Inside Pitch

Indeed -- as did the 2014 Athletics. You know who didn't want to win? The KC Royals.. their big trade deadline deal last year was for Jason Frasor. Dummies!

Their offenses get underrated because of the park they play in. The only Giants team that posted a positive ERA+ or a negative OPS+ was the first Giants WS team when they posted an ERA+ of 117. So while they may not have been a juggernaut it was their offense and not their pitching that carried them during the regular season. Both the 2012 and 2014 SFG pitching staffs had negative ERA+ figures. So far this year it's no different -- their current team has an OPS+ of 109, while their pitching staff sports an ERA+ of 95. BTW, my biggest pet peeve as it relates to the postseason is the days off. Teams play the season according to one set of standards then when it matters most they get to switch to a three man rotation. It's lame.

Because they haven't had to get rid of him? They have a AAA team that still needs to field a team. I don't think Grant Green is a complete waste, I just think the general reaction to his lack of playing time is a bit over the top. This isn't a guy that a team should alter it's plans for or view as a building block. He's filler.

Joyce may be coming out of his slump, that HBP was the best contact he's made in a long time. Hopefully he can keep doing that long enough to break a finger or something.

The entire AL is pretty much dead in the water except for three teams. The only other team with a winning record in their last ten games is Cleveland at 6-4.

He claimed while with TB that the Angels had tried to change how he set up to get him to throw more strikes and that TB had told him not to change anything. Then there was a story written about how they had changed stuff in TB essentially contradicting everything he had said. Bot almost all of his ire was aimed at how he wasn't used properly while a member of the Angels. He was bitter he got replaced as closer after four games.

When has Rodney complained about Butcher? He bitched and moaned he was replaced by Walden, whined he didn't get the respect he deserved, but when did he openly blame Butcher? http://espn.go.com/blog/los-angeles/angels/post/_/id/3858/fernando-rodney-not-happy-in-role http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/09/14/fernando-rodney-unhappy-with-how-mike-scioscia-uses-him/

Grant Green is a perfect example of what happens to you when you don't hit enough to be considered DH material and don't have any semblance of a glove. He's not been mismanaged by the Angels, he simply failed to deliver on the his promise years ago. As Notti stated above, by the time the Angels got him he was a reclamation project.

Cron actually went down to AAA and hit, Green put up an OPS below the league average. They are too different animals. Also, wouldn't playing Green at DH take away at bats from Cron? It's not like his .652 OPS in AAA against RHPs makes him a good platoon partner for Cron. When it's all said and done, the biggest issue with Grant Green is his struggles defensively but he should at least get a shot in LF...

LOL.... http://thebiglead.com/2011/09/15/jeff-bagwells-name-has-surfaced-in-another-couples-assault-trial-in-houston/

Disagree, this is not a compelling group of players and this team is going nowhere. Read the thread, dummy.

Problem with being a UT IF/OF is that playing defense is a requirement. Green would need a defensive replacement eveyrhwere but in LF and even there, the jury is out. It's hard to get playing time when in your most recent stint in AAA getting everyday playing time you put up a .741 OPS in the PCL despite playing your home games in SLC. I have no idea why people keep acting like Grant Green has been completely screwed, the guy is just not that good. Alfredo Marte, Ryan Jackson, Roger Kieschnick, and Charles Cutler have all outhit him, and all have better gloves.

Taylor Blake Ward ‏@TaylorBlakeWard 7h7 hours ago Matt Shoemaker by date: July 21, 2014 : 4.54 ERA, 1.298 WHIP July 21, 2015 : 4.54 ERA, 1.268 WHIP hana hau for Shoemaker #Angels Shoemaker started the day last year with the same ERA as the one he ended with this year. It would suck to take him out of the rotation and see him go on a similar tear. As a side note, maybe it's time Shoemaker adjust his offseason so he doesn't lose 30-40 pounds....

Aw.com needs to do some Kickstarter or GoFundMe page to send him somewhere until after the postseason.

Dude.... CJ Wilson's contract only runs through 2016. Werth has 2016 and 2017. 2015 34 Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim $18,000,000 2016 35 Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim $20,000,000 may block trades to 8 teams in 2016 Earliest Free Agent: 2017 2015 36 Washington Nationals $21,000,000 2016 37 Washington Nationals $21,000,000 2017 38 Washington Nationals $21,000,000 Earliest Free Agent: 2018 That 2017 season isn't going to be free.

Splits are a starting point, but they have to be taken into consideration with other factors. I personally don't focus so much on the player's numbers as much as I do the park's tendencies over three year samples. A park like Angel Stadium tends to impact HR totals for LHBs, it's the nature of an 18 foot tall RF wall. Someone who hit's moonshots is going to have it impact them differently than a guy lacing LDs. I think the trick is to avoid guys who's skill set may be in direct conflict with a park's tendencies more so that just looking at the home and away numbers and making a call because of those stats. You look at Bruce's predictors and you see a guy with a pulled FB percentage of 49% .vs a league average of 38%. His FB rate of 32% is similarly well above the league average of 19.1%. There are things in his predictive stats that IMO are quite positive. He's an interesting hitter. To your point.... there have been studies done over the years that show players typically DO perform better at home -- so that has to be taken into consideration. Some teams are known to have their own saber formulas designed to weigh against the typical boost that comes from playing at home in order to neutralize the effect -- not sure that the info at STATS Inc or at ESPN is doing the same. But you are right in saying there are factors that need to be looked at beyond the simple home .vs away.

That really was about as perfect an outcome as possible. 2 guys, 4 IP.

Clearly he's a commie pitcher.. Ground ball outs would be more democratic.

9 strike outs. 67% of his pitches have been strikes. But all those dinker hits and the Ks are upping the pitch total.

I'm not sure I understand your math. You say it's only 8 mil difference the next two years.... are you talking cap figure? CJ is owed 20 mil next year. Werth is owed 21 mil in each of the next two years. Swapping out CJ for Werth is only a net gain of 1 mil next year in real dollars but then you have the entirety of 21 million due the following year. Do you really view Jason Werth as a 21 million dollar talent? Can you project health and performance for Werth in 2017? Both of those seem like a no.

He's a Stoneman guy..... That could make it interesting.

I hope the Angels take a million pitchers, burn out their bullpen and the Red Sox are ruined for the entire week.

He pitched in two of the last three games in AAA.

Damn, that was quick.

Same reason you wanted to get rid of Kendrick -- doesn't matter how good he actually is, he isn't as good as they want him to be. Also like HK, he will at some point scuffle and everything he isn't gets magnified.