ksangel

Got this feeling the Angels will keep Cozart and rotate Cozart, Fletcher and Ward between 2B and 3B (with Ward at 3B only). Cozart adds insurance at SS just in case Simmons gets hurt for an extended period of time and even though they pay him $13M they'll be paying Ward and Fletcher the league minimum. I'm actually hoping Albert hangs it up at the end of this year...what other historical stat's does he need for the HOF? Maybe this knee injury is worse than we know too.

I know you weren't knocking Ward but I figured if I copied your quote there would be a response and responses from others...? I don't follow the minors that closely though I know the PCL inflates stats...was just wondering if the Southern League did too though Thaiss' stats have remained consistent between the two while Wards have jumped off the charts. If Ward hits .250 the remainder of the year at Salt Lake (no call up) he'll end up around .310 at Salt Lake.

But he hit .345 at Mobile this year in about the same number of AB's as in Salt Lake. Is Mobile also known as a hitters park so the stats are increased? He only hit .286 last year at Mobile - know he was catching then - has he just gotten that much better or are the places he's playing in inflating his numbers that greatly.

Agree with totdprods. And one has to wonder why Richards would want to sign with another team he's never played for while rehabbing for a year unless they pay him big bucks compared to 2/$8M. I can't see another team paying Richards more than 2/$8M too. Believe he will sign somewhere because if he doesn't he won't get paid in 2019 while rehabbing...and $4M salary while rehabbing is nothing to sneeze at. If he signs with the Angels he'd still be with the team in 2019 while rehabbing and with his buddy Trout.

Pujols has a guaranteed contract and will be paid the full amount unless he quits, his contract is voided per MLB rules or is he permanently injured. Buying Pujols out would help with what Artie spends each year but it wouldn't help the team with regard to AAV and the Luxury Tax. AAV for luxury tax is determined by players original contract amount (total $'s) divided by years of contract. It doesn't matter if the player is released, like Henley Ramirez, the AAV counts each year the player is or would have been under contract. Getting Pujols off the roster is a media issue. How the Angels do it to avoid looking bad is the issue. I'd bet Artie doesn't want the media attention from cutting a first ballot HOF'er.

Where does Simba play then? 2B? Machado has made it 100% clear that he is going to play SS - not 3B - so why even have a discussion about acquiring him?

The Royals GM compared this trade to the one where they sent Greinke to the Brewers for Alcides Escobar and Lorenzo Cain. Escobar and Cain weren't the Brewers top prospects at the time but were their top defenders. The Royals were building a team around defense and hoped Escobar's and Cain's offensive side would catch up... Eventually won a World Series because of the trade. So there is more to a trade than just how players are rated

Just remember where Mike Trout was chosen to remind ourselves how inexact a science scouting is...

Isn't the back side of that trade the one that hurts - having to give up Sean Newcomb for a shortstop? Keep Segura and that trade doesn't occur.

I believe there are 112,333,332 reasons he'll be batting clean up four more years...called dollars...unless Artie wants to pay him off to leave and face humiliation of cutting a 1st ballot Hall of Famer

Agree he ran out of gas in the 5th...lost control of pitches which led to two walks and then one bad pitch call by Maldonado (why try to throw a fastball to a fastball hitter when he would swing at anything and had already shown this in previous at bats) and Richards didn't execute the pitch called - was supposed to be high and tight...other wise Richards look good for 1st outing. Trout stunk it up though offensively...but it's early Cozart and Calhoun looked great...looking forward to Kinsler being back to bench Valbuena

Maddux did throw mid 90's as a 19 yr old (from Deadspin.com article about how he evolved into a pitcher)

The distraction is trying to prove he can be a two way player. The Angels need him ready to face major league hitters to start the season. His hitting appears to be at the AAA level right now...that is the type of baseball he has been playing in Japan

Anyone know of a first ballot Hall-of-Famer who was released from their contract - let alone 3+ years of their contract? I wish James' had left out the "3 year Mike Trout" window...Angels could/should resign Trout and even if they don't will still be contenders after that with the farm system they are cultivating and money they have to spend. The issue is how do you release a first ballot Hall-of-Famer?

Suppose each team isn't getting $30M - more like the Dodgers, Yankees...etc. are making $50M+ each and teams like the Pirates, Rays...etc. are making $5M+ each. What this points to is the big teams are getting richer and they are the ones who dole out the $20M+ per year contracts and they are being more hesitant now and possibly are colluding between themselves. If the big teams drive down player salaries they stand to stash more in their profit pockets.

Really nice to see that a player with this upside is #10 in the Angels system.

This from a recent article, by Jeff Passen, about this issue: "At a time when teams combined for record profits of $981 million in 2016 according to Forbes" that's an average of $30M per team...PROFIT "Agents are logging discussions with teams and the union hunting for patterns to explain why clubs, whose franchise values have exploded from $18.1 billion to $46.1 billion over the last five years" will propose top players contracts with average annual values in excess of $20 million or deals for more than three years but are loath to offer both. “It’s way too uniform,” one agent said. “The book has been printed. It’s out there.” Collusion?

Six years with Angels had .290 batting average, .350 OBP , averaged 20 homers and 90 RBI's and played solid defense..sure would take that from current first basemen.

The bottom line is there's a reason the Cubs aren't resigning him...enough said.

I totally agree with the 1st sentence...what a job by Eppler to put together an incredible lineup. The Angel pitchers are another year past their injuries...how Richards, Skaggs and Heaney performed last year should have been expected but there were expectations that they would come back ready to go full tilt. It was surprising to me that Richards and Heaney even came back! The Astros, Mariners and Rangers all have rotation issues...is Paxton OK? How about King Felix? How about Keuchel and McCullers? Will Verlander perform like he did or fall back? Who are the Rangers starters behind Hamels and Martin? Doug Fister - the guy the Angels cut last year at AAA? Matt Moore - what version - the 5.52 ERA from last year? Mike Minor, Tony Barnetter or Chris Martin? None of them even started a game last year. So yeah, the Rangers have issues too. Eppler did a great job navigating moon craters in the pitching staff last year and I believe he'll do the same this year but at least he took care of 2B, 3B, LF and wooed Ohtani to be an Angel!! If Ohtani were a Yankee, Dodger, Mariner or Cub he'd be heralded as their "ACE" without throwing a pitch. And he might be that for the Angels in the near future too.

We've all got 4 more years to watch him flail...he's not going anywhere...sadly.

THIS...Angels have all the pieces to have a dynamic and deep rotation with Ohtani, Richards, Heaney, Skaggs and Shoemaker with Bridwell, Tropeano and Barria in waiting and solid bullpen with Parker, Johnson, Middleton, Bedrosian, Ramirez and others. No need to spend $20M / year on a Lynn or gut the farm system for Archer. Don't get how pundits and others are saying "85" wins when last years team won 80 with no leftfielder, no 2B, a down year from Calhoun and Trout missing 40 games. Adding Upton for a full year with Cozart and Kinsler and Ohtani there's no reason why this team can't win 90+. Wait until July to see what the needs are. Bigger need for 4th OF who can step in and play all three positions.

Agree so Lomo gets $0...

Phillies are building up again so possibly a good hunch and they only have $33M on the books next year including the $20M they just gave to Santana so they have $100M or so to play with.