Why isn't Jo Adell getting more playing time?

[Jeremiah]

12 minutes ago, Ron Mexico said:

Definitely not blaming Perry for not trading Ohtani that's all on Arte. Reports were Perry wanted to trade Ohtani 2 deadlines ago when they probably could have gotten someone's top 5 prospects 

I see what you’re saying here, and I generally agree. This is where a president of baseball ops with a track record of success would be helpful. Sometimes the owner needs to be saved from himself. Arte keeps bringing in first-time GMs, people who don’t yet have the experience to tell Arte that he’s incorrect. Yes, they should have traded Ohtani two years ago. They also shouldn’t have compounded that error by trading Edgar Quero for the husk of Lucas Giolito. They did, and that was likely 100% ownership thinking only of butts in seats instead of the future. And here we are with a weak farm system and a weak MLB club that seems like it’s trying to thread the needle between competing and rebuilding.

[Inside Pitch]

2 hours ago, Adam said:

I am fine with losing if it is intentional in the sense that there's a plan in place to rebuild. Losing with the misguided intent to win is awful. That's why this year sucks. 

I get your point, agree even.. but they made tanking less attractive than in the past.  Draft cap limits, draft order lottery, and international signing caps -- we won't see an Astros/Orioles type rebuild/turnaround again unless some team gets really lucky. 

I think the Angels have made a choice to rebuild, they just didn't come out and say it. They repeated the same exact BS they always do only this year they seemed to value those picks more than at any point in recent history.

My beef is their not having locked in better safety nets than "nobody" in the IF and Aaron Hicks in the OF.

[Slegnaac]

4 hours ago, Adam said:

This is literally the worst season to be a fan in the history of the Franchise. 

Time will tell, time will tell.

[Angel Oracle]

27 minutes ago, Jeremiah said:

I see what you’re saying here, and I generally agree. This is where a president of baseball ops with a track record of success would be helpful. Sometimes the owner needs to be saved from himself. Arte keeps bringing in first-time GMs, people who don’t yet have the experience to tell Arte that he’s incorrect. Yes, they should have traded Ohtani two years ago. They also shouldn’t have compounded that error by trading Edgar Quero for the husk of Lucas Giolito. They did, and that was likely 100% ownership thinking only of butts in seats instead of the future. And here we are with a weak farm system and a weak MLB club that seems like it’s trying to thread the needle between competing and rebuilding.

It’s possibly because no proven FO people want to work for Moreno. 

[Slegnaac]

2 hours ago, Adam said:

I am fine with losing if it is intentional in the sense that there's a plan in place to rebuild. Losing with the misguided intent to win is awful. That's why this year sucks. 

[samwum]

3 hours ago, Inside Pitch said:

I get your point, agree even.. but they made tanking less attractive than in the past.  Draft cap limits, draft order lottery, and international signing caps -- we won't see an Astros/Orioles type rebuild/turnaround again unless some team gets really lucky. 

I think the Angels have made a choice to rebuild, they just didn't come out and say it. They repeated the same exact BS they always do only this year they seemed to value those picks more than at any point in recent history.

My beef is their not having locked in better safety nets than "nobody" in the IF and Aaron Hicks in the OF.

This is the big one for me. The depth and fringe players do not reflect a team that is actually committed to being better in the future. Aaron Hicks, Ehire Adrianza, Hunter Strickland, Carson Fulmer, Jose Cisnero... these guys don't have any future with the team or trade value.

A team that is properly building towards the future would be using these roster spots to develop younger players who might make an impact.

There are several positive outcomes from giving a younger player Hicks' ABs, for example.

• You give yourself a chance at finding a backup OF for next year and beyond
• You give yourself a chance at finding a player who could fill in for injuries
• You give yourself a chance at finding a player who could take a starting spot if Adell or Moniak bust
• You give yourself a chance at finding a player who could make Taylor Ward trade-able as he starts getting significant money in arbitration

Any of these potential positive outcomes would be beneficial for the club moving forwards, while sacrificing no downside. If the younger player shows no improvement and doesn't become part of the club's plans moving forwards, its the same exact result as rostering Hicks.

With the way the Angels have constructed the bottom end of the roster to have zero upside -- to me that says they haven't made a choice to rebuild, or they're just so cocky they think they can rebuild inefficiently and still get the job done.

 

 

[Slegnaac]

38 minutes ago, samwum said:

You give yourself a chance at finding a player who could make Taylor Ward trade-able as he starts getting significant money in arbitration

I think Ward is the #3 / emergency catcher?

[samwum]

20 minutes ago, Slegnaac said:

I think Ward is the #3 / emergency catcher?

The point is moreso about lucking into a situation where there is a surplus of OFs and they could consider replacing expensive production with cheaper production, re-allocating payroll to another area of the team, and adding prospects to the system. Not advocating for trading Ward. Probably the least likely outcome I mentioned, but would be a "good problem to have" type of thing.

[Angel Oracle]

What could be keeping Hicks here?

[Vlad27Trout27]

 We can clearly see the work Jo Adell has put in and is  been making some impressive at bats. A more compact swing and improved contact rates are promising signs of development.  If he can maintain a strikeout rate in the 20 to 25% range while increasing his walks, that could greatly enhance his value as a hitter.

I would say placing him in the lead-off spot seems like a strategic move, especially with his combination of speed and power. It could give your team an early offensive boost and set the tone for the rest of the lineup, similar to trout.

