angelsnationtalk

Trout being extended is more than likely to happen. There's no rush, both parties are happy with each other, and the future of the Angels looks good as well.

Okay so my understanding is the threshold is $206M anything over that gets taxed based on first year, second year or third year offenses. The budget is around $180M for us right? This is just the internal budget i assume

please explain the difference for me.

I don't think we'd be over the threshold in 2020 unless I'm missing some numbers? Even if we're still paying 6M from Cozart, we'd have 14M off the books from Calhoun's option if we don't pick it up. Prospects would be ready to go come 2020 and our spending opens up a lot.

I still feel like the Angels FO may have said "we could get Harper, move Adell to left and Upton takes over first", but you're right, that kind of money is pushing it. They could, however, spend that money at a position they will need help with in the future and that's 3B. Could see that money go after Arenado and then a solid pitcher. I just think that the Angels want to spend one more year playing safe then open it up next offseason and pair it with the prospects coming up. I've been thinking, if the Angels started spending again in 2020 then they could sign Arenado at 3B, Either move Ward to 1B or trade him with the extra infield talent like Rengifo, Fletcher or Jones (whoever doesn't get the starting role), and maybe a pitcher and swap them for a strong catcher. I doubt Realmuto is traded this offseason and come deadline or next offseason, his price comes down. It's a risk for the farm, but financially doable when Pujols is off the books. Keeps us around $180M.

We all know the Angels are making bank. They can afford whoever they want. There are reasons we're marketed as the LA Angels and a reason why our name stands out in America, Japan and so on. If we really wanted to, we could spend it with ease.

I can agree on that as well. It's not like we're flirting with a $206M payroll. We're well under it and we revenue well over $300M per season so I've wondered why we don't spend over and eat the tax until Pujols' deal comes off and then the prospects come up and offset the price..... I've pulled my hair out all offseason wondering why we aren't making a run for Harper and trading Calhoun and other pieces. I've definitely come back down to earth after my tantrums, but I think now I'd be way more upset (assuming we don't make the playoffs this year), if we don't trade Harvey, Cahill, Calhoun and Cozart come trade deadline time for salary relief and prospects to make a run at Arenado and a strong catcher for the next offseason..... Your thoughts??

I'd be extremely upset if Trout walks and yes, I'd blame the FO for not blowing the budget for 2019 and 2020. But, knowing Trout, he wants to see sustainable runs at winning it all for multiple years. This is exactly where the Angels are heading in the 2020's.

Basically, yes. Eppler has given the Angels a tiny chance to be WC contenders for this season. Small contracts that could be traded when the deadline comes. Specially the pitchers. If (and likely when), we don't make the playoffs this year, we would receive prospects in return for our trades and from there other players like Cozart and Calhoun are moveable as well for either prospects of just salary relief. I'd expect the Angels to be a very busy team at the deadline as sellers and then go into the 2019 offseason as strong spenders to contend for the division... not the wildcard.

You said it best. If Cozart has an up year then his value is raised and becomes attractive to contending teams for this season. All we really need back in return are prospects similar to what we got back from Maldonado and Kinsler. Main Issue is for the team taking Cozart to take close or full contract of Cozart's deal for 2020.

Very possible if contracts like Cozart is moved and Calhoun's option for 2020 isn't picked up. Would push the Angels slightly above their invisible $180M internal cap, but looks even better once Pujols is off the books.

I’m not at all quick to give him up. Given the fact he has two years left on his contract and that we have a load of infield prospect about to push their way up leaves Cozart moveable. In fact, Cozart, Calhoun, Harvey, Cahill, Lucroy, and Bour are moveable pieces. Yes, I understand that most of them are on one year contracts, but I say this because if you look at the prospects knocking on the door (Thaiss, Canning, Suarez, Ward, Rengifo, Jones), it absolutely makes sense. If Cozart has a good season then his value rises and he could be delt to a contender. By that time you’ll have Ward, Rengifo, Fletcher competing for two spots for a few months and then you can take a run at Arenado to play 3B....

It would get better. The Angels don’t look strong at all right now and I think that’s where we’re getting confused. Eppler is setting the Angels up to be a strong and potentially dominant team in the 2020’s which will be the beginning of Trout’s extension. Trout more than likely sees that and that should be enough to easily create extension talks from both sides.

Obviously Trout knows the direction the Angels are going and they are about one year away from making a strong push for the playoffs..... consistently Take 2020 for example. If Cozart is traded and Calhoun's option isn't picked up then you've already saved around $26M. I assume Pujols will walk away after 2020 but if not then that could be $56M for 2020. Likely 2021... This is something that will happen very soon. Our prospects are almost ready to go and we will have payroll flexibility soon. Trout knows that and plus he isn't an ego player so knowing we have a long-term plan for success should seem very attractive to him.

