YouthofToday

MLB teams don’t draft for “need.” They draft the player that has, in their opinion, the best chance at achieving the most value.

MLB teams don’t draft for “need.” They draft the player that has, in their opinion, the best chance at achieving the most value.

MLB teams don’t draft for “need.” They draft the player that has, in their opinion, the best chance at achieving the most value.

"Cabrera, Verlander, Scherzer, and Sanchez"
Trout's current contract is more friendly than those four combined potentially. I would not trade Trout for those 4

could it be that we see Albert improve this year over his previous couple of years because of a change in expectations?  
In the past, his job was to drive runs in at all cost.  
What if the pressure is off of him now that he'll be batting 6th and there are other guys in the lineup who can produce?  
Maybe they told him to just get on base and hit the ball hard to all fields.  
Perhaps he realizes that he can actually take advantage of the shorter wall in RF.  
Just to give everyone an idea of how rare it was to see him hit an oppo hr.   From where the elevated part of the wall is in RF to the RF line, he's hit six.  
Six for his entire halo career.  And I couldn't sort out the away hrs.  
This is not a prediction btw.  I think it's all too likely he performs similarly to what he's done the last two years.  
But that swing tonight was vintage.  Does he have it in him to do a bunch more of those this year and give the halos a dead cat bounce?  
It's not probable, but it's certainly possible.  

The Angels have rights to LA county. Dodgers can't do anything to stop them. Both clubs have the rights to Ventura, LA, and OC. This isn't an A's and Giants situation.

There's enough talent and financial flexibility in this org for the team to be a world series contender starting within the next year or two.  I understand that's a hard sell for most considering what has happened over the last 10 years, but it's true.  
It's actually pretty ballsy on Eppler's part to proceed as he has over the last three years.  The temptation to move heaven and earth and optimize the major league club around the best player in baseball must have been tremendous.  Instead, a first time GM bets on himself and his team's ability to develop young talent.  Which means he did so knowing that Trout's contract has an obvious expiration date.   That in order to create a true winner, you can't just blow it all around one guy for a couple years worth of chance.  
That's how you build a contender.  That's how you build around your star player.  I hope Trout recognizes this.  That any GM can throw $250 mil at a guy for 10 years or $330 mil at another guy for 13 years.  Any GM can trade away their top 2-3 prospects and grab a star player with 2 years of control.  Or sign a 32 yo declining player to a $50m deal.  
But can they turn the worst farm in baseball into a top 10 system in 3 years?  Can they sign the best foreign prospect ever when money isn't the deciding factor?  Does that GM have the discipline, in the face of all the obvious pressures, to do the right thing and wait for the right time?  
The opportunity to spend a gagillion dollars or a shit ton of prospects on star players will always be there.  I can accomplish that from my keyboard.  If Mike Trout or any other player doesn't recognize what the Angels have done over the last three years isn't boiler plate off the shelf GM stuff then I'm not sure what to say to them.  
So when it comes time, do you want to be on the team that is doing it like anyone else can or on the team that is doing things that others haven't been able to.  

I don’t buy this. It’s not like he’s going to sign for some discount. He’s going to sign for the largest deal ever, even if he signs now. No one is going to tell him not to take that. The only way he doesn’t take it is if he just doesn’t want to commit to the Angels. 
I also don’t believe the union really pressures anyone to do anything with regard to contracts. It’s not like there’s some union rep involved between the player, the agent and the team. 

1. The Angels must make a strong playoff push this year. I would argue it is imperative we at least make it the WC game.
2. The relationship between Ausmus and Trout will be critical.
3. Other players and the union will put pressure on Trout to file for free agency. If healthy his deal would reestablish the top of the market. I expect the relationship between the union and MLB to deteriorate rapidly between now and December 2021, when the current CBA expires.
4. If I’m Trout I wait until after 2020 to sign. He will reestablish the top of the market. Pick who he wants based on who is best set-up to make multiple WS runs.
5. The new CBA may radically change how team’s can structure themselves for future WS runs. Will the current free agency service time rules continue? Will players automatically reach FA at age 28 or so? Ton of other unknown variables.

Harper hasn't shown himself to be all that keen on social graces, he's typically always said whatever the hell he wanted to... so, him saying what he's saying is pretty much par for the course.   Take it for what it's worth -- he's trying to ingratiate himself to his new fan-base, drive the hype up.  If you're the Phillies you love seeing a guy talk up how great it could be...   
 

You realize the Angels are still going to play games for the next two years? And having Mike Trout gives them a better chance to win those games than not having him. 
 

I'm not sure Trout actually care about the actual dollar amount and/or the tax implications.  I think he wants to win.  On the field and in terms of getting the top contract.  

Crazy part about this is that when the deal ends he will be the same age that Albert is now.     

Shows how much money MLB teams are making. Mid to small market teams make bank kids  
 

Shows how much money MLB teams are making. Mid to small market teams make bank kids  
 

It is interesting that Eppler still chose a defense/handler  type even though MS is gone.  not that he had a choice really.  

I am gonna go with 3/24/2019.  Announced before the ST game at Anaheim stadium vs. the the Dogs.  
Terms?  
8/340 opt out after 2023

Krod signing with the Mets netted Trout. Unless you actually believe they had Grichuk higher on their board. From what I remember, it was an inside joke between Morhardt and Bane taking Grichuk first and possibly a negotiation tactic.

I wouldn't trade Pujols for anything. He brings value to the team that WAR can't measure.

I said yes before i clicked on the title.

Casey Stern (of mlb network radio) has really gone off on the Angels lately.  I can't stand the guy.  I can't stand it when people speak with some authority when in reality - they're just giving predictable opinions without any real clue or insight into what the Angels are actually doing.  I'm tired of radio hosts acting like the Angels don't know what they're doing and losing Trout is a sure thing. So many of them are so sure the Angels aren't going to compete or make the post season and they'll lose Trout.  I'm tired of the narrative.  Sick of it, really.
I suggested to him via twitter that he just have @Jeff Fletcher on his show...
 

I don't believe that CJ Wilson's contract was a disaster. 3.78 ERA, all-star appearance and logged more than 200 innings twice and 175 innings once. At 17 million a year, they pretty much got what they paid for. That contract worked out better than the Weaver extension, yet everyone still loves Jered. 

Pujols took BP in a cage yesterday at Angel Stadium. He’s not going to retire just yet kids. 

did he pop up?

I don’t understand the hate here. If he finds his stuff we let him walk and tag him with a qualifying offer. If he doesn’t work out it’s only a 1 year deal.
Dude has no problems pitching in a large market.