Hubs

Last year's starting staff and immediate depth:
Richards, Heaney, Santiago, Shoe and Weaver
Depth - Trop, Wilson, Skaggs and Smith.  
2016 AAA rotation opening day:
Smith, Yunesky Maya (30+yo minor league journeyman), Zach Nuding (26yo minor league journeyman with bad peripherals), Skaggs, Chris Jones (27yo minor league journeyman with bad peripherals).  
Even with all of our injuries, the only guy on the starting AAA roster to come up and help the big club was Skaggs.  That also includes AA where, of course, no one was capable of contributing.  
For a huge chunk of the season, two spots in our rotation was filled with two guys who weren't even in the org to start the season.  And another by a guy that was projected to be our #5/6.  
 
This year's starting staff and immediate depth:
Richards, Shoe, Skaggs, Nolasco, Chavez
Depth - Meyer, Smith, Campos, Banuelos, Pounders, Scribner, O'Grady, Ramirez, Kipper, Lamb and Blackford.  I am probably forgetting some.  
My guess is that the AAA rotation will be:
Meyer, Smith, Campos, Banuelos, Ponders.  Which is very interesting because pretty much all of those other guys deserve a chance to fill a rotation spot.  
 
Part of the reason I bring this up is that while it seemed like we had some capable depth in the AAA pen, it was really a collection of older failed relievers with almost no upside talent.  Guys like Alburquerque, David Carpenter, Jose Valdez, Javy Guerra, Ramon Martinez, Lucas Luetge, AJ Achter etc.  
Most of the guys who are rotation depth are guys who have upside but haven't been able to make it work for whatever reason.  Mostly because of injury.  You know what those guys end up being pretty good at?  Relieving.  
So by creating rotation depth, Eppler has also created pen depth.  
Right now it looks like our pen will be Street, Bedrosian, Guerra, Bailey, Alvarez, Morin and maybe Ramirez from that bunch with depth as Middleton, Mahle, De Los Santos, Paredes, Yates, and Blake Parker.  But you've also got Campos, Meyer, Pounders, Banuelos, and Lamb who also have good stuff.  Probably better stuff than any of our other pen depth.  
So i've just sold myself on the fact that the pen is going to be better than expected.  Granted, it's going to be the typical april/may tryout, but by the time June rolls around, It will be good.  BTW, watch out for Kevin Grendell.  
 

The Angels obviously believe strongly in Ward. His power and average dipped in full season ball, but he is still the catcher of the future. I wouldn't be surprised if he started at AA, but also could start at A+ again, with a promotion to AA and then to AAA if he does well. We could see him in 2018.

Ettin, I did miss that graph, sorry. Still, you had put out suggestions for free agency and trade in both your left field and second base primers. Seeing as Catcher is the other offensive black hole position, I just wanted to see another out of the box option. Thanks for the good articles.
To revisit your other points, I disagree completely that Montero is even available, let alone could be had for Street. Schwaber is not going to catch full time in the majors so they need backstop depth. And you can bet Epstein and Maddon value his defense highly.
I also wouldn't get that caught up in surplus value, sure people look at that, but that is only one facet of a potential trade. I think they will go offensive if they get another catcher, likely via free agency when ST gets closer and they can get a deal. Nick Hundley would fit, even though he is rated as a poor pitch framer. His offense slipped a bit in 2016, but had a career year in 2016, so if he is available for a one year deal to split time with Maldonado, Perez can always be stashed at AAA. I doubt this happens, but I think it's more likely than a trade for Wolters or Montero.
Hundley's bat, if he hit like he did in 2015 would more than make up for his lack of defensive skills with his bat. He was above average in 2016, for the catcher spot too. And he is as you said, left handed.

While I understand why the Angels would be interested in Miguel Monetero, the trade of Huston Street makes zero sense for either team. While it's true both players are on coming off a below average year, a closer with a 6+ ERA has zero trade value, even for a low tier hitting catcher, albeit one with an outstanding pitch framing ability. 
Cron is appealing to Colorado, and Wolters appeals to us, sure, but asking the Rockies to throw in a solid if underperforming lefty reliever and pay part of his salary is sadly dreaming. If they don't want to pay him, they can simply cut him. Therefore, he has value.
Finally, while I see this article seems to be focused on pitch framing and defensive backstops, there is no mention of getting any offense from the position. While some players may not make sense from a defensive point of view, they may from an offensive point of view, so you should consider whether they want to add offense at the position. Normally, you have examined multiple options at each position of doubt, but in this one, you clearly went one way and stuck to your guns. 
The Angels OPS at the catcher position last year was a measely .648 with a low .271 OBP. Adding offense, especially OBP may also be a consideration at the Catcher position, so familiar names like Geovany Soto or Chris Iannetta, or someone like Nick Hundley or someone else more offensive minded may get passing interest if they remain unsigned closer to the middle of February. Soto and Iannetta are not far removed from having positive defensive ratings and even Hank Conger is around if they want another defensive bat. 

