Can the Angels go deep in the playoffs...

[Stradling]

Yea, I get the point, but it isn't that far fetched that these guys can out produce what they did last year. As a matter of fact I think almost all of us expect them to play much better than they did last year. I am more worried about Santiago and Skaggs than I am of Hamilton, Pujols and Freese performing better than they did last year. This team was good offensively last year, and that was with awful contributions from Hamilton, Aybar having a down year, Pujols being hurt and not really contributing. This year with just solid, not even MVP or All Star type seasons from those players, plus the addition of Calhoun playing every day, this could be a great line up. A line up that could help when their are growing pains for Skaggs, Santiago and Richards. One other thing, this defense was awful last year. That being said, minus possibly catcher, name a defensive player on the team last year that you would have said was below average defensively? My point is this is a better defensive team than last year just because these players shouldn't be that bad defensively. Now I realize I paint a rosy picture, but we aren't asking Hamilton to be like he was a few years ago, we aren't asking for Pujols from 5 years ago. We are asking players to be healthy and contribute, that's it. If this team struggles this coming year, I think it will be health related, and that will totally suck, because at that point, I don't really think Pujols will ever be healthy again.

[Chris]

sick lineup (Ibanez edition):

 

RF Calhoun L

CF Trout R

1B Pujols R

LF Hamilton L

3B Freese R

DH Ibanez L

2B Kendrick R

C Iannetta/Conger R/L

SS Aybar S

 

pretty siiiicckk!

 

That's my projection.

[bloodbrother]

All comes down to the overpaid duo. If they can return to form this team will be contenders..if they don't, this is a .500 team even with Garza/Tanaka in the fold.

[Brent Maguire]

You think getting Tanaka only makes us 3 wins better than getting Garza?

3 wins is huge if they're around 90 wins. That's the difference between getting in the playoffs or not.

Tanaka will probably be around a 3-4 WAR guy, Garza around 2-3 but that extra win or 2 is huge and Tanaka will improve a bunch.

[NrM]

Yea, I get the point, but it isn't that far fetched that these guys can out produce what they did last year. As a matter of fact I think almost all of us expect them to play much better than they did last year. I am more worried about Santiago and Skaggs than I am of Hamilton, Pujols and Freese performing better than they did last year. This team was good offensively last year, and that was with awful contributions from Hamilton, Aybar having a down year, Pujols being hurt and not really contributing. This year with just solid, not even MVP or All Star type seasons from those players, plus the addition of Calhoun playing every day, this could be a great line up. A line up that could help when their are growing pains for Skaggs, Santiago and Richards. One other thing, this defense was awful last year. That being said, minus possibly catcher, name a defensive player on the team last year that you would have said was below average defensively? My point is this is a better defensive team than last year just because these players shouldn't be that bad defensively. Now I realize I paint a rosy picture, but we aren't asking Hamilton to be like he was a few years ago, we aren't asking for Pujols from 5 years ago. We are asking players to be healthy and contribute, that's it. If this team struggles this coming year, I think it will be health related, and that will totally suck, because at that point, I don't really think Pujols will ever be healthy again.

Who do you even blame for the defense being the way it was last year? Does it fall on scioscia? Do you just call it an anomaly and hope for the best this year?

[Brent Maguire]

Marsaka, I'm assuming this team will be a little healthier and having an improve Hamilton and healthy Pujols puts us probably around 85-88 wins.

Getting Tanaka makes us a WC contender, possibly a division winner based on how the other teams do.

[Stradling]

Who do you even blame for the defense being the way it was last year? Does it fall on scioscia? Do you just call it an anomaly and hope for the best this year?

I call it an anomaly and think that it will return more to the norm next year. Freese is our only below average defensive player, and even he has the ability to be league average defensively. I'll ask you Poozy, this isn't an attack just a question, do you think Trout is a below average center fielder? Because last year, according to metrics he was. I'll be honest, if I thought this was the real Trout (I saw him take some bad routes to balls last year) then I would have been totally against any trade that left us without Peter to play CF.

[Chuck]

Why don't we all agree that we have no clue how we're going to finish, but like the good old days we're optimistic and fans regardless, cheering on the Halos for every 162 games during the season?

 

That my friends are the 90's, most of which you spoiled Angels fans missed.

[tdawg87]

This is now a superfan thread.

[Stradling]

Thanks Chuck for making this a superfan thread.

[Chuck]

This is now a superfan thread.

 

No, it's a reminder that some of you youngins are spoiled rotten and despite how good the team is on paper or how bad they are, it doesn't ****ing matter one bit.

 

Play the games and be a fan. Not a superfan. Not a whineyfan.

 

/End rant

[NrM]

 

I call it an anomaly and think that it will return more to the norm next year. Freese is our only below average defensive player, and even he has the ability to be league average defensively. I'll ask you Poozy, this isn't an attack just a question, do you think Trout is a below average center fielder? Because last year, according to metrics he was. I'll be honest, if I thought this was the real Trout (I saw him take some bad routes to balls last year) then I would have been totally against any trade that left us without Peter to play CF.

