Dave Saltzer

From Scout's Mock Draft 4.0 http://www.scout.com/mlb/scouting/story/1670969-scout-s-2016-mlb-mock-draft-4-0 16. Los Angeles Angels - Bryan Reynolds, OF, Vanderbilt Bryan Reynolds Brentwood HSBrentwood, TN Vanderbilt / 6'2" / 210 lbs POSOF NO.20 I was talking to someone I respect, who knows a lot about the Angels, and has ties to the organization. He has been adamant that the Angels are looking into bats early, and would then look to see what arm would be there later. Reynolds was viewed as a possible top-10 pick as well, and is still in many top 20’s. He does a lot of things well and could be a quick mover. If the Angels are looking for a college bat early, Reynolds makes the most sense here for one of the most conservative drafting teams in the league. Buddy Reed could also go here, if they want a bit more upside.

Could you? In a park? On a lark? Bring on a Shield Or left field. Has this season already become a Dr. Seussian adventure?

He's not at all underrated around the league. I've talked to scouts from about 20+ teams and they would all love to have him on their team. He's considered a very valuable player.

Good story. Glad you got to see the Angels play. But, question for you: is it really that the fans there are better at handling their beer, or is it that they are just more experienced with it?

My wife just decided to go to her aunt's house so my plans for the day changed. I'd like $200 for my pair of tickets, which includes preferred parking, and can meet you before 11 Am tomorrow. Please send me a message if interested. These are great seats, directly behind home plate.

Re: HIPAA, medical staff and I believe training staff are covered by HIPAA, and cannot share any information, even simple stuff, like what city the player lives in, even if it can be found out from other sources. The information can't be hared with anyone, without the consent of the patient, and must be protected essentially forever.

I suggest you get the medical records of a famous and/or rich person and release them without their consent. See what happens!

Okay, just coming into this thread. A few thoughts. 1) Initially, like most, I thought, well, my day just turned to sh*t. But wait, it didn't. This news didn't turn my day to sh*t (it was already a bad day). I can choose to be pessimistic and write off the whole season, or not. So can all of you. The only people whose days have turned to sh*t are Richards and Heaney, who will have to go through surgery and a painful recovery without knowing if they will return as the same pitchers. Let's keep the focus on where it needs to be--on the players, not on ourselves. 2) HIPAA does prevent the medical staff and PR staff from releasing anything not expressly authorized by the player. So, they can't reveal what they know until given permission by the player. Players do release things to specific reporters. Even then, the medical staff can't talk about it until authorized by the player. 3) Why the hell would you change the number of games that you attend or watch on TV? That's bandwagoning. I go to the ballpark to be entertained. As someone pointed out, if a team wins 100 games, and I see a game where they lose 17-1 and they commit 5 errors, was I entertained because they made the playoffs or was I not entertained because the play on the field was so bad? I go to games because I never know what will happen at the game, it's a chance to sit in fresh air, talk with friends, and see the game I love played by the team I care about passionately. I don't go just to see a pre-playoff team. Go ahead and rip me on these thoughts. It's okay. I've had a rough enough day that it won't bother me. But seriously, reading through this thread today was worse and more offensive than learning the news about Richards and Heaney was.

I thought that they would give Bedrosian a bit more time and instead would go with Achter.

I decided to do one pitcher and one hitter at each level (since I had a hot prospect that fit that category at each level). I won't always do that, but it was a way to introduce a few new names into the conversation on the board (part of this is to educate fans). That made for some tough decisions. Nate Smith was on the list until last night, when he had a bad start (8 ER in 4.0 IP, which isn't uncommon in the PCL, but it more than doubled his ERA). Plus, with the injury to Huston Street, and a likely guess that Achter might get the nod over Bedrosian, it was a chance to spotlight him. Love me some Sherman Johnson's OB skills, and he's off to a great start. I think he'll still do well by the next update, so it was a chance to give Bo Way some attention. Same with Aguilera. The same reasoning applies to Kipper and McGowin. I thought it would be good to highlight the change for Blackford to a starter and his success (plus his high strikeouts). McGowin will appear in here over the season, as will Grayson Long. I hope have great seasons.

Chuck, Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying he doesn't have a role or doesn't deserve a chance. It's just my take on Scioscia's views on pitching the velo is king, and he tends to disregard results compared to velo. How often have we held onto "hard-throwers" who weren't getting the job done and kept down "soft-tossers" who were performing under Scioscia? And, how long have we seen Scioscia favor a "veteran" over a prospect? My comments were more about the reality of the team than on what is fair or right. I do think that Shoemaker deserves more time to figure things out before getting sent down. He has shown shades of the 2014 form, and, if he gets it back together, could provide much better innings for the team over the course of the season. I'd give him another 5-10 starts before reassessing.

