Do the Angels have scouts?

[Angelsjunky]

The reason I ask is that it seems to me that there's a major lack of good scouting in this organization.

 

Yu Darvish is a case in point. We all thought the Angels were screwing the Rangers out of CJ Wilson when they signed him to a 5-year, $77.5 million contract. Meanwhile the Rangers happily said goodbye to CJ and instead signed Yu Darvish to 6 years at $56 million. The Angels didn't seriously bid on Darvish, who turned out to be much better than CJ, not to mention six years younger.

 

And then we have Josh Hamilton - who the Rangers, again, didn't seriously try to keep, and the Angels outbid everyone, offering more years and money than anyone expected.

 

If we look at the percentage of signings and trades and how they end up not working out over the last few years, I'm really starting to wonder if the Angels have competent scouts or if everything is done from Jerry Dipoto's laptop and maybe the Angels don't even use scouts at all? Didn't they just give away some of their international signing money for mediocre minor leaguers?

 

Something's rotten in Denmark.

[mtangelsfan]

No

 

 

 

Locking thread...............

[tdawg87]

AO is licking his lips.

[shellback]

numbers prove everything

break out the advanced defensive metrics...

[bloodbrother]

Sure seems like they don't have good scouts/the guys up top aren't really good at evaluating talent

 

Sucks for us as fans since we are left with the product we see on the field

[gotbeer]

Bane says hi.

[happybat4]

Yes they have scouts. They just got their tenderfoot and they are hoping they will be Eagle scouts in two years.

[WallyWorld]

The Angels fired the scout that discovered Mike Trout, so I think that tells you all you need to know about the decision making in the organization.

[Brandon]

lol.

Take your Darvish example and pit it against the other Japanese signed players. Also, while.you listed the contract you seem to be forgetting to put the transfer fee also paid out by the Rangers for the right to negotiate.

[DMVol]

Our scouts seem very partial to ex Diamondback and Rockies players that DiPoto is familiar with...

[tdawg87]

lol.

Take your Darvish example and pit it against the other Japanese signed players. Also, while.you listed the contract you seem to be forgetting to put the transfer fee also paid out by the Rangers for the right to negotiate.

 

it was all still less than what the Angels are paying Wilson.

[Angelsjunky]

lol.

Take your Darvish example and pit it against the other Japanese signed players. Also, while.you listed the contract you seem to be forgetting to put the transfer fee also paid out by the Rangers for the right to negotiate.

 

But you just further my point. Texas realized that Darvish was different because they had the scouts to do so, while you and I are only stuck with the statistical record of "other Japanese signed players." So you're basically saying that Dipoto and the Angels are more like you and I, armchair GMs, rather than an actual major league caliber scouting group like the Rangers have. We should expect more from the chief executive of a major league baseball team, which is why all the "hindsight is 20-20" arguments don't fly.

[arch stanton]

it was all still less than what the Angels are paying Wilson.

Less except that it's $25 million or so more.

[tdawg87]

OOPS

[halomatt]

As for Darvish, the Rangers had been on to him for a few years and had done the legwork in the Japanese market.  That is more the fault of the previous organizational philosophy. 

 

As for Hamilton, well, that was Arte's mistake.  He wanted Hamilton. 

 

The data on both those guys had been available for some time.  It was well-known that Darvish had the requisite skills to succeed in the majors unlike other, older Japanese pitchers.  As for Hamilton, well, he's always had plate discipline issues and has always been a free swinger, trusting to his talent. 

 

I'm not really sure why this is always about assigning blame.  Sometimes the situation just...IS.  I really believe that it's been a poor year all around and I'm not sure that even with the same lineup next year, the results won't be wildly different.  Of course, if Hanson and Blanton are part of the rotation, then it may end up the same. 

[nate]

Angels scouting has been horrendous for years.  One thing Dipoto has been doing is revamping the entire scouting department.  It will take time.  Our international scouting has been absolutely awful.

[Second Base]

The Angels didn't fire the scout that discovered Mike Trout, they promoted him to National Crosschecker.  Get your facts right Wally World.

 

And yes, the Angels have scouts, I know a few of them and talk to a couple on a semi-regular basis.  People seem to forget that the Angels scouted Yu Darvish in high school and did everything in their power to sign him away from Japan when he was 17/18.  Then there's Jerry Dipoto, who after his playing days was a jack of all trades for the Rockies and included scouting into some of his job description.  The AGM Scott Servais' side of the house does the majority of the minor league scouting.  

[tomsred]

Angels scouting has been horrendous for years.  One thing Dipoto has been doing is revamping the entire scouting department.  It will take time.  Our international scouting has been absolutely awful.

Let's hope he does a better job at replacing scouts than replacing players.

[Blarg]

I am so tired of the of the Yu Darvish argument. The Rangers paid up front, with no guarantees, over $50 million cash to negotiate with him. If he failed to sign the Rangers still pay the money and it is not deffered cash. Unlike contracts with MLB experience players you can taylor the contract to defer some of the up front cost.

So wtf do expect the Angels to do, overbid on a blind auction? How much was reasonable to gamble, because that what all of the player auctions are.

It's not about scouting, it's about being robbed twice at the same ATM.

[jshep]

If Darvish failed to sign, the Rangers would have paid $0.

[nate]

I am so tired of the of the Yu Darvish argument. The Rangers paid up front, with no guarantees, over $50 million cash to negotiate with him. If he failed to sign the Rangers still pay the money and it is not deffered cash. Unlike contracts with MLB experience players you can taylor the contract to defer some of the up front cost.

So wtf do expect the Angels to do, overbid on a blind auction? How much was reasonable to gamble, because that what all of the player auctions are.

It's not about scouting, it's about being robbed twice at the same ATM.

 

Wrong, if the Rangers failed to sign him they would not owe the transfer fee..

[Angel Oracle]

The Angels didn't fire the scout that discovered Mike Trout, they promoted him to National Crosschecker.  Get your facts right Wally World.

 

And yes, the Angels have scouts, I know a few of them and talk to a couple on a semi-regular basis.  People seem to forget that the Angels scouted Yu Darvish in high school and did everything in their power to sign him away from Japan when he was 17/18.  Then there's Jerry Dipoto, who after his playing days was a jack of all trades for the Rockies and included scouting into some of his job description.  The AGM Scott Servais' side of the house does the majority of the minor league scouting.  

Whew......    I can't see even this org firing someone who found a needle in a haystack, which finding a superstar in NJ basically amounts to.

 

What was the holdup, on his side, to signing Darvish at 17/18?

[Scott34]

I think we were all duped by the Dipoto scene.

 

I knew things were going downhill when Kotchman was fired.

[mtangelsfan]

I didn't think Kotchman was fired.  Didn't they want him to just scout, or was it just manage?

[Scott34]

They forced him out of a coaching position which is idiotic because I know how much players valued him.