Of course not. Like I've said before. I think shuffling trout between LF and CF ended up hurting his defense in the 1st half of the season. Once he stuck in CF he actually played above average defense. Trout even said he was more comfortable in CF.

That falls on Scioscia imo.

Edited December 19, 2013 by Poozy

[Cdaniel]

Why don't we all agree that we have no clue how we're going to finish, but like the good old days we're optimistic and fans regardless, cheering on the Halos for every 162 games during the season?

That my friends are the 90's, most of which you spoiled Angels fans missed.

I remember the 90's. Was it 95 when we had that big collapse in Sept? I think it all started after the bus accident.

[Stradling]

Poozy, I agree that he is better than average in CF, but I don't think Scioscia failed. As good defensively as Trout is, he isn't Peter. Peter is incredible defensively and has a much better arm. Do you agree that with the players we currently have we will be better defensively?

[NrM]

Poozy, I agree that he is better than average in CF, but I don't think Scioscia failed. As good defensively as Trout is, he isn't Peter. Peter is incredible defensively and has a much better arm. Do you agree that with the players we currently have we will be better defensively?

 

I have no clue. Not going to pretend I do.

[Stradling]

I find it hard to believe that someone that spends as much time on here as you and I do, doesn't have an opinion of whether or not the team will be better defensively. I'm not asking you to look at the stats and come up with some metric that says the team should do this or that. I am asking you, based on your knowledge of the team and what you have seen with your own eyes, will the team be the same, better or worse than last year.

[eligrba]

I would like to see how much grit and heart this team shows before answering the question.  Playoff runs require more than great stat lines and I do not have much faith in a manager who is committed to a "tip the cap and turn the page" response for consistent failure.

[VariousCrap]

First, let me start by saying that I hope the Angels get Tanaka.  Second, if the Angels get Tanaka or Garza, that is the finishing touch to what has been a very good offseason.  Finally, an improved starting rotation mixed with an improved bullpen mixed with a healthy Pujols and Hamilton producing like he did during the second half of last season, this team is a legit force in the West.

[ukyah]

the angels need another front half of the rotation starter and a real good closer to push frieri and everyone else down a spot. if they got both of those two things, then i think they'd have as good a shot as any other team vying for a championship. they wouldn't be favorites, but they'd be legitimate contenders.

 

adding a top half starter like tanaka or garza would do the lions share of the work. adding a bottom half starter, if we miss out, would make it an "iffy" proposition, i think.

[Erick McClendon]

sick lineup (Ibanez edition):

 

RF Calhoun L

CF Trout R

1B Pujols R

LF Hamilton L

3B Freese R

DH Ibanez L

2B Kendrick R

C Iannetta/Conger R/L

SS Aybar S

 

pretty siiiicckk!

 

That's my projection.

If it was 2011 its a "Sick" lineup

[Second Base]

The playoffs are a crapshoot anyway.  For me, it's all about the regular season.  A better question might be to ask "Do you think the Angels can make a serious run at the playoffs?"

 

In which case for me, the answer is yes.  The 2013 team was better than it's record.  There was some bad luck involved and injuries/ineffectiveness that really hurt the club.  If we were to give them a record more indicative of the way they played and their talent I think the Angels were an 80-85 win team in 2013, which the Pythagorean record supports (81 wins)

 

2014, we've added Santiago, who is a mid/end of the rotation LHP, Skaggs, who should be a back end LHP, we'll have Richards in the rotation a full year instead of the dumpster fire that was Williams/Blanton/Hanson. That alone should be worth a few wins.  Add in Kole Calhoun for a full year, hopefully a healthy Pujols and a Josh Hamilton that isn't completely lost and you're looking good.  Not to mention the bullpen's improvement in getting Burnett back along with Smith coming in as well as the plethora of potentially effective RP's we have in Kohn, Rasmus, Moran, Morin, Alvarez and Bedrosian. 

 

Even if you expect some shakiness in the bullpen and lesser performances from Weav and Wilson, this team still looks like an 85-90 win team.  I won't go about predicting they'll win the West but the Angels should absolutely be in the thick of things for the full season.  And thanks to Dipoto's moves this winter, they should likely remain competitive in 2015 and beyond as well.   

[Troll Daddy]

With the current pitching staff ... a big NO

 

Although that could change shortly if they sign a big name or possibly if they get help before the trade deadline.

[Ohtaniland]

Can the Angels go deep in the playoffs...

 

 

Well if Pujols and Hamilton...................and our pitching holds up..................yada yada yada!

[Stradling]

Will the A's make it to the playoffs? Well if they are healthy, and Donaldson has another MVP type season, and if Kazmir doesn't return to being Kazmir........yada yada yada

[Ohtaniland]

Will the A's make it to the playoffs? Well if they are healthy, and Donaldson has another MVP type season, and if Kazmir doesn't return to being Kazmir........yada yada yada

 

Exactly my point. There's no way to predict these things. If we're healthy we'll do fine.