Dave Saltzer

I talked to Mulder tonight and he said the injuries weren't really why he retired, not directly anyway. He said his mechanics got so out of whack from pitching around the injuries that he couldn't be effective. Now he believes he's solved that problem.
Whether he can be effective remains to be seen, but I think it will be a performance issue, not a Madson-like endless rehab issue, which is what you could have with Santana.
This is more comparable to the Chad Cordero story. He never made it because the stuff didn't come back, but cost the Angels nothing more than a minor league salary to let him find out.

I am proud to be a part of all that has been built here and look forward to all that will be built over the next decade. It is truly an honor to be a part of the best website and best community for Angels fans.

I am proud to be a part of all that has been built here and look forward to all that will be built over the next decade. It is truly an honor to be a part of the best website and best community for Angels fans.

I am proud to be a part of all that has been built here and look forward to all that will be built over the next decade. It is truly an honor to be a part of the best website and best community for Angels fans.

Joe, this is a really good article. I don't think it will take that much money to lock up Trout for a decade. While Trout is poised to break every potential arbitration record, those years would be much cheaper. I'd bet the deal could be done for closer to $300 million (hey, it's only $100 million LESS!).
 
As for those who would argue against committing that much money to one player, two things:
 
1. Comparing the deal Trout would get versus the ones that Pujols and A-Rod got are different because Trout is so much younger (assuming we signed him to that deal this year) that we would be locking up his prime years.
 
2. Do we really want to go through another 50+ years arguing about how we failed to sign Trout just like we've spent the past 30 years cursing Bavasi for not signing Nolan Ryan?
 
The money is there to sign Trout, and we would be foolish not to do it.

Joe, this is a really good article. I don't think it will take that much money to lock up Trout for a decade. While Trout is poised to break every potential arbitration record, those years would be much cheaper. I'd bet the deal could be done for closer to $300 million (hey, it's only $100 million LESS!).
 
As for those who would argue against committing that much money to one player, two things:
 
1. Comparing the deal Trout would get versus the ones that Pujols and A-Rod got are different because Trout is so much younger (assuming we signed him to that deal this year) that we would be locking up his prime years.
 
2. Do we really want to go through another 50+ years arguing about how we failed to sign Trout just like we've spent the past 30 years cursing Bavasi for not signing Nolan Ryan?
 
The money is there to sign Trout, and we would be foolish not to do it.

Nice! Welcome Peter Gammons. We do a fine job covering/debating/discussing the Angels here.

Nice! Welcome Peter Gammons. We do a fine job covering/debating/discussing the Angels here.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to the best #AngelsFamily on the internet!

I don't think he expected more than $14M per season. But I do think he expected a 2-3 year deal for more than $14M. I probably would have done the same thing. A multi-year contract wasn't far fetched.

Baseball may be getting PEDs out of the game, but clearly the crack pipe is still being passed around the player agents!

This morning my sons were talking about Pujols is going to come back big-time next year and that Trout should bat third in front of him. I may have to write another article!

I followed your lead Ellen and stayed in the same spot. Good article on the joy of the day!

Welcome aboard! Good article out of the gate. I disagree about giving them a plaque in the HOF because that will then lead to the extension for all agents and I do not think that they should be in there. I think that possibly making an exhibit about the labor issues and the change to free agency would be worthwhile, and included in that should be stuff on Curt Flood and others who helped change the game. That would be informative and educational for all visitors.

going back to ?

Just answering the question in the title thread . . . He gets his car insurance at Geico.

Good analysis. This was a clear win, even if I will miss seeing the Trumbombs in Anaheim.

Why not just go after Walker and make the trade a 3-way with the Angels trading Trumbo to the Rays and getting Walker from the Mariners?

Here are some of my notes from today's press conference with Joe Smith and Jerry Dipoto:
 
Joe Smith is happy to be here. His girlfriend works out here. The biggest factor for him signing with the Angels was the inclusion of a third year and the chance to play near his girlfriend.
 
Jerry Dipoto targeted him early and made an early offer. Other teams were interested, but the Angels were made solid offers early on that made the decision easier.
 
