halomatt

5 minutes ago, jsnpritchett said:

 

It’s a moosical number. 

Results are out this morning. Take a look if you have the subscription. In all, it’s exactly what you’d expect. The questions/answers that focus on Moreno and his ownership are in line with the most frequent sentiments on this board. The percentages are very high showing disapproval. Good stuff. 

1 hour ago, Erstad Grit said:

A's adding wood and stripping ain't bad for how awful their franchise is right now. 

Well this will certainly bring the crowds into the stadium.  Mostly (but limited to) females I'd guess.

Operator

Bumping this is cruel and depressing. 

Hahaha..."this is...this is a shit show!" 

Truer words, gents. 

Everything that was talked about was on the spot, in my opinion.  I realllllyyyyyy hope Moreno's preparing to put the team on the market again.  Hopefully, he has the stones to finish the deal this time. 

34 minutes ago, Ender said:

Baseball needs a salary cap and floor or it's going to be a dying sport. 

That being said, I'm jealous as fuck of the Dodgers as a Mariner fan. 

Nope. Harms the players.  It's not their fault that billionaire owners don't want to pony up the cash to help their teams become winners. 

32 minutes ago, Lhalo said:

They'll suck it up and deal with it just like all the cooks flipping shrimp at Benihana.

Can we end this discussion and get a pole?  Let's see where the people stand. 

16 minutes ago, Blarg said:

Ohtani had his elbow reconstructed twice.  Nearly every Japanes pitcher in the last 15 years has had to have elbow surgery within their first couple years. So I guess the Angels knew Ohtani was due for a rebuild before they bought him. The question is, do you pay more for a car that has had a history of rebuilds? Because that's what his asking price is now. 

In this extended metaphor, would Anderson be a Camry? 

36 minutes ago, Pancake Bear said:

Really excited about Enright. What I dig is that he's got a good pedigree, being mentored by a guy like Strom. He also seems to have a good sense of what went wrong last year and what these guys are capable of.

My favorite part of the Q&A, though, was when he said the front office is backing off their one-size-fits-all approach and leaving the data in the hands of the coaching staff to appropriate as needed. I.e. Perry is hiring coaches he trusts and then trusting them to disseminate the information they're getting from the analytics department in whatever way will be of most benefit to the pitchers. That all gives me hope that we'll see some of these guys get back to where they were or maybe even take a step forward. 

Yeah. I thought it was a very insightful interview conducted by Blum.  I learned a lot about Enright's thoughts on data and execution as well as the importance of leadership. 

I agree.  I think the issue I keep seeing is the lack of depth in the minors.  Last year was (I think) an outlier with all the injuries.  In the last calendar year, however, the depth has been decimated with trades and guys out of options.  I think the Angels are close to fielding a really good team, but I also think it's going to be a paper-thin 40-man roster where they will be relying on guys who are flawed and incapable of even replacement-level play.  This is where a rebuild might make sense. 

7 minutes ago, Stradling said:

Am I the only one who thinks it’s actually insane to give Ohtani more than $450-500 million?  I actually think the only team that should offer him that much is the Angels. But for another team to risk that much money for a DH that just had a second TJ surgery? He’s a unicorn because he does both at a very high level but what if he’s just a decent pitcher with a 3.90 ERA that pitches every 6th day. Some team is giving him $50 million a year?  It’s way too much risk. Yes I know he’s got a great bat, but he’s a DH. Sure he can play outfield if he decides not to pitch anymore but that won’t happen until he’s 32 or 33.  How many outfielders are plus defenders at that age?  And none are plus defenders after taking a decade off from playing the outfield. 
Welcome to my Ted Talk. 

Agree.  Angels should pass on Ohtani and rebuild.  It's time.  (Won't happen, but it should.)

stinky

Awful news.  Just awful.  I've always enjoyed the humor Lou provided.  He's a real peach, that one. I'll miss your presence here on the board. 

