I was wrong. This is not a .500 team.

[Taylor]

12 minutes ago, AngelsFaninGA said:

They're in the middle of an extended rebuild until there's new ownership. Not sure what people were expecting. At least Detmers is solid and Trout still hits some HR's. 

But Perry and Ron Washington aren't treating this like a rebuild.

[Jeremiah]

43 minutes ago, Taylor said:

But Perry and Ron Washington aren't treating this like a rebuild.

I think the case can be made the Perry may be, though that would seem odd for a GM in his walk year. As AJ noted in this thread, he didn’t make any big ticket signings beyond the odd deal for Stephenson. It can be argued that all of the bullpen depth was meant to support the young starters. I agree on Washington, though. He’s over reliant on Hicks and Sano, leaving Adell sitting. If the team is rebuilding then the team should see what they really have with him. Then again, perhaps that’s exactly the approach the FO and Wash agreed upon, hence the seeming lack of a direction or vision.

[fan_since79]

1 hour ago, AngelsFaninGA said:

They're in the middle of an extended rebuild until there's new ownership. Not sure what people were expecting. At least Detmers is solid and Trout still hits some HR's. 

I certainly hope it's not a 5-10 year rebuild. I was mocked and called a troll when I suggested it. But seriously, where's the plan, where's the direction? This looks more like a .400 team than a solid, rebuilding club. It could easily take five years and NEW OWNERSHIP to turn this thing around.

[Jason]

1 hour ago, AngelsFaninGA said:

They're in the middle of an extended rebuild until there's new ownership. Not sure what people were expecting. At least Detmers is solid and Trout still hits some HR's. 

What we are currently seeing is exactly what I expected. Anderson and Detmers stepping it up a bit is a really nice surprise and hopefully they can continue this into the next couple of seasons.

[Chitown27Fan]

I dont get everyones cry for Adell to play so bad. Yes his bat has been better this year so far but for every good thing he does it feels like he has to do something stupid to make up for it his base running has been an adventure to say the least. His defense while I will say is improved from what it was is still a hold on to your seat moments when the ball is hit to him. I think its the dumb plays that has Wash sitting him kind of a punishment for doing dumb things or screwing up. 

One more thing this is not saying I agree with playing hicks more or anything I just feel like Adell needs to cut down on the dumb if he wants playing time the bat isnt that good to make folks ignore the mistakes.

Edited April 22 by Chitown27Fan

[Kendo36]

18 hours ago, samwum said:

I've lost full confidence in Wash because of this one. I really appreciate the way Wash has emphasized defense, situational hitting, and baserunning, but if you aren't going to play the best players -- get the fuck out.

Hicks was below average against RHP even in his prime. He is fully washed up -- the Yankees paid him ~$30mm to not play for them. Hicks playing against RHP, and hitting leadoff, is flat out fucking ridiculous. 

This way more on the front office than it is on Wash. Hicks shouldnt be on the team.

[Jeremiah]

21 minutes ago, Chitown27Fan said:

I dont get everyones cry for Adell to play so bad. Yes his bat has been better this year so far but for every good thing he does it feels like he has to do something stupid to make up for it his base running has been an adventure to say the least. His defense while I will say is improved from what it was is still a hold on to your seat moments when the ball is hit to him. I think its the dumb plays that has Wash sitting him kind of a punishment for doing dumb things or screwing up. 

One more thing this is not saying I agree with playing hicks more or anything I just feel like Adell needs to cut down on the dumb if he wants playing time the bat isnt that good to make folks ignore the mistakes.

No one is crying. The fact is Jo Adell has no MiLB options left. They can’t send him to SLC. This is the year the Angels need to fish or cut bait with him. So it makes no sense to play Hicks ahead of Adell, since Hicks is not part of the team’s future plans. Now is when we have to find out if Adell has what it takes to be an everyday player.

[Slegnaac]

17 minutes ago, Jeremiah said:

No one is crying. The fact is Jo Adell has no MiLB options left. They can’t send him to SLC. This is the year the Angels need to fish or cut bait with him. So it makes no sense to play Hicks ahead of Adell, since Hicks is not part of the team’s future plans. Now is when we have to find out if Adell has what it takes to be an everyday player.

They have 3 seasons after this to decide what to do with Adell.

[jsnpritchett]

5 minutes ago, Slegnaac said:

They have 3 seasons after this to decide what to do with Adell.

While that's technically true, does it really make a lot of sense from an overall franchise strategy standpoint to once again not answer the question of whether he can make it? If you run him out there every day for the foreseeable future, that can help answer questions about roster needs in '25 and beyond.  Playing him a couple times a week and giving Hicks substantial playing time doesn't answer any of those questions--and it doesn't even help the team be better this year. 

[Duren, Duren]

I'm mildly disappointed at how Washington is handling things. But we don't know what expectations Perry/Arte had in hiring him. Presiding over a rebuild or hoping that new leadership in the dugout would somehow create better chemistry and get the team in sync. 

So far it seems obvious that there is no magic. The roster is just too problematic. But a rebuild mindset doesn't seem to be in effect either. 

Still, it's really early in the season. This homestand will be a chance to reset somewhat. 

