DCAngelsFan

3 hours ago, totdprods said:

How would you all feel if the Angels instead went crazy heavy on bullpen? As in, signed Iglesias, traded for one of Kimbrel/Hader, maybe even explored signing someone like Melancon (or another solid MRP), and then filled out the rotation by adding someone fairly unremarkable like Matz or Cobb?

I mean, Sandoval and Suarez looked pretty damn good last year, and Canning, Barria, Bachman and Detmers aren't a bad trio to work with. Daniel is an option sooner rather than later. Naughton and Junk represent another layer of depth. They can always swing a deal midseason. We have PTSD but the rotation has some quiet upside just with internal options.

Well, apparently we have an offer on Matz, so maybe that's the direction.  

(I don't know why - but there's something about Matz that makes me think "Blanton, The Return" ...)

Somehow, I feel a little more comfortable with Cobb.

Kimbrel carries a $16m price tag, plus whatever we'd have to give up to acquire him for the year - the cost of both him and Iglesias would be pretty steep  - but would give us a lot of leverage. 

2 hours ago, mmc said:

 

From mlbtraderumors:

Surprised he didn't ask for Ohtani ...  

18 minutes ago, Robrock30 said:

He is being posted tomorrow morning.  Perry Minasian is probably heading to Tokyo now to wine and dine him.  I have a Sake referral and a Japanese Professor ready to assist if needed.  Of course Ohtani and Mike Trout give the Angels an advantage.  Best of Luck!

I have to think we'd have the inside track if we decided to pursue him - having Ohtani on the team, and his endorsement, being on the West Coast, in a good weather city - the question is, who do you trade, then - Marsh or Adell?

I think Marsh is pretty hard to trade given our future needs - he's our CF of the future - but has Adell recovered enough perceived value to make part of a package for a top-line pitcher like Castillo or Alcantara?   

7 hours ago, Dochalo said:

my sense is that you don't do what they did and even remotely stop there.  If that's the only FA signing they make then it probably doesn't make much sense, but the timing of him being available meant they probably are going to do some stuff out of order.  So it would really surprise me if they didn't go after another player or maybe even two where they lost draft picks.  I'm not saying that's a great long term solution but how do you sign a guy like Syndergaard or any guy that expensive for one year where you don't get draft comp and not do everything you can to win in that year.  

Otherwise, what's the point?  Which is why it will really piss me off if they go out and get a couple pitchers but leave other holes unfilled like in the pen or MIF.  Or go cheap on depth.  

So it's a dumb move if they end up with Cobb as the additional starter and Rengifo at SS with Wallach and Gosselin coming off the bench.  

That's my expectation - maybe I'm being overly optimistic - but this doesn't make a heck of a lot of sense if you don't plan to build a team to make a run *this* season - 1 season of Snydergaard - no matter how good he might be - isn't gonna move the needle enough.  I'm hoping Stroman now - and while I'd love to get Iglesias back, I don't know that we'll be able to afford him.  Then wait out the market for the other gaps.   

(I guess a small case could be made that if Snydergaard has a good year, you offer him a QO next year and get a comp pick "back")

The cautionary thing here is money to extend Ohtani - where will that come from?  Which makes me wonder if NS really *is* a stopgap, a 1-year thing, with the hope that some other cost-controlled guys are ready to contribute in 2023 so we can then have the funds to extend Ohtani.

On 11/10/2021 at 12:43 AM, Dochalo said:

he's definitely the best option if they trade one of Adell or Marsh.  If they do trade one of those guys and don't get a legit player to replace them then they're looking at Upton out there a lot which makes for 3 and possibly 4 spots in the lineup that could be a problem.  

Signing him, then trading one of Adell or Marsh would be one thing - though it dings us financially.  

Trading one of them, then hoping we sign him would be hard to take - unless there's some spectacular return - I really don't want to see Upton do much more than shag bp fly balls in LF ...

2 minutes ago, eligrba said:

Bring extra toilet paper.

Eating at Taco Bell is scary enough - but to use one of their bathrooms?  

20 hours ago, Jeff Fletcher said:

No. I think it helps their chances slightly because they are the only team that can sign him without giving up a draft pick. 
 

It’s not going to make a huge enough difference to where he has no choice though. 
 

