Jason Vargas: Sign to an extension or trade for prospects?

[Angel Oracle]

This org needs to do something it's never, eeeever done since 1961.

They need to strike a balance between developing prospects and making strategic trades. 

 

It sounds simple, but has this org truly ever gone down that path?

It always seems to be either all in on prospects and no trades, or all in on using prospects to trade for established veterans.

 

And because GOOD lefty pitching prospects are harder to come by, that does NOT include trading TWO of them for one veteran.

[Agalloch]

Keep! He's an above average lefty and if we can sign someone else in the offseason we'll have a solid rotation.

[Torridd]

Someone may have already said this but why not trade him and then resign him as a free agent? **** Edit: IP did say this ****

 

Best of both worlds if we get him at a fair price? He did go to Long Beach State so I have to imagine he probably likes the area?

Don't like the odds of that, ettin. I'd be reluctant to sign with a team that traded me unless I had no choice and he'll have choices.

[Mark68]

Mark, you are acting like we would release Vargas. Like I said, we would probably get a starter or 2 that are close to the big leagues.

I doubt that very much. Vargas is not Greinke, and we gave up a couple prospects that may or may not ever be productive major leaguers and one who figured to be a good player (but not as good as he's been).

[eaterfan]

Keep! He's an above average lefty and if we can sign someone else in the offseason we'll have a solid rotation.

This team is on pace for 71 wins. Who can we sign in the offseason that will get us to 90 and a playoff spot.? Who can we sign to get us to 80 so if we catch a few breaks maybe we hit 90 wins and make the playoffs?

[eaterfan]

I doubt that very much. Vargas is not Greinke, and we gave up a couple prospects that may or may not ever be productive major leaguers and one who figured to be a good player (but not as good as he's been).

Greinke also had a more limited market. Teams knew he was going to cost about $20 million for 5 years. Teams that couldn't afford that weren't going to trade for him. Vargas could be signed by a much larger number of teams. Although that cuts both ways because potential trade partners will have more competition to sign him as a FA.

[ettin]

Don't like the odds of that, ettin. I'd be reluctant to sign with a team that traded me unless I had no choice and he'll have choices.

 

Maybe you're right but I don't see why we couldn't simply explain it to him up front? "Hey Jason we're gonna trade you for a prospect or two but we'd love to resign you in the offseason?"

 

In the end it's the front office having some sort of conversation with Vargas about what he would like.

[Jimmag]

I think he is worthy of an extension. Heck, with the way Weaver has pitched lately he may be our ace.

[austin724]

Definitely extend him. He has pitched well so far. 

[gotbeer]

Right but signing someone like Vargas at possibly 10M or more per year for multiple years is still a pretty big move.  From what I can find they have 135M committed next year to 11 players (includes what they're paying Vernon) which is before addressing players in arbitration.  Putting out a high payroll team that doesn't quite compete year after year just delays the inevitable which is that at some point all teams have to rebuild. 

 

$144 million so far for 2014.

 

http://www.angelswin-forum.com/forums/topic/1169-estimated-opening-day-salaries/

[Inside Pitch]

Only in Angel land is a well above league average 2B (Career OPS+ 108) signed to a team friendly deal considered expendable and a barely above league average (career ERA+ 91) SP someone you build around.

 

Jason Vargas is a middle to back end of the rotation guy.  If this team is tanking at the deadline, and someone is offering real value, tell him thanks, tell him you would really like to re-sign him, but you try to make the team better and trade him, particularly if the team still intends to roll Blanton out and has Williams in the pen.

 

Weaver and Vargas are supposedly close, his family is nearby..   He may love it somewhere else, he may like his family, being close to home and playing with a college teammate.

 

He might even like playing for a team better than the one he's currently playing for.

[YouthofToday]

Such things depend on return and terms of the contract. Impossible to have an opinion without these known unknowns.

[Mark68]

Such things depend on return and terms of the contract. Impossible to have an opinion without these known unknowns.

Donald Rumsfeld approves of this.

[Ohtaniland]

No more multi-year deals please! I would rather see a new team every year than watch a bunch of overpaid under-performing guaranteed contracts take the field.

[Mark68]

No more multi-year deals please! I would rather see a new team every year than watch a bunch of overpaid under-performing guaranteed contracts take the field.

This is just not realistic.

 

Of course, you HAVE to sign players to multi-year deals if you want someone to play for you. Unless you have enough on the farm to keep replenishing the team every year, which this team does not have nor will it have for the next few years.

[Ohtaniland]

Nope. The only multi-year deals that should be given out are to players that are 28 years old or less and only 2-4 years max. Look up the Oakland A's payroll. They have only 2 players (Crisp 33 & Nakajima 30) tied up in multi-year contracts in their 30's and both deals are very affordable. That team makes good payroll decisions. The 3-year $30 million deal mentioned for Vargas would make him the highest paid player on the A's.

[WallyWorld]

extend him.  Team's biggest need by far is SP, and he's a pretty good 3-4 guy, and should be relatively cheap.  If there were multiple guys in the minors ready to break through in the next 1-2 years I'd say trade him, but from what I can tell the farm system is pretty barren.

[AngelsLakersFan]

Nope. The only multi-year deals that should be given out are to players that are 28 years old or less and only 2-4 years max. Look up the Oakland A's payroll. They have only 2 players (Crisp 33 & Nakajima 30) tied up in multi-year contracts in their 30's and both deals are very affordable. That team makes good payroll decisions. The 3-year $30 million deal mentioned for Vargas would make him the highest paid player on the A's.

 

If we're going to play the A's game, we are going to lose.

[Tank]

With the lack of quality pitching on the roster these days, you keep a guy like Vargas, especially since there really isn't anyone on the farm ready to take his place.

[Ohtaniland]

If we're going to play the A's game, we are going to lose.

 

Angels management just needs to more responsible about these multi-year deals. They need to stop signing players to deals that take them into their mid 30's.......or 40's.

[disarcina]

The Vargas for Morales deal has worked out well for both teams.

 

Vargas has pitched well and has been all that more important for the Halos this year because of injuries to Weaver and partial implosion by the rest of the rotation.

 

Our two best starters so far in 2014 seem to be Vargas and Jerome Williams -- of course, Weaver has been on the DL and now having some issues with mechanics, apparently.

 

So Vargas has met expectations and then some this year for us.

 

But I say trade him. Look, we're not going to make the playoffs, we've gotten our value out of Vargas - he may not be able to repeat this year's success the second half of this season let alone next season......let's trade him to a contender that needs a rotation guy now and get some prospects.........might be able to go for fairly decent price (No, not as much as we traded away for Greinke) to the right buyer....everyone needs pitching -- Yankees still in it - they need pitching......who do they have in their system?

 

We need to rebuild our minor league system now -- let's start rather than hold on to a guy who likely won't sign with us next year because he'll want a lot more because of the season's he's had and we won't pay it (which is ok by me).

[Count Orlok]

Trade everybody. Have a fire sale.

[Air Trout]

If they can extended him for a fair price then do so if not then flip em for SP prospects

[ScottT]

See what you can get.  Depends on the return.  You may be able to get more in a Vargas trade than a Kendrick trade.  Despite the pending free agency.  He's valuable, but nothing you can't replace.   

[19HALO71]

Not sure why anyone would want to trade away a solid 2/3 starting pitcher for a prospect or a bullpen arm. Especially since it seems that JV is really enjoying his time here. He may be had for a reasonable price. You have to ask yourself, Are we one prospect or a bullpen arm away from everything changing? I think not!