mram197

LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT I Billy Boy Eppler, being of Unsound Mind, do declare as follows: Prospects, I don't need no stinking prospects.

Agree wholeheartedly. If you could come away with 4 potential starting pitchers from trading yunel, Santiago and smith, maybe we would have a chance next year. Heck if we could get another couple starters out of Bedrosian I'd trade him too. Bullpen pieces can always be found

Mike to the Dogs for Puig

This team doesn't have the pitching to compete this year or next so what's the point. Trade assets, stockpile milb pitching and push to compete in 2 years. Reddick ain't gonna make a difference.

It's moronic to think this team can pull a rabbit out of its butt and make the playoffs this year. It's just as moronic to think this team can compete next year with a few tweaks here or there, a la trades for Reddick or others. Hopefully Eppler recognizes the futility of competing this year and next and can pull off some trades of Shoemaker, Santiago, Bedrosian, Escobar, and Smith while their value is high. Unfortunately he seems just as skilled as Stoneman at pulling off deadline deals.

Good to hear that more teams are in the need of help at the deadline. Confirms what many here have said..."it is a seller's market." Should we trade Street for an "A" level prospect and pay his salary..."hell no." Should we take advantage of the seller's market and get as much as possible, hell yes. In fact, I cannot understand those on this board who want to hold onto what we have, for what? You need pitching to compete. The winning streak is fools gold. We are not going to compete this year or next because we don't have the pitching right now. AND, the free agent pitching market is weak enough + we have no resources (minor league talent) to acquire pitching in the offseason. Time to sell the likes of Smith, Street, Escobar, Simmons, Nava, Soto, Weaver, Santiago and Shoemaker. While people are willing to pay a premium for a playoff push, let's maximize the assets we have and hope to turn that bunch into 5-6 premium AA level or higher talent starting pitchers and 2-3 A to AA high upside position players. It really is the only we have a chance to field a more consistent team in 2017 and hopefully have a competitive team in 2018 with a healthy Heaney, Skaggs, Richards and Trop.

For a career minor leaguer, Petit has impressed me with his baseball instincts and overall play. As much as it would be great to pair a young Trout with an equally young multi-tooled SS, Simmons just does not seem like the guy. If the team is out of it at the trade deadline, which given their poor showing we can expect them to be, I would not hesitate to shop Simmons and trade him if we could get some parts (eh LF, starting pitcher) that would help this team in the future and roll with Petit for a few seasons until a David Fletcher or someone else develops. Simmons' offensive inadequacies can't be hidden in an already weak lineup.

I agree. Why the heck did we overpay for Simmons. To tdawg, hey I've read your posts on quite a few threads and got nauseous on your logic. Thankfully you and Reagins are not GMing the team. My point is that regardless of the market, you do not overpay unless the guy is a superstar offensively. By someone's fangraph account here, Hayward is a top 30 guy offensively. Exactly, he is not a top offensive guy so why pay him for the potential he won't reach. If I'm spending 20 to 30 million a year I am paying a guy who can carry the team. That isn't heyward

Obp not bop. And overvalue not overhaul

I'm not picking on his obp, but instead his home runs and rbi. The guy is 6'4" and hits like he's a middle inf. Heck if you want bop and versitlity pay zobrist. As to me overhauling Santiago, I think you guys undervalue him. Cost controlled young pitching is gold. You may have noticed some of the outrageous money thrown at average pitchers the last few years.

The guy is not a superstar but people are talking superstar money like this is Manny Ramirez, Trout, Puljols or Griffey Jr in their prime as free agents. Ridiculous. He is talented, but not at the level to carry the Cardinals last season. But people want to point to his WAR. You never overpay for great defense...only great offense. If you subtract this guys overinflated defensive WAr, you get a $9 to $10 a year player. There are other options. Explore trading Santiago to the pirates for Polanco, or to the snacks for use yasmany tomas or Marlins for yelich or to the cubs for soler.

The price we paid for Simmons makes me wonder if that same price could have been paid for a more well rounded young player like Addison Russell cubs, Lindor Indians, Bogarets red Sox.

Most of it has been said already, but he will be greatly missed. In fact I think there isn't a good level of appreciation for Aybar among Angels fans. The guy always played hard, with passion and an enthusiasm for the game. A good teammate who hardly missed any games. Maybe it's the language thing, but he never got much press. I believe he was one of the smartest baseball people the Angels have had. As someone else said above, the guy was always into something from sliding around tags to tricking base runners to forcing the tag. A gamer like Aybar will be missed. Think Eppler undervalued him.

Unfortunately we are experimenting in the middle of a pennant race with a host of third baseman but I think cowart has actually looked better at the plate his last couple games. Maybe this is something to look forward to next season at third base.

Loved the guys' grit as a player, but what an incompetent boob as a 3B coach. In fact I can never remember a 3B coach as unable to judge a runner's speed and whether or not it's a good decision to send a runner home.