Props to Arte

[Docwaukee]

I've been very critical of him and my perception of how this franchise has been run for the last couple decades.   And maybe it's too little, too late, but payroll is up to 206m when he could have just stayed around the usual amount and walked with his 3bil.  Instead, he not only moved the top line up but he didn't do it on a big splash.  It seems he actually gave his gm control of the team.  They've added about 50m since they agreed with Ohtani and that could have gone to someone like Verlander instead of a bunch of very solid pieces to a lineup that certainly needed it.  So cheers.  

[BTH]

Agreed. Props to Arte.

For once, he's not only increasing the payroll by a sizeable chunk, but he's also giving his GM free reign to decide how to spend that payroll.

(what a novel concept, if only this was the case for the last 10+ years)

[Warfarin]

6 hours ago, Trendon said:

Agreed. Props to Arte.

For once, he's not only increasing the payroll by a sizeable chunk, but he's also giving his GM free reign to decide how to spend that payroll.

(what a novel concept, if only this was the case for the last 10+ years)

Agreed.  Makes you wonder what could have been.

Oh well.  Agree with @Docwaukee and yourself - Arte does deserve kudos.  He opened up his wallet to help the team despite being on his way out.

And while the BIG SPLASH is momentarily fun, it has led us to the same situation for so many years - stars and scrubs.  And when the stars get hurt / age / underperform, we have been left with tons of scrubs and losing teams.

This team is way deeper than any team in recent memory.  The offseason isn't finished yet, but it's getting there, and this team should at least be competitive.

[angelsnationtalk]

Props to Arte or props to the new owner? I don't think anything would have changed if Arte wasn't selling the team. 

Someone must be telling Arte you can do what you want if the sale is hopeful to be finalized Opening Day. 

Even if it is Arte, i'm still not happy. Where was this 5 years ago????

[Stradling]

1 minute ago, angelsnationtalk said:

Props to Arte or props to the new owner? I don't think anything would have changed if Arte wasn't selling the team. 

Someone must be telling Arte you can do what you want if the sale is hopeful to be finalized Opening Day. 

Even if it is Arte, i'm still not happy. Where was this 5 years ago????

Arte

[Warfarin]

1 hour ago, angelsnationtalk said:

Props to Arte or props to the new owner? I don't think anything would have changed if Arte wasn't selling the team. 

Someone must be telling Arte you can do what you want if the sale is hopeful to be finalized Opening Day. 

Even if it is Arte, i'm still not happy. Where was this 5 years ago????

It is okay to think Arte was a bad owner overall, while still giving him credit for a positive move.  This is where I am now - I don't think he was good for the franchise overall, but I do appreciate that he's spending money to improve the club now when he has no obligation to do so.

[angelsnationtalk]

3 minutes ago, Warfarin said:

It is okay to think Arte was a bad owner overall, while still giving him credit for a positive move.  This is where I am now - I don't think he was good for the franchise overall, but I do appreciate that he's spending money to improve the club now when he has no obligation to do so.

If the sale is approved before opening day then it's not his money they are using.
I still think a new owner is already lineup up and has approved the payroll increase.

[James]

2 minutes ago, Warfarin said:

It is okay to think Arte was a bad owner overall, while still giving him credit for a positive move.  This is where I am now - I don't think he was good for the franchise overall, but I do appreciate that he's spending money to improve the club now when he has no obligation to do so.

Yes, some are suggesting narratives in regard to why money is being spent the way it has this offseason that are more complicated in real time than just the narrative that Perry has been given more control to build the team with a certain monetary threshold from the current owner. Considering Arte is on the way out, it is much easier to reason that Arte would be willing to be a bit more hands off at this point yet allow money to be spent.  

[Warfarin]

4 minutes ago, angelsnationtalk said:

If the sale is approved before opening day then it's not his money they are using.
I still think a new owner is already lineup up and has approved the payroll increase.

It seems like this is not the case, from the various anecdotes out there.  It sounds like there are still multiple bidders and the process is ongoing.

