Hubs

2020 Cole, Ohtani, Harvey, Heaney, Skaggs, Barria is a heck of a rotation...even switching out Skaggs or Heaney or Harvey for Canning, and it's still great. The pen will need some work, but I have faith in Key, Buttrey, Cole and Anderson being the basis for a good to great affordable pen. The offense, led by Trout, Upton, Adell, Ohtani...with Simmons, Bour, Cozart, Ward, Fletcher, and maybe what Lucroy as C? Not too shabby.

2019 is around 164M. That's the AAV payroll including benefits, and also the current cash payroll, not including benefits. 2020 right now is around 112.750 1. Ward, fresh off his surprising rookie of the year, campaign negates the need for Arenado. 2. Harvey inks an extension for 3/51. (+17M) 3. Skaggs, Marsh, and JC Ramirez are shipped to the Padres for Austin Hedges and Kirby Yates. (+4M). 3. Calhoun's option is declined, paving the way for Adell, who had a strong September and Playoffs, to take the right field job permanently. 4. Gerrit Cole is signed for 6/150. (+25M) Rotation is Cole, Ohtani, Heaney, Harvey, Barria, Canning. 5. Pujols Retires, but we don't save any money, because all contracts are guaranteed in MLB. He agrees to defer half of his 2020 and 2021 salaries to 2022 and 2023. 6. Simmons is extended for 4 additional years at 18M per year AAV. 7. Trout inks an extension for 10 additional years at 40M per year AAV.

Johnson was our best starter last year, in 2018 he had an ERA of 0.00 as a starter... :)

You're including his poor 2017 when he was coming back from TJ... And remember, where you're talking about. Coors field is the best hitters park in the league, regardless of the humidifier. He had a 2.70 ERA Away in 2018..and a 1.69 ERA in 2016, so that's great. IN 2017, when he was coming back from TJ was 4.6, but that's still almost a run lower than at home. Maybe not for the Kimbrel contract, but for 3/27? As a potential closer?

Calhoun is the Starter -- unless they grab a platoon right handed bat. Either before the season or during... Adell is only 19, unless he pulls a Juan Soto, he may see a few weeks up with the big club, but that's it. Obviously Bryce Harper would displace Calhoun, but that's the only guy that would relegate him to 4th OF. Platoon options - Marwin Gonzalez makes some sense, but less because they added Bour at 1st and that's his other position that was needed on the Angels in 2019. Pollock doesn't make sense, as he is a CF and a lot of his value is defense. Markakis isn't likely to repeat his 2018 success, but that could be an option if he lingers into ST. Doubtful though, as Markakis wants to be a starter. John Jay is primarily a CF, and I don't think they could give him enough starts to grab him. Calhoun is still going to get playing time, so, the 40-50 starts against lefties plus say 20 starts in LF and 5 in CF isn't enough of an enticement for a guy who wants a starting spot. The only other names that could make sense are Adam Jones, or someone like Cameron Maybin or Carlos Gomez. There's not a lot of OF in this FA market. We could get Matt Kemp I suppose via trade for basically nothing. There are a few other OF bats available on the trade market, but no one significant.

I could see them having interest in Ottavino, Cody Allen, Andrew Miller, Zack Duke and Justin Wilson on major league deals...but other than that, don't see any other relievers being added unless they are on minor league deals.

I doubt they sign another infielder unless said infielder can also play OF, particularly CF. The roster just doesn't work without a CF backup...John Jay certainly fits well. That's the only offensive position that doesn't have a likely candidate currently on the 40-man roster. (I suppose Hermosillio is a candidate, but I just don't see him as a good fit). The 25-Man roster right now I think is: Heaney - SP Skaggs - SP Harvey - SP Cahill - SP Barria -SP Buttrey -- Closer Bedrosian - Arb Elg. Garcia - Arb Elg. Robles - Arb Elg. 3 of Pena / N. Ramirez / Cole /Anderson / Jerez / Peters 1B/DH Pujols 2B Cozart SS Simmons INF Fletcher / Ward INF LaStella 1B/DH Bour C Lucroy C Smith CF Trout RF Calhoun LF Upton OF Bourjos (* Not On 40-Man) DH Ohtani 60-Day DL Middleton, JC Ramirez.

