wopphil

I realize hindsight is 20/20, but the biggest blunder in this organization’s recent transaction history was the failure to sign Beltre and the pivot to Wells. Nothing even comes close IMO. And then Arte doubled down on the mistake by signing Pujols and Hamilton. A trio of massive mistakes .

This should have happened the last two weeks - not waited until the off-season (when his trade value will be much lower).

I am a bit of this belief as well. I think they could have quickly helped the rebuild process if they could have obtained a Soto-like package for Ohtani (which I understand might not have been possible).

C. I like the Marsh trade, I’ll give him a B+/A- on that one. The Iglesias trade was fine. I was surprised he could find a taker for Iglesias’ entire contract, and he got a potentially useful piece in return. I’d give the trade a B. The Syndergaard trade looks bad to me. I’d have preferred a higher floor, lower ceiling guy who is more likely to stick on a major league roster. I’d give this trade a D.

More like dropping the phone. Or picking up the fax machine instead.

Good post @Trendon. Do any of the guys you have identified fall into the top 75-150 overall prospects? I have to think if the Angels can land someone in that range, it would be equivalent to the draft pick they lost to sign Syndergaard.

Sounds like I am in the minority here, but I’d listen on offers for Ohtani. I love the guy - he is the most exciting player in baseball and seems like a good guy - but I consider trading him for these reasons: This team isn’t going to be competitive before he turns 30 and enters the downside of his career. His value is largely based on his pitching. He is an arm injury away from being just a solid DH. He is a very risky player. He will cost a fortune to extend. The team has too much money already tied up in Trout and Rendon. Dedicating over half a team’s payroll to three guys is imprudent. He could potentially bring us back two or three impact players that will set up the team much better for 2025 and beyond (when they will potentially be competitive again). So I would listen on offers. I wouldn’t move him just to move him, but if I was overwhelmed by an offer, I’d pull the trigger.

This, and it would probably take a $400 mil payroll to make this team decent. We literally need two outfielders (Ward has a sub .600 OPS the last two months), a first baseman, a second baseman, a shortstop, three or four starting pitchers, and an entire bullpen (possibly sans a closer).

If it helps bring a smile to your face, my friend sent this to me yesterday.

I doubt any GM would be interested in Raisel at the moment, especially if they had to pay anywhere near his full salary.

He will show up in 2024.

It is at least the second. He did the exact same thing against Oakland.

And as we continue to watch the wheels come off, and the team run differential finally cross into negative territory, it’s clear there is nothing that will allow them to reverse course by next season. No amount of trades or free agent money will make this current core of players 90+ game winners by 2023.

I think most agree this year is lost. I don’t mean to be a Debbie Downer, but in looking at the organization on the whole, I kind of think we are screwed for next year and beyond. Consider: - We have not a single position player prospect in AA or AAA who looks like he will be a good major league player. Maybe Adell will be average. - We have a bloated major league payroll. - Other than Detmers, we don’t have a single starting pitching prospect who looks certain to be at least an average starter. Maybe Silseth. - Trout will be another year into the wrong side of 30. - Ohtani will have only a year left before free agency. He will be fun to watch, but like Trout, his efforts will be wasted. - Rendon will probably find another way to get injured. - Other than Iglesias, we have no high leverage bullpen arms, either on the major league team or in the high minors. I guess I am pessimistic that this team can be fixed in the next two to three years. I am just not seeing it. The farm is still weak, at least at the upper levels. And the payroll is so high that they won’t be able to buy themselves out of this mess. Anyone see things differently?

Because who plays in their place? What young players are performing well in AA and AAA and ready to challenge for a position? Unfortunately the options are slim.

Do you guys actually watch the games or look at the box scores? Forget what Fangraphs says, this team is doing literally nothing correctly the last month. They aren’t making the playoffs, and almost certainly aren’t going to finish .500 (for what, the seventh year in a row?).

Weren’t those nice times? When a good president could get impeached for lying about sex. Now, you can commit treason and try to make yourself a dictator, and the party doesn’t find that nearly as repugnant as banging an intern.

Where do you get your Chinese from?

Better than a calf strain. Hopefully.

This was my thought exactly. I keep refreshing MLB trade rumors expecting to read that he has been fired.

I actually did well in Con Law in law school (can’t say that about most of my other classes), but don’t follow it now nearly as much as I should. Employment law is my thing. Cals could probably school me on the Constitution.

They fucking suck. The bullpen is complete dogshit, like every year. I’ll believe they are a playoff contender when they are actually contending in September.

That’s a really good point, I had forgotten all about the massive threat posed by the grizzly bear. Maybe I should re-think this one.

Lol. No, I am sure his gun is locked in a safe because he is a responsible gun owner.

I know it would seem you’d want the ability to fire 20 rounds at a burglar, but I’d bet just about anything that the data would show that in 95+ percent of instances of home gun use, no more than two or three shots are fired.