Rendon is still the best third baseman on the roster.  Need him back in the lineup. 

It really sucks that he's hurt again.  I can certainly understand the frustration from many in this thread and on the forum in general.  The thing is, based on comments from his manager and members of the press, he wants to be out there, and is clearly frustrated that he can't be available.  Now, I have no idea what it's like to be a professional athlete, but I can't imagine these folks didn't get were they were by being complacent.  Most athletes seem like outliers in their profession, often putting in long hours honing their craft to get where they are. 

Like I said, I'm not a professional athlete.  I'm not even an amateur athlete, lol.  But I've had debilitating injuries before, most often with my back.  Man, when that lower back acts up and I'm turtled on my back on the bed and I need help from my wife getting upright, I wish more than anything that I was able to function. 

I hope he gets the help he needs to get back on the field soon. 

Ohtani is a unicorn.  Nothing he does in within the boundaries of what has been done before.  New rules were created to accommodate his uniqueness.  His contract will not be within the same boundaries of what has been done before.  He's a once-in-a-lifetime player. 

I'd trade his ass in a hot second if this team falls 10 games behind.

However, rather than hand a "For Rent" sign on him, take a photo,  and send the pic to 25 other teams, I'd approach trading him in the same vein as his uniqueness. 

I'd look at the top five farm systems.  Find the playoff teams.  Eliminate the Dodgers, Yankees, and maybe the Rangers. 

Let's choose Tampa.  I'd call Tampa and tell them I want their number 1.  One from the 10-15 range.  And one from 20-25 range. 

And I'd tell them I would pay the full freight on Ohtani for the year.  Free.  Gratis. How could TAMPA say 'no" to that???

Give em some time to mull it over, but argue that flags fly forever and this guy is a true DIFFERENCE.  MAKER.  Also, I target Tampa because they have GUYS, not just guys.  Further, I would be completely and totally shocked if Tampa ponied up the finances to extend a contract to Ohtani, which guarantees he hits the free agent market (rather than a potential deal from the Dodgers, Yankees, and possibly the Rangers). (And also, who wants to play forever in that shitty dome?!)

Tampa says no.  I just move on to, say, the Diamondbacks.  Same deal.

In the offseason, the Angels might hope to persuade him to come back thanks to the new depth in talent the team has acquired. 

Okay.  Enough fantasizing...back to work. 

Pretty depressing right now, and lots of negativity.  I hate the idea of folding up shop right now.  If the Angels hit double digits behind the last Wild Card, it's time to trade anything that isn't bolted to the floor.  Most important would be to get Ohtani traded quickly.  The team may get slight better players if the trade is made quickly.  Even though he's a rental, he's a game-changer and he's going to get some good talent back (more if the Angels pay some money).  Then it's about getting the tradeable commodities (like Renfroe and Ward) playing well so there's value to acquire talent.  A shitty Ward isn't appealing to any team, so he may be un-tradeable if he doesn't get going,even for a hot streak. 

I'd love them to stay within five games of the Wild Card, though.  That would make things very interesting if the team gets some health back and can start hitting again. 

Keep Nevin and Minasian.  This isn't their fault.  My biggest hangup with Arte is he's impulsive, likes shiny baubles, and meddles too much.  Can't fault him for opening his wallet and increasing the budget. 

I think this team, healthy, could make some noise in the second half.  I don't envy Angel management and the decisions they have to make. 

1a. Dollander (if he makes it that far). 

1.b Shaw

2. Gonzalez

I think a better target is finding someone to replace Urshela.  Really need the guy that offers positional flexibility AND can hit better than a replacement-level player from AAA.

I was wondering if the late "time" call is when he hurt it.  He was in mid-windup and didn't throw the ball, instead choosing to hold it and decelerate his arm.  I always hear Gubi talking about how pitchers should always throw the ball (and release the stress and tension).

Shocking.  Wowww...

Reds