The rotation is still lacking

[Erstad Grit]

Our farm system is in the current state it is now because the FO has had this mindset. When you have arguably the worst system in baseball and absolutely no pitching depth to speak of you can't keep giving up first round picks. I'd rather take a chance on Arroyo and keep the pick than sign Jimenez and lose it. I don't think the difference between Jimenez and Arroyo will put the Angels over the top.

 

Also it isn't just losing a draft pick, it's losing money to sign other picks as well.

 

Re-look Jimenez's second half of last year. That could be a huge difference. Keep in mind I was against all those deals which put our system in this situation. At some point the pot is too big and simply have to go all in. 

[Mark68]

Re-look Jimenez's second half of last year. That could be a huge difference. Keep in mind I was against all those deals which put our system in this situation. At some point the pot is too big and simply have to go all in.

Or, you fold, hang on to your chips, and look for a better situation, then, when you can take a pot with less risk, you take it.

 

IMO, Ubaldo is not worth losing the draft pick AND the slot money. Since he was traded to the Indians, he had ONE good half. This is not the kind of pitcher we should be throwing money at. We need to fold this losing hand and look for another opportunity.

[VariousCrap]

Something is going to present itself.  I'm sure of it.

[vlad27]

One or two injuries and Joe Blanton is very much in the picture. We need to sign another SP.

yep pitching is needed for sure

[vlad27]

I'm actually surprised that at jan 30 our rotation looks like it does - I hope something changes before opening day but we have Weaver , Wilson and really 3 question marks - and we are totally screwed if we even have 1 starter injured

[vlad27]

This. Dumb move for a pitching-poor team.

agreed

[Brent Maguire]

Giving up a draft pick for Jimenez would be foolish.

We need some high picks to start developing higher impact players in our system.

It's also questionable to cough up a pick for a guy who was really bad for about a year and a hLf straight. His second half was awesome last year but it's worth noting that he was pretty bad in the first half.

[FabulousFabregas]

This team is not a contender.  If the 2012 team couldn't make the playoffs, how the **** is this team going to?  Oakland and Texas are better, it's that simple.  It's been that way for a few years now.  This team is a top level starter and 2 established relivers away from even being in the playoff discussion.  Richards, Skaggs, and Santiago are question marks, and the only established lockdown bullpen guy is Joe Smith.  I think our young starters could work out long term, but in a division this competitive our moves pitching wise this offseason just weren't enough.  They either should have gone for it and signed Garza/Balfour (who didn't even get ridiculous money) or gone into semi rebuild mode for a couple years.

[Halofan]

I think the OP is pretty much spot on . When will the FO realize Pitching wins games. The rotation may be slightly better but it is still filled with too many question marks. We have no depth and if Skaggs . Santiago or Richards have trouble we are in trouble. It makes little sense to me why you pay out big bucks to the offensive side then deplete the pitching staff. I understand the argument of only so many dollars to go around, But it is kind of like building only half a house.  If Hamilton and Pujols get back on track our pitching is still going to struggle to keep us in games. We threw all that money at them for what we never completed the other half of the house to compete. If the front office don't figure out pitching wins games. Trout is doomed to move on to look for success with a club that has it figured out. At this point I will not be buying any season tickets... Lord , How I miss the Cowboy at least he had a little knowledge of the game.

[ten ocho recon scout]

They absorb it with their depth and keep winning games. See: A's, the Oakland; Dodgers, the Los Angeles; Giants, the San Francisco; etc.

disagree on the dodgers. They sucked as bad as we did when grienke was out.

I absolutely agree we need pitching depth. But I hate the argument that good teams wont struggle when they lose key players.

If injuries dont hurt teams, then adding players doesnt help them.

[TroutAdell]

Disagree with almost everything you posted.

The Angels 2013 rotation sucked!

Blanton will not pitch out of the rotation this season. Period.

Hanson is GONE.

Enright is GONE.

Weaver doesn't have a broken elbow!

Wilson is a solid #2 and really commanded his stuff better down the stretch.

Richards will be better!

Santiago is already good, but should get better pitching half of his games in a friendly ball park.

Skaggs has the stuff to be a very good #2 and a tweak to his delivery which was caused by some bad coaching on his changeup will reclaim his velocity.

Mulder has a chance, I said a chance, to be an effective innings eater like what we hoped to get from Blanton and Hanson last season.

Shoemaker impresses me.

Dipoto is not done, still looking for more arms.

Settle down and hug someone.

Out!

[TroutAdell]

Chuck, I can't believe you think that Butcher can straighten out Skaggs' change. This rotation is thin at best. The Angels are playing in a division that is loaded with good pitching. The Halos are going to have to rely on scoring a lot of runs. One injury to a starter and guess who goes in the rotation.

Dipoto can't be done or the Angels are done.

[Hollyw00d]

Our farm system is in the current state it is now because the FO has had this mindset. When you have arguably the worst system in baseball and absolutely no pitching depth to speak of you can't keep giving up first round picks. I'd rather take a chance on Arroyo and keep the pick than sign Jimenez and lose it. I don't think the difference between Jimenez and Arroyo will put the Angels over the top.

 

Also it isn't just losing a draft pick, it's losing money to sign other picks as well.