If July last year was a key turning point then indirectly it goes back to prioritizing pleasing/impressing  Ohtani to re-sign more than anything else. Grabbing a handful of discards and declining players hoping that somehow everything would fall into place. And giving up potential future assets. As if Ohtani hadn't likely already made up his mind to leave. 

That entire scenario was embarrassing. Everyone knew the odds were slim at best. Yet Perry (likely at Arte's direction) presided over a situation that will go down in franchise history as one of their biggest blunders. 

 

[The Ghost of Bob Starr]

Admitting is the first step of the problem. Congrats.  

[The Ghost of Bob Starr]

5 minutes ago, Duren, Duren said:

I'm mildly disappointed at how Washington is handling things. But we don't know what expectations Perry/Arte had in hiring him. Presiding over a rebuild or hoping that new leadership in the dugout would somehow create better chemistry and get the team in sync. 

So far it seems obvious that there is no magic. The roster is just too problematic. But a rebuild mindset doesn't seem to be in effect either. 

Still, it's really early in the season. This homestand will be a chance to reset somewhat. 

If July last year was a key turning point then indirectly it goes back to prioritizing pleasing/impressing  Ohtani to re-sign more than anything else. Grabbing a handful of discards and declining players hoping that somehow everything would fall into place. And giving up potential future assets. As if Ohtani hadn't likely already made up his mind to leave. 

That entire scenario was embarrassing. Everyone knew the odds were slim at best. Yet Perry (likely at Arte's direction) presided over a situation that will go down in franchise history as one of their biggest blunders. 

 

Feels like a lame duck hire. Go through the motions for 2 years and act like you give a shit.  Then let the draft build, get free agents and bring in a new skipper.  

[The Ghost of Bob Starr]

1 hour ago, Kendo36 said:

This way more on the front office than it is on Wash. Hicks shouldnt be on the team.

This is Major League the movie being played out. 

[floplag]

It never was really.  For that to happen EVERYTHING had to break right, and that never happens. 
I thought they would be close, but Rendon down again, Neto and Schanuel not hitting, and too many journeymen in the daily lineup with no real options coming from a bottom 5 farm.
This could be the worst shape the org has ever been in.
Sidenote; Yes i know Sano is hitting now but hes not keeping 300 thru Aug

[Slegnaac]

1 hour ago, Slegnaac said:

They have 3 seasons after this to decide what to do with Adell.

/s

[Lhalo]

1 hour ago, The Ghost of Bob Starr said:

Admitting is the first step of the problem. Congrats.  

I’ll give you credit that you were the first person to sniff out Arte’s bullshit and want him to sell the team. Hopefully attendance this year will be a hint to him that he and his “unfinished business” have been detrimental to the organization from top to bottom and we him gone. 

[Anthony Tendon]

Let him play everyday. Nobody wants to see Hicks.

[angelsfan100]

I still believe. I am willing to die on this hill. But I don't blame you guys for being uncertain about the future of this season. 

[Jay]

1 hour ago, angelsfan100 said:

I still believe. I am willing to die on this hill. But I don't blame you guys for being uncertain about the future of this season. 

What exactly do you believe?

[HeavenlyHalos]

10 hours ago, Jeremiah said:

No one is crying. The fact is Jo Adell has no MiLB options left. They can’t send him to SLC. This is the year the Angels need to fish or cut bait with him. So it makes no sense to play Hicks ahead of Adell, since Hicks is not part of the team’s future plans. Now is when we have to find out if Adell has what it takes to be an everyday player.

Plus, Hicks is terrible.

[SoCalDucksFan]

The only way to see whether Arte is the problem, is to have new ownership.  Well, that isn't going to happen, so year after year will go by, and nobody will be able to pinpoint what the problem is.

GM's, Managers, Players, come and go.  The team still Stinks.  I wonder what it could be?

The Narcissist running things will NEVER admit what the problem is.

[fan_since79]

It's a .400 team, bro.

[Angelsjunky]

To get to .500, they'd have to go 71-63 the rest of the way, which is an 85-win pace. That is actually the high-end of what I hoped coming into the season, but I don't feel so optimistic now. The pitching is an absolute shit-show, the Rendon injury, Trout and Ward struggling, etc. Even going .500 the rest of the way and they finish 77-85.

Right now, even expecting some bounce-back from Trout and Ward and the pitching improving a bit, it is more looking like a 65-70ish win season.

The one positive is that the young guys are (finally) coming along. Sort of. Adell's performance is encouraging, and Neto and Schanuel are hitting much better. 

 

Edited Monday at 05:55 PM by Angelsjunky

[fan_since79]

It's a several-year rebuild. I won't say 5-10 since I was ridiculed for suggesting it. There's a lot of nasty name calling and other insults here, and nobody enjoys that.

[Angelsjunky]

43 minutes ago, fan_since79 said:

It's a several-year rebuild. I won't say 5-10 since I was ridiculed for suggesting it. There's a lot of nasty name calling and other insults here, and nobody enjoys that.

I didn't see that, but given the state of the major league club and the fact the minor leagues is even worse than it was a year ago, I don't think it is unreasonable to think that the Angels are at least five years away from being a strong organization. The problem is that I'm not even sure the clock has started; last year's deadline was a huge step back from that plan, so now we're in a place where the org neither has deep talent in prospects or enough in the majors to be a tweak or two away from contention.

In a way we're no different in 2024 than we were in, say, 2021. N+1 from contention!