ksangel

Looking at the schedule, Nate Smith could slide into the rotation on May 14th with Rasmus getting starts on May 6th and 11th. Santiago, Tropeano, Weaver, Rasmus and Smith. Maybe at some point, very soon, go out and get a starter to replace Rasmus. Not counting on Skaggs to return any time soon but maybe CJ Wilson in a 6+ weeks. Not great but maybe see what Tropeano and Smith can do over an entire season.

PRP's are not always a precursor to TJ surgery. They are also used to treat muscle tears, osteoarthritis, plantar fasciitis, ankle sprains....etc. Heaney's issue has been diagnosed as forearm tightness - probably due to tendon irritation - not unusual with a pitcher. PRP's aid tendons...etc. to healing quicker. Scans of Heaney's elbow have shown ligaments are fat and healthy.

Agree with Chuck that Cron looks lost. This team is not going to be a strong offensive team so Cowart at 3B really would shore up the D. Cowart at 3B makes the flip to 1B the other night with Richards pitching so the game would have stayed 1-2 giving the Angels a chance to win.

The solution is on the other side of the bridge no one wants to cross - trade Trout and Richards.

Won the 2016 Cactus League and are well on their way to securing the #1 draft choice next year! And can trade off spare parts in July to start the farm system rebuilding that should have started this year.

Wilson blamed the shoulder injury on having to pitch through elbow problem last year. What a guy.

Why can't guys like Weaver who lose so much velocity know it's time to hang it up. Love Weaver and what he's meant to the Angels...but it's time to give Tropeano a chance rather than sit at AAA again.

Someone else may be able to provide a link but I believe the luxury tax is calculated at the end of the year so going over now to sign a player may not actually count. i.e. they could trade someone later and be under

Great person...played one year ahead of my son on travel baseball teams in Fredericksburg, Va. Had an outstanding career at UVa and was third team all-American. Was their CF on WS team. 6'-4" with a lot of speed - good defensive player but the knock is he strikes out a ton...even in college.

Farm system ratings are smoke and mirrors and higher rankings are typically a sign the major league team has stunk for a number of years and so high draft choices have been gotten. Except for the Dodgers who spend big on the international market. Angels have two good minor prospects (Ward and Jones) and numerous young players in the majors (Trout [yes he's young] Simmons, Heaney, Skaggs, Calhoun...etc.). If Perez and Cowart pan out it will help. With Weaver and Wilson coming off next year and Hamilton the next the Angels should be able to sign at least three quality free agents to restock the major league team while waiting for the minors to recover from signing Wilson, Pujols and Hamilton - those three signings represent the state of minor league system. It can be built up quickly and Arte stepped in the right direction not signing a FA left fielder this year.

That the Angels gave up the 17th pick in 2016 draft and these are the quality of players taken with the 17th pick of near that pick. AJ Pollock Shelby Miller Christian Yelich Zach Lee Sonny Gray Cory Seager Michael Wacha Marcus Stroman

I'm so happy Arte didn't sign one of the big name LF FA's and lock into a disastrous long term contract again. Giving up the 20th pick does not make sense for Fowler or any of the remaining FA's. Remember the 24th and 25th pick's the Angels chose a few years back? Signing Simmons was a great move and will solidify a key position for a number of years. Can't image what the rant would have been next off season after Aybar left and there wasn't a replacement in the farm system or in FA's. Cron, Perez and Giavotella will improve...young players do with playing time. Be positive for their development and not always denigrate their short comings. The starting rotation of Richards, Wilson, Heaney, Weaver and Santiago with Tropeano, Shoe and Skaggs in the wait is good enough. Escobar replacing Freese is an improvement. Trout, Calhoun and Pujols will continue to perform as they do. Eppler is taking a chance that Nava will bounce back from hand injury. I like his makeup - remember him as a Calhoun type player for the Redsox and believe Eppler sees the same. GO ANGELS!!!

Maybe MLB would allow Trout to play both positions and bat twice using a provisional runner to replace him when he's up again. Or other words the choices are quite nauseating.

