OhtaniSan

Playoff caliber hitting if you ask me, especially when Trout and Upton are added in. Imagine if we buy and get the pitching we need... I feel like we're so close to greatness it's ridiculous

Ohtani won’t resign unless we’re winning. If Angels want to keep him it starts with getting the pitchers needed to win. He loves the fans and chose Anaheim for a reason. We just have to give him a reason to stay now

I'd imagine Upton, Mayers, and Ward stay put, but i can easily see any of the other guys on the list being flipped. Ideally all the guys on 1 year deals will be flipped for literally anything so we can see how the young guys do

Very interesting read, makes me even more excited for Sandoval's future. He's starting to look like he can easily be a #3 caliber pitcher (he has had glimpses of a #2 at his best too, just has to start stretching himself out deeper into games). Maybe he will be what Heaney never was. On a side note, I think that Suarez's changeup is absolutely filthy as well.

I don't think think there's such thing as too much starting pitching. By adding more starters, you also help the bullpen by letting guys like Suarez/C-Rod excel in the pen in high leverage roles while filling in for spot starts/injuries as needed. This winter, I still would go out and sign two big starters, say Gausman and Stroman. Rotation: Ohtani, Gausman, Stroman, Canning, Sandoval, Detmers Pen: Suarez, Sandoval, Barria, C-Rod, at least 2 more high leverage guys via trade/free agency, maybe Dick-rod from the pirates

Ohtani and Trout is a great answer, but yeah it saddens me a lot because there is a lot of truth to "Angels are wasting Trout/Ohtani" and this brings that to light. How often do we see two generational talents often regarded as the best or most talented players in the game on the same team? Angels honestly owe it to everyone to get these guys to the playoffs and win multiple world series, it's a fucking travesty it hasn't happened already and straight up embarrassing that in the near 10 years we have had Trout, we haven't won a single playoff game. Arte and the front office gotta pull their heads outa their asses and get some pitching. Need to build a team that can actually win or they will go down as the biggest clowns in MLB history

i guess Peters not pitching in a single game for LAA this stint was a good thing?

This is assuming he wants to stay with us long term. I recall one of his dreams coming to America being "win the world series", and with our current pace he won’t be doing that anytime soon and i’m sure he’s aware of that. We need to sign two starters and an entire new pen this off-season and start winning, else Shohei will walk

I would love to see us add Gausman, Stroman, and a complete revamp of the bullpen via trades/free agency. I think our hitting as is will be fine next year and we can rely on internal guys to fill out the bench. The only issue with hitting being if we can rely on Rengifo to fill out an every day role. I would like to see us flip J. Iglesias and have Rengifo tryout for the role the rest of the year

He would be eligible to win the Silver Slugger as a DH

Ohtani at Coors is going to be a spectacle

I wonder what roll Rengifo is going to play? Gosselin has been killing it with the UT role in my opinion, always seems to be hitting when he gets occasional starts and Rendon should be back in the lineup shortly

Nice

I would add Kaleb Cowart as a guy i had really high hopes for but turned out to be a complete bust

I like this cuz then Walsh can eventually get OF eligibility for my fantasy team. He's been carrying my team

Are you worried about Ohtani's pitching performance on the mound this spring? In Ohtani's first two spring starts this year, he has thrown a combined 4.0 innings and allowed 6 runs and 3 BBs. For those who have watched the games, you'll notice that Ohtani has greatly struggled with his command and his ability to locate pitches. He has been throwing a significant number of pitches to get through each batter and his pitch count shoots up because of this. There have been lots of 3-0 and 3-1 counts which have allowed hitters to lay off his offspeed and capitalize on his fastball, which he has struggled to command and locate, or his hanging offspeed pitches that he seems to be "aiming" for a strike call. The good that can be pulled from these starts is that his velocity appears to remain intact after hitting 99 in his first start. Also, the reports of him hitting 100+ in bullpens and simulated games serve as encouragement and a sign he is confident enough in his elbow to reach back and hit triple digits. He also looks very comfortable on the mound which could signify further confidence in both his elbow as well as his skillset in general. His offspeed pitches also still have plenty of movement and have helped result in 9 K's in those 4 innings. His offspeed pitches still seem more than good enough to be considered elite pitches if he can figure out his command. The way he looks this spring resembles his 2018 spring training where he seemed to struggle with his command identically to today. His velocity and movement were still prevalent in his 2018 spring training with an imploding pitch count and poor command being his biggest issues then, just as they have been this spring. I remember he also threw tons of simulated games in 2018's spring training where Scioscia said he looked much better, just as Maddon raves about Ohtani's bullpens now. I recall reading somewhere that Ohtani views Spring Training as a way to work on certain aspects of his game and isn't that concerned about poor spring results. In 2018, he following a poor spring with a phenomenal April. That being said, do you think Ohtani's struggles are just him working off the rust, or are they signs that he will have a poor year on the mound?

