Dave Saltzer

So, let's put this hypothetical out there: Suarez, Thaiss, and Ward for Herrera and Moustakis. Would you pull the trigger on that and do you think that is enough?

It all depends on the cost. KC fully intends and expects a bidding war for Herrera. Hell, I'd love to trade for Herrera and Moustakis, as both are available. But, it all depends on the cost. KC knows that there will be plenty of interest at the trade deadline and wants the market to develop. They are also willing to trade early if they are blown away. I'm not trading Adell or Marsh for rentals because I think both have a legitimate shot of making it and being impact players, both of whom would be relatively affordable for several years, making other more expensive players, like Trout, affordable as well. However, if the Rockies offered Arenado (not that they would) for either Adell or Marsh, I'd do it. It's all about the return on the trade.

It does alter the importance of where you sign a letter of intent. That plays a role in the value of the scholarship you get. So, that can make where you choose to sign a letter of intent an interesting choice if you truly intend to sign. But, I don't see most HS kids thinking that strategically about the decision.

Yep. Offering HS players a scholarship for college after baseball definitely has made the decision much easier for HS players to sign. What's the real downside? You don't make it as a baseball player and go to college a few years older, but for free? It's much easier now for a HS player to sign.

It's not a one or the other proposition. The focus shouldn't be on trade now or hold onto them, it should be about what makes the team the best overall. That means we need to focus on what the return would be in a trade more than what the team is doing at the time. If the return makes sense, and improves the club overall, then we should pursue it. Eppler listens to all offers, and is constantly checking to see what's available out there. And, with the Simmons trade, he's shown he's not afraid to make a move that will help the club long-term, even if it means trading the top talent in the system (and within a weak system at the time). There's no doubt how well the Simmons trade turned out, and how much better he's made the club overall. It was a gamble that paid off extremely well. Both teams benefited, as Newcomb as become the pitcher we thought he'd be, but Simmons has definitely exceeded the player we thought he'd be. Focusing on the return and what makes sense long-term is the way to go, not focusing on one extreme or another.

An interesting thought, and yes, on average baseball pays more. But, there are far fewer opportunities to break into the "money" than there are in football. Football has a much higher turnover rate, and is much more likely to see the money (if you are dominant in college and drafted, you get the money, whereas in baseball, doing well in college means you still go to the minors). One of the things baseball scouts long lamented and cited as a problem for the sport was how many D1 scholarships football could give versus baseball. Baseball programs had so few scholarships in comparison that many of claimed it affected how many disadvantaged youth would focus on the sport. For families looking for a way to get ahead and to get college paid for, football offered a much easier and greater path than baseball. So, there was much more of a concentration on it. I think that the revelation of CTE, the other health risks, etc. have scared so many parents that they are pushing for other sports. I know of many families who let their older children play football who have changed their minds for their younger sons. And, that has led to far more talent and athleticism in baseball, soccer, and other sports as a result.

I hope that it's a good sign that MLB's RBI program (Reviving Baseball in the Inner cities) is working. The program does a lot to help disadvantaged kids get to play baseball. You can read a bit about it here: http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/official_info/mlb_official_story_headline.jsp?story_page=rbi and here: https://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Daily/Issues/2017/04/14/Leagues-and-Governing-Bodies/RBI.aspx I would also guess that it may also have something to do with the growing backlash against football by parents since all the head trauma information has come out. There are plenty of articles out there talking about the downward trend in football participation, and in most cases, the most likely reason is the fear of CTE (although some other ideas have been floated as well). Given the choice, I think more athletes, regardless of race, would be willing to pursue a baseball career because it is perceived to be a safer sport. The high profile suicides in football have taken a toll amongst teenagers. So, I'm not surprised that more athletes from all races are choosing to play baseball, and may be more easily signed (and therefore drafted) than in years past, when they may have stayed for football. No matter what, getting more talented players and athletes, from all backgrounds, only makes baseball more exciting for me, as I do want to see the best players competing on the field. All fans should be happy with that.

Great story. I'm looking forward to following him.

My only points with that question are to show that it's not a straightforward and easy question. There are other factors that need to be considered. Without doubt, I would want input from key players such as Trout and Ohtani on the future of the manager's position as we don't want to drive them away either by keeping him or not keeping him. There's a lot more to consider in a decision like this than just the perceived wrong decisions by Scioscia by some fans. I can guarantee you that Scioscia knows far more about what is really going with the players than what the fans know, and often there are reasons why a player was or wasn't used, etc. Fans don't realize that other things can and do affect these decisions. For example, a player could be ridiculously sick and unable to play, even though the situation may warrant it. Scioscia and the player may not want that information known to everyone, so he looks like he doesn't know what he's doing to the fans, yet in fact, he knows exactly what he's doing. There are things that Scioscia does that I think he does very well. There are things that he does that I question. For me, at this point, keeping him or not depends a lot more on what would help the club the most overall (retaining Trout, Ohtani, and some others) more than his perceived decisions on the field. Keeping the key players long term is the biggest factor for this club overall.