While the sale seems like it should be completed, it is not guaranteed, which means he would have to pay for whatever he is approving to spend until the sale is complete.  Arte is still in control of the finances.  I do not see a "he is spending it on behalf of the next owner" situation.  I don't think business really works like that.

[Taylor]

24 hours ago everyone was down on the off-season. Did Brandon Drury turn our frowns upside down?

[angelsnationtalk]

Just now, Taylor said:

24 hours ago everyone was down on the off-season. Did Brandon Drury turn our frowns upside down?

Nope, still a 3rd place team.

[Warfarin]

1 hour ago, Taylor said:

24 hours ago everyone was down on the off-season. Did Brandon Drury turn our frowns upside down?

People are just restless.  Minasian did a great job of addressing a lot of areas of need early in the offseason.  But a lot of life is "what have you done for me lately" sorta thing, and so that is probably why you saw varying degrees of people being upset.

Some others here are convinced that the only way to make this a good team is by signing a lot of stars, so those are the people who are still probably unhappy.

[Angelsfan1984]

While the names themselves aren’t sexy…the positional flexibility and short term commitments at positions of need are well thought out. The angels have about as much star power as any other team in baseball. Excluding the Mets and padres… It’s the complementary pieces that have been lacking for years. 
 

Minasian has built up the farm, built up the bullpen and added depth to an otherwise already powerful top end. All while staying under the luxury tax. It may not always work out, but I give him a ton of credit.

[floplag]

Hes always deserved props in this regard, the problem inst that he didnt spend, he just backed himself against a wall he wasnt willing to go thru in the tax.   You cant sign that many top dollar guys then cry budget. 
I give him full marks for what hes done, 100%, but full demerits for not being willing to finish the path he put himself on.
3 guys are literally half our payroll, the tax was inevitable. 

[BTH]

10 hours ago, Trendon said:

For once, he's not only increasing the payroll by a sizeable chunk, but he's also giving his GM free reign to decide how to spend that payroll.

Well, apparently this may not be the case.

It’s possible he just got involved to close the deal, but I at least still give him props for spending money.

[Jeff Fletcher]

6 hours ago, angelsnationtalk said:

If the sale is approved before opening day then it's not his money they are using.
I still think a new owner is already lineup up and has approved the payroll increase.

I am pretty sure this isn’t true, based on a conversation I just had. 

[angelsnationtalk]

7 minutes ago, Jeff Fletcher said:

I am pretty sure this isn’t true, based on a conversation I just had. 

can you share details?

[jsnpritchett]

8 minutes ago, Jeff Fletcher said:

I am pretty sure this isn’t true, based on a conversation I just had. 

[Angelsfan1984]

Arte is about to ego fight cohen!? Let’s gooo

[Spirit_of_02]

25 minutes ago, Jeff Fletcher said:

I am pretty sure this isn’t true, based on a conversation I just had. 

If you can share, does this mean that the interested parties are still trading competitive bids or are those parties starting to pull back/out?

[T.G.]

It would be amusing if Arte decided not to sell.

[Warfarin]

Going to guess that Jeff's conversation basically was just that the team hasn't been sold yet and there are multiple bidders involved.  Doubt that he has changed his mind or anything along those lines.  

[TroutBaseball]

The way Cohen is spending money Arte has got be be glad he's on his way out.  Did he see this spending spree coming?

[Jeff Fletcher]

1 hour ago, Spirit_of_02 said:

If you can share, does this mean that the interested parties are still trading competitive bids or are those parties starting to pull back/out?

It just means nothing is that close to being done. 

[Angel Oracle]

I just wish Arte Moreno had gotten close to the tax threshold many more seasons in the past by allowing his GMs to make the type of off-season acquisitions that Perry has made now to achieve the long needed team depth.

Finally!   No over reliance on AAAA level players!!!!

At least now they are only $12 million under it.

Edited December 22, 2022 by Angel Oracle