ksangel

This is why I started the thread...not to compare Cowart to Valboner in the long term but the last 13 games. As evidenced by Cowart's solid defense at 2B on Sunday would putting him at 3B the remainder of the year and take what he'll do on offense and know his defense will save runs be a better option to having bone head defense at 3B and maybe a HR here and there? This is playoff type baseball and defense wins games.

Another bonehead defensive play at 3B tonight and two horrible at bats... Has the third lowest batting average in the AL (minimum 300 AB's). When are they going to bench him and start Cowart at 3B for at least his defense? Cowart won't hit any worse than Valboner for sure and would have made the play tonight and saved one run and possibly two and saved Richards pitches too.

Sounds as if he wants to hit so would believe AL teams have the leg up with having a DH...pitch then DH for four days...no risk playing him in the field. Hard to believe any team would allow such an investment to play in the field and pitch. Idea: DFA Pujols and promise Otani he's the DH !!!

Washburn, Ortiz, Appier (all made 32 starts) Sele and Lackey vs. Bridwell, Ramirez, Chavez, Nolasco, Shoemaker, Skaggs and Meyers??? No comparison, 2002 was better. Next year: 1 & 2. Count on two of Heaney, Richards, Shoe and Ramirez being healthy at times 3. Bridwell 4. Skaggs staying healthy...I think he's less of a risk than the four above. 5. Eppler finds another arm like Bridwell That would give them five + ok starters Depth at AAA would be Tropeano (major league ready by mid 2018?), Barria (major league ready by later in 2018), Scribner, Daniel Wright, Canning??? Thin for sure. With holes to be filled in LF, 3B and 2B it seems it will be a $$$ challenge to sign a top of the rotation starter like Darvish or Arrieta - so hopefully a mid-level starter.

I'm sure that list is very long... Sandy Koufax 6.0, 4.4, 4.4, 6.0, 5.4, 5.1 Sam McDowell 7.1, 7.2, 6.1 There are other lefties ranked in the top 100 all time that were wild to start with and harnessed it...maybe Newcomb will or maybe he won't...but he's got top of the rotation talent and time will tell. But I've always liked the trade...Simmons is outrageous on D, his bat is playing up too and he makes everyone else better too...can't imagine who the Angels shortstop would be without him...Baldoquin???LOL

5.4, 4.8, 4.9, 6.8 and 6.2...walk rates for first five years of 1st ballot hall of famer left hander...some times it takes time...not saying Newcomb will but it could happen...

Simmons (on flare to LF), Upton (on his double) and Valbuena (HR that nearly wasn't a HR) all did it yesterday...Valbuena does it every at bat it seems like...he's does that stupid bat flip no matter what and then watchs the ball....

The flyball that fell in looked like a miscommunication between Upton and Trout - not Upton not seeing the ball or being a poor defensive LF. Appeared Upton saw Trout coming towards him at the end and pulled up... Regarding Cowart...I think the acquisition of Phillips, even if just for this season, spells the end of Cowart's career with the Angels. Heck, the Angels won't even play Cowart at 3B, where he is a far superior defender to Prince Val, with Prince Val hitting .195 and was 0-9 against the starting pitcher yesterday.

Horrible trade...Upton isn't the piece to take the Angels into the playoffs this year...they need pitching with Skaggs not doing well, Ramirez probably out for the season, Nolasco stinking like he has and who knows now about Bridwell now after his clunker yesterday. That only leaves Heaney and who knows about him either. Richards is a long ways off too...two innings? So with that in mind they gave up a solid prospect who had a really good year at AA (better than Barria) for probably nothing but a wiff of the playoffs this year...and who knows who the PTBNL will be...hopefully not a prospect like Williams... Could have signed Upton after he opted out and kept Long...so as I said...a horrible trade in the long view.

I really hope the Angels and Albert do what is right after the season...it's a disgrace to fans (who pay for everything - not Arte, not sponsors...etc. - they only have money because we go to games, buy stuff, pay for TV to watch them...etc.) for Albert to keep playing and is disrespectful to the game of baseball and these forums prove how sick and tired us fans are of his poor play.

And for only $185,000 per game for the next four years!! http://www.ocregister.com/2015/02/22/could-albert-pujols-retire-before-the-end-of-his-contract/

Patience, patience...Garrett Anderson hit .213/.231 with no HR's and 14 RBI's in 36 games in his 18 year old season in Arizona...

And I think we can forget about J.C. for the year.... "The Angels are awaiting news from a re-examination of right-hander J.C. Ramirez after he underwent a platelet-rich plasma injection in his right elbow, Pedro Moura of the Los Angeles Times tweets. Given that he only just underwent that injection, though, it seems optimistic to expect that he’ll make it back to the mound in 2017."

I think they need one on September 5th. Play Texas on the 1st (Skaggs), 2nd (Heaney), 3rd (Scribner?) and A's on 4th (Bridwell) and A's again on the 5th - which is too early for Skaggs to go again....Then from the 6th to the 15th they only need four starters...so Richards could go on the 16th when they need a 5th starter again...please please please let it be so!!!

Totally agree with this. The Marlins are set in the OF for a few years with Ozuna and Yelich plus two of their top prospects being CF'ers. They'll move Yelich or Ozuna to RF if they trade Stanton. They are weak with top IF prospects and major league pitching - how do they ever replace Fernandez? So maybe a package of Skaggs, Fletcher and Williams or Pearson? Not sure if Skaggs is ever going to figure it out...Fletcher might be a capable 2B and would rather give up Pearson than Adell, Marsh or Jones or maybe they'd be interested in Williams upside. But I'd rather really wait a year for Machado.

Seems a lot of that can be attributed to not playing the next day if he went 0-4...needs to play every day.

Put Pujols on the 60 day DL? He couldn't even make it to 2B with the 2B booting the ball...so instead of bases loaded and no outs had first and third and one out.

In a surprising development, the Cardinals have dealt righty Mike Leake to the Mariners. Young infielder Rayder Ascanio will go to St. Louis in the swap, with $750K of international bonus pool spending capacity and unannounced cash considerations also heading to Seattle.

Moved Street to the 60 day DL to free up spot for EJ Young

Angels have to decide to play him every day next year or ship him out this off season...he's proven he's not a platoon type player...

Yelich LF (batted 1st all of 2013) Trout Calhoun Cron (DH) Valbuena Simmons Thaiss Maldonado Cowart Two of Marlin's top prospects are CF's so maybe they'd be willing to trade Yelich. He would cost the Angels a lot less in prospects than Stanton...maybe either Marsh or Jones as the starting point? I'm just not sold on absorbing Stanton's contract no matter how good he is and I'd think Miami would want Adell to start the deal.

Couldn't figure out why Scioscia had him bunt in 2nd inning with runners at 1st and 2nd with Maybin and Revere following him...Maybe it was a confidence booster move that carried over to the double...nice to see him have some success on both O and D.

The next Yankee superstar from Japan....

Count the $62,000 per game he'll make for not playing any longer...gee that's sad when so many don't make that in a year...

Thanks Chuck...he looks much bigger now - especially in the posterior and upper chest...been lifting heavy weights I guess... and his swing is much more compact and with a lot less movement...so it's good to see the Angels have focused on his hitting