Hubs

lol

If Calhoun was healthy in spring training, we'd never have heard of JB Shuck. 
 
He wasn't. Shuck got the AB's when Bourjos went down. They'd have gone to Calhoun if he was the fourth OF, which he would've been had he been healthy.

Neither of these is going to be the lineup. Kendrick doesn't like to be the #2 hitter. He doesn't walk and his OBP isn't good enough anyway. He has awful numbers in that spot in the lineup.
 
I don't want Shuck or Aybar at the top of the lineup. Both of these guys have career OBP's in the .320-.335 range.
 
Mike Trout is the leadoff guy. He needs to be in that spot.
 
Next might be Aybar, but I'd prefer if Calhoun got it as he is a left handed hitter. He also has a career minor league OBP of .402. He had a .347 in his 58 games in the majors last year. 
 
Then it's Pujols, then Hamilton, then Trumbo (doubtful he gets traded now). Sixth is likely David Freese's spot. 7th could be Conger if he's hitting, or Kendrick. Next is the other one. Finally Aybar hitting 9th, where he's always had his best hitting numbers.
 
If they trade Kendrick, I'd expect Aybar to hit 7th, then Green, then Conger. 
 
When Shuck plays, he can hit #9 and Aybar can hit #2.
 
Trout leading off is the best option.

I'd really look at trading Kendrick and Iannetta for a starter either from the Jays, or the Royals, Rays, or the Orioles. Try to get a guy who maybe can be at AAA for 2014 with a high ceiling if they don't get two starters. Then I'd sign a veteran starter on a one year deal. I'd look at Tanaka of he gets posted. There will be competition. Haren and Arroyo are targets but Hammell, Happ, Etc would be ok.

Freese is a much better 3B than Alberto Callaspo was. I'm sorry but the guy had a .356 SLG in four seasons with the Angels. His OBP, the bright spot? Only .335 with the Angels. And his average was a middling .263.
 
WAR from Baseball reference is I think better than Fangraphs version.
 
2011: Callaspo 2.9 to Freese 1.8 (in just 97 games compared to 141). 
2012: Callaspo 2.8 to Freese 3.8.
2013: Callaspo 0.3 to Freese -0.3… Freese was hurt. Callaspo was healthy.

I am not sure if the analyst here realize that PB had just 9ne seas9n where he was injured. No one would be talking about him being fragioe if he wasnt hit by a pitch. This is a steal for the Cards. I just hope our FO has some moves up their sleeves.

Tried finding what the salaries are for 'minor' leaguers on the 40-man and I found that while they don't get the full league minimum, they still get a portion of it that's added towards the CBT.
 
1st year players on the 40 man with no service time - $40,750 in 2014
2nd year players or any player with at least 1 day of service time  - $81,500 in 2014
 
I'm pretty sure every player on the 40 man has at least 1 day of major league service, so if this info is correct, those 15 would still account for 1.2225M.  I know, not much, but I'm just trying to figure the current payroll for CBT purposes, which looks to be roughly 174.5M at the moment
 
I also expect guys like Nelson, Gutierrez, Hanson, and maybe Jepsen to be non tendered, but until that happens, I'm just factoring in the salaries of the current 40 man roster.

Trout CF
Calhoun RF
Pujols 1B
Hamilton LF
Trumbo DH
Freese 3B
Kendrick/Green 2B
Iannetta C
Aybar SS

Of course, Alberto Callaspo is no Albert Callaspo, either.

Howard has only had two seasons where he wasn't above a 120 OPS+. Kinsler has had one season where he has been above 120+ OPS.
 
Andrus has yet to get to 95 OPS+ but the good news for the Rangers is he has 9 more years to get there.

I actually completely understand your line of thinking and I think you're just as likely to be correct in what is best for the team as any of us. However I think the idea is that the Angels are tight on money this offseason. While this is unproven, it is a reasonable expectation and that makes trading for pitchers the more likely scenario.
 
I think most people believe that the best any of the players you listed would get INDIVIDUALLY in a trade would be a decent number 3. But in a package deal, they could absolutely land a legit number 2/3 starter which is exactly what the team needs.

Blanton doesn't have a Cy Young, let alone 5 Cy Youngs. 
 
Halladay clearly wasn't the same pitcher as in previous seasons, but it's called a risk. He's not going to cost a lot.
 
Haren showed good peripheral stats, especially in the second half and he's only 33. Pitchers can have success into their later thirties. He'd also sign for a $8 M on a one year deal. Or perhaps less AAV on a two year deal.
 