For Dipoto, getting Smith, who throws side-arm was an important factor to give the bullpen a different look. Smith throws 89-92, which Dipoto believes will pair up well with the young power arms in the pen.
 
Dipoto is not done. Third base and the bullpen were two areas that the Angels identified as needing improvement at the outset of Spring Training. He knows about the starting pitching, and believes that there are many days left to get the starting pitching worked out. He did not see the moves made for Freese and Smith as limiting the moves for starting pitching.
 
The Angels have not finalized all non-tenders yet. Expect more later today.
 
The Angels still expect Burnett to be fully healthy by the start of Spring Training. They will know more in January after he starts throwing.
 
The Angels are now focusing more on starting pitching. They do not appear to be looking to make another major improvement in the bullpen (they see Burnett as that other improvement), but will consider any opportunity to improve the club.
 
Smith started throwing sidearm in college at the advice of his coach at the time.
 
Smith really improved once they started letting him pitch complete innings. At first low risk situations, but now is capable against righties and lefties equally and in high leverage situations.
 
Smith sees the Angels as a perpetually contending team, and the chance to play with a team that is contending, where the expectation was to win every game was important for him.
 
Smith came across as a decent person. He handled himself well in the interview, gave thorough and long answers, and should play a big part in restoring the bullpen to a source of strength. 
 
All-in-all, I'm very happy that the Angels signed Smith. There were several other teams interested, so, I see this signing as a being well within the going market rate for a pitcher of his caliber who can generate ground balls and strikeouts, gives the bullpen a different look, and can pitch an inning in high leverage situations.

Here are some of my notes from today's press conference with Joe Smith and Jerry Dipoto:
 
Joe Smith is happy to be here. His girlfriend works out here. The biggest factor for him signing with the Angels was the inclusion of a third year and the chance to play near his girlfriend.
 
Jerry Dipoto targeted him early and made an early offer. Other teams were interested, but the Angels were made solid offers early on that made the decision easier.
 
For Dipoto, getting Smith, who throws side-arm was an important factor to give the bullpen a different look. Smith throws 89-92, which Dipoto believes will pair up well with the young power arms in the pen.
 
Dipoto is not done. Third base and the bullpen were two areas that the Angels identified as needing improvement at the outset of Spring Training. He knows about the starting pitching, and believes that there are many days left to get the starting pitching worked out. He did not see the moves made for Freese and Smith as limiting the moves for starting pitching.
 
The Angels have not finalized all non-tenders yet. Expect more later today.
 
The Angels still expect Burnett to be fully healthy by the start of Spring Training. They will know more in January after he starts throwing.
 
The Angels are now focusing more on starting pitching. They do not appear to be looking to make another major improvement in the bullpen (they see Burnett as that other improvement), but will consider any opportunity to improve the club.
 
Smith started throwing sidearm in college at the advice of his coach at the time.
 
Smith really improved once they started letting him pitch complete innings. At first low risk situations, but now is capable against righties and lefties equally and in high leverage situations.
 
Smith sees the Angels as a perpetually contending team, and the chance to play with a team that is contending, where the expectation was to win every game was important for him.
 
Smith came across as a decent person. He handled himself well in the interview, gave thorough and long answers, and should play a big part in restoring the bullpen to a source of strength. 
 
All-in-all, I'm very happy that the Angels signed Smith. There were several other teams interested, so, I see this signing as a being well within the going market rate for a pitcher of his caliber who can generate ground balls and strikeouts, gives the bullpen a different look, and can pitch an inning in high leverage situations.

Here are some of my notes from today's press conference with Joe Smith and Jerry Dipoto:
 
Joe Smith is happy to be here. His girlfriend works out here. The biggest factor for him signing with the Angels was the inclusion of a third year and the chance to play near his girlfriend.
 
Jerry Dipoto targeted him early and made an early offer. Other teams were interested, but the Angels were made solid offers early on that made the decision easier.
 
For Dipoto, getting Smith, who throws side-arm was an important factor to give the bullpen a different look. Smith throws 89-92, which Dipoto believes will pair up well with the young power arms in the pen.
 
