SI: Angels take Shohei Ohtani off trade market, will buy

[totdprods]

51 minutes ago, VladdyforHOF said:

You're banking on this September catcher injury and I gotta say, it's kinda awkward. Dude, if shit hits the fan, I'm a million times more fine with Okey over Wallach/Thaiss (I mean, both suck defensively anyway) than I am with Velazquez over Neto. What if Neto gets injured again? Trade for a shortstop.

You play out the rest of the season from this point assuming no one will get injured and you fill the biggest needs from there. Catcher ain't one of them. Pitching, pitching, pitching.

Wanna really play it safe? Trade for Goldschmidt and get Cabbage off the roster since he doesn't belong here.

They've got Fletcher, Velazquez, Rengifo, Soto all as SS depth. All of those guys are light-years above Okey.

Acquiring a vet back-up catcher will not prohibit them from improving the pitching at all.

[Stradling]

2 minutes ago, totdprods said:

They've got Fletcher, Velazquez, Rengifo, Soto all as SS depth. All of those guys are light-years above Okey.

Acquiring a vet back-up catcher will not prohibit them from improving the pitching at all.

He will respond with some sort of outlandish exaggeration. 

[mmc]

 

[HaloBronco]

31 minutes ago, VladdyforHOF said:

So some people think the team should trade for offensive improvement, when the offense is already a powerhouse in their mind. Oh, and grab like 3 pitchers too.

Take out the Colorado game and this team has a negative run differential.

So we really gotta improve on our catching position that has overperformed offensively this season compared to the last 2 decades of Angels catching.

Got it.

The way I see it, they're fine offensively (with pieces coming back Trout, Drury, O'Hoppe. Rendon will be coming back for probably 2 games before he goes back on the IL). 

It's the pitching side that needs the help specifically the backend of bullpen. Sure another dependable starter would be great too but watching and listening to these games it's when they go to the 

Bullpen that it starts to feel like a white knuckle experience to me (While driving along the side of cliff). 

Edited July 27, 2023 by HaloBronco

[T.G.]

When can I order postseason tickets?

[Amazing Larry]

12 minutes ago, mmc said:

 

Lol. Arte wants the rest of that revenue before his prize possession expires. They’ll get nothing for Ohtani and he’ll be wearing another uniform next season. 

Can’t wait to see the mediocre additions this org makes in their “playoff run.”

[Torridd]

1 hour ago, HBAngel13 said:

It’s not sexy, but I wouldn’t hate a Lorenzen reunion. He would bolster the rotation and potentially be a valuable pen piece in a playoff series since starters don’t seem to go deep these days. 

I just don't think he makes much difference. If they're going to buy, then make the team significantly better.

[Stradling]

2 minutes ago, Lhalo said:

Lol. Arte wants the rest of that revenue before his prize possession expires. They’ll get nothing for Ohtani and he’ll be wearing another uniform next season. 

Can’t wait to see the mediocre additions this org makes in their “playoff run.”

He will lose money keeping Ohtani so it isn’t about revenue. 

[jsnpritchett]

1 minute ago, Torridd said:

I just don't think he makes much difference. If they're going to buy, then make the team significantly better.

Yeah, based on the SI article and the quote from the source that Fletcher tweeted, it seems like they're aiming high.  If they end up getting a Lorenzen type and, I don't know, Joe Kelly, I'm gonna laugh.

[Amazing Larry]

Just now, Stradling said:

He will lose money keeping Ohtani so it isn’t about revenue. 

I don’t know the exact inner workings but I don’t think a Japanese media company would be stupid enough to pay him royalties if Ohtani wasn’t on the team. 

[Torridd]

19 minutes ago, HaloBronco said:

The way I see it, they're fine offensively (with pieces coming back Trout, Drury, O'Hoppe. Rendon will be coming back for probably 2 games before he goes back on the IL). 

It's the pitching side that needs the help specifically the backend of bullpen. Sure another dependable starter would be great too but watching and listening to these games it's when they go to the 

Bullpen that it starts to feel like a white knuckle experience to me (While driving along the side of cliff). 

I agree that pitching is the priority although I wouldn't mind a catching upgrade.

[Stradling]

1 minute ago, Lhalo said:

I don’t know the exact inner workings but I don’t think a Japanese media company would be stupid enough to pay him royalties if Ohtani wasn’t on the team. 

Victor already stated that advertising contracts are for the year so that’s paid in full. 

[T.G.]

5 minutes ago, Lhalo said:

Lol. Arte wants the rest of that revenue before his prize possession expires. They’ll get nothing for Ohtani and he’ll be wearing another uniform next season. 

Can’t wait to see the mediocre additions this org makes in their “playoff run.”

Or maybe he's doing what the majority of Angels fans want

[Amazing Larry]

1 minute ago, Stradling said:

Victor already stated that advertising contracts are for the year so that’s paid in full. 

What about broadcasting royalties? Arte gets a check from Nippon for someone that isn’t on his team? Merchandise would be a tough sell if he was traded. There’s also something called attendance and the concession revenues that go hand in hand with that.

Keeping Ohtani on the team for the next few months is by no means a money loser. 

