Troutstanding

Super happy for this sweep, especially against Chokeland.

 

But Team RISP was 4-14. F'n sad.

What is sad about that? .285 AVG with RISP is perfectly good.

Scioscia has said he won't have a pitcher who goes only at home due to the issues it would present to the other starters.

Trout

Dodgers being NL will want to have their pitcher getting AB's while Angels in AL wouldn't want that. 

Nice read. I couldn't say if there's a whole lot to garner from the information posed as of course you could take any two things or two seasons and find all sorts of similarities. Nonetheless I'm definitely more optimistic about the Angels 2016 than before Spring Training started and this article does a good job putting it into words while trying to remain cautious and fair to some serious question marks.

Nobody is saying that. Stop shit posting.

Tell that to yourself.

Yup, it was Mike Trout's absolutely horrendous August that caused us to not win the World Series in 2015. Can you believe it? His OPS+ was only 91! 91! That's like... 10% below the average... 10%!!! We never should have signed that guy... /s

"If Escobar hits first, the Angels will still likely need to find another hitter to bat second, because Scioscia said Trout is going to hit third. Last year he bounced him between second and third."

Sigh

Off topic I know... but Trout should bat second, not third...

As far as I know, Cespedes is considered to be a team friendly guy, well-liked by teammates and coaches. I could be wrong. Cespesdes has some red flags but neither of which pertain to clubhouse chemistry or his arm.

Upton > Cespedes....

Hamilton was a disaster waiting to happen, but Upton has plenty of risk attached still for the money he'd command, and it's arguable that he alone would be such an improvement that it'd push into an elite team.

Disappointed at the news but to say there's plenty evidence against all of the Big 4 that none of them would be a certified, team-elevating talent. Each carried significant risk for the price they were to command. Look at the pages of debate for proof. Heyward was the clearest cut of any of them, and he appears to have been destined a Cub regardless if the Angels paid up.

All FA acquisitions carry some degree of risk. Some carry more than others. Hamilton risk > Upton risk, by a lot. 

Except Hamilton was riddled in red flags and Upton isn't. 

It's hard to say since he's only had two full seasons... But with his age, upside, high floor, defensive ability, the fact that he's ginger... I'd say something like 5/100. 

My take on the offseason (so far) is how much better are we by replacing Aybar and Freese with Simmons and Escobar at the cost of Aybar and 3 good young arms (1 potentially very good young arm in Newcomb)?  Better defensively for sure but at the price of 3 good young arms? Don't see it....haven't addressed LF yet and before you say "wait and see what he does there before you pass judgment on the offseason", even if we sign Upton or Cespedes, you've still used valuable assets for a defensive upgrade at SS and 3b when no upgrade was particularly necessary at SS....just don't get that....we'll see....

In my opinion your outlook only makes sense if Simmons is a FA after 2016. The upgrade defensively is much more pronounced at SS than 3B, also. 

We would have gotten Simmons for Newcomb straight up

If that were the case, we would have. 

I think there is one guy on the Angels who is close to equal value for Springer. At a minimum, it would take two of Richards, Heaney, Calhoun or Skaggs.

Who is that one guy? Simmons?

How about Santiago to Cubs for Solor/Baez, who goes to Houston for Springer, who goes to Halos?

Not sure if you're overvaluing Santiago or undervaluing Solor/Baez... Santiago is barely a starting point.

You forget that we can opt out after 3 years for more money. Why do you think he's a Cub?

I'm aware he has opt out clauses. He does not however have more than three years guaranteed money at $25m/year as an 'elite' player would. 

You're saying that 3/75M isn't elite pay for three years?

Elite players get $25m for many more than three years.

It's December 11th... Jesus Christ.

I would finish off my line up the same way as yours.

In the first inning and any time there is less than two outs, the clean up hitter will have a chance to bring in Trout (and/or Escobar) anyway... unless Pujols GIDP, which admittedly is a real possibility. I think by batting Upton 3 and Pujols 4 you would be taking away RBI and lead off chances from Upton and giving them to Pujols. I'd rather not have Pujols (atrocious with RISP and terrible OBP last season) with those things. I do understand the appeal of splitting up Trout and Pujols but I don't think it would be more effective than having the spots filled by who are IMO new-textbook appropriate players for the spots.

What makes more sense to me would be to do:

Escobar

Trout

Pujols

Upton

(For the purposes of having Trout and Upton 2 and 4 respectively, not to bat Albert 3rd)

Your first year following the Angels?

It's my first year following the Angels with Billy Eppler as GM.