My only point to this was that his feelings weren’t going to be hurt by not getting a QO, especially not if the Angels had already talked to him about a multi year deal, which they I’m sure did. 

This is a little far-fetched, but I always wondered why he wasn't traded at the deadline - and the only reasons that made sense were that no one offered anything useful for him - that seems pretty unlikely - what a huge add for a stretch/playoff run - or there was a kind of "gentleman's agreement" that both sides were committed to signing him - and that would seem to require some kind of deal framework.  

Neither reason seems very likely - yet ... 

So wondering if you'd caught wind of any explanation for why he wasn't moved?

IMO, he may not fit financially - which would be a shame, he seems to really want to be here.   

1 hour ago, Angels_Make_Me_Drink said:

Good for him. The talent is there, but so is the inconsistency. Watch him pitch well for the Doyers. 

Some of those NL West parks will help him, and maybe they have a plan for him - he needs another pitch - 2.5 pitches doesn't cut it in a starter.  

Removing Kay and Mead from the lawsuit seems absurd - if they have no culpability, how the eff can "The Angels?"  

The lawsuit relies on the ESPN article where Kay's mom and wife said that Mead knew - https://www.espn.com/espn/otl/story/_/id/27828247/los-angeles-angels-employee-details-team-knowledge-tyler-skaggs-drug-use-federal-dea-investigators-espn

I wonder if their depositions fell apart?   

11 hours ago, Stradling said:

It doesn’t have to be a demotion.  It could be a position that they’ve identified as better for his strengths.  While I don’t believe that’s what it is it isn’t out of the realm of possibility. 

This is a "soft landing", most likely - rather than let him go, or pay him severance, they pay him while he finds another job - I used to think of it as putting them in the "bullpen" now more like the parking lot.  Lets him salvage a little dignity.

We often do that for higher-level execs whose time has come (equally often, it's the guillotine whilst being pelted with missed forecasts ...)

Is this old news?  Probably - but too lazy to check - too busy trying to fill out that McDonalds application ...

Anyone know of a pen that'll write on my monitor??

https://thecardinalnation.com/cardinals-lose-top-player-development-assistant/

8 hours ago, Dochalo said:

they might value drafting and developing as much as the average team.  Which is kinda sad considering their resources but nonetheless it's probably about average or a bit below.  I just hate the half-assed year to year mentality.  There's seemingly been no consideration on how certain moves can actually be a value play for 2-3 years from now if you're realistic about your chances.  In other words, what if you had taken all the money you spent on Harvey, Cahill, Allen, Bour and Lucroy and sunk that into one really good player instead?  

I've been banging that drum for years - under Arte, there's been symptoms that baseball operations/player development are badly under-resourced compared to the class-leaders.  We can't know for certain, but on the other hand, teams that prioritize those things like the Dodgers, Rays, Cardinals, baseball people talk about them as model organizations - no one as *ever* said anything like that about the Angels - ever.

And the  results speak for themselves.  If we hadn't drafted Trout, this team would be the, uh, I dunno, what team is even more mediocre than the Angels the last 10 years, especially when it comes to developing talent?

Sadly, if Arte got religion *today* and began building an organization centered around "baseball", not marketing and advertising, and the finest scouting and development organization in baseball, Trout will be retired before we see the result.

Going back to the Autry years, we learned you can't build a team on expensive free-agents - the team core has to be built from within.  

The frustrating thing to me is that during the McCourt years, we could've raided the Dodgers for their operations and development system talent.  We might've had the chance to sign Friedman (guess we'll never know what happened there.)    We didn't do a thing.  

Most serious Angels fans wanted an owner who invested in an organization that could field a team that would compete for titles every season.  Instead we got slightly cheaper beer, a laughingstock of a name change and an endless parade of historically expensive and under-producing contracts.

And post-seasons spent watching other teams in the playoffs.

Should do the Ludovico treatment on Arte, and make him watch this repeatedly until he cries ... 

Ohtani?

Perhaps I misunderstood the question?

Before that - Skaggs, Adenhart, Weaver - Santana, I suppose 

Jeezus, we suck at drafting pitchers - this thread makes me sad ... 

"KA-BOUM!"?

Is that an explosion in French?  

Saw the little Ohtani "tribute" video after the game last night, and it kind of made me a little melancholy - I have to wait 6 months to see him play again?  