100% Agree that we could have been better for 2019. Another thing that I truly believe is Eppler is waiting for the next offseason. Adell, Rengifo, Thaiss, and possibly (maybe) Jones will be ready to go come 2020. Our system doesn't have any prospect for 3B aside from Ward who could become trade bait. Believe me, I was extremely upset with the Angels making all these 1 year deals this year but I also realize that Harvey, Cahill and Lucroy are low risk reward players that give us a super small and tiny chance at competing, and if not, they become options to trade to a competing team that would return us with prospect depth. Pretty much the same way Kinsler and Maldonado brought us back Sandoval and Buttrey. This leads me to believe that Nolan Arenado could be on the Angels' radar and we could use the surplus of infield prospects plus a starting pitcher to make a trade for a catcher like Realmuto (if the value drops and he's still a Marlin which likely won't happen but I can dream). At some point, we will have a ton of prospects all competing for infield positions and if we extend Simmons, then we really have extra prospects to move around. But this, of course, is when the time is right. Unfortunately, it isn't this offseason. It starts next offseason. So what it all comes down to is the fact that Eppler firmly believes in building from within the system. This means young guys with great potential that ALSO cost nothing more than league minimum for 3 years and a little more for the next 3 years. With that happening, Eppler can really "use our financial might to fill the holes" like he's stated. Which means Calhoun and Cozart are also moveable pieces (if they add value to themselves this year). That alone could save us around $26M to move towards Arenado and we still stay under our internal $180M budget. We aren't happy about this year because we're not about to blow past the Astros in the division..... But we're happier knowing that instead of wasting talent in 2019 to win for one year, we're playing smart to win from 2020-2026 and beyond with internal and external talent. Stay patient.

Eppler is from the NY Yankees so maybe.... Always an interesting thought. That's true. Mariners are always a good fit for Japanese players. They have this history so it's attractive. But aside from the rebuild, they have some serious internal issues that he's about to see. Clubhouse scrums and racist reports from FO... Welcome to the Mariners!

Seattle is trying to compete in 2020-2021 (so they say), and the Angels look to be pretty darn good around that time as well. What if it got into a bidding war and Eppler used a strategy to force his contract higher so Dipoto would bite on the price to woo him away from the Angels and then Eppler simply smiled and dropped out? Kikuchi is thought to be a number 3 or 4 guy from the reports i've seen. That's a big price for someone who doesn't have elite stuff and shoulder issues. Maybe it was just a way of Eppler knowing Dipoto was going to do everything he could to pry him away from the Angels so Eppler just played the game and made the price rise..... Think about it

Nintendo of America does have 10% ownership which could have Japanese ties, but yes, you're correct.

Which is why my joke is Boras telling Kikuchi "You don't want to go there" Despite Japanese ownership and how well Ichiro and others have found success there, it feels like the tide has changed. Ohtani took a chance with the Angels and whatever Eppler said to him in that meeting must have been something great. If a star from Japan trusts a new team in the Japanese saga, then I'd assume that will open a golden door for the Angels.

Makes me wonder what type of market or system he's looking for. Padres and Angels aren't winners this year, but give 1 or 2 more years and they look pretty strong for years to come. I'd say Angels, Padres and Mariners are top 3. Mariners seem like a typical Dipoto cluster F*** so I wonder if Boras is low key saying "You don't wanna go there...." Which leaves Padres and Angels. Padres, to me, seem like a place where stars go to disappear. (Matt Kemp, Eric Hosmer). Both players saw their average and overall game fall off the face of the earth. Let alone, if you thought east coast biased was bad against the Angels and Trout then tell me when the last time was that you saw the Padres on any highlight reels or prime ESPN broadcasts.... Angels have proved last year that they can implement a new system and have hired certain people to make sure it works. Ohtani was able to thrive and Kikuchi can be surrounded by a friend that speaks Japanese and he gets to be around future HOF players that will help him acclimate to the new environment. I'm not saying he's the next number 1 pitcher for us. He's probably a number 3 or 4. All i'm saying is it just makes sense.

Mariners frontrunners for Kikuchi This report coming from Nikkan Sports. Also states "..negotiations with multiple teams are entering a climax..". Based on a few conversations we've had in this thread, I believe that the Angels are in the mix. Though I doubt we will hear anything until either A: The Angels sign him..... or...... B: After he's signed elsewhere we could find out we made a strong push. But it all makes too much sense since the Angels organization has a proven system that they can adapt and create a brand new player structure (Ohtani) and create success. Not to mention Boras (his agent) has his office in Southern California and Kikuchi has been relaxing here for about a month so he must start to like how the weather is. Also, he attended a Ducks game before teams could negotiate with him so I'm sure he saw Angels Stadium while driving to the Honda Center.

Thanks for the info. The more I think about it, the more it makes sense. Kikuchi, which could be an injury concern, is a “risk” worth taking if say 6/42m is the number being tossed around. This sets the Angels up with great depth come 2020 and beyond when Ohtani is back plus Canning and Suarez. Thinking more about it, the sense of how the organization is run and how Ohtani, out of all other teams, liked the Angels the most speaks highly of how this can work. 7million for 6 years of Kikuchi sounds very feasible. And if he’s not as sought after as most people originally thought, then that price can come down. I’ve got a feeling that Kikuchi to the Angels makes more and more sense every day. We will find out very soon if it’s true.

@Second Base can you clarify the “Angels are the front runners” comment? I’ve been frantically searching for Kikuchi information but there hasn’t been any updates. Which surprises me since his deadline in days away.

Hopefully it is. Either way, it has its pros and cons. Pros would be that if Eppler’s plan works then we will be a strong team for many consecutive years in the 2020s Cons is the fact that we still haven’t won a playoff game with Trout during his career and hopefully he still trusts the front office that it will happen and he’ll sign an extension. I also think this might be Pujols’ final season. I think it’s a decision Pujols makes. If that’s the case and he decides to retire, is there any way the Angels can defer his contract? Or are they 100% stuck with it going against their payroll?

I assume we’re betting on the fact that this will make Trout want an extension with us when he sees that we’re going to be much better come 2020 and beyond?