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Second Base

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Second Base last won the day on June 1 2023

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  1. I'm failing to see how having Jo Adell as the 5th outfielder benefits this team. If it were me, the Angels would be rebuilding and Jo Adell would be starting every single game, because he's a lottery ticket and you're hoping to cash in on him figuring it out. But the Angel have different intentions. So where does Adell fit? He isn't good enough defensively to be a late game replacement. Sure, he's fast, and can pinch run, but is that really using him to his full ability? If you just wanted speed you would be better off using Adams in that role. Is he a DH? And if so, do you use him over Sano if you're trying to win ball games? Or if Trout is at DH, Adell still isn't in the lineup over Hicks. So what do you do with him? I think the Angels will get what they can get for him at the end of Spring Training. Probably some 25 year old reliever in AA that throws 98 with no control that gets DFA'd next winter. Or if they're lucky, some team will be looking for a change of scenery situation like Michael Kopech for Adell, which could be ideal for both teams.
  2. You don't think those are decent landing spots for Adell to get everyday at bats?
  3. I'll have to disagree there. Arte is sticking to his guns, however imperfect it is. He refuses to write checks for pitchers on a long term basis which by default, eliminates the Angels from exactly what they need, which is top tier pitching. It isn't that he doesn't care, he just has parameters. 1. No long term pitching contracts. 2. Will not go over the luxury tax. They say it's not a hard line but it very clearly is. Otherwise you wouldn't lose a top 100 prospect for nothing. So Minasian has to operate within those boundaries. So what can he do? Sign a whole bunch of relievers to try and make his starting rotation "good enough". Also, the stadium deal very clearly is more nuanced than that. Arte has a sweetheart of a deal, and he doesn't invest in the stadium. That's why it's a shithole compared to other stadiums outside of Oakland. Anaheim can day it's ready to negotiate all they want but it's posturing. Maybe something works out, maybe it doesn't.
  4. Because owning an MLB franchise is a cash cow. Regardless of increased salaries and operating costs, the billionaires that own these franchises have largely seen the value of their investment increase at minimum 10 fold in the last 20 years. It doesn't matter if Arte fields a winner or loser. He was insanely rich before he bought the team and now he's even more insanely rich. This might just be my perception, but I think Arte legitimately enjoys baseball and wants to win. But he does not enjoy paying for things that aren't right in front of his face, like Spring complex tunnels and labs, minor league living situations, international scouts. He likes spending his money on hitters to stack his lineup. He doesn't trust pitchers. He's a very competitive, flawed owner.
  5. Scott Boras knows what he's doing, 90% of the time. Pitchers get hurt ALL THE TIME. That's why the pitchers he reps want long term contracts, so that when they do get injured, they'll still get paid and they'll still have the opportunity to rehab and get back in the game. Not only that, here we are in Spring Training and pitchers are dropping like flies. This means more suitors are being created for his clients. Why? Because pitchers get hurt ALL THE TIME. Add into the equation, the less Snell and Montgomery pitch, the less likely they'll get hurt, because pitchers get hurt ALL THE TIME. I know you may not want to hear this, but Scott Boras is smart. I think he may be playing it just right.
  6. Couple ways to view it. Either you can never have enough pitching so you should target pitchers in trade negotiations, or pitchers are inherently injury risks, so you should target position players. Case by case scenario is probably the best approach, but Dipoto seemed to be the absolute worst in identifying minor league pitching talent when he was with the Angels. Seems to have fixed that with Seattle, with Gilbert, Kirby and Woo.
  7. For me, it was the COVID lockdown. Couldn't go anywhere or do anything. All my excuses were gone. I hit the gym hard and haven't stopped since. It's a way of life now. 30 lbs more of muscle and the healthiest I've ever been. I am considering TRT though. I'm nearing 40 and I'm noticing a difference.