[totdprods]

13 minutes ago, Lhalo said:

Lol. Arte wants the rest of that revenue before his prize possession expires. They’ll get nothing for Ohtani and he’ll be wearing another uniform next season. 

Can’t wait to see the mediocre additions this org makes in their “playoff run.”

Or maybe he meant exactly what he said. 

Arte cares about money in the sense he cares about the casual fan. Diehard fans like most of us are typically there year in, year out, win or lose, and we’re a small slice of their customer base. 

The Angels’ bread and butter revenue comes from people who want to see Ohtani and don’t know what a compensation pick is, and will be placated by whomever they sign with name recognition next, until they bitch about them on Twitter before getting excited about someone like David Fletcher again. 

Edited July 27, 2023 by totdprods

[Stradling]

Just now, Lhalo said:

What about broadcasting royalties? Arte gets a check from Nippon for someone that isn’t on his team? Merchandise would be a tough sell if he was traded. There’s also something called attendance and the concession revenues that go hand in hand with that.

Keeping Ohtani on the team for the next few months is by no means a money loser. 

Merchandise isn’t what fans think it is. Each team gets an even split of 12% of total merchandise sold which comes to about $20 million per team. And Shohei isn’t bringing in $10 million in revenue these last two months which is what his contract will pay him. 

[Dtwncbad]

This is a big week.  I hope all the malcontents are properly preparing for exactly how they will complain about whatever happens next or what doesn’t happen next, or what players they acquire, or what players they trade.

[Warfarin]

The timing of this is odd, as it would seemingly have made sense to wait to see how the Blue Jays series goes as that's essentially a playoff series for us.  I do hope this means Arte is prepared to offer Ohtani literally whatever he wants as a free agent, though, and that we keep him in the fold for the rest of his career.

Even if we don't make the playoffs, but that this in turn leads to us retaining Ohtani, that would obviously be a great outcome.

[HaloBronco]

26 minutes ago, Torridd said:

I just don't think he makes much difference. If they're going to buy, then make the team significantly better.

Yeah but he's a former Titan.........

[Amazing Larry]

1 minute ago, Stradling said:

Merchandise isn’t what fans think it is. Each team gets an even split of 12% of total merchandise sold which comes to about $20 million per team. And Shohei isn’t bringing in $10 million in revenue these last two months which is what his contract will pay him. 

A whole 12%? Merchandise and alcohol are pure profit. Some kid in Pakistan sows a $4 jersey and it gets sold at the stadium for $130. Around 1 in 5 probably pay for parking which is what, $25 now? Their alcohol sales is where it’s at though and attendance has a huge role in that. I bet they make more than $10 million before the season is over. Arte’s billboard boyz have crunched the numbers. 

[Angels 1961]

Everyone throw away your white flags. Everyone back on the ship nobody will abandon ship. Bring back the YES WE CAN drummer. Get your rally monkey out of the closet. Get air in your thunder sticks. All aboard the playoff train. No more negative comments. Arte, Perry, Phil, coaches, players and Ippei we our behind you. NO MORE FENCE SITTING the direction has been chosen now let's do it. Drury, Trout, O'Hoppe, Joyce, Bachman, Adell, Suarez and fan favorite Rendon we need all of you. These additions and any Perry bring in can get us into the playoffs. Thanks Arte and Minasian for you decision and direction you have chosen.

[Inside Pitch]

2 hours ago, VladdyforHOF said:

You're totally fried. What catcher should the Angels target? I've heard literally no one say the Angels need to trade for a catcher. This team has enough catching depth.

But you are like every front office mind put into one, right?

Say what you will -- the Cards and Contreras seems to have been problematric for both the player and the team. I wouldn't be shocked if they would like to move him and for the Angels, the dude makes sense as a catcher the rest of the year and longer term (depending on what happens with Ohtani) as a DH and maybe 1B. 

Given the amount of money coming back -- StL might actually see Thaiss and someone from AA as worth it to get rid of the 72 mil he's due through his age 36 season.  There aren't a lot of teams willing to take on 72 mil in salary.

I'm not sure the Angels should be adding 18 mil for a guy that plays a position the Angels likely have replacements for really soon, but not the worst insurance policy to have at DH if Ohtani bolts and if it sends the message to Shohei that the team is willing to do what it takes from now on...  It's got merit.

[Stradling]

1 hour ago, VladdyforHOF said:

So some people think the team should trade for offensive improvement, when the offense is already a powerhouse in their mind. Oh, and grab like 3 pitchers too.

Take out the Colorado game and this team has a negative run differential.

So we really gotta improve on our catching position that has overperformed offensively this season compared to the last 2 decades of Angels catching.

Got it.

They got two of those three pitchers. 

[Ace-Of-Diamonds]

1 hour ago, Stradling said:

My wish list is 3 pitchers and another catcher.  

Well we got 2 pitchers, Lucas Giolito, and Reynaldo López...

[Ace-Of-Diamonds]

1 hour ago, VladdyforHOF said:

How they doing in OPS with runners on base bright guy?

OPS with the bases empty doesn't score many runs.

They are 4th in the AL in runs scored, 7th best in baseball.