Top Reasons Not to Trade Trumbo: A FanGirl Manifesto

[AngelsWin.com]

By Jessica Melendez, AngelsWin.com Staff Writer - 

This is not an unbiased article.  Quite honestly, even the discussion of a Trumbo trade turns me immediately into Grumpy Cat:

The fact that I admit my blatant bias, however, doesn't negate the truth of what I am about to say.

First, some cold, hard facts.  

The Angels need pitching like a drowning person needs air.

We have a few players with really stinking big contracts.  Players who may or may not produce...but that’s almost irrelevant, you got money like that tied up, you gotta play it.  Which leads us to...

The Angels do not have a lot of cash to go out and buy Free Agent Pitching.

The Angels also only have a few “high value” trade options.

Basically this means that the entire off season we are going to be hearing trade rumors about Bourjos, Kendrick, and Trumbo.

Especially Trumbo, because even though he’s a bit of streaky hitter, when he’s hitting, he’s really hitting.  The potential of thirty or more home runs (and the ability to play multiple positions) isn't anything to be sneezed at.  Spoiler alert: all of these are going to show up on my “reasons why he shouldn't be traded” list below.

I know in my heart that I should be preparing myself mentally and emotionally for Trumbo to be traded, but instead I’ll take my cue from Dylan Thomas: “Do not go gentle into that good night.  Rage, rage against the dying of the light.”

And on that uber dramatic note, here are my top four reasons that Trumbo shouldn't be traded.

1.He hits a lot of home runs. I know it’s not all about the long ball, but when you’re talking about hitting the seventh most in MLB, you've got to put it out there. That many HRs can seriously affect game outcomes. 

And I’m kind of, just a little bit tired of the Angels trading away their home run leaders.

2. He’s young and he’s cheap.  This is especially important when you have not-young, not-cheap guys playing positions that Trumbo can actually play. I realize there are others in the Angels system who can play first base and those who can play outfield.  However, please reference point #1. 

3. Trumbo is worth his weight in local public relations gold.  Something the Angels have apparently forgotten recently is that the value of good PR cannot be underestimated.  We've spent a lot of flashy money for a lot of not very awesome return on the field, and we've managed to send off fan favorite players to other teams where they do things like WIN AWARDS and/or go to the postseason.  This and other shenanigans like team name changes create bad PR.  The only thing that compensates for bad PR is good PR.  In Trumbo you have a local player—someone who is part of the community and has a decent chance at becoming a bona fide hometown hero if you hang onto him long enough.  He’s the kind of player you trot out for school visits, golf tournaments, and fund raisers.  Each time a positive story runs in local media about the team and their hometown player, that’s FREE, GOOD PR for the Angels.  

So how much is that PR worth?  I like to back up my analogies, so I actually did the math on what Trumbo’s weight in gold is actually valued.  Last week gold traded between $1,260 and $1,300 an ounce.  According to baseball-reference.com, Trumbo weighs in at 235 pounds (16 ounces in a pound)...and now it is time for the math: 3760 x $1300 = $4,888,000.  So basically, a solid gold Trumbo would be worth a tick under 5 million dollars.  For reference, we pay him about 1/11th of his weight in gold a year.  Unlike the Angels current marketing department (okay, we can’t really blame marketing for Moreno’s/Dipoto’s choices), I know the value of good PR and I’m willing to stick by my claim that Trumbo isn't just worth his weight in gold, but he’s worth more than the pitching we’d get for him.  Especially if you take the long view and assume he stays with the Angels and has a few decent seasons left in him.

4. The wrath of the fangirls.  Many, many people will scoff at this.  They will say, “there’s more important things than how someone looks in baseball pants,” and other thinly veiled mutations of “your opinion doesn’t matter.”  I’m not here to debate the validity of fangirlism.  I am just here to tell you it exists.  And fangirls and their rage are, much like the value of good PR, not to be underestimated.  Fangirls are the kind of people with the collective power to elevate British character actors to the level of internet gods (please see Benedict Cumberbatch and Tom Hiddleston for examples).  Baseball fangirls might be a different breed of fangirl, but they’re just as powerful, and they buy just as many t-shirts.

These are my top reasons why a Trumbo trade is a bad idea.  Please note that none of them actually was “because he looks good in baseball pants.”  The main reason is that Trumbo wears his pants way too baggy for me to truly make this argument.  But that is another post for another day.

What say you to a Trumbo trade?

View the full article

[Second Base]

We saw the weeping and heard screams of fangirls across So-Cal upon Napoli's trade and subsequent arrival in Texas.  No longer could their drunken fantasies to have a one-night stand with an Angels player be satisfied.  Trading Trumbo could be hazardous to the community in general.  Therefore, I believe we need to institute a back up plan in the event of a Trumbo trade. 

 

1. The Trumbo trade must net at least one player (preferably a starting pitcher) that is both young, single and nearly as attractive as Trumbo.

 

2. The Angels and their fans need to institute a PR program for Trumbo's eventual replacement C.J. Cron as a lovable Teddy Bear and thus artificially create a new target for fangirls should the aforementioned player in the Trumbo trade not be adequate to quench the female lust. 

[Mudville]

This goes to show chicks dig guys with big bats.

 

Edited November 16, 2013 by Mudville

[JessGrey]

Scotty, I have to admit a drunken one night stand with Napoli never crossed my mind, but we all have different types I suppose   I was unhappy with the trade though...and he has been to the World Series twice since, so I don't think we got the better end of that deal.  However, I think your back up plan is solid.

 

Mudville, in my experience, only guys with small bats care.

[Chuck]

Napoli is one ugly mofo.

