ODNight

In most recent years, teams are paying free agents approximately 6-6.5 million dollars on the open market. Right now Steamers and Oliver both project Trout to put up a pedestrian WAR of 9 meaning Trout is worth 54 million dollars on a 1 year basis. Is this possible? Of course not. The arb record is 10 million for Ryan Howard coming off an MVP season. With inflation, I could see Trout getting 15 as his first arb raise. I am more in favor of 12 years and 400 mill variety. While it is a 33.3 AAV contract, he is worth it. Especially if the old max contracts are inflation adjusted. In terms of the payment structure, I would model the raises around the payments that are coming off the books. When VW comes off, raise. When Hamilton comes off, raise. Last raise kicks in year 9. As crazy as it sounds, the numbers justify it, especially when doing comps between Trout, Mays, Mantle, and Cabrera. 

Nothing really earth-shattering or informative.
 
I find it interesting he said the Angels didn't have the pieces last year to be an aggressive baserunning team, but this season will be different. How have the Angels improved this offseason in regards to baserunning???
 
Also inferred that Trout will not be leading off anymore. The highest he will be batting is 2nd but will make his way to the middle of the order.

He's going to sit in that 5-spot for the next two months.

For some reason Dipoto and Moreno thought it a good idea to compound the Wells disaster with not one but TWO terrible contracts. It boggles the mind.

We're a win-now team with a lot of undesirable contracts.  Some people are really dim on this board it seems.  It's like infantile whining children that complain about being bored without putting in effort to actually think of something to do. 
 
How has Dipoto had a chance to deal good to elite, cost-controlled MLB players for top pitching prospects?  Give me even one scenario in his time here where this could have happened.  He made "MLB player for prospect deals" with the Dbacks because he was working for an entirely different organization and he had the luxury of being able to build for the future with little current expectations while giving up good MLB talent.  You even said yourself you "wouldn't trade a gatorade cooler" for any of our players, yet JD is supposed to find a way to get high upside starting pitching?  Get a grip.
 
This organization is going to need 5+ years to retool the farm and replenish our system, at least. 

Clap, clap, clap...... wait.... the clap?

Herpes?

To be fair, he dealt for two guys that could've helped the staff greatly.  Skaggs and Corbin.   The guy he dealt, Haren, fell off surprisingly quickly.  Granted, he was in a different position when that trade was made, but it is something to consider.  Wilson is an enigma.  Didn't expect him to do a lot worse leaving Texas for Anaheim. Expected him to bounce back after the injury.  Still hoping.  I would've preferred to roll the dice with Santana for a year and not settle for Vargas and Blanton, but Santana isn't exactly reliable.
 
Pujols was all Arte.  I wanted Fielder, Kuroda, and Ramon Hernandez.  Would've gone 2 for 3... if they would've signed.  Fielder got more than I expected.
 
I was not that excited about Hamilton.  Better than standing pat, and arguably better than signing Greinke at the same price.   It is a relatively small deal for a recent MVP, but his strikeout rate and chase rate last year were alarming.  He ended up with very good numbers last year, but there was a big change.  I expect him to bounce back, but he was overrated.  
 
Iannetta was a good move... despite Tyler Chatwood's hitting.  Gave up a good young pitcher for Frieri, but the Angels desperately needed a reliever last year and he could've ended up being the difference... still may at some point.   Hanson trade was solid.   
 
This team has had some bad luck the last couple years.  It's cute that people are angry over moves now, but I don't remember the rage when most of them happened.  

I was also not on board with signing Hamilton.
 
There was a need for a big LH power bat, but that ship sailed the previous offseason when Pujols was signed instead of Fielder. I think this team would be doing a lot better with Fielder instead of Pujols and Hamilton. Then again, I'm not the owner, and Arte really wanted Pujols and Hamilton.
 
However, nobody expected Santana to be this good, and I don't expect it to continue. Vargas>Haren, and, when all is said and done, Hanson will be better than Haren as well.
 
2013 Blanton=2012 Santana

giving a blockbuster contract to someone in his 30s is never a good idea. i don't understand why most fans seem to take umbrage with his pitcher deals while having no problem with the pujols and hamilton signings. his pitcher moves were actually the more reasonable ones.

were having some fun last night at the Angels' expense. (I am only going w what I was reading from game thread comments last night).
 
Good on them.  I was one of the few who liked Phys.  I only disliked him in the crappy years, because he had to be a Company Man apologist ("Tim Belcher isn't having the best season, but he's a GREAT influence for the young guys").  But when the Angels were rolling, I liked Phys.  I understand the criticisms, but I enjoyed his pbp.
 
 
The hiring of Hud, and replacing with Goob, is one of those complete dunderheaded moves that Arte makes which makes no sense.  Nobody likes a three and a half hour little league coaching lesson every night about releasing your hands, bringing your hips around, and elevated pitches.
 
 
I miss hud and Phys.

95% of this board was on board with the Hamilton signing.......Just saying.

Here is what is funny to me.  The one whole season and this small season are the two that Dipoto has been gm and they have sucked big donkey balls.
 
At least Sosh has a track record of success.  How can anyone argue that Dipoto is some great baseball mind when he has no record to prove that.  I remember a poster talking about looking at the scoreboard.  Well I am looking at the scoreboard and so far Dipoto is a fail.  Bad FA contracts, bad pitching acquisitions and a bad team.
 
I also giggle at the notion that Dipoto is somehow not doing what he wants.  He chose to be here with Sosh as the manager.  He agreed and if there was some kind of statement from Arte that Sosh would not be fired, which I highly doubt, then he came here with his eyes wide open.
 
Dipoto may end up successful, but so far he's done nothing to prove that will be.

Can't wait to see how many empty seats there are at those mid-May home games against the Royals. I think we might give the Marlins a run for their money especially without all the 99 cent tickets on stubhub.

This is the way I see it. Once the team has sold the ticket they have received their revenue for it, and they are not entitled to squat if the ticket is resold, nor should they be able to dictate how it is resold or to whom. The Honda analogy in the story is appropriate. Would you buy a house, for instance, if as a condition of the sale the previous owners insisted on telling you who you must use to resell it and insisted on a cut of the resale price, and the resale was subject to their approval? Once you have sold something it is gone, and you have relinquished all rights to decide what happens to it.