PECOTA has been the most consistently close in the last few years. ZIPS has probably been the closest over the largest sample size.   Thing is there are roadmaps to follow when taking these projections into consideration.  Guys coming off injuries or shortened seasons are wild cards, as are players at the young and old points of the age spectrum.  Younger players seem to have the wildest range of performance and unpredictability due to breakouts.  Pretty much all the projection models come closest when looking at guys with 5 plus years of MLB service time and 150+ game seasons.

Trout may not want to play on the East Coast. He left home at 17 and played in Arizona, Cedar Rapids, Arkansas, Salt Lake, and then in California. He's going to have been out of the East Coast for at least 7 months a year for 10-12 years when he is a free agent. He may not want to go back to the East Coast.
 

I don't know why but I feel like this is a World Series bound team. I will probably be 110% wrong but screw it I say go all the way.

I would 100% be in favor of this. Especially over Nova. 
 

Well yeah we need that as well. But we need bullpen help regardless. We've addressed the offense, as well as the defense. We've also addressed the rotation as much as we possibly can. Once again however, we've completely ignored the bullpen. 

It is a good thing they don't haze. I watched "42" the other day, and they called a lot of what they did to Jackie simple "Hazing" too. We live in a different world now, and we shouldn't dress players in women's clothes for a kick.
They also shouldn't force jerk someone off. 
Should they have to carry the veteran's bags? Absolutely.
Are they the low men on the totem pole? Yup.
Book reports in Spring Training? Yep.
Should they freak out when an ostrich is brought into the clubhouse? Yes.
 
 

Never understood Baldoquin, especially when they new Vlad Jr. was going to turn 16 when they were blocked. You know he would've been interested in the Angels, if we could've given him what the Blue Jays gave him.

Never understood Baldoquin, especially when they new Vlad Jr. was going to turn 16 when they were blocked. You know he would've been interested in the Angels, if we could've given him what the Blue Jays gave him.

What's wrong with Wilson? his results here were always pretty legit. I doubt he wants to go play on the East Coast with so much of his life being on the West Coast. He can't control his freak injuries. 

You guys are underrating Maldonado. Last year he did hit .202 but had a .332 OBP and a .351 SLG. Those are pretty close to Bandy's numbers. 
And he's a veteran. Two relatively young catchers was not enough for this team. They were going to get a veteran. This is the start. Though I can see them getting Castillo or Hundley as well.
 

Hamilton is off the books after 2017. His 5 year contract covered 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017.
One more year.
The Angels currently have around 70-80M committed for 2018, 2019, and 2020. And that's really just Trout, Pujols and Simmons. 

Brad Ziegler, 2 years 16 M
Travis Wood, 2 years 16 M
Ben Revere, 1 year 5M
Stephen Drew/Chase Utley/Luis Valbuena 1 year 5M
Nick Hundley 1 year 5 M

You guys are underrating Maldonado. Last year he did hit .202 but had a .332 OBP and a .351 SLG. Those are pretty close to Bandy's numbers. 
And he's a veteran. Two relatively young catchers was not enough for this team. They were going to get a veteran. This is the start. Though I can see them getting Castillo or Hundley as well.
 

Brad Ziegler, 2 years 16 M
Travis Wood, 2 years 16 M
Ben Revere, 1 year 5M
Stephen Drew/Chase Utley/Luis Valbuena 1 year 5M
Nick Hundley 1 year 5 M

Still think they're going to sign one more proven reliever, one more swing-man starter, and a 4th OF. 

Aside from some minor league depth and ST invites I think that'll be about it. At most, they splurge on another catcher and one more proven MLB reliever. 

They must not have believed in the metrics showing that Bandy is a very good defensive catcher.  Also, his swing is swiss cheese.  Gonna get painfully exploited by major league pitchers.  That said, there is a lame factor here in that we are giving moving a guy with some potential that could have been fun to watch develop.  
The guy we got is basically Carlos Perez.  I wonder if we are going to trade him too and then sign someone else.  

Romine got us Alvarez, Eaves got us Marte.

It is a good thing they don't haze. I watched "42" the other day, and they called a lot of what they did to Jackie simple "Hazing" too. We live in a different world now, and we shouldn't dress players in women's clothes for a kick.
They also shouldn't force jerk someone off. 
Should they have to carry the veteran's bags? Absolutely.
Are they the low men on the totem pole? Yup.
Book reports in Spring Training? Yep.
Should they freak out when an ostrich is brought into the clubhouse? Yes.
 
 

Political correctness in this instance has nothing to do with this, it has every thing to do with humiliating people and getting your jollies at someone else's expense!
Bitching about "political correctness" is just rhetoric for people that have a need to use offensive language or actions.

It is a good thing they don't haze. I watched "42" the other day, and they called a lot of what they did to Jackie simple "Hazing" too. We live in a different world now, and we shouldn't dress players in women's clothes for a kick.
They also shouldn't force jerk someone off. 
Should they have to carry the veteran's bags? Absolutely.
Are they the low men on the totem pole? Yup.
Book reports in Spring Training? Yep.
Should they freak out when an ostrich is brought into the clubhouse? Yes.
 
 

Penningtons splits against righties as a lefty are worse than Espinosa's marks. Even though Espinosa is clearly better against lefties as a righty.
i don't hate this but I wonder if it makes Pennington expendable. They picked up a SS in the rule V and Cowart is cheaper as an infield backup.