While we didn't "waste" his season, like @WicketMaiden said above (among others), this is the time for Arte to go all-in - there will never be a time when Trout, Ohtani, and Rendon are any better than they'll be next season - and while I wish we didn't have quite as many holes to fill, it's within reach to build a team that can contend for the playoffs, and the World Series (we all know luck plays a huge role once in the post-season - but first you've got to get there.)   

If Arte can't bring himself to dip into his cash flows to fund it, I'm sure there's a line of billionaires who'd *love* to buy some equity in the team (or the entire team) to be part of the Ohtani phenomenon - he's the single most marketable face in baseball right now.   Larry Ellison, Tiger Woods, Mark Cuban come to mind ...

(if he's to do it - would also be a great time to go all-in on out scouting and development system - as we lose picks and international pool money for signing FA"s and going over thresholds.)

1 hour ago, Angel Oracle said:

Stroman mag be the perfect fit.

....

Durable, desperately need a guy that can be counted on for 170 innings at least.

You realize you just jinxed him, and he'd need TJ, a hip replacement and a kidney transplant by the end of Spring training ... 

fwiw

Every year, I find myself checking the standings in August, not for our magic number, but to see what our draft position might be next year ...

Something wrong when the only thing you have to look forward to is the hot stove league and next year's draft before Labor Day ...

My #1 is Scherzer - he's the best, and brings some toughness to the rotation.  And he comes without the loss of a draft pick

That's without considering financial considerations - but if he were to come here, it shouldn't be because we offer him the most money, it's because he sees an opportunity with a team of Trout/Ohtani/Rendon, some good-upside youngsters, and the makings of a good rotation.  

But Stroman and Gausman might be more realistic - I get the idea Stroman might want to come here, but I think I prefer Gausman - he misses bats

I'd like to consider Snydergaard - but don't see it working - wouldn't give up a draft pick and intl bonus pool money for him if the Mets extend a QO - he's a risk, and not gonna give him a long-term deal

I hadn't turned on the tv that morning - I was giving my wife a ride when I turned on the news radio and almost instantly heard the announcer in a choked up voice saying a 2nd plane had just hit the World Trade Center.  It was a lot to process all at once - but it was obvious we were under attack.   A little later, I was at home, and heard and spotted F-16's flying north at high throttle - these were probably those searching for flight 93.   Later, I saw F-15's patrolling overhead, carving turns in the sky.    

I didn't really know anyone directly - I'd known someone at DCSPER in the Pentagon - but very distantly - and the father of a girl who played soccer with my daughter was on flight 77.  I was concerned about a co-worker who I knew was scheduled for a meeting at WTC that afternoon, but quickly heard he was fine.

(the next day, we had a meeting at Citigroup down the street to help them get their trader desks back on-line, and the guys who went told how they were escorted past/through the still burning ground zero - I was bummed Amtrak was down, otherwise I'd have been there - 'cause of course, you wanted to help in any way you could.)   Another co-worker had flown to CA the previous day, and with the grounding, wound up renting a car and driving back to VA.  

Regarding the flag - my wife is buried at Arlington, and I put a flag up on Memorial Day in her honor, and never really feel right taking it down, so leave it up until after Veteran's Day, then pack it away for the winter.  If you're offended by my flag, well, I'm ok with you staying out of my neighborhood.  

15 hours ago, Chuckster70 said:

 

That was pretty great - that crowd was lit up, Snell had been dealing (but seemed to lose his feel for the slider earlier that inning - maybe against Mayfield?) 

At any rate, certainly a situation to be intimidated and to fold, but Adell delivered in a high-pressure situation - not bad!

(pretty funny how Mayfield stole 2nd and then scored without anyone noticing)

And what's the deal with Herget?  A career-minor leaguer, looking pretty good (so far, knock wood, etc)

Quote

Ohtani has blown up like Hiroshima. 

That's probably an expression you can put away and not use again until, say, "never"

32 minutes ago, Angel Oracle said:

Three days of rest from hitting, and hope he regroups.

He doesn't look like he's having nearly as much fun as before - I think the intense scrutiny and high expectations, however well-intentioned, puts an unreasonable amount of pressure on him, and I wouldn't be surprised if it's all stressing him out.    

Some physical and mental rest might do him some good