Dave Saltzer

I think 15 is a good spot for him on our list. Again, I think he can and hope that he does grow from there, but it's really all about how that bat plays up. I don't see, and haven't been told that there's much room for power to develop, so, he needs to be a plus defender and have above average hit tools. What stood out in his debut was his BB:K ratio, and the number of walks that he took as well as the defensive instincts that he showed.

He is that good defensively according to what I know, but it's also going to depend on how the bat develops. I was thinking of slotting him in at 15. He might be better than Fletcher defensively, but he's also a lot further away than him. Since I lean a bit on proximity, I'd put Fletcher above him now, knowing that he could develop and move up in the rankings in the future.

So, now we get to have a discussion on where to rank Livan Soto. Let the discussion begin.

And yes, I see him moving to 3B.

This. As much as I wanted Maitan, I wouldn't put him above Adell, Jones, Marsh, Barria, or Canning. I'd rank him 6th right now on our list, right above Thaiss.

I haven't been unable to get an interview with Eppler. It would he awesome for our site if I could. Want to see if you can get Tim to arrange it? I'm on my Christmas break starting the 22nd and could meet any time during those 2 weeks.

For a variety of reasons, many of which you have listed, the Marlins might not get back all that much for Gordon, or they may have to eat a good chunk of the money owed to him to trade him. At the same time, if Panik continues to develop and improve, in a couple of years, he could become more expensive while playing on a non-competitive team. If cutting costs while rebuilding their team is important it might be better to trade the currently lower cost player (Panik) than Gordon rather than pay a good chunk of Gordon's salary to play for another team and not get much back for him. They obviously don't need 2 guys to play 2B, so it would be like a 3-way trade with the Giants, us, and the Marlins. That's why I wanted your assessment of Panik as a player and what it would cost. If the cost for Hernández is too high for us (let's say it involves Jones and a pitcher), could we get Panik for less than that and would it be worth it in your opinion? How would you compare Panik to Hernández and Gordon offensively and defensively and in terms of cost to acquire?

I'm willing to go to the meeting as well to represent the fans and to show how genuine our interest would be in him as a player.

Here's something that I've been wondering, and would like your thoughts on Jeff. Let's say the Giants trade for Stanton, and include Panik in the trade. Would you prefer to trade for Panik from the Marlins/Giants and what do you think it would realistically take to get him?

I think that the reason why we haven't heard any speculation is that since our big splashes, in which we got burned, we haven't gone on major splashes again. Our owner has talked about staying under the luxury tax. Our MO is to maintain silence about our pursuits. We have several other pressing needs, and most members of the media don't see this as the piece that would fit us (if Stanton played 2B or 3B, it would be a totally different situation). A few years ago, after our big splashes, we were connected with everyone and everything under the sun. We were overhyped and over-connected to players, many of whom we really were not in on as far as I know. If the media saw us go on another big spending spree again, and, we had room for more financial flexibility, I could see us getting connected to more players again in the future. But right now, circumstances suggest that Stanton isn't the best fit for us, as much as we, the fans, might want it.

Question #1 Ohtanisan, Angelswin.com ichi?

I would very much want Stanton, and could live with Valbuena at 3B if that meant we got Stanton. And, I'd absolutely love it if we got Stanton and Ohtani. BUT, if we don't get him, two thoughts: 1) I want the Giants to get him just to piss off all the Dodgers fans. 2) If the Giants do include Panik, why don't we essentially make it a 3-way and offer them Jam Jones for Panik? That might make it a more palatable deal for everyone.

I would guess (assuming they would want these players) Calhoun, Cron, and Barria. Yes, that would cost Miamia a bit more than getting pure prospects, but they could probably flip Calhoun for more prospects to lower their financial commitment even more.

I agree. Fletcher does a very good job and doesn't do click bait. He's not that kind of guy, and I respect him for that. We will make a serious play for him, and hopefully we can land him.

Thanks. Seriously, I know it's not my money, but it's just money. Trout/Stanton/Upton would make for years of compelling baseball to watch in Anaheim. Add in the idea of Ohtani and Arte could easily add another $500 million or more to the value of the franchise.

If you could find it, I would appreciate it. I'm stuck at work, and can't check out all this sites. Thanks!

What rumor is that?

I think you all are missing this key line in the article: "More to come on this story." Come on Jeff . . . Get typing!!!!! We need to know!!!

Agreed about the rookie and 20 year old bits. And, at 201 career Hrs, it's a bit grammatical to say hundreds if home runs. Again, this is being a bit nitpicky, but I wanted to give it the thorough review that you deserve. I'm sure it will be fine, especially if Trout is already on board with it.

I forgot to say this earlier. You are right Scotty--our sales pitch is enhanced by the serious lack of depth at 3B. I see his future more at that position. Given that lack of depth, he would rise in our system as fast as his bat will carry him, which has to equate as a plus for us.

My biggest complaint against the organization, and particularly the FO, over the past decade has been our true lack of a presence in Latin America. We've been neglecting too much talent for too long. And, when we went in on Baldwin, we didn't go in on so many others at the time to justify the 2-year ban. I agree with trying to get ahead of the curve in the Bahamas, but not if it comes at the expense of Latin America. For what 1 WAR costs these days, we could have and should have the best scouting AND development staff period. I agree, when opportunities arise, we have to be ready to capitalize on them. This is one such situation. If Miami is realistic about what they would want in a Stanton trade, again, I'd be ready to capitalize.

Teams can either use their remaining money from this year or money from next year, as I understand it, but not both. I have been wondering if we would go back and consider side him. It all comes down to what next year's international talent looks like and whom we might get in it. I'd seriously consider tapping into next year's talent to sign him if we don't have enough in this year:s pool. O don't think it would take over $1 million to sign him. I'm not as bullish on him right now as Scotty is, but I'd still rank him high on our list. On our list, I'd rank him 6th,right behind Canning and just ahead of Thaiss.

As we are all sitting here, possibly stuffed like the birds we ate, let's take pause and give thanks to the many good things that we have in life. For me, one of the very good things in my life is AngelsWin.com. No matter how I feel, I can always come here, read something that makes me think, often something that makes me laugh, and have a break from all that is happening in my life. It's a chance to escape, relax, and refresh. And that comes from all of you. For that, I am grateful. Happy Thanksgiving AngelsWin.com.

Does it have to happen? No. Is it probably what is holding up the market. Yes. Am I the only one who would live to see Boras so overplay his hand that he has to start offering Black Friday deals, like buy a J. D. Martínez and he'll throw in a reliever too?

Two questions: 1) how come the agents/advisors involved in the kickbacks and bribes didn't get any kind of ounishment/ban? 2) Which of these guys would we want/would it be worth signing, even if we used some of next year's international money?