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jgimondo

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    Three Lineup Questions (and Answers) for 2020

    in LA Angels | MLB Daily

    Posted

    18 hours ago, Angelsjunky said:

    1. Do the Angels pick up Kole Calhoun's option?

    Short answer: No, or at least probably not. Kole is having his best year since 2016, hitting .237/.328/.480, a 111 wRC+ and a 2.1 fWAR, which puts him #77 of 146 qualifying MLB hitters. While that's not exactly star cailber, it is quite solid - and remember that an average full-time player is a pretty good baseball player. There are three reasons they don't pick up his option: $12 million, Jo Adell, and Brian Goodwin. The Angels save $12 million by not taking his $14 million option (there's a $2M opt out), which is money they desperately need to spend on pitching. While Jo Adell could probably use a bit more AAA seasoning, he doesn't need a full season's worth - and probably only needs a month or two; you don't want to block one of the best prospects in all of baseball, especially when he could probably equal Kole's performance right now for <5% of the cost. Finally, Brian Goodwin--after starting really strong and then cooling off--has been playing really well again, stabilizing as a pretty good player. Through 8/25 he's hitting .284/.346/.502 with a 123 wRC+ and 1.8 fWAR in 348 PA. In other words, even if his .365 BABIP goes down next year, he's probably about as good as Calhoun with the bat. He's not a good defender, but he's good enough to hold the fort until Adell is ready - with Michael Hermosillo, or a possible free agent, as the 4th outfielder.

    So while we're going to miss our favorite ginger, you don't spend $12M just because he's a fan favorite, especially when you can replace his production quite easily from within for much less, and when it would block the Angels' best prospect since Mike Trout. Thank you for the memories, Kole.

    2. How do the Angels solve the infield logjam?

    SS is the only clear answer, with (a hopefully healthy and resurgent) Andrelton Simmons playing full time in (possibly) his last year as an Angel. At first they have Pujols, Thaiss, Walsh, Ward, and maybe eventually Upton if Brandon Marsh plays well in Salt Lake. At 2B/3B/UT they have a rising Rengifo, a solid Fletcher, a surprising La Stella, a promising Thaiss, and an adjectiveless Cozart - and even Quad-A Jose Rojas could factor in.

    The two groups--1B and 2B/3B/UT--are linked by Thaiss, who could play either 1B or 3B, but otherwise the other players are either/or. So what will happen? How will it play out? The easy answer is that whoever plays the best, plays the most. Maybe that is a cop out, but that's just how it is. The only thing we know for certain is that Simmons will be pencilled in as full-time. I would guess that Cozart is released in spring training. La Stella will be given the chance to build upon his breakout first half of 2019, which leaves Fletcher and Rengifo for 2B/UT. I think Fletcher is as good as he'll get; maybe he stabilizes as a .300 hitter, but I don't think he'll improve substantially from what we've seen -- which is plenty good enough to either start at 3B or be a super utility player. Rengifo has a lot of room to grow, however; right now he's not as good as Fletcher, but it would seem he has greater upside.

    Thaiss has flashed major league talent in his 113 PA so far, but also looks lost at the plate at times and very rough at 3B. 2020 could see him in a Luis Valbuena role, playing 1B/3B as necessary. He could also be a trade candidate - as could Ward, who doesn't seem to have a place on the major league club (ditto Rojas). Walsh might have a slight edge for a roster spot due to his two-way capability, but might not be good enough at either "way" to warrant a roster spot.

    So there are no clear answers. Chances are Simmons and La Stella are full-time, Pujols playing time is diminished, Cozart is let go of, at least one of Thaiss, Ward, Walsh and Rojas are traded; it may even be that the Angels package Fletcher or Rengifo in a trade for a pitcher, or La Stella if he comes back healthy and hits well for a couple weeks to end the year. But there could be surprises. What if Cozart looks great in spring? What if La Stella doesn't? There are lots of moving parts, but at least we can say with some degree of certainty that all of those parts are already on the team.

    3. Whither Catcher?

    It is hard to imagine the Angels starting the year with Max Stassi and Kevan Smith as the catching tandem, with Anthony Bemboom and Dustin Garneau as depth (what happened to Jose Briceno?). Both are very limited players and the back-ups are back-ups to back-ups. Best-case scenario and Stassi re-discovers and builds upon the player he was in 2018, and Smith re-finds the bat he showed earlier in the year, and stays healthy. But it could also be disastrous.

    I've advocated for the Angels going hard after Yasmani Grandal. He's going to be 31 years old and pretty expensive--my guess is something like 3/$45M--but he's having his fifth year in a row of 4+ fWAR, a span in which his overally 23.9 fWAR leads all MLB catchers. Think about that for a moment: having a 4 WAR catcher; in the 59 years of Angels baseball, they've only had a 4 WAR catcher three times: Ellie Rodriguez in 1974 (4.0), Brian Downing in 1979 (5.0), and Lance Parrish in 1990 (4.6). Bob Boone's best was 3.2 (twice), and Bengie Molina's was 2.2. Even if he starts to decline, the Angels could do worse than getting 10+ fWAR out of Grandal over the next three years.

