Barrett

I'd trade him in a heart beat. Not for any other reason than he really has only one more year left with the Angels. If Adell is what everyone thinks he is. He will be up in the majors next year or the year after that. No reason not to trade Calhoun if you can get some pieces for him. And shed payroll for next year.

So you don't think it's the talent on their ball clubs that have them at the top? You think it's because of all the years of experience being managers? Managers in baseball out of all sports might be the least likely to harm or propel a team to victory. Literally even basketball is above baseball in that. You think Boone would be the manager of the Angels and they will miraculously be in first place? Gosh I can't wait for next year if there is a new manager here, and if it's the same roster and we are still in 4th place this place will lose its collective minds. I know you are smarter than that AO you have been watching baseball for an eternity.

Please tell me the more modern manager you are thinking about? Or are we talking TV personality that the Yankees got. When you say modern thinking manager the first guy I think of is a guy who's never managed in his life before this year, not even a random Denny's, was never a captain of any kind and really had no responsibilities other than a back up 3rd baseman and a TV personality.

Agree there should be a salary floor.

Stripped from the owners and sold. Didn't the Royals just win the World Series. I don't think we should stop their in your delusional little dilemma. I think if you have the best player on the planet at a sport and you only make the playoffs one time and consistently miss the playoffs since he has been here. That team should be forced to trade him to a team that makes the playoffs more than that. Actually not even trade MLB should just remove Trout out of principle and teach the Angels a lesson. I mean my goodness stripped from the owners and sold, communism is strong with this one.

I am going to say no but I think just above Texas by maybe a couple games.

Anyway we can get into the top 5?

Stop being a bitch. Hmm classy. Weird that you read my posts and think I actually care what you or IEBruin have to say. It is a message board we are all Angels fans. I am not hostile over here in my office nor do I think you are hostile over there in your office. I don't get why you think I am upset when I type, because I am not.

Eppler has rebuilt the farm that Dipoto created I agree. I am also not saying he deserves to be fired. But he has his finger print all over the major league club as well and this team isn't performing there either. He has his finger print on 6 of the 9 guys in the batting order and what 3 guys in the rotation. Not to mention how many in the bullpen?

So 3 years no playoffs for the GM and it's a ridiculous opinion? Lets go 4 years for a GM and no playoffs then and see where we are.

Did I say bet? Or Did I say I think? This whole message board is predicated on the fact that NONE of us know what the team is actually thinking or their internal discussions. So I voice my opinion that I THINK Arte will let both of them go. I don't pretend nor have I said I have internal sources that have told me anything. I am just making a guess on the fact the stadium is empty, apathy I THINK has set in with this team. This team has the highest payroll in the division and will finish maybe a couple games ahead of the last place Rangers but sitting really nice and pretty at 4th place. All of those factors added to the fact that I THINK Eppler has one more year on his contract and does Arte really want to let this GM hire his own Manager and if the team doesn't make the playoffs next year I would again GUESS that 4 years and no playoff appearances would be subject to firing and then the new GM would have/want to hire his own manager. Why I said in the beginning of Eppler starting this job I wish he got to hire his own manager. Long way of saying I don't know what any of them will do but it is just a guess, just like any of us have guesses.

Not allowed to have that opinion?

Yes but I also think Eppler is as well. A new GM and a new Manager. This slide for Angels baseball I don't think will go over very well. Attendance through out the MLB is down 7-10% if you've watched a game on tv or been to the stadium this year. It just feels empty and it definitely looks it. I can see Arte being emotional and making the harsh decisions to can Eppler and let Mike S go.

Exactly what I am saying Captain. It isn't purely based on what you did in the past. You have to project out what they will do. You don't say oh you're 35 hit 40 home runs and project that out 15 years and offer them a 15 year contract. It is all based on projections and what you project the person will do for the franchise moving forward. Not what they did previously, because that doesn't help the ball club today or in the future.

Because they project what you are going to do. Similar in business. But with business you aren't aging like you are in sports. There are things to look at. different metrics. How other players similarly have done in later years. Everything in sports is a projection. They don't just look at baseline stats and say you did this last year so I assume you will do the same thing the year after. There is more to it than that. One would have to think especially with that kind of money invested etc.

I couldn't care less if he was spending an extra 7 hours daily working on his game. He is putrid out on the field and in the batters box.

I agree I would go to age 36 to 38 on a Trout deal even paying extra millions during those years but I wouldn't go past the 38 year. I wouldn't touch a year 39 or 40 for a player. Even if it was an icon like Trout or Jeter etc. I just wouldn't there is no way they can live up to the expectations or live up to it making the team better. I'd pay an extra 5 million per year for prime years than waste another 35 plus per year on someones decline.

Another thing they need to do is shorten the season, and start the season sooner, cut down spring training by half. By the time the NFL is here baseball is third fiddle and is barely seen. Even the WS gets less attention than a random Sunday NFL or College game. I would like to see baseball playoffs end by early October/late September.

I used to be a fan of the hard cap for floor and ceiling. But these big league big market clubs like the Yankees and Dodgers and Red Sox haven't won much lately and the big ticket free agents don't usually perform up to their contracts. So I am ok with just a penalty at the top but I think I agree with a hard cap on the floor similar to NBA or NFL. But hell yes! to the division realignment.

Really? You've been in the room when having these discussions? They don't project what you are going to do going forward? Just what you did in the past? Hey when you were 25 you hit 30 home runs and batted 330 I am going to pay you 30 million dollars at age 38 because you did that. I have to think that is not how negotiations work in baseball or in sports. It is or it should be a projections based business.

It is the Angels they will some how F*ck this up.

Not even close. If the guy is still starting and still on the roster the GM and Manager are both fans. This has gone on long enough. The fans see it the GM and Manager do not.

Disagree I don't care what you did for me in the past or what you did for another team in the past. In sports it's about production moving forward. Contracts are guaranteed and like we have seen first hand with Albert paying for past performances can hamstring the team for years forward. I would gladly take this another step forward as well and say similar to Albert I wouldn't offer Trout upwards of 40 million dollars going into his 38-42 years of age. I would much rather offer him a bigger contract for the years he will more than likely be performing and not have to buy out the later years when we know players will be deteriorating etc. But that's just me I know that is not how much fans think.

I agree they maybe should have offered him more on a one year deal. But I imagine Hunter was thinking longer term at the beginning of free agency than that.

Seems we have a lot of that on the Angels. But yet some fans think this team is good. Valbuena Marte are not MLB players Pujols is barely one.