Yes, but the pen is easily modified in season. The Angels playoff years always seem to do this. 2002 offseason transactions (They won 75 games in 2001). Aybar was a minor league free agent as was Bellinger (who is Cody's Dad). The other big move not listed here was to trade Mo Vaughn for Kevin Appier. They also traded for Brad Fullmer. January 4, 2002: Aaron Sele was signed as a Free Agent with the Anaheim Angels.[3] January 31, 2002: Donne Wall was signed as a Free Agent with the Anaheim Angels.[4] February 4, 2002: Erick Aybar was signed as a Free Agent with the Anaheim Angels.[5] February 7, 2002: Clay Bellinger was signed as a Free Agent with the Anaheim Angels.[6] So the Angels had two new starters even though their 2001 staff had durable guys, the two new guys replaced Pat Rapp and Ismael Valdes. Donne Wall was the big pen acquisition. He pitched 21 innings of 6.43 ERA ball out of the pen for the Angels and was cut. They had Percival in the pen, and Ben Weber, and a few other names... but Donnelly and Schoeneweis along with Shields, Callaway and others were not part of the opening day roster, and of course, neither was Frankie. Donne Wall, Lou Pote, Mark Lukasiewicz, Ben Weber, Al Levine, Troy Percival, ---I think that was the opening day pen. There might have been a 7th guy, (Matt Wise?) I'm not sure. The World Series Pen was Ben Weber, Scot Shields, Scott Schoeneweis, Brenden Donnelly, Frankie Rodriguez, and Troy Percival. 6 Man pen was common then? Now we have at least 7, maybe 8?

All 4 will have better seasons in 2019 than they did in 2018. Will they be 2017 or 2016 levels? Maybe not. But I'd hope for these slash lines: Calhoun: .259 / .324 / .465 (.779 OPS) Bour: .274 / .347 / .500 (.847 OPS) Cozart: .285 / .365 / .465 (.830 OPS) Lucroy: .275 / .345 / .430 (.775 OPS) Angels offseason will look pretty good if they slash those lines.

Maldonado is good defensively, but he batted : .225 / .276 / .351. That is godawful offense. I could live with the Average, but he doesn't walk either, so the OBP is terrible, and the slugging percentage means he's a singles hitter. Check out Kevan Smith, who is currently slated to be the backup behind Lucroy and tell me you don't like that offense better. Lucroy was bad last year in Oakland and the year previous (in Texas, but was quite good in Colorado), but in 2016, he was arguably a top three offensive catcher in Baseball. If they limit him to 4-5 games per week, and Smith catches 2-3 games, We'll end up having Lucroy in 108, and Smith in 54, which has the potential to be a high .700 OPS season from the catching spot, something like .285 / .355 / .435 (.790 OPS) from the pair.

I think the Runner-Up thing is just showing the Angels are showing financial restraint. But yes, I also would like Ottavino. I didn't really want to spend money on the pen, but with Parker being cut (whom I would bring back right now as well, maybe even Bud Norris as well) they don't have an established closer, so I would like to give someone that role. Kimbrel I think will be too expensive. And he's older.

Ya @Inside Pitch it was mostly a prospect lovers wet dream. Prospects build a successful teams success, but 1 in 3 if you’re lucky turns into what you hope he’ll be. That’s one reason why veterans free agents are more expensive — because they come with proven track records. Also, Calhoun and Shoemaker at that point would have commanded a nice package. Hill only had half a season of his track record. And Shoemaker and he were equivalent because of the control.

Maybe they’ll try for Ottavino or gulp Kimbrel. I would like a solid lefty besides Peters or Jerez bc I think they’ll be at SLC.