    But even though Grandal would basically be a replacement for Calhoun on payroll, chances are Eppler goes the budget route and signs a cheaper free agent. Travis D'Arnaud, perhaps? 

    Summary (or the TLDR Version)

    1) So...no on Kole, with Goodwin warming RF for Adell until he's ready  sometime in the first half (my guess would be May or June), with Hermosillo as 4th outfielder.

    2) We'll just have to see how it goes in the infield, with numerous configurations. But it will work itself out internally by who plays best (and is healthy).

    3) Who knows? Unlike the IF, the question is whether or not to seek outside help, and if the answer is yes--which it probably should be--do they go big (Grandal) or another patch-job? My hope is Grandal but I would guess something more like d'Arnaud.

    Garneau is with the A`s and Briceno was let go.

    Jhoulys Chacin

    in LA Angels | MLB Daily

    Posted

    On ‎8‎/‎25‎/‎2019 at 9:27 AM, mymerlincat said:

    Recently DFA’d by Milwaukee, how would you guys feel about bringing him back?  I think he’d be the perfect guy to start just to get us through the season, and keep guys like Suarez in the minors.

    Or Estrada , the A`s just released.

    Pujols

    in LA Angels | MLB Daily

    Posted

    10 hours ago, ten ocho recon scout said:

    He sucks.

    But yes. If there is one thing to say for the guy, hes not a take the money and run type. (Well, he cant run anyway). But as much as it irks some people on here, that hes stuck around, hes (broken down and all) a gamer. 

    Hes too old to fight, but wouldnt back down if a younger guy pressed him. Theres something to be said for that.

    I wish the contract would end as much as the biggest pujols haters on here. But give the guy credit, in the small parts whee its due. Hes got more desire to compete at 80 than a lot of these guys do by 32....

     

    Most people wish he would retire, this post was about he still goes out there and gives his all to win. You should respect that.

    Angels Acquire RHP Drew Hutchison

    in LA Angels | MLB Daily

    Posted

    11 hours ago, stormngt said:

    I am curious to see a list of all time great shortstops in Franchise history.   I know Aybar doesnt rank up to Fregosi and of course Simmons.  Who else is clearly better than Aybar?  Eckstein?  Cabrera?

    Since the 70s I cant think of that many 

    Rick Burleson, Orlando Cabrera , Dich Schofiled,, Gary Disarscina, Bobby Valentine.

    In Defense of Eppler

    in LA Angels | MLB Daily

    Posted

    14 hours ago, NrM said:

    injuries should never be used as an excuse. every team in the league deals with serious injuries throughout the years. The angels haven't suffered any more than most.

    Most of the pitchers you listed that we lost to injuries are garbage 5 starters. 

    Correct look at the Yankees , they have more players hurt and are winning.

    Keep Kole!

    in LA Angels | MLB Daily

    Posted

    10 hours ago, Fregosi said:

    He's a good teammate and I like seeing the way he and his teammates interact.  While the defense has always been stellar, he's turned it around with the bat.  Yeah he's gonna get $14MM next year.  Adell has been tearing the minors up but he's still an unknown bat in the Majors.  I say keep Kole one more year.  

    He is not worth $14M , he bats .240

    Wilfredo Tovar DFA'd

    in LA Angels | MLB Daily

    Posted

    19 hours ago, Angel Oracle said:

    Simba, Stella, Fletcher, and Rengifo is some nice 2B/SS/3B depth to have in the meantime.  

    Stella can have some 1B and DH starts as well.

    Fletcher can have a few OF starts as well.

    Stella wont be getting any DH starts Ohtani will get those.

    Brad Ausmus

    in LA Angels | MLB Daily

    Posted

    10 hours ago, Chuckster70 said:

    Hi Eppler, as my technical friends in India would say, kindly do the needful... and fire this chump. 

    I'm guessing the only reason he passed the written analytical exam to get hired as manager was because he snuck into your office prior to putting his name in the hat for the job and made copies of the answer key.

    This guy's bullpen management is atrocious. Harvey at 83 pitches and able to pitch the 7th earlier in the week, now Felix Pena who had less pitches thrown in this contest, only going 5 innings. He did the same thing with Barria the first time we used the opener.

    Keeping Garcia out there even though he couldn't find the strikezone, then having Buttrey pitch the 9th when he's already thrown way more pitches than he ever has, when we have another fresh shutdown guy fresh in the open in Robles.. for facks sake.

    Another game, another F up by Ausmus.

    So Arte or Eppler,

    IMG_20190424_225045.jpg

    #FireAusmus

    Time for A CHANGE!!!!!!!

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