How do you replace Ohtani’s production in 2024?

[BTH]

Ohtani’s current stats, as of today:

Hitter:

514 PA

.305/.409/.662

182 wRC+

5.8 fWAR

 

Pitcher:

130.2 IP

3.17 ERA

4.02 FIP

2.3 fWAR

 

So how do the Angels replace that production in 2024?

Is the answer that they just don’t, and they need to get better in every other facet? Probably, but that’s gonna be difficult unless Trout and Rendon are fully healthy and the latter returns to form.

[jsnpritchett]

Sign Matt Chapman (3.5), Whit Merrifield (2.4 fWAR), and Kyle Gibson (2.3 fWAR).  Done!

(EDIT: Yes, I'm joking--but if Ohtani doesn't sign with the Angels, I unfortunately can see them trying something stupid like this...)

Edited August 12, 2023 by jsnpritchett

[VladdyforHOF]

9 minutes ago, Trendon said:

Is the answer that they just don’t, and they need to get better in every other facet? Probably, but that’s gonna be difficult unless Trout and Rendon are fully healthy and the latter returns to form.

I could definitely see Trout and Rendon having a fully healthy seasons AFTER Ohtani leaves. That would be sooo Angels.

[VladdyforHOF]

8 minutes ago, jsnpritchett said:

Sign Matt Chapman (3.5), Whit Merrifield (2.4 fWAR), and Kyle Gibson (2.3 fWAR).  Done!

No, no, and no. Just let the young infielders coming up develop. This would be adding three guys over 30 to the roster. Not what we need IMO.

EDIT - I responded before your edit. Lol. It makes a lot more sense that you were joking there.

[jsnpritchett]

Just now, VladdyforHOF said:

No, no, and no. Just let the young infielders coming up develop. This would be adding three guys over 30 to the roster. Not what we need IMO.

You missed my addition when I edited the post.  I was joking.  I don't want any of those guys.

[VladdyforHOF]

Side note - here's Ohtani's last 2 weeks:

57 PA - 12 BB/15 K

.349/.509/.488

1 HR

He's been hitting like Ichiro lately.

[Second Base]

You don't replace it. You do what you should've done in 2016, which is begin to tear down and rebuild.

You restructure the entire financial outlook of the organization by reallocating free agent funds into a strong minor league program complete with....

top scouts, coordinators, ballparks, amenities, technology, pitching labs, medical staff, Latin American influence and top draft picks. 

This ensures that the prospects you actually have on hand maximize their value and help the major league club as young controllable talent, and with the inevitable tanking of the major league club that takes place, higher draft picks results in better prospects and eventually better players and a better team. 

[T.G.]

By signing him in the off-season.

[VladdyforHOF]

34 minutes ago, Second Base said:

You don't replace it. You do what you should've done in 2016, which is begin to tear down and rebuild.

You restructure the entire financial outlook of the organization by reallocating free agent funds into a strong minor league program complete with....

top scouts, coordinators, ballparks, amenities, technology, pitching labs, medical staff, Latin American influence and top draft picks. 

This ensures that the prospects you actually have on hand maximize their value and help the major league club as young controllable talent, and with the inevitable tanking of the major league club that takes place, higher draft picks results in better prospects and eventually better players and a better team. 

They will never do a proper rebuild as long as Arte is in charge.

[gurn67]

They're going to need to leave the DH spot open. They have to try to get something out of Rendon. Anything. If he's the designated hitter, maybe they can get 300 AB's out him, but I doubt it. Most injury prone player I've ever seen.

If they want to sign a full-time DH, that usually backfires for the Angels. The Dodgers spent 10 million on Martinez this year and he's driving in a ton of runs. Arte will probably sign him for 3 years at 20 million per year and he'll get hurt in spring training, be on the IL 2/3 of the season and drive in 30 runs at most while batting .225. It's the Angels' way.

It will be easier to replace him as a pitcher, but it will cost a fortune in either money or prospects. As a hitter, forget it. You can't replace his bat.

 

[Stradling]

There’s only one way.  Health of current players improve along with internal player improvement. 

[jsnpritchett]

36 minutes ago, Stradling said:

There’s only one way.  Health of current players improve along with internal player improvement. 

On the offensive side, to me it seems like health is the key (no duh, I know...) more than player improvement.  Not sure that we can reasonably expect much offensive improvement from the guys who are controlled through next year or beyond.  But obviously certain guys just being on the field will be an improvement over what the Angels have been running out there lately.  I'm just not sure we can reasonably expect folks like Drury, Rengifo, Ward, Moniak, or Thaiss to be much, if any, better than they have been this season.  Maybe Ward, but who knows with him.  Seems like maybe he's just gonna be a guy who has a month or two where he goes crazy and then otherwise he's just an average hitter. 