They had a point that Shoemaker was on a major hot streak and quite possibly the best starter in the AL, he had a limited amount of time in the majors, and Hill remember had major injury concerns and is older, had less control, and was what one and half seasons from the angels cutting him from their pen? Anyway I think he and Calhoun could’ve pulled the Hill/Reddick return, but that basically meant they would’ve gotten Jharel Cotton, which ok is nice but...not a franchise changer the Indians traded a much better package that year including Sheffield for Andrew Miller, maybe the Angels could’ve gotten that package or one close to it for Bedrock and Shoe. But overall I agree it’s nonsense. They totally missed on why the Angels gave up so much for Simmons, didn’t see his offensive outbreak on the horizon. Prospects are not sure things. Would Sheffield look good in our 2019 rotation sure, especially since Shoe is gone now after two injury plagued seasons. But they don’t have a time machine and neither do we.

I did listen to the podcast in question just now and think the only thing they got right is that the Angels should’ve sold high on Shoemaker. But hindsight is 20/20. If they had sold him to say the Dodgers that year, they could’ve got back what they Garcia Oakland for Rich Hill. Four prospects would’ve been a reach, but Shoe was having the best stretch of his career at the point of the podcast and the Angels ejected to hold him instead of trading him, probably because so many players had been hurt and needed TJ. That’s why they kept him. They needed good arms and didn’t want to build a rotation out of scraps for 2017. They totally missed on Simmons being a 7 WAR player for two years and overvalued Bedrosian as well. But they eventually revised the 4 prospects for Bedrosian to 3, and even then they said it was high. But yes if the Angels has traded those two guys then, they arguably could’ve received two quality players maybe someone like Justus Sheffield (moved in the Andrew Miller trade that year) and I’m sure it would’ve been a good Idea. But I think they would’ve moved him had a team offered that. I mean if they had been offered what these guys said they would’ve moved him. Nothing else they mentioned made sense or would’ve helped the Angels in 2017, 2018, or 2019. But yes looking back, they should’ve absolutely moved Shoemaker, Bedrosian, Calhoun, and Escobar, because those four have contributed little and they would’ve brought back some value. But to think they’d have brought us say Jharal Cotton and Justus Sheffield had they been moved is a little shortsighted.

Everyone loves the Astros because they’ve won the division 2 straight years and won a World Series. The AL West however never seems to be dominated for long. This is not the AL East that has occasionally gone to one of the three non-Red Sox or NYY teams but mostly alternated between those two powerhouses. This division has not gone to the same team for three consecutive years since the Angels did it in 07-08-09 and wasn’t done before that since 87-88-89 by the A’s. The division is not lost, before they even play the 1st game. Let’s be a tad more optimistic, ok?

I think if Lucroy came back to his Milwaukee numbers, from 2016, he would be the best signing of the off season. He also was pretty much on par, in terms of pitching splits, with Martin Maldonado when Maldonado was with the Brewers. So maybe he's a pretty good game caller, even if his defense is basically average.

I think Moose is no longer an option with Bour signing. They have depth at 3rd, and Moose unless he's going to play full time, and also play some 1st in Pujols' absence, doesn't seem to make sense.

I don't think I'd like a big money deal for Kimbrel or Britton. I don't think closers in general are a good investment, especially one that wants $80M. I also don't think I'd like another infield guy who can't play the OF. The only spot I think available on this roster right now is a Platoon RF/4th OF spot, which if filled by a Carlos Gonzalez or Nick Markakis might make some sense, but another infielder like DJ LeMahieu, doesn't seem to make sense. Lowrie you could put at 1st/3rd or in the OF. I'd be okay signing most free agents left except they would also need to make a trade to clear up some of the existing money.

The Astros number is wrong because somewhere you added 20 losses. They are 100 games over .500 their past 4 years. But in the previous 4, they were 232-416. That's nearly 200 under. It's a reign of futility that I honestly can't remember in Baseball the past few years. Here's the last six years of standings: 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 Angels 78-84, 98-64, 85-77, 74-88, 80-82, 80-82 Astros 51-111, 70-92, 86-76, 84-74, 101-61, 103-59 A's 96-66, 88-74, 68-94, 69-93, 75-87, 97-65 Mariners 71-91, 87-75, 76-86, 86-76, 78-84, 89-73 Rangers 91-72, 67-95, 88-74, 95-67, 78-84, 67-95

Adell could do that though. Calhoun is more likely to hit .265 / .335 / .460 than the line originally posted.