1. Adell Rf (let him run! similar to an Acuna mold of role, with out the star power

2. Rendon 3b. With Rendon ability to control his at-bats, make contact, Wash can do so much with him and Adell

3. Trout Cf, I'd keep Trout in the 3-hole. He's in a really bad slump.

4. Ward Lf, big run producer 

5. O'hoppe C, perfect spot for him

6. Sano DH 

7. Schaneul 1b, He starting to finally hit again, not really seeing the power that I hoped, but he still showing a good eye and hitting the ball

8. Drury

9. Neto 

[jsnpritchett]

19 minutes ago, Vlad27Trout27 said:

 We can clearly see the work Jo Adell has put in and is  been making some impressive at bats. A more compact swing and improved contact rates are promising signs of development.  If he can maintain a strikeout rate in the 20 to 25% range while increasing his walks, that could greatly enhance his value as a hitter.

I would say placing him in the lead-off spot seems like a strategic move, especially with his combination of speed and power. It could give your team an early offensive boost and set the tone for the rest of the lineup, similar to trout.

1. Adell Rf (let him run! similar to an Acuna mold of role, with out the star power

2. Rendon 3b. With Rendon ability to control his at-bats, make contact, Wash can do so much with him and Adell

3. Trout Cf, I'd keep Trout in the 3-hole. He's in a really bad slump.

4. Ward Lf, big run producer 

5. O'hoppe C, perfect spot for him

6. Sano DH 

7. Schaneul 1b, He starting to finally hit again, not really seeing the power that I hoped, but he still showing a good eye and hitting the ball

8. Drury

9. Neto 

You seem to be under the impression that Rendon is going to be available. 

[DMVol]

7 minutes ago, jsnpritchett said:

You seem to be under the impression that Rendon is going to be available. 

No word on a diagnosis is probably not a good sign. 

[Stradling]

1 hour ago, Angel Oracle said:

What could be keeping Hicks here?

The play of Moniak. 

[samwum]

1 hour ago, Angel Oracle said:

What could be keeping Hicks here?

Same bullshit that kept Lagares, etc here. Delusion by front office about value of non-performing veterans. Good for the clubhouse or whatever. "Reliable" or "strong defensively" and all the crap. 

[Jason]

8 minutes ago, samwum said:

Same bullshit that kept Lagares, etc here. Delusion by front office about value of non-performing veterans. Good for the clubhouse or whatever. "Reliable" or "strong defensively" and all the crap. 

You can argue that they never should have signed him but it's not like they have a whole lot of better options. I hate to break it to you, but this is not a good team with or without Hicks. It is what it is. 

[Stradling]

6 minutes ago, Jason said:

You can argue that they never should have signed him but it's not like they have a whole lot of better options. I hate to break it to you, but this is not a good team with or without Hicks. It is what it is. 

But those 20 games Lagares played in an injury plagued 2022 really killed the team.  

[jsnpritchett]

9 minutes ago, Stradling said:

But those 20 games Lagares played in an injury plagued 2022 really killed the team.  

I refuse to believe that wasn't at least a decade ago. 

[samwum]

23 minutes ago, Jason said:

You can argue that they never should have signed him but it's not like they have a whole lot of better options. I hate to break it to you, but this is not a good team with or without Hicks. It is what it is. 

I posted on this topic earlier in the thread.

15 minutes ago, Stradling said:

But those 20 games Lagares played in an injury plagued 2022 really killed the team.  

I mean that's a little disingenuous, lol. Lagares played in an astronomical 112 games in 2021 for -0.5 WAR after he was picked up by the Angels midseason. No other team offered him even a minor league deal that offseason and he wasn't actively playing professional baseball at the time they signed him. And then after he stunk it up in '21, they brought him back for '22 where he continued to stink it up until Perry finally put him out of his misery.

But sure, the whole team stunk anyways so who cares, I get it. 

[happybat4]

If they know a young player is going to come up and absolutely suck, they might as well keep Hicks. If he's actively blocking a capable player that's one thing, but there is nobody else. A veteran can mentally handle not playing well. A young unprepared rookie might not recover.

[samwum]

5 minutes ago, happybat4 said:

If they know a young player is going to come up and absolutely suck, they might as well keep Hicks. If he's actively blocking a capable player that's one thing, but there is nobody else. A veteran can mentally handle not playing well. A young unprepared rookie might not recover.

Maybe I'm coldhearted but I say who cares. I'm sure Jordyn Adams would rather come up and suck than have to repeat AAA. Let him fail and let him decide if he can mentally handle it.

[Stradling]

25 minutes ago, samwum said:

I posted on this topic earlier in the thread.

I mean that's a little disingenuous, lol. Lagares played in an astronomical 112 games in 2021 for -0.5 WAR after he was picked up by the Angels midseason. No other team offered him even a minor league deal that offseason and he wasn't actively playing professional baseball at the time they signed him. And then after he stunk it up in '21, they brought him back for '22 where he continued to stink it up until Perry finally put him out of his misery.

But sure, the whole team stunk anyways so who cares, I get it. 

You did this with another awful comparison, they didn’t have anyone ready to play OF so who gives a shit? 

[samwum]

2 minutes ago, Stradling said:

You did this with another awful comparison, they didn’t have anyone ready to play OF so who gives a shit? 

I don't even know what you're talking about, I don't care either. The Angels are bad and their depth players have and always will be bad as long as Perry's here -- whatever.

[Chuck]

58 minutes ago, samwum said:

Same bullshit that kept Lagares, etc here. Delusion by front office about value of non-performing veterans. Good for the clubhouse or whatever. "Reliable" or "strong defensively" and all the crap. 

and my all-time favorite, Andrew Velazquez. 

[Stradling]

1 minute ago, samwum said:

I don't even know what you're talking about, I don't care either. The Angels are bad and their depth players have and always will be bad as long as Perry's here -- whatever.

You constantly bitching about these things tell me you care. 

[samwum]

Just now, Stradling said:

You constantly bitching about these things tell me you care. 

I care about the success of the Angels yes. What's going on here? Lol