said:

So do you guys expect another move for us before the lockout?

No. I expect it will be a long, frustrating winter. 

[Dtwncbad]

Just now, Vlad27Trout27 said:

On a side note.. Arte and Perry have a few years to not fuck this up! 

 

So 5% of his kids are ballers?  Cool.

[Jeff Fletcher]

6 minutes ago, Dtwncbad said:

Jeff, I don’t see why teams can’t talk to other teams (trade talks).

That would be like saying the players can’t talk to each other.

Seems like teams wouldn’t be able to engage with players during that time.  Even if it was allowed it wouldn’t be productive anyway not knowing the new rules.  That “teams not talking to players” restriction makes sense.

But I can’t see why teams could not talk to each other about trades—not that they could actually consummate the trade obviously.  But discussions?

I'll doublecheck. 

[Second Base]

2 minutes ago, Vlad27Trout27 said:

On a side note.. Arte and Perry have a few years to not fuck this up! 

 

Hold up, that's a 15 year old? My sophomores don't look like that.