wopphil

Isn't it still March?

I would be pissed if I were in his shoes too. Guys like Trout, Harper, Machado, Harvey, etc. are responsible, by themselves, for bringing in tens (if not hundreds) of millions of dollars to MLB and their teams. They are paid just a small fraction of that, while guys like A-Rod and Vernon Wells make 20-mil plus to not play. And who knows when these guys could suffer career ending injuries of find themselves no longer productive and capable of earning huge salaries. I would want to maximize my earnings while I was at my best as well. But LTH's point makes sense - this is the framework put into place by the MLB Union, which of course is comprised of many young, pre-arbitration players. I just happen to think the whole system makes little sense and probably ought to be radically re-worked.

Thanks Dave. I have never made it out to spring training, but hope to do so within the next few years (as my son gets old enough to enjoy the experience). I am truly amazed at what you guys have been able to create with this event. It honestly wouldn't surprise me if the fanfest that Angelswin.com puts on is one of the most "intimate" types of fanfest events in all of baseball. You guys should be very proud of what you are doing.

I'd love to hear notable things Dipoto and Mead had to say, if any of you are so inclined to share.

I am really not concerned. It is still pretty early and some of these guys haven't even had 10-15 at bats yet. Every single regular has a track record ranging from at least league average (Ianetta, Aybar) to exceptional (Trout, Pujols, Hamilton), and I don't think the offense is going to be a problem. The pitching is obviously the much bigger concern, and so far there is a lot to be optimistic about on that front (namely, Skaggs and Santiago).

I dont really understand why they should care. Even if they play great and are leading through 5, the minor league players will nonetheless be put into the game.

I was thinking about this too. I'd be on board if the price was right (nothing more than 3/30 or so).

It is great news. I love how some people were ready to release the guy because he had two bad spring outings (despite having given the team 72 innings of 132 ERA+ relief last year). Don't rush coming back Dane. If it takes a few weeks into April, so be it.

And that is why baseball is so great. Did anyone expect everything to go right for the Red Sox last year? Of course not, but it did. So much can happen once the games start. I think we are all going into this season with lower, more realistic expectations than the last two years. And while I don't expect this team to win more than 85 games, I could absolutely see it happening if some guys really step up. And I actually think this team could be in a decent position going forward. We have quite a bit of young talent in Trout, Calhoun, Skaggs, Santiago and Richards, and even guys like Kendrick, Aybar and Weaver are not quite old enough to be in their decline phase.

Hard to disagree with him. We do have a lot of "ifs." But most teams do, of course. We simply don't have the depth to deal with any significant injuries. If our young guys both perform and stay healthy, we will be a good team, but we could be a Santiago/Skaggs implosion away from being a 75-win team.

Great news. I'd love to see him return to form and help give us the best offense in baseball.

Agreed, unfortunately.

Yeah CaliAngel, you may want to clarify what you said about law enforcement. Some certainly are pieces of shit, but most are not. In fact some of them are in law enforcement because they are such decent and caring people. And I think on the whole they get paid far less than firefighters, despite having a much more difficult job.

Wow.

The concerning thing is that I read this post, and the only way in which I knew it wasn't the actual lineup is because Pujols' foot probably isn't quite ready to play a game in center. Otherwise, I could see Scioscia throwing out this defensive alignment.

He isn't even a quarter of the way through his contract.

Maybe "Godless" was too strong of a word, and I apologize if I offended any of you. But that being said, Russia is a rotten nation and their leaders are evil people.

Some of the sports "writing" that gets published is nothing short of shocking. I read an article just the other day about the "10 Pitchers Poised to Have Big Seasons in 2014." And Matt Harvey was one of those ten.

I hate Putin, and I don't trust Russians as far as I can throw them. There is a reason why our nations didn't get along for 50+ years. They are Godless, calculated, unfeeling people who should never be trusted.

Its Skaggs' first start. I wouldn't expect him to be very sharp. I'll withhold judgment until a few more starts. Great to hear about the improved velocity.

The beauty of baseball is that anything can happen once the games start. I wouldn't be surprised one bit to see this team win only 75 games, and I wouldn't be surprised one bit to see it win 95 games. Like every single team in baseball, we have question marks. Anything can happen. Just as the 2012 and 2013 Red Sox.

I, of course, hope things fall apart for Texas this year. Although I would never wish injury on any player, Texas appears to have some injury issues that could really hurt them this year.

I wouldn't be surprised to see Cano slash something like .290/.360/.480.

Which just goes to show how ridiculous Grichuk's season was.

The lineup should look much, much deeper with Hamilton hitting fourth and everyone else slotted down another spot.