As I said in the prospect thread, I don't see Scioscia going with Smith anytime soon. Scioscia prefers harder throwing pitchers, and isn't too comfortable with guys in the 88-90 range (if only Weaver were back at those speeds). Smith would have to prove a lot more in AAA (remember, he got hammered there last year when he got promoted--and trust me, Scioscia is aware of that), so he will discount the few good starts so far. Shoe will have to struggle tremendously as well before this might happen. Skaggs is the more likely candidate if he can get stretched out.

While it looks good on paper, I doubt they'd do that unless Shoe really struggles for another 6-10 starts. Scioscia is a fan of velocity, and Smith mostly sits 88-90, a bit low for Scioscia's tastes. Smith's at his best hitting his spots and living on the edges of the plate. In the Majors, that may get hit a lot more. Don't get me wrong, I think he has a role on the club, and can see him as a long-man out of the pen with an occasional start, but, also recognize that Scioscia has his preferences and Smith doesn't seem to fit those all that well.

Well, you're forgetting that a change has happened. I'm getting sick of them, but this year the calls for trading Trout (really?) are starting. That's a change, and I really hope (but doubt) that it goes away. Still, very good article.

I am all in favor of extending the netting down the line.

Alcantra struggles with getting movement on the ball. He can dial it up to triple digits, but loses control when he does so. He needs to bring it back a bit, get some more movement on it, and keep the control. He also really needs to develop his secondary stuff so that he can setup his pitches better. When he's on, and getting it down in the zone, and working the secondaries, he's tough to hit. When he's not, yeah, it's fast, but it's straight, and hittable.

Wow! That's a cool story. Good for them. I had a former student who did something similar. He and his friends rescued over 300 from one site, ranging in age from 6 months to over 60 years old. One of my coolest moments of teaching came after he did that. He emailed me and told me all about the story and then said that until he had me as a teacher he was convinced that he'd be dead or in jail with a lifetime sentence by the time he was 25, because that's what happened to all of his other male relatives. He never thought he'd ever do something as important as rescuing 300+ people. I am very proud of him.

Let me check my thesaurus:superlative job!

I'm a little bit sad to see Sherman Johnson still there, but it is probably a better fit for him while he develops more versatility defensively.

Thanks for writing this. I was going to write something similar saying that this is a good chance to recover a "clean peanut" as the board would like to say. I'd absolutely look into signing him and do so for a very reasonable contract. I think that with the right coaching, Rex could be fixed.

I agree with most of what Chuck said, but I would also add that I don't see any team running away with this division. It's going to be close for all of us. Just by subtraction we improved LF, and 3B will be better. Scioscia is finally going to bat Trout 3rd for a whole season, so that will make the lineup more structured. I think that we will be close and will take a few lucky breaks for us to make the playoffs. I will be optimistic, because that's who I am, and will hope that it does turn out that way.

Even with what he made with the O. C Register, Chuck, about my salary. . . ?

Happy, healthy, and prosperous new year everyone! May 2016 see us get a new and improved left field, and a return to the postseason. Stay safe out there.

Merry Christmas AngelsWin.com. Every year, no matter what happens on the field or off, there is always one place where we can all gather as a community. Whether Christmas is or is not our specific holiday doesn't matter. We can all come here in good times and in bad to find comfort and solice amongst our friends. Sure, like all families, we can have our disagreements, but, no matter what, we can always come here to share. Christmas is full of hope. It's the story of the miraculous birth in a lonely manger that changed the world. Baseball, too, is full of hope. Right now the story for the year has yet to be written,just as right now, the story of Christ is yet to be told. I know that there are big questions surrounding the Angels. I know that Arte has said some things that have dampened the season. But, I do not believe that they are done fixing things, and, next year will be a better year. Like Christians everywhere, now is the time to be optimistic. So, tonight, relax, enjoy, and be with family. The shopping is done, the cooking is through. Savor the time you have with one another and focus on all that is good in your life. Merry Christmas everyone.

I'd rather work out a Santiago deal for either Blackmon or Dickerson from the Rockies. Young, controllable outfielders that would take us past the Hamilton deal would be a better option. The money would be about the same and the risk/reward for both teams is about the same.