Young controllable and also projectable and dependable starters are going to cost a lot in trade. Young pitchers who have issues (like Hanson) won't cost much but won't give you reliable results either. I'd rather go through the FA market than adding guys who don't have a solid track record or who aren't top flight starter prospects.
 
Do we want two more Garrett Richards rounding out the rotation? Not on a playoff team. 
 
The A's do well with young pitching but partly due to their park, and partly due to selling off high priced assets and also collecting draft picks when their FA become FA.
 
Do we think Howie Kendrick is going to bring a top flight starter? Iannetta? Trumbo? Aybar?
 
What they'll get for these guys is a lot less than people hope for. Why not take a chance on dependable veterans (on short term contracts) instead?

Trading Trumbo and Kendrick for young pitching helps the team but if they're able to get Cano should they try? His contract demands were crazy but if they could get him for somewhere between what they signed Hamilton for and what they signed Pujols for are they crazy for adding his bat?
The guy hits for average and Power. Best hitter on the Yankees. Salary cap would have to not be a concern going forward but hey it's only money. .

I would say absolutely.  Assuming he gives you 200 innings.  Again, if you could throw out the following rotation, the pitching would be considerable improved:
 
Weaver - 200 innings at 3.30 ERA
Wilson - 200 innings at 3.50 ERA
Vargas - 200 innings at 4.00 ERA
Vargas Clone - 200 innings at 4.00 ERA
Richards - 200 innings at 4.40 ERA
 
That theoretical rotation would combine for an ERA of about 3.85, which would be very solid.  A solid rotation combined with a good offense and good/great bullpen would make the team competitive.  (of course, that assumes Jerry can build a good bullpen). 

This team is desperate for pitching and you want to trade one of our starters for a third baseman?
 
Ugh.

If Trumbo and Bourjos are both traded, the need will be there for a corner OF/DH/1B, because only Trout, Hamilton, Calhoun, and Pujols will be here for 5 positions (LF/CF/RF/DH/1B).   
Shuck is at best a part-time player (think O. Palmeiro) on a contending team. 

While I'm a big Bourjos fan, Calhoun proved he deserves a spot. Question not answered above, who is the DH? If they trade Trumbo, then isn't a platoon of Hamilton / Pujols the DH? And doesn't that mean that there is a spot for Bourjos in CF?

No way.

No one is going to know the numbers like the Angels do and I doubt they'll look at just his second half splits.
 
There have been 12 players to hit 90 HR or more in the last 3 seasons combined. 20 Have hit 80.
 
 
Miguel Cabrera 118 Adrian Beltre 98 Jose Bautista 98 Jay Bruce 96 Edwin Encarnacion 95 Mark Trumbo 95 Giancarlo Stanton 95 Price Fielder 93 Alfonso Soriano 92 Chris Davis 91 Curtis Granderson 91 Adam Jones 90 Josh Hamilton 89 Robinson Cano 88 Adam Dunn 86 Albert Pujols 84 Ryan Braun 83 David Ortiz 82 Mark Reynolds 81 Nelson Cruz 80  
Of the above, Granderson and Pujols has missed half a season with Injury. Cruz and Braun both had suspensions for steroids that caused them to miss time. Other than that this is the group of elite power hitters in MLB. Other players that missed time so they didn't get to 80? Longoria, Kemp, Texieira. Trout and Goldschmidt played most of their 2011 seasons in the minors, but got 5 and 8 HR in the majors respectively. I suppose Alvarez fits in with those last two, but still...
 
That's 25 (or 26) players. The top power hitters in MLB. And of those 25 players, Players who will be in their first year of arbitration or last year of club control in 2014?
 
Jay Bruce, Mike Trout, Paul Goldschmidt (signed an extension). 

I wouldn't mind them seeing them sign Eric Chavez to play 3b.  Solid defensively.  can platoon some with the younger Rhers
 
Tanaka is the key.  If he's legit and they can get him, it changes the whole process.   There aren't any options that fit as well into the need profile.  Apparently, they have money. 
 
It would be great to fill your biggest and potentially most costly need without having to sacrifice any players in return. 

The Angels are sitting at 76-79, with just 7 games remaining in the season. 5-2 will put them at .500 for the year, something that seemed all but impossible just a few weeks ago. It would be a small triumph. One that could keep our current Front Office and Manager intact. Which despite all the rumors, it likely the best thing for this club as currently constructed.
 
The Angels will have some decisions to make in the offseason. A number of hitters underperformed. Two of the three starters acquired last offseason are not in the current rotation. Both of the relievers last year barely had an impact, if any. They still don't have a solid answer at 3rd base, and have too many OF/DH types.
 