Cobb

I think a package of Yan, JamJones, and 1-2 lower tier prospect in our top 15-30 range would get it done. I think adding Contreras would be a great addition to what we already have in Stassi. Even better if Contreras can help with some innings at 1B and LF/RF, all of which are positions we aren't 100% on. Upton could easily remain washed up and Ward and Walsh's 2020 could have been flukes. Marsh and Adell could be gone in a trade for a high end starting pitcher and even if not, still need time in AAA until they can be counted upon. Although I think the chances that Upton, Ward, and Walsh will be solid contributors is more likely than not, it would still be beneficial to have Contreras as a backup option as it greatly helps with our roster depth.

Will Crowe projects to be a #4-5 Starting Pitcher at best. Eddie Yean is an interesting name because he isn't considered a top prospect, but he has the athleticism, velocity, and stuff to be a solid mid rotation starting pitcher in 3-4 years or so (he's still only 19). He could be even better if he figures out his control issues. Nationals have the worst farm in the league right now and didn't even have to give up any notable prospects for Bell, who was an all star before 2020. Great buy low trade for the Nats.

I think the remaining payroll space we have has to be used for starting pitching. Like @angelsnationtalk said, if the Angels don't get that #1 (and ideally a strong #2 as well), the 2021 season will just be another disappointing one. By strengthening the rotation, you also improve the bullpen by pushing guys like Barria (2.89 era in relief last year) to the bullpen. On top of that, a stronger rotation will last longer into games and not overwork the bullpen, which is the Angels problem. Maybe some version of a Gray/Castillo/Moose/Castellanos trade in the answer. However, such a trade will absolutely cost prospect capital in addition to crippling payroll for next 2-3 years. Personally, I like the Bauer signing, especially if the AAV is 25mil or less, because we can save our prospect capital for an additional trade if needed while still getting that ace.

Bauer - 6/150 Angels Springer - 5/120 Mets Realmuto - 7/175 Astros Ozuna - 4/80 Blue jays LeMahieu - 4/75 Yankees Sugano - 4/40 Yankees Tanaka - 3/45 Blue Jays Odorozzi - 4/60 Mets Arenado to Dodgers Snell to Angels Sonny gray to Padres Darvish to Twins Bryant to Braves Cant think of any other interesting names. Decent chance my predictions for Bauer and Snell are slightly biased

I think he's trying to say that if Ohtani is healthy and in the rotation, he should/could play the field on days he isn't pitching. And if that's the case I agree, Maddon himself said Ohtani is too talented and athletic to only DH. "He can play anywhere, he's that good" -Maddon

While you're correct on a very basic level, you seem to have forgtten some important information that separates Adell from Ohtani, at least in my mind. Maddon has had Ohtani taking fly balls in the outfield and grounders at first base ever since his injury, and Maddon remains very vocal in his praise of Ohtani's athleticism and wide skill set. He even said he thinks Ohtani is already "too good" to not be somewhere on the field. On the other hand, he was quite blunt about Adell's need to further develop his defense. If Ohtani is already impressing Maddon with his defense despite never playing a defensive position in the MLB, the odds of it translating into Ohtani being a solid outfielder are very high.

Ultimately, I think it's likely that Ohtani will be a good pitcher next year, albeit with a strict innings limit as well. His at bats will likely come almost exclusively come from the DH spot. But Maddon is a big fan of guys playing multiple positions, so I think at the very least we see Ohtani becoming available as a solid backup OF if we're in a pinch. I know there are many who are skeptical about Ohtani as a pitcher now, but I think they have prematurely lost their faith in him. Last year was his first time back since his TJ and thanks to COVID, the circumstances for his return were far from ideal. I'm a big believer it was the lack of a full spring training that caused Ohtani's woes as well as his injury. On the hitting spectrum, I think I point to the lack of a full spring training as well as the shortened season not allowing him a real chance to turn things around. The talent and skill are there still.

I agree and think the idea of Ohtani getting some RF time is absolutely worth entertaining. He has the arm strength and athleticism of what could be solid to maybe even gold glove defense. If he continues to heavily struggle as a pitcher, transitioning to our new all star right fielder is a damn good second option. I believe someone mentioned earlier that Maddon confirmed Ohtani will be getting some RF work. I wouldn't be surprised if he's been working on his fly ball routes right now during this offseason to prepare, Ohtani is a resilient and hard worker after all and also seems the type to do whatever it takes to help the Angels win.