Inside Pitch

LOL -- I was thinking the same thing. Dude should just stitch logos to his suits and get it over with...

This Mike Trout fellow seems like a good sort. I believe we should probably keep playing him.

I didn't really understand that move. Not sure why they keep Detwiler and dump Feliz.. I know he's lost a few MPH post TJ surger, but he still had a full year of team control beyond this one.

Joining him as a FA is Neftali Feliz former closer of the Texas Rangers.

Phillies pitchers not named Camels have combined for an ERA of 6.10 this year. Wouldn't shock me if they would settle for Shoemaker straight up for Revere.

They gave him 5 years, he decided to punt on the final 1.5.

Nothing can really be taken from his AAA stats IMO. The only questions about his game were his bat after he imploded, he's an above average runner from everything I've ever seen or read.. What he's doing now is a complete 180 from what he's done the last two years and even this year in High A... All of us have heard or read that he's gone back to his original mechanics and it's clicked for him but I don't know of anyone that can tell us if it will continue moving forward. We get to watch and see if this is a step forward or a blip.

I don't have any insight into what they are willing to do with their dollars moving forward. But yeah, Kubitza is cheap labor and Kowart isn't stinking at AAA. I don't particular care for Revere but he's a surer bet than Guerrero is. There are a lot of variables with Guerrero... he's unproven, he's got an opt out clause if he gets traded.. Do they get him to to drop the opt out only to have him tank and be stuck with him or do they risk it then watch as he does well and then bolts. Not sure he's worth all the trouble.

He didn't help his cause any in the previous two months when he batted .231/.260/.418 (679 OPS) over 117 at bats... Consider this, Matt Joyce managed a .709 OPS over that span in 138 at bats. Was Joyce struggling because he wasn't getting enough at bats? -- there isn't a big enough difference in at bats to excuse Guerrero and condemn Joyce. There isn't room for him because he played himself out of a job. I'm curious why you are willing to trade players and ante up a minimum of 15 mil the next two years for a guy who really hasn't proven he can hit other than in a 26 at bat span where he knocked out 5 HRs.. Really -- that's the extent of Alex Guerrero's legend... 26 at bats.

He is currently 31 for two more days.. next year will be his age 32 season -- same age Freese is currently. Most re-aquisitions tend to happen years after their initial parting -- we are talking about a one year gap. I agree three years would be the sweet spot, but I'd also imagine that moving from 2B to 3B would be easier on him physically as he ages...

Third base.. If this team believes Giovatella can hold down 2B then they may want to consider whether or not HK can play third. Look at the available FAs and the in house options -- hard to argue HK isn't better.

Jim Bowden.. former GM Reds..... and Nationals.

I don't know that he had a track record on his own to merit a big bat -- but he's a guy that a smart team would insist on being a throw in knowing full well he may end up the best player moved in the deal -- ala Grichuk.

It's probably a safe bet that if the Angels do make a trade, Bill Stoneman will have very little to do with it. Good question.

I think I went permanently limp....

To be clear -- I think he's good at putting together people who are good at doing their jobs. Seems like JD did a lot of things right, had a lot of good people in place -- Fletcher has pretty much confirmed that Stoney is just keeping the seat warm. All is well.

So much win and narrative destruction ....

must.... undo...... the.... jinx..... thread......

I've heard some crappy stuff about Servais -- but mostly from people outside of the Angels org, and no idea if its based on professional envy or personality clashes. In both cases the people actually praised him baseball smarts wise.

Dvol I responded to your post -- but was aiming at the greater narrative.. Not saying you made any pointed criticisms or the sort. More often than not I'd get frustrated when we didn't get a deal done only to be happy we didn't after the season ended. I'm actually struggling to think of a non trade deadline deal from that era that hurt us.. Alfonseca plus for K-Rod would have robbed the team of one of its best pieces that postseason. You look at those 2004-07 teams and while in most cases they could have used some extra pop -- they were pretty solid teams top to bottom...

Do you even remember some of the deadline deals people wanted? You know.. like Alfonseca for Krod and others? People were all over him for refusing to trade off a kid in AA ball for a "proven closer". His lack of trades at the deadline wasn't a bad thing, in most cases he simply believed the better player was already in the system. I'd sooner fault him for failing to make offseason trades that would have helped the team long term than refusal to do rentals. That's a legit criticism albeit mostly because of the one super-trade that didn't happen. Everyone talks about his failure to make the trade for Cabrera while at the same time completely forgetting how he passed on trading for Tejada, a guy that Arte Moreno was openly fond of.... That non-trade was a pure win. But yeah -- he's a pawn now...

You realize you are basically describing a young Bill Stoneman... Right? People have this idea that Bill Stoneman is this antiquated GM with nary an idea of how to integrate numbers... The dude was a finance guy. Math was his life post baseball and numbers were an integral part of his chosen profession. The fact that he took that education and combined it with his first career shouldn't be lost on people. He's openly admitted to not being up to speed on the newest metrics -- but do you really expect a guy with a degree in finance to struggle with or scoff at metrics? More importantly -- Bill Stoneman's greatest attribute while he was GM of the Angels was his willingness to trust the people he surrounded himself with. As I mentioned previously, he is the guy that hand picked Dave Dombrowski, Jim Beattie, and Dan Duquette to GM the Expos... His ability to spot ability in others may be the single most important thing he brings to the process currently. If Klentak has the goods, I trust Stoneman to see it and be willing to hand him the reigns...

The issue is his walk rate and his unwillingness to take pitches... Considering his batting average fuels his OBP he's just a poor choice for a leadoff hitter. Dangerous as some feel it is to jump too deeply into the stats, it's completely ignorant to gloss over predictive rates/stats in favor of gut feel and personal feelings. As a bottom of the order hitter he's fine.. As a AL leadoff hitter he's a weak fit. (But that's where they would use him if they get him). It's funny because some of the people bemoaning the loss of Dipoto are the ones pushing hardest for Revere. A move that spits in the face of sabermetric analysis and screams old school.

Nothing says true leadoff hitter like a guy with a career walk percentage of 4.4%. Looking at the bright side, he's currently enjoying a career high in that department -- a robust 5.4% Meanwhile, a guy who many here feel doesn't walk enough to even be an everyday player (Randal Grichuk), is sporting a walk rate of 5.0%. Revere doesn't take pitches either.... Career P/PA of 3.58. Revere is someone you bat at the bottom of the order, not the top.

LOL... Bill Stoneman has gone on record as saying it's a temporary job for him -- nothing else. He doesn't want the full time job, he's turned down the GM gig many many times in the course of his baseball career before finally taking the job in Anaheim.. My guess is he's here to help the team decide who the next GM is among the two in house candidates.