Going into 2014, there are a number of questions, of course, as an underachieving team with a high payroll, there are bound to be.
 
Starting with pitching, the unquestioned aces of the staff are Jered Weaver and CJ Wilson. Weaver missed a good portion of the year with a freak injury, but a 3.36 ERA is still great. CJ Wilson notched 200 innings again. Both are under contract for next year. Garrett Richards has earned a spot in the rotation with his 2nd half play. Jason Vargas has been pretty good as well, at times looking like the best starter on the staff. One spot to fill, but no one on the current team looks ready, able, or good enough to fill it.
 
I'd think the Angels will shop here, cutting ties with Joe Blanton, Tommy Hanson, and even Jerome Williams, unless he comes cheap and is willing to be the long man in the pen. They have a thin rotation at SLC, but none of these guys look to be solid answers for the future.
 
The best starters on the FA Market look to be Matt Garza, Ervin Santana, Hiroki Kuroda, and guys with serious question marks like Josh Johnson, Tim Lincecum, Ubaldo Jimenez (who's looked like the Jimenez of old in the 2nd half) and Phil Hughes.
 
One wonders where the Angels would be had they simply kept Santana instead of signing Blanton. They could've afforded it had they not signed Alberto Callaspo, or traded for Tommy Hunter. Would a rotation of Weaver, Wilson, Richards, Vargas, and Santana got them to the playoffs? One wonders. I think they could've kept Santana for even less than he made this year on his option, maybe 3-27 or 3-30, if he had agreed to a longer term deal. Would they bring him back? Who knows.
 
Now they need to allocate money here, and some say they need to trade for depth. I think they need a starter and depth in the minors through trade. Perhaps they look to Japan with Masahiro Tanaka. Just 24, he's going to cost a posting fee, but should be able to step in to the #3 or #4 spot, and could solidify a shaky rotation.
 
The other way they could get pitching depth of course is to make a trade from their hitting surplus. The Angels haven't exactly lit the world on fire, but they have scored more than 700 runs, something I didn't think they'd do after their lousy first half.
 
Pujols should be back, and isn't going anywhere. We can only hope he returns to form. Hamilton as well, who has had a good September after a decent August. Trumbo has had a dismal 2nd half, Bourjos has been injured, Kendrick and Green play the same position, Aybar hasn't hit well, Shuck is Reggie Willits 2.0 and can't field. Calhoun has shown he belongs, and Trout of course is the best player in baseball. 
 
The Angels need a 3rd baseman. They have a few options. They can move Green there, but his defense leaves something to be desired. They can try Trumbo there again, in limited duty. With Calhoun on the roster, they won't need him to man first if Pujols is the DH. Kendrick may be able to play the position.
 
The Angels likely will make a trade from their surplus of OF bats, having four young starting caliber OF plus Josh Hamilton and JB Shuck means that is very likely. Can they acquire a young 3rd base prospect like the Tigers Nick Castellanos? Or do they go with the Youngsters in Green or Lucho Jimenez, while bringing in a Veteran like Eric Chavez or Michael Young to be the mentor?
 
Finally they have the pen. Do they go after a closer? Do they keep Frieri in the role? Too many decisions here to list. Yet Burnett should give them something, and they have a lot of live arms. It comes down to budget here, I suppose. A lot of close games were lost by the pen this past year, but perhaps that is a function of being in a lot of close games since the offense wasn't producing. 
 
As for the lineup, I like Trout hitting third. Yet they may need him to leadoff, too. Putting a player with a solid OBP at the #1 and #2 spots is definitely necessary, except the Angels with the best OBP (other than Trout) are Calhoun and Iannetta. If Calhoun plays regularly, that means less playing time for Trumbo, Bourjos, and Shuck….as Trout, Hamilton, and Pujols are all playing pretty much every day if healthy. Is Trumbo then destined for a trade (or 3rd?)… 
 
We'll know by December… Hot Stove is only a few weeks away. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Kole Calhoun played 2010 with Orem, 2011 with High A and and 2012 with AAA, I don't think they need to worry about option years yet. Shuck was an NRI, meaning a minor league deal, meaning that he can be sent to the minors. 
 
I thought if they were going to give the 4th/5th OF spot to anyone other than Calhoun, they'd have given it to Matt Young, who just dominated in Spring with the bat.
 
I think they want someone who can play all three OF spots and first, but they have Trumbo and Kendrick able to do that in the majors…already..

Oops, should I not have answered the SBs question, since I didn't guess 1991 or 1975 for the best trio of pitchers?

Yeah 1975 was a great year for stolen bases and pitching 

Couldn't find anyone to buy the seats, eh