Too many variables here to conclude. Scioscia could get fired/not rehired, and not hired elsewhere, and Trout stays or goes. Scioscia could get fired/not rehired and Trout likes the new manager and stays. Scioscia could stay and Trout doesn't want to play for Scioscia and leaves (but all evidence does not suggest this). Scioscia could decide he just doesn't want to manage anymore (no indication of this, in fact, he's said the opposite), in which case Trout could decide to stay or leave. The only two that are certain are if Trout says he wants to resign to stay to play under Scioscia, then I'd say you have to resign Scioscia. And, conversely, if Trout says he won't play under Scioscia, then you have to fire Scioscia. Trout is that important to this organization.

Just noticing that, and thinking at some point that they are going to start needing to draft some specific positions, such as catcher, just to round out the teams.

Of your two lists (BB leaders and HR leaders), the more significant one is the BB leaders as it is made up of more prospects than the HR leaders. As great as it is to see the overall improvements, the HR leaders are mostly filled with AAAA players who were recently added for organizational depth. Carter isn't even with the organization anymore. Rivas, Rengifo, and Ward all have a shot at some ML time, and Walsh is definitely playing himself into a very weird "Ohtani-ish" role, and may be able to make it, even if a little older than the curve. It will be interesting to watch what the Angels do with him and how they define a role for him as it pertains to William English.

Notes from the Jordyn Adams press conference call: Angels "thrilled to introduce him" and that he was "quite an athlete". Jordyn made an opening statement that he feels really good, was blessed to be a part of the organization and wants to make it known that he is happy to be a part of the Angels organization. He's ready to get to work. As noted earlier, Adams said he has a deal in place already, but it isn't signed yet. It will be made official in the next few days. On being selected by the Angels, it was a real "eye opener" for him and his family. He was home with the draft with friends, family, and administrators from school. Billy Eppler made the call. He wasn't really paying attention and his dad handed him the phone. Eppler said that he loved everything about him (Adams) as a player and was ready to make it official. On the decision between football and baseball: he has played baseball all of his life, and his skills getting better lately made it an easier decision. As for not playing for his dad: His dad was behind him on the decision. Whatever was best for him (Jordyn) was best for him (his father). Jordyn is aware of the depth the Angels have in the organization at the position (1st round pick last year as a CF), but said that it is up to him, his work ethic, and it will all work out. As to why the early deal, he didn't want to get behind in the organization. He wants to get to work and acclimate. He does not graduate until next week on the 13th. Personal observation, another player with poise, good public speaking skills, and handled the media well. Definitely following more of a mold that we've seen with our picks over the last couple of years, especially our top picks like Adell, Marsh, Jones, Canning, etc.

Notes from the Jordyn Adams press conference call: Angels "thrilled to introduce him" and that he was "quite an athlete". Jordyn made an opening statement that he feels really good, was blessed to be a part of the organization and wants to make it known that he is happy to be a part of the Angels organization. He's ready to get to work. As noted earlier, Adams said he has a deal in place already, but it isn't signed yet. It will be made official in the next few days. On being selected by the Angels, it was a real "eye opener" for him and his family. He was home with the draft with friends, family, and administrators from school. Billy Eppler made the call. He wasn't really paying attention and his dad handed him the phone. Eppler said that he loved everything about him (Adams) as a player and was ready to make it official. On the decision between football and baseball: he has played baseball all of his life, and his skills getting better lately made it an easier decision. As for not playing for his dad: His dad was behind him on the decision. Whatever was best for him (Jordyn) was best for him (his father). Jordyn is aware of the depth the Angels have in the organization at the position (1st round pick last year as a CF), but said that it is up to him, his work ethic, and it will all work out. As to why the early deal, he didn't want to get behind in the organization. He wants to get to work and acclimate. He does not graduate until next week on the 13th. Personal observation, another player with poise, good public speaking skills, and handled the media well. Definitely following more of a mold that we've seen with our picks over the last couple of years, especially our top picks like Adell, Marsh, Jones, Canning, etc.

Adams deal in place, need to make it official next few days. Ready to get to work.

Thanks for the video. Lot to like in this pick, especially for a 5th rounder.

Cool story.

Thank you for explaining it to me. I couldn't wrap my head around it. C'mon, it's Benji freaking Gil's son there!

Where's the outcry that we didn't draft Benji Gil's son Mateo like with Vlad Jr?

What do you mean? It's a killer name from what I hear.

I'm thinking future closer here.

We're on the clock . . .

Well, there goes Kloffenstein. Someone is doing what I'm thinking. . .

I'm willing to take a gamble on one of these three and to try and see if $1 million sways their decision to go to college. I don't know what their demands are, but, staring at $1 million on the table has to be pretty tempting. They won't get that much more if they move up from the 3rd round, and have a big chance to drop down if an injury or something happens.

It's time to get this show on the road! Day 2, here we go!