  8. I'm guessing Adell is going to be dealt at the end of Spring Training. Probably for a lesser pitcher with options remaining. It'll be an uneventful finale for Adell and the Angels. He'll go elsewhere, I'm guessing Detroit or Washington maybe, and he'll do exactly what he's done here, just in much higher volume. He'll blast 30 HR's yet somehow post an OBP under .300. And whoever the Angels get back will work out of the rotation in AAA and operate as a swing starter or reliever for the Angels and will eventually be DFA'd when he's out of options. As for Aaron Hicks, he'll rotate between RF, DH and the bench. He'll manage a .340 OBP and 15 HR's and be dealt at the trade deadline for some random 6'5" reliever in AA that throws 100 but has a 6.0 BB/9.
  9. I'm a big fan of Snell from his days with both the Rays and Padres, two very intelligent, competitive clubs. The Padres are my second favorite team, the Rays are #4. I'm a fan, but I hate watching Snell pitch. It's frustrating. He's cerebral. He NEVER gives in, even if it means walking a batter. Because he knows, particularly as a LHP, a runner on first doesn't mean much. But no one squares him up. He makes them hit HIS pitch, and HIS pitches generate the highest whiff rates in all baseball. It's terribly boring to watch. But I like winning. Snell wins. But I also legitimately hate sacrificing draft picks. The Angels need to be using those picks, particularly higher ones, to build up that farm. So I'm split. I like Snell and want to win, but I'm not sure it's the best direction for the team. I suppose if Ron and Perry think Snell is the difference between no playoffs and playoffs, then I say do it. I'm just not entirely convinced.
  10. Anyone that's ever had to catch a high fly ball on a cloudy day would tell you that the ceiling there would have to be changed. Fly balls would consistently be lost.
  11. There are a couple ways to look at this. First, Snell rejected a qualifying offer, so it'll cost the Angels a draft pick. Not exactly the best idea for a team that fully always to finally be entering the early stages of a rebuild (cost cutting). So signing him to a one year deal would be piss poor logic. Then again, if the Angels actually reenter into a competitive window in the next 2-3 seasons, signing Snell to a long-term deal makes good business sense. Second, waiting this long into Spring Training, I think it sends the message he really doesn't care about signing with the Angels. So as far as the clubhouse goes, everything they're saying about building culture is clearly just words of you sign him at this point. Third, maybe he had no aversion to the Angels and that it's just Arte being cheap when it comes to pitchers. If they sign Snell, does it finally signal that Arte has admitted his mistakes? -------- For me, Snell is the most ridiculous pitcher I've ever seen. His whiff rate on multiple pitches is over 50% which is really unheard of in modern baseball. And his walk rate is high, but that seems to be on purpose. He doesn't give in. And that's part of what makes him great. I just don't trust the guy at all.
  12. And I should clarify, both are Top 100 in my book, particularly Caden Dana. And I think Dana deserves more buzz because he technically fits the evaluator criteria for hype. He went to Bosco. Yeah it's East Coast but it's basically Harvard-Westlake or Bishop Gorman, and Dana inked a million-five signing bonus which is fairly typical for 2nd round picks. So he should be Top 100. I don't see much excuse.
  13. In regards to Rada and Dana, when you perform well in the low minors, it only means something to evaluators if you're a first or second round pick, or are a million dollar bonus baby. Rada and Dana do not fit that description. They're beginning to generate back end Top 100 buzz right now, but if they can replicate their performanes in high A (technically Dana already did), you'll see them get into the 80-100 range on most lists. If the Angels are aggressive and they do it in AA, they'll be in that 50-70 range. And I actually agree with evaluator skepticism. I wish they would apply it equally to other organizations and prospects, but they aren't wrong when they cast doubt on Rada's ability to impact the ball, or Dana's ability to throw strikes with consistency. Because the harsh truth is, but every Kenny Loftin or Juan Pierre outcome among Rada type prospects, there's a hundred you've never heard of that never made it. And that's where Rada is right now.
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