There's one main reason he's a billionaire "In 1996, Arte Moreno took Outdoor Systems public. The companies stock soared, and in 1996 he sold the company to Infinity Broadcasting for $8 billon." The Angels are a toy for Arte and he's risen his investment value from $180M purchase price to $500M (per Forbes). And he's got all of us into thinking we know more than he does and to boot give him all our expendable income.

Giants drafted Lincecum, Bumgarner and Posey in top of 1st round when they were terrible. Belt (5th round), Panik (1st round 29th pick - vs Cron at 17 that year) and Duffy (18th round) drafted as they got better. Giants develop their 1st round picks....Angels don't (Wood, Conger, Bachanov, Cowart) Giants keep their 1st round picks...Angels don't (signed GMJ, Hunter, Pujols, Wilson, Hamilton) Giants don't trade their 1st round picks...Angels do (Newcomb, Grichuk, Corbin, Skaggs) Pence is not homegrown...trade from Philadelphia

I've never figured out why Arte is so concerned about paying a few million penalty when he's paying Hamilton $28M+ per year not to play for the Angels.

Reality Check 2016 batting order: Giavotella Calhoun Trout Pujols Cron Murphy/Platoon LF Escobar Perez Simmons

Has never played 2B so this seems like goodbye to Freese and time to give Cowart another year in the minors. Contract will be $8M since there is a $1M team buyout for 2017. Batted 6th, 7th, 8th or 9th when in Tampa in 2013 and 2014 but Nats batted him mostly 2nd or 3rd and even 24 games at lead-off and some in the clean up spot. So yes a bunch of prospects for Street and Escobar...not bad

Read it was trading Wilson (and eat part of his contract?) for Cargo. Would be ok with 2 years of Cargo at his salary.

Applaud the Angels for bringing back Freese. Gives Cowart another year at AAA. If Cowart proves 2015 at AAA wasn't a fluke, then 3B is his and Angels can trade Freese.

The Angels don't need a "power" bat. Calhoun - 26HR, Trout - 41HR, Pujols - 40HR, Cron - 16HR and Freese - 14HR (who will be resigned) provided plenty of power. The Angels need to revisit acquiring a Ben Revere type of player to play LF and lead off. Aybar led the team in steals last year. Simmons isn't going to replace that. Trout's going south on SB's. Don't need to clog up the roster with another $20+ player like Heyward, Cespedes or Upton. Team needs some wheels at the top of the order.

Generally like the moves Eppler has made so far. Hard to swallow trading Newcomb but with the failure of Baldoquin to progress where he would replace Aybar in 2017, the move had to be made. Don't think he will sign one of the top LF free agents though given that Angels really need a lead off hitter who also plays LF unless Angels are counting on Johnny G or Calhoun to bat lead off. Don't agree with some posts that the Angels have excess starting pitching. They have eight and need all of them. Beyond those eight there is no one else who they can count on in the minors. Trade Santiago and who replaces him? Shoe? Tropeano?. Don't think they can count on Skaggs to step right in and produce either. Think the Angels will resign Freese, play Johnny G. at 2nd and try to pick up a LF without trading one of their eight starting pitchers and then see how Skaggs looks at AAA. If he looks good, maybe they'll consider trading Santiago or Wilson later in the season.

Seems the Angels have three issues that have led to the worst minor league system. 1. Sign top free agents (Pujols, Hamilton and CJ Wilson as examples) and give up first round picks. 2. Trade top minor leaguers (Grichuk, Segura, Rondon..etc) for pitching or an infielder (Newcomb / Ellis). 3. Don't develop minor league talent (BWood, Cowart....etc) like other teams do. The Giants home grown infield is made up of a 5th round pick (Belt), a 4th round pick (Crawford) and an 18th round pick (Duffy). Panik is the only 1st round pick and the Angels chose Cron before him in the 2011 draft.

Prefer Heaney and Richards then three days of bitchin!

The idea it would have taken trading Newcomb for Cespedes doesn't seem right. The Mets traded two minor league pitchers - #7 prospect and one that wasn't even ranked in the top 30 at start of season who was a converted SS.