Ace-Of-Diamonds

Does the signing bonus still figure into the AAV? I'm guessing it does or else teams would do it all the time to avoid the penalties for going over.

#9, #9, #9...

Upton decision time "Should I go or should I stay"

No worries Dodgers it's just one game, we'll get 'em tomorrow.

lower the drawbridge

You voted for Trump the moron?

I like that only the A's have more WS wins than us in our division. I also like the fact the Dodgers have not won a WS for a longer time than us. So I am not sure which team I want to lose worse.

That is wrong on so many levels.

Darvish sucks in big games

If the AAA stadium can't be made into a stadium with a retractable roof, easily it will not be MLB ready. Texas is going to abandon their relatively new stadium and build a new stadium with a retractable roof.

The Giants shut down the San Jose move. The state won't need to build a freeway off ramp in Oakland and it's within walking distance from BART.

That's the plan. ANAHEIM — The Angels’ plan for improving in 2018 is just about as simple as it gets, so rooted in the basics of modern analytics that the words might as well have been uttered by Brad Pitt. “Something I learned a long time ago: get that on-base percentage up,” General Manager Billy Eppler said. “Don’t make so many outs.” One of the core changes in the game over the past 15 years has been a focus on on-base percentage instead of batting average, as espoused by A’s general manager Billy Beane and repeated on the silver screen by Pitt in the film adaptation of Moneyball. “The metric that has the strongest correlation to run scoring is on-base percentage,” Eppler said Monday, the first day of the Angels’ offseason. “It’s been sliced and diced every single which way under the sun.” The Angels’ .315 on-base percentage in 2017 ranked 11th in the American League. Not surprisingly, they had the same rank in runs scored. “I want our team on-base percentage to be .330 or higher,” Eppler said. They were particularly deficient at first base (.294) and designated hitter (.290), which are supposed to be two of a team’s most productive offensive positions. They also lagged at catcher (.263) and second base (.274), but those are more defensive positions, and the Angels got the defense they wanted for much of the season at both spots, at the expense of offense. As for which particular holes Eppler plans to fill with higher on-base percentage players, he was predictably noncommittal. “I’m going to look to improve anywhere possible,” he said. You can rule out the Angels upgrading at center field or shortstop, patrolled by Mike Trout and Andrelton Simmons. They also seem to be content with Martin Maldonado behind the plate, believing that he can bring his offense up to match his defense with a year of adjustment to the heavy workload. If Justin Upton chooses not to exercise his opt-out, that takes care of left field. It’s also likely, although less certain, that the Angels are satisfied with Kole Calhoun in right field. And the designated hitter, Albert Pujols, is obviously not going anywhere. The Angels hope the improvement there can come simply from Pujols being healthier and in better shape. So that leaves three spots: first, second and third base. The Angels have Luis Valbuena to play first or third, and streaky C.J. Cron at first, but there is room to upgrade. At second, the Angels don’t really have an in-house option, with Kaleb Cowart still showing his offensive shortcomings in his brief trial in 2017. Free agent infielders Mike Moustakas, Eric Hosmer and Zack Cozart could all be fits for the Angels, as could free agent outfielders J.D. Martinez and Jay Bruce, if the Angels need to replace Upton. Don’t expect the Angels to use all of their available cash — perhaps $50 million to $75 million, before exceeding the luxury tax threshold — on free agents to fill those holes, though. “It can’t all be solved through free agency, and I don’t think that’s a very productive way to go for the health of the organization,” Eppler said. “My goal is to use the free agent market to supplement.” Whatever big-ticket players the Angels acquire — whether from trades or free agency — are likely to be position players. Eppler and Manager Mike Scioscia both expressed confidence on Monday that the answer to most of their pitching issues are currently in-house. Garrett Richards, Andrew Heaney and Tyler Skaggs — arguably the Angels’ three most talented pitchers — combined to start 27 games in 2017. While all missed significant time during the season, they all finished it healthy. “I don’t think it’s a wing and a prayer to think Garrett Richards is going to go out and start 25 games,” Scioscia said. “I don’t think it’s a stretch to say Andrew Heaney will start 20, even if he has setbacks. You hope they never do. You hope for 33 starts. “You are talking about just those three guys, an extra 40 starts. I think you’re looking at a deeper pitching staff with the probability that you’ll get to a certain point in the game more often.” Eppler also seems to have modest goals for a more competitive rotation. He said said if the Angels can get just 600 innings out of their top five starters, “it’s going to be a real positive outcome.” That’s only 120 innings per starter, a rather low threshold that they still haven’t been able to meet. “I don’t look at it as blind optimism, like we’re closing our eyes and blowing out candles on a birthday cake to get better,” Eppler said. “It’s the players giving us that belief.” In addition to Richards, Heaney and Skaggs, Eppler added Matt Shoemaker, JC Ramirez, Parker Bridwell, Nick Tropeano and prospect Jaime Barria to what he considers his eight-man starting depth chart. He said he also hopes to add a couple more, although it doesn’t sound like that would include a marquee free agent like Yu Darvish or Jake Arrieta. “Do I need more starting pitching to emerge? Yes,” Eppler said. “Does that mean it has to be a major league bona fide starter that doesn’t have flexibility? No it doesn’t. It just has to be a starting pitcher that we feel could go into Triple-A or the major leagues.”

In case you haven't heard Eppler has said most pitching we come from in house. He plans on upgrading the offense with an emphasis on OBP. Maybe a pitcher near the bottom of the rotation to stick in AAA in case of injuries. Maybe a couple of long men for the bullpen but that's it. 2nd base and 3rd base and OF if Upton opts out. No top of the rotation pitchers...

First Upton needs to opt out. Second you need to convince Miami we have enough pieces to pull off this trade and do it quickly before Upton signs somewhere else, in case we can't trade for Stanton. I think this is risky and highly unlikely but I would be happy if the improbably became possible.

I heard Jetter wants to reduce payroll to $50M, so even Shoemaker and Calhoun are more than they want to spend.

Final 3 innings of game 7 of the 1960 World Series, Pirates vs Yankees. My 6th grade teacher brought a TV to class so we could watch the series.

I take it you are not one of those advocating for a shorter season. I like baseball the way it is. Come January I'm really anxious for the season to begin but it's still a ways off.

Left field must be full of "lead gloves" if Upton is in the top 3 LFers.

They have already picked a spot in Oakland and are in the process of doing the environment impact study. The funding has been approved and are supposed to be ready to play in about 3 or 4 years if I remember correctly.

The A's aren't going to Las Vegas, count on it. They're not going to follow the Raiders...

We should have got Johnny Mac in that case.

Maybe it's just me, but shouldn't a hitting coach know how to hit or at least have 1 season hitting of at least .300?

The Area around Portland is beautiful, Lakes, Rivers, forest, and Mt Hood. It rains way more in New Orleans than Portland. I'd live there.

You could bet on every pitch: curve ball, change up, fast ball, pop up, single to a HR. Everything would be up for grabs.

Why the long face Joe Buck?