Dipoto is not done. Third base and the bullpen were two areas that the Angels identified as needing improvement at the outset of Spring Training. He knows about the starting pitching, and believes that there are many days left to get the starting pitching worked out. He did not see the moves made for Freese and Smith as limiting the moves for starting pitching.
 
The Angels have not finalized all non-tenders yet. Expect more later today.
 
The Angels still expect Burnett to be fully healthy by the start of Spring Training. They will know more in January after he starts throwing.
 
The Angels are now focusing more on starting pitching. They do not appear to be looking to make another major improvement in the bullpen (they see Burnett as that other improvement), but will consider any opportunity to improve the club.
 
Smith started throwing sidearm in college at the advice of his coach at the time.
 
Smith really improved once they started letting him pitch complete innings. At first low risk situations, but now is capable against righties and lefties equally and in high leverage situations.
 
Smith sees the Angels as a perpetually contending team, and the chance to play with a team that is contending, where the expectation was to win every game was important for him.
 
Smith came across as a decent person. He handled himself well in the interview, gave thorough and long answers, and should play a big part in restoring the bullpen to a source of strength. 
 
All-in-all, I'm very happy that the Angels signed Smith. There were several other teams interested, so, I see this signing as a being well within the going market rate for a pitcher of his caliber who can generate ground balls and strikeouts, gives the bullpen a different look, and can pitch an inning in high leverage situations.

NP Ettin. Trying to give you guys the straight scoops on things. I'll leave it to Alden, Fletcher and DiGi to give you all the exact quotes and put it all into an article. But, I thought I'd give you my take-a-way items. Yes, I know about the Jepsen tendering thing, but two things: 1) I'm never going to tweet something like that out faster than Alden--He's a twitter ninja. 2) Since they said that they would have final decisions out to us later, I thought I would hold off until everything became official.

Here are some of my notes from today's press conference with Joe Smith and Jerry Dipoto:
 
Joe Smith is happy to be here. His girlfriend works out here. The biggest factor for him signing with the Angels was the inclusion of a third year and the chance to play near his girlfriend.
 
Jerry Dipoto targeted him early and made an early offer. Other teams were interested, but the Angels were made solid offers early on that made the decision easier.
 
For Dipoto, getting Smith, who throws side-arm was an important factor to give the bullpen a different look. Smith throws 89-92, which Dipoto believes will pair up well with the young power arms in the pen.
 
Dipoto is not done. Third base and the bullpen were two areas that the Angels identified as needing improvement at the outset of Spring Training. He knows about the starting pitching, and believes that there are many days left to get the starting pitching worked out. He did not see the moves made for Freese and Smith as limiting the moves for starting pitching.
 
The Angels have not finalized all non-tenders yet. Expect more later today.
 
The Angels still expect Burnett to be fully healthy by the start of Spring Training. They will know more in January after he starts throwing.
 
The Angels are now focusing more on starting pitching. They do not appear to be looking to make another major improvement in the bullpen (they see Burnett as that other improvement), but will consider any opportunity to improve the club.
 
Smith started throwing sidearm in college at the advice of his coach at the time.
 
Smith really improved once they started letting him pitch complete innings. At first low risk situations, but now is capable against righties and lefties equally and in high leverage situations.
 
Smith sees the Angels as a perpetually contending team, and the chance to play with a team that is contending, where the expectation was to win every game was important for him.
 
Smith came across as a decent person. He handled himself well in the interview, gave thorough and long answers, and should play a big part in restoring the bullpen to a source of strength. 
 
All-in-all, I'm very happy that the Angels signed Smith. There were several other teams interested, so, I see this signing as a being well within the going market rate for a pitcher of his caliber who can generate ground balls and strikeouts, gives the bullpen a different look, and can pitch an inning in high leverage situations.

Amen.
I was literally going to sit down and write something very much the same as what Chuck wrote, but he beat me to it. His eloquence is better than mine.
Happy Thanksgiving AngelsWin.com. We all have a lot to be thankful for, and may you all have a happy holiday filled with family, friends, good food and merriment.
And, for those who are Jewish, Happy Hanukkah.

That was only for the live Tim Salmon chat, which at the time was pretty damn awesome! Since then he just rolls up and talks to fans at our fanfest for 45 minutes in person.