angelsnationtalk

If Strasburg opts out and the Angels push open the payroll would you guys consider signing Cole and Strasburg and not Rendon?

I like the idea. But gotta keep in mind if we’re trading someone like Marsh, Suarez, Thaiss, Yan and maybe Ward for Thor then there’s got to be the idea of us signing him to an extension. Which could possibly be around $25M. Add that to Cole and Rendon and we’re pushing an addition of $85M. The extension would kick in once Pujols is gone so maybe it could still work.

It shouldn’t get too complicated if they’re using the farm as well.

That really goes for the manager change. Arte could be shifting his focus to “win now but be smart doing it” Trout will be an Angel permanently and he’s entering his prime. Now is the time for Arte to shake it up and put Trout in the best possible scenario. He signed the contract because of the future you promised him. So go make it happen.

Yes. If we’re talking about the tax then spend up to it and take a hit if need be for 3 years. Once Pujols and Upton are off the sheet then that’s $56M back in our pockets to use.

Trout signed after the Winter Meetings so this is the first real offseason.

Come on home, Joe.

Honest question. This is the first offseason heading into the Winter Meetings where the future of Mike Trout is known. I'm sure the Angels have always figured he'd re-sign, but now that it's official does this change the direction a little for how the Angels view their window of opportunity/spending? Does this make Arte want to spend a little more and be more aggressive now that Trout is locked in his prime and our window to win is starting to open up?

Usually teams will sign the best player available in round one and then sign for need in the following rounds. If the Angels sign a top FA this winter then I wonder if we use our first round pick for need since we possibly won't have a second rounder.

If he's in high school then he's probably about 4 years out so it'd be around 2024 at the very earliest.

The roster just needs pitching and it can be pretty solid. This seems like a post that would have made sense 3 years ago. reaching .500 next season should be a failure of a season. We should be around 85 wins next year.

I'm going with 7/210, Angels (Dec 9 )

It's one thing for us to be predicting things, but once Jeff predicts it really makes me think this could happen!

Maddon will be at top of the list. Girardi will be second choice. Players love Maddon so it makes complete sense.

Fletcher is the best infielder not named Simmons and as I said, Simmons will always rank above anyone no matter the name. If Simmons were to ever be traded then it won’t be until the middle of the season once he’s added some value back. Maybe. But this also goes to say that I have questions about him getting a new contract if Fletcher has around the same type of production that he had this year.

There’s no hole at 3B. You’ll have LaStella/Thaiss at 3B, Fletcher at SS and Rengifo at 2B. I get what you mean by “he’s not the player that Simmons is at SS”, but no one will ever be the player that Simmons is. He’s in a category if his own defensively. The last thing I see happening is Upton moving anywhere. They only way is if we swap bad contracts with someone else which won’t happen. Therefore we’re stuck with what we have. The only way Calhoun comes back is if we decline the option and then sign him for a much lower dollar amount. The best bet is to move on from Calhoun. As tough as it sounds. Use the money elsewhere and allow Goodwin/Adell to solidify the spot.

I’m not saying trade him for his decline. Injuries made sure his stats weren’t top notch. I’m saying trade him because his next contract will be for his age 30+ seasons and SS is a demanding position to play as you age. Not to mention his salary will be at a high price which will bite the Angels later. Hence the emergence of David Fletcher. Despite Calhoun being a favorite to the fans, it’s time for him to go. That’s the hard truth. Right field is not one of the hardest positions. The list starts with pitching, catcher, shortstop and center field. Then the rest fall in place.

I'd like to see the Angels this year raise their internal budget of $175M to around $190. Let Trout have some fun.

To your point @Angel Oracle I've been thinking this plan all along as well. (instead of Odorizzi it's Wheeler) But maybe the production of Fletcher would make Eppler think that money can be saved by trading Simmons. That could help us keep Adell. We'd only have to bite our tongues by saying bye to Marsh.

Plus he brings a reputation that players are attracted to. Maddon lets the players be themselves. That alone would make a player think "i'd love to play next to Trout while having a great coach like Joe Maddon."

Yes. Although I actually think it's more an incentive if they lose so Arte can say "let me show you how it's done"

I think we've stopped with handing out heavy longterm contracts to players 32 and over. I doubt Arte is afraid to offer Cole a 7 year deal for a guy who will have his age 29 season next year... Same goes for Zack Wheeler... Those guys are just entering their prime, not exiting it.

I still have a gut feeling that things will change now that this is the first offseason where the future of Mike Trout isn't up in the air. Arte and Eppler now officially know that they can build around him without having to rush before he signs somewhere else. I think Eppler is a genius when it comes to drafting, waiver claims and trades. I also think he lacks in the free agency side (aside from Ohtani). This is where the willingness of Arte comes into play. With Trout locked down Eppler can still give his contract offers to various arms, but Arte can make sure it's done by financially backing it up knowing he's got Trout to lead the team. As simple as it sounds I think this plays a significant role in the offseason plans this time around. Arte has a legitimate reason to spend more.

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2019/10/angels-rumors-manager-joe-maddon.html With Arte seemingly pushing for a managerial change and recognizing he has Trout permanently it seems like Arte is tired of playing games. The Angels like their internal budget of around $175M-$180M. The Angels can still sign Cole and stay within that budget. I wonder if Arte has had enough and might expand some things in terms of dollars. What has already been one hell of a 2019 season is about to get more interesting. Angels could make some serious roster additions/changes.

With Arte pushing for the manager move, I think Arte might be the one who has another offseason like we did in 2011. Eppler will make strong offers to Cole and one of Wheeler/Odorizzi/Bumgarner the same way he made offers for Corbin and Eovaldi. But Arte will be the one who makes sure we aren't outbid by anyone this time. Basically just clear your calendars for a day off to come to the Big A for them to introduce these guys. Arte has had enough and it seems like he might expand some things this year $$$$$$