[LBHalos17]

I think looking good in baseball pants is NOT overrated; Rock the high-socks to intimidate pitchers with your big calves, and they'll waste their time throwing-over to first out of fear of the stolen base.

 

I'm just kidding; kinda.  Oh yeah, I hope the Halos try to keep Trumbo as well.

[Chuck]

I think looking good in baseball pants is NOT overrated; Rock the high-socks to intimidate pitchers with your big calves, and they'll waste their time throwing-over to first out of fear of the stolen base.

 

I'm just kidding; kinda.  Oh yeah, I hope the Halos try to keep Trumbo as well.

 

Since we're deep with two really good 2B's (Yarbrough and Lindsey) I think we should try to deal Howie and Bourjos, and keep Trumbo. I would hate for him to bust out 40 bombs and improve his BA/OBP on another team.

[Second Base]

I think Trumbo's going to drop 40 bombs at least once in his career.  And I also agree with Chuck, the best players to trade at this point in time would likely be Howie and Peter Bourjos.  Though if someone got desperate and were willing to trade a Top 50 SP prospect for Trumbo I'd probably deal him too.

 

If Howie's gone we'd see Grant Green's bat in the lineup which should actually be pretty good.  If Bourjos is gone you can likely expect Kole Calhoun to be your everyday LF which many Angel fans, myself included, would love to see.  If Trumbo is gone you'd likely see C.J. Cron come up and fill in as DH as early as late next season.  Not to mention Taylor Lindsey being ready for 2B in 2015. 

[JessGrey]

Scotty, as much as I like both Kendrick and Bourjos (and my 5 year old doing the Peanut Butter Jelly dance every time he gets a hit), I think this scenario makes the most sense.  I'd like to see both Green and Calhoun in the line up.

 

Chuck, yes he is. The beard doesn't help.

[Scott34]

Top reasons not to trade Trumbo for a good pitcher:

[nate]

I go back and forth with how I feel about Trumbo, but he is as good at PR as he is at taking a walk.  He has a very dull personality.  He doesn't need to have one though so that doesn't matter.

 

I would rather trade Bourjos because I still think that Pujols will be spending a lot of time at DH and Trumbo is our best 1b option not named Pujols.

[ettin]

I like Trumbo. I don't want to see Trumbo go.

 

Unfortunately we need pitching or Trumbo can hit all of the bombs in the world and it won't help the team win.

 

If there is a way to keep him I am all ears. However, the market for a power hitter who can play 1st base/OF appears to be strong right now and since we've doled out tremendous contracts to two players who happen to occupy the same regular positions that Trumbo would be good at, we are left with making a painful decision.

 

Trumbo will bring back a good return in trade. Perhaps Dipoto can work some magic and save him from the chopping block.

[Hollyw00d]

This article should have gone: "chicks dig the longball. End."

[JessGrey]

Hollyw00d, personally I prefer teams that rely on well executed small ball, but don't let me get in the way of your broad brush.

[Hollyw00d]

I also prefer insightful analysis by women that includes more than "he hits homers" and he's "nice\cuddly\friendly\cute"

this article didn't break the mold

[mtangelsfan]

Hollywood, if you can't provide at least constructive criticism for one of our articles then just stay out of the threads that contain them.

[nate]

Wow, you guys are an embarrassment to this community.

[Scott34]

Jesus, brutal comments.  Give her a break.  It was an original, unique article.  I liked it! (though I don't agree with the premise )

[Scott34]

Feel free to delete my comment if you consider it ''brutal'' or ''embarrassing'' (it definitely isn't). Scott, I would have said the same thing if it was an article written by one of the guys here (probably more ''brutal'', I would have called it a sophomoric, non logic based piece).

 

Would you have liked the article if it was written by a male, honestly? 

 

Well considering it's about "fangirling" it would be sorta weird, but yeah I'd be fine with it.  Especially for someone just starting out on AW.

[Stradling]

It was written by one of our own. Show some class, Jesus.

[Halos of Anaheim]

It was written by one of our own. Show some class, Jesus.

''I would have said the same thing if it was an article written by one of the guys here''

[Spirit]

Great stuff, Jess.  Always enjoy your stuff.  You need to write more of it.

 

 

Oh ... and please ignore the misogynists.

[Halos of Anaheim]

Great stuff, Jess.  Always enjoy your stuff.  You need to write more of it.

 

 

Oh ... and please ignore the misogynists.

 

God I love that word, especially when it's used by men.

[JessGrey]

Okay everyone, settle down.  I can take critique, and I take it from actual critics as part of my day job.  I do think it's kind of lame to get called a "chick" just because I wrote a post with "girl" in the title, but you know, whatever floats your boats.

 

The post is intended to be fun and lighthearted.  Am I aiming to provide you with some baseball knowledge you were heretofore unaware of?  No. 

 

However, I disagree that run production isn't a valid reason to keep a player, especially as that is the very reason we are hoping another team will trade quality pitching for, right?  You can't have it both ways, either he's a valuable trade or he isn't.

 

 

I also disagree that the post says the only reason to keep him is home runs.  Pretty sure the main thrust of the post was point three which deals with the concepts of public relations and specifically, home town public relations.

 

I'm also using fangirl is a very specific sense, one that's used more commonly in geek or sci-fi fan communities.  I don't necessarily mean cleat-chasers or women throwing themselves at Napoli as he stumbles around Boston drunk as a skunk.

 

and @HalosofAnaheim, I welcome your criticism and would have probably been fine with "sophmoric and non-logic based piece."  I'd just tell you to lighten the hell up, we can actually (occasioanlly) have fun as fans.

[Halos of Anaheim]

Jess, no hard feelings. Keep it up, I hope to see some in-depth analysis on the team from you.