LAAMike

We all like these shiny numbers out of spring training but we all need to bear in mind that in many cases these pitching stats were racked up against scrubs/prospects/journeymen at the end of their career. I do like the numbers that we have been seeing the last few days as these are more like the batters that will be faced once the season starts.

I guess Chuck is referring to my general "oldness".  I cannot remember the first game I saw at the Big A.  I do remember going to the Coliseum when the Dodgers first came to LA.  I also remember the California Sun and the Anaheim Amigos.  I now live in Camarillo and like "tomsred" find that this is a long haul to Angel Stadium. 

Ryan LaMarre has been the surprise star so far.  Three well hit long balls in the first game and 2SB and 3RBI total.  I also agree that Thaiss looks great also. 

Looks like the Orioles are willing to give up a top forty draft pick to sign Fowler for 2 years/ 10 million  per year.  This still seems like something the Angels should consider.

As Stradling mentioned this acquisition was not purely an on the field issue.  The Dodgers were going through a bad spell with their previous owner and his divorce, etc. and Arte and the organization saw an opportunity to seize some market share and also position the franchise for the big TV deal that followed.  From a purely baseball standpoint the contract with Pujols was probably too much and too long.  In the bigger picture the Angels accomplished some other goals which makes the Pujols contract very successful in my opinion.  I still enjoy watching one of the best players in the last twenty years perform for the Angels and am very appreciative of Pujol's strong work ethic and the other values that he brings to the team. 

Small sample size so far but if this trend continues it appears that the members of this board are very impatient and are not inclined to give existing management and ownership the benefit of the doubt which they should as they really do know more than us.  I would hate for many of you to be my boss with such a short fuse and unrealistic short term expectations.  These things take time and in the meantime we are in the chase every year.  I can only hope that this short term point of view does not extend to your own personal financial planning. 

I never realized that Claude was from Downey - that explains a lot. 

I have to reluctantly agree with Mulwin444.

Thinking does not keep many posters from responding.

I thought that AJ Achter was released. 

Is there any room on our forty man roster for Daniel?  He was steady when he was with the Angels.  Certainly a good depth move if we have the space.  He was cut from the Mariner's roster to make room for Iwakuma.

Can't we trade a SP for some of Colorado's excess OF'ers?  Blackmon and Dickerson have a lot of appeal. 

I think that everyone is being too hard on Arte Moreno.  There were some special circumstances regarding the Dodger management and ownership that Arte saw as an opportunity to put a dent in the Dodger's control of this market.  Additionally there were the negotiations regarding the TV contract where having some big name players and "making a splash" made sense.  I have been disappointed in the International market and the Angel's response to these opportunities (which has been heightened by the wave of Cuban players due to normalization) but overall I really like Arte Moreno as an owner and as a human being. 

I like this move.

gurn 67 - I like your approach to this issue.  Your factoids really bring the issue into focus.  Mike T will likely be second again in spite of these facts. 

I think that Jerry D picked our pocket in claiming Robertson off waivers.  He was an excellent fourth O/F that did not cost much and was holding no one back.  I am sorry to see him go.  Thanks for your contributions, Daniel.

Hey Tomsred I thought nothing was going to happen until the Winter Meetings?

Are the Red Sox crazy to hire  Amaro as their first base coach? GM to first base coach is a strange move even for Boston.

I believe that Servais is under contract until the end of October. 

I regard Tin Bogar as an excellent Managing prospect.  He was three times manager of the years in the minors in 2004, 2005 and 2006 with a record of 362-266. He was an interim Manager with the Rangers when Washington got fired and went 14-8.  He has been a bench coach, a third base coach and a first base coach in the majors.  He reportedly has a good touch with younger players.   

I thought that non compete clauses were legal if you actually got compensated for them.  Non compete clauses when there is no additional compensation are not enforceable in California. 

The real nightmare is Hamilton 0-10 after two LDS games. 

Lou, Several of the players that you mentioned were traded for by players drafted by the Angels.  Perez for Conger - Santiago for Trumbo - Street and Gott for Taylor Lindsey, Elliot Norris, the infamous Jose Rondon, and RJ Alvarez - Kubitza for Nate Hyatt and Ricardo Sanchez.  So we used up our minor league prospects for current roster players.  Don't get me wrong I am not in love with many of our draft picks and we have lost a lot of high draft picks with the Pujols,

Hamilton and Wilson signings. 

I see that Servais is under contract through October.  Chris Gwynn was shown the door today to make room for Servais on November 1.

Isn't part of this farm system rankings being so bad is that we have a lot of recent farm system players now on the major league roster?