I have no clue what to expect from a theoretically healthy Rendon at this point, since it's been so long.  If he is healthy, hopefully his increased walk rate continues and he can also regain some pop.

Edited August 12, 2023 by jsnpritchett

[Angels 1961]

I bring back Lorenzen. I do not sign Giolito to long term deal. Trout and Rendon plus others at DH. 

[Ace-Of-Diamonds]

45 minutes ago, gurn67 said:

They're going to need to leave the DH spot open. They have to try to get something out of Rendon. Anything. If he's the designated hitter, maybe they can get 300 AB's out him, but I doubt it. Most injury prone player I've ever seen.

If they want to sign a full-time DH, that usually backfires for the Angels. The Dodgers spent 10 million on Martinez this year and he's driving in a ton of runs. Arte will probably sign him for 3 years at 20 million per year and he'll get hurt in spring training, be on the IL 2/3 of the season and drive in 30 runs at most while batting .225. It's the Angels' way.

It will be easier to replace him as a pitcher, but it will cost a fortune in either money or prospects. As a hitter, forget it. You can't replace his bat.

 

dh = Jo Adell?

[BTH]

1 hour ago, Stradling said:

There’s only one way.  Health of current players improve along with internal player improvement. 

So the question is what can you do to make sure those things happen?

IMO, that means an entirely new coaching and medical staff.

[Stradling]

Just now, Trendon said:

So the question is what can you do to make sure those things happen?

IMO, that means an entirely new coaching and medical staff.

Maybe that’s needed or maybe it’s the simple maturation that happens in players. 

[BTH]

2 hours ago, Second Base said:

You don't replace it. You do what you should've done in 2016, which is begin to tear down and rebuild.

You restructure the entire financial outlook of the organization by reallocating free agent funds into a strong minor league program complete with....

top scouts, coordinators, ballparks, amenities, technology, pitching labs, medical staff, Latin American influence and top draft picks. 

This ensures that the prospects you actually have on hand maximize their value and help the major league club as young controllable talent, and with the inevitable tanking of the major league club that takes place, higher draft picks results in better prospects and eventually better players and a better team. 

That’s probably the right answer, but Arte’s not gonna do that.

So what do you do instead?

[BTH]

Just now, Stradling said:

Maybe that’s needed or maybe it’s the simple maturation that happens in players. 

My issue with the coaching staff is I don’t see what they’re bringing to the table.

You gotta hire smart people from the smart orgs, and the Angels didn’t do much of that.

Outside of Hezel (his driveline work with Ohtani) and Plantier (his offseason work with Moniak), I haven’t heard of any of the other coaches doing anything to help Angels players.

[Jason]

2 hours ago, VladdyforHOF said:

I could definitely see Trout and Rendon having a fully healthy seasons AFTER Ohtani leaves. That would be sooo Angels.

Snowball’s chance in hell those guys play a full, uninjured season

[Stradling]

1 minute ago, Trendon said:

My issue with the coaching staff is I don’t see what they’re bringing to the table.

You gotta hire smart people from the smart orgs, and the Angels didn’t do much of that.

Outside of Hezel (his driveline work with Ohtani) and Plantier (his offseason work with Moniak), I haven’t heard of any of the other coaches doing anything to help Angels players.

Why would you hear it?  

[Jason]

1 hour ago, Stradling said:

There’s only one way.  Health of current players improve along with internal player improvement. 

100% this but those are two areas that have eluded this franchise. 

[BTH]

5 minutes ago, Stradling said:

Why would you hear it?  

if they were doing a good job and the players had specific praise for them, you’d hear it because it’s an easy story for best writers to write.

”Player X is having success because of Changes Y that he made with Coach Z.”

[Blarg]

2 hours ago, Trendon said:

if they were doing a good job and the players had specific praise for them, you’d hear it because it’s an easy story for best writers to write.

”Player X is having success because of Changes Y that he made with Coach Z.”

Player X is unavailable to be interviewed because he has an appointment at Kerlan Jobe. 

[Second Base]

5 hours ago, Trendon said:

That’s probably the right answer, but Arte’s not gonna do that.

So what do you do instead?

Well, the only alternative is to continue spending and losing. So I guess if there's no rebuild, then the answer is to fill Ohtani's absence with a bunch of Nava/Gentry type of acquisitions to try and get them by, in conjunction with ill-advised mega signings. Gotta have at least one or two of those simultaneously, like Pujols-Hamilton or Rendon-Anderson. 

[Erstad Grit]

You're asking how to replace the greatest player of all-time.

A's replacing Giambi has nothing on this.