 

 

As well as completely squandering the picks we did have on the ryan boldens and toolsy MIFers of the world

[WallyWorld]

thought this was worth bumping, since we're now a couple days away from pitchers and catchers reporting.

 

what do all of the "Dipoto is not done!" people think?  This the rotation we're going into the season with?

[bloodbrother]

It's not good and the depth is still bad. You don't go through an entire year with the same 5 SP so we'll be seeing Joe Blanton get starts. They'll need Weav/CJ to carry the load again and hope that neither of them show any signs of regressing when they are both nearing the age where pitchers tend to start regressing

 

In any case, the pitching is a huge issue for this org at the major league and minor league level and it wasn't going to get fixed in one offseason, so I'm not upset over things. Adding Santiago and Skaggs was nice, as it gives them 2 young, cost-controlled arms. Very good deal for them and the type of moves they need to do to fix things. They still need quite a few more going forward. Won't happen this year, but perhaps next offseason they sign somebody like Bailey + trade Kendrick for another young starter

Edited February 11, 2014 by bloodbrother

[mtangelsfan]

I would have liked to have seen them add another veteran starter but the money was really silly.  I think what Dipoto did this offseason was good, not great, but good.  He put some younger arms in our system, it's nice to have 3 young arms right at the top like we do.

 

I don't think the staff is great and I think Blanton will be as woefully disgusting as he was last year and make Angel fans wail and gnash their teeth.  I just think it was a lot to ask to fix in one off season.

[Stradling]

If this is the rotation that we are going into the season with it is only because they performed well in spring training. I will add that I think they need another arm, I am just not sure I am willing to overpay to get that arm. I don't even really know who is still available. My guess is that if they add an arm it will be through a trade.

[Marsaka]

This team is not a contender.  If the 2012 team couldn't make the playoffs, how the **** is this team going to?  Oakland and Texas are better, it's that simple.  It's been that way for a few years now.  This team is a top level starter and 2 established relivers away from even being in the playoff discussion.  Richards, Skaggs, and Santiago are question marks, and the only established lockdown bullpen guy is Joe Smith.  I think our young starters could work out long term, but in a division this competitive our moves pitching wise this offseason just weren't enough.  They either should have gone for it and signed Garza/Balfour (who didn't even get ridiculous money) or gone into semi rebuild mode for a couple years.

 

i agree with this, it seems like they are just content with being a 3rd or 4th place team, and hope that they get lucky and the stars align for them and they some how make the playoffs.  

 

i dont understand why they didn't go after rodney at least, or give krod a chance, maybe he will find a resurgence back in anaheim again?  i hope the front office doesn't think this team will make the playoffs with this bullpen and a rotation full of even bigger question marks.

[Stradling]

I do not want to see Blanton in the rotation or even on the team, but I highly doubt he will be as bad as last year. If he is then he completely lost all ability to be a major leaguer.

[Stradling]

There was absolutely zero chance the Angels were going to go after Rodney again. That guy was a joke when he was here and he really wasn't all that great last year. As for KRod, yea, that would have been a decent pick up, but he hasn't been great either. I would rather have him than Jepsen though.

[mtangelsfan]

i agree with this, it seems like they are just content with being a 3rd or 4th place team, and hope that they get lucky and the stars align for them and they some how make the playoffs.  

 

i dont understand why they didn't go after rodney at least, or give krod a chance, maybe he will find a resurgence back in anaheim again?  i hope the front office doesn't think this team will make the playoffs with this bullpen and a rotation full of even bigger question marks.

 

Wait, are we trying to say that Rodney or Krod would be the difference in us being contenders or not?  Would not both of them be as much as a question mark as any of the others? 

[stormngt]

i agree with this, it seems like they are just content with being a 3rd or 4th place team, and hope that they get lucky and the stars align for them and they some how make the playoffs.  

 

i dont understand why they didn't go after rodney at least, or give krod a chance, maybe he will find a resurgence back in anaheim again?  i hope the front office doesn't think this team will make the playoffs with this bullpen and a rotation full of even bigger question marks.

You lost all credibility when you said "go after Rodney"

 

KROD would have been a nice pick up.

[WallyWorld]

Agree with others that it was probably too much to fix entirely in one offseason.  It really seemed like things were lined up to trade Kendrick for SP, but maybe that trade just wasn't there to make. FA pitchers being overpriced isn't news and isn't unique to this offseason, so I can't imagine that took the FO by surprise.  I actually thought Garza's deal was pretty reasonable.

[Marsaka]

You lost all credibility when you said "go after Rodney"

 

KROD would have been a nice pick up.

 

rodney showed in 2012 what he was capable of, he still throws 98-99 so he is still a pretty dominant force in the 9th and a huge upgrade over frieri.  how many teams make the playoffs without a strong/secured closer?

[mtangelsfan]

rodney showed in 2012 what he was capable of, he still throws 98-99 so he is still a pretty dominant force in the 9th and a huge upgrade over frieri.  how many teams make the playoffs without a strong/secured closer?

 

Do you remember Rodney when he was here?  Do you know what he did last season?  He would not be a huge upgrade over Frieri, he wouldn't even be an upgrade at all.  Not to mention there is no way in hell they would bring him back after he badmouthed the team when he left.