Robertson, Ottavino, or Britton all make sense. Wonder when the relief market is going to get cooking.

Machado: Yankees, 7/224. Harper: Dodgers 8/300

The rotation as currently constructed has 5 guys who pitched 20+, but only one made 30, Andrew Heaney. Heaney made 30, Harvey 28, Barria 26, Skaggs 24, and Cahill 20. Pena and Tropeano would be next, right? I think they should still get Sonny Gray.

Interesting note, last time the Angels had 5 starters make at least 25 starts was....2001. Pat Rapp, Ismael Valdez, Washburn, Schoeneweis, and Ramon Ortiz. I think they need 4 guys to give us 30. That has happened on nearly all the Angels good pitching staffs. In 2002, they had Ortiz (32), Washburn (32), Appier (32), Sele(26) all give us 26 or more and Schoeneweis gave us 15, because he was replaced by Lackey midseason who started 18 games. In 2003, they almost did it as well, but Appier was replaced by Scot Shields midseason. In 2004, they added Cy Young Winner Colon (34), and the tripod, Kelvim Escobar (33), to the previous seasons staff. Ortiz suffered some injury issues, and pitched out of the pen some, but Washburn (25), Lackey (32), and Sele (24) all started 24 games or more in addition to the games started by the new additions. In 2005, Ortiz departed, but they brought in Paul Bryd and Ervin Santana, and 4 guys pitched 29+ Santana pitched only 23. Excobar was limited to 7 starts. In 2006, Weaver took over for his brother midseason, 3 guys pitched 30+...They missed the playoffs. In 2007, 4 guys pitched 26 or more, but Colon struggled, and it looked like he was maybe done. He's still pitching 12 seasons later. http://www.angelswin-forum.com/forums/topic/37405-if-things-had-gone-differently-this-off-season/?page=4 In 2008, 5 guys pitched at least 24, and 4 of them had 30+. Won 100 Games In 2009, only two guys pitched 30, one pitched 27, one 23, and the other 48 starts were made by Matt Palmer, Shane Loux, Sean O' Sullivan, Scott Kazmir, Trevor Bell, Anthony Ortega, Dustin Moseley, Kelvim Escobar and of course, Nick Adenhart. They still won 97 games based mostly on timely offense. In 2010, They had Weaver (34), Santana (33), Pinero (23), Kazmir (28), and Saunders had 20, but was replaced by 14 game starter Dan Haren at the deadline. So again, close. In 2011, Joel Piniero was the only one to miss, at 24 starts. Haren (34), Weaver (33), Santana (33), and Tyler Chatwood all made 27 or more. In 2012, 4 guys had 30, with Haren, Weaver, Santana, and Wilson all getting 30 or more. Greinke Replaced Jerome Williams midseason, and Garret Richards made his debut with 9 starts. In 2013, Wilson pitched 33, but Weaver, Vargas, Williams, all had 24 or 25. Blanton and Tommy Hanson rounded out the staff. The vaunted four horsemen, basically doomed this team to suck. In 2014, Five guys pitched over 20, and a sixth pitched 18. In 2015, Five guys pitched over 21, and a sixth pitched 18. In 2016, Weaver had 31, the next guy had 27 and Santiago at 22, was replaced by Nolasco midseason with 11. They couldn't nail down a constistent 5th and 6th guy. In 2017, Nolasco started 33, and he and three other guys had 20+, and then the 5th and 6th and 7th guy had 16, 14, and 13. 2018 was even worse with only Heaney having 30, Skaggs getting 24, Barria 26 (and 5 in SLC), and then the next four guys were between 10 and 19. I'd be happy if the team could get 4 guys between 27-33. The 5th spot, not so concerned, especially if Cahill gets pushed to the pen by say, Griffen Canning. That would be fine.