Wisconsin27

I just realized that in years past I was only really interested in wins and losses. 
This year, I'm legitimately interested in watching a bunch of guys on the team play.  I also like Ron and haven't liked either of our last two managers.  
And I'm sorta over the whole Ohtani thing.  
I'm ready to see a team that's decent to good at pretty much all positions.  
Going back ten years, I would say that I enjoyed watching Trout and Ohtani of course, but outside of that there were very few.  Howie, Richards, Shoemaker, Simmons and that's about it.  
This year I will want to see Neto, O'Hoppe, Schanuel, Rengifo, Trout, Ward, Sandoval, Detmers, Soriano, Drury, Canning, and a few others.  
They might not win enough to make the playoffs, but I like this team.  

This is my first official week. 

a guy on your team has major arm surgery, and two days later you release him? 
that's just plain evil. 

Hope you guys have a memorable time.  With everything else going on in the world, it's nice to focus on baseball - even if it's only for a few hours. 

JT Realmuto signed for 5 years 115 mil. If I were the Dodgers I'd be giggling my ass off to get him that cheap.

Urshela's 0.4 WAR in 228 PA is the definition of depth.  If he didn't get hurt  then he takes the PA away from Eduardo Escobar and Jared Walsh.  
That's a 2.5 win swing and the absolute perfect example of why guys like that are important.
How about another guy like him so you don't need moustakas or david fletcher or CJ cron?   Which is another 2 win swing
1 WAR players are important when they replace -2 WAR players.    

Trout out, rendon out, Neto out, and Drury out.  He should have been traded.
According to the articke, Artie made the decision not to extend him early.  Which means he should have been traded the year before.

Then trade Ohtani
 
Dumbass not to do so 

So then what was with all those BS trades at the end of the season? Who were they trying to impress? 

As i said at the time.  If you were not all in for extending Ohtani then you damn well should trade him.
 
That is entirely on Moreno and maybe the second worst baseball decision in history.

That’ll never happen. You haven’t been paying attention if you think this is at all possible. 

Signing Ohtani was probably never a good baseball decision for the Angels. Not trading him wasnt either.

I think the most informative thing from that article is that the Rendon and Trout injuries have seemingly scared him away from spending.

I don't really care if people say, "Arte doesn't care." This is what I mean when I say the team is directionless. Why do we have to do a "masked" rebuild? Why not just do one? 
The most telling part to me, the way I know without a doubt Arte is exactly as I imagine him, is that Trout is constantly going to him and telling him to sign guys. Don't you think Arte would say, "Mike we're taking it easy this year. Not going to spend." The fact that Trout keeps going to him tells me that Arte isn't telling him the direction of the team. And look, I'm a loser fan on my computer. Trout is the franchise's greatest player ever. And Arte isn't telling HIM the direction of the team? And please don't tell me that he is, Mike would make these public statements and tell Heyman the quotes he did unless he too thought they would go after good players. This, to me, is what makes him baseball's worst owner: not even the franchise GOAT knows what the direction of the team is, to the point that he is now, for the first time ever, putting public pressure on the owner to sign players. And still no response from the owner and no moves made. Not a single move made since signing...Hicks? 
These are the times I wish this was the Yankees. I'd love for local media to ask Perry why he spent only on the bullpen. And I'd love a follow up with Mike about how happy he is with the offseason. We know our owner won't ever share with the fans what's going on. 

I like this OF lot better than Brett Philips as 4th OF.

Agreed

Looking back I, and many others, highly undervalued HK as well

FFS!

I love Wash's response.  It's so anti-Mike S., but I love it.  

Wash going old school, no foolin around

No leadoff hitter.
Opening day starter who can't throw strikes sporting a 7+ spring ERA.
I must be patient...

Always good to be coming to the conclusion that you don't have a real leadoff hitter one week before the regular season begins.

"Will" =/= "may"
But seriously I'm done with these guys. These contracts are stupid and now they're about to get even more stupid. 

Apparently "Arte wants to win" but is unwilling to do what it takes to win.

Bro, you could make a comment about liking McDonald's egg McMuffins and it will turn into some inane argument about Arte, Rendon, or some other Angels hot topic if for no other reason because the entire fan-base; die-hards and bandwagon types alike are frustrated with the team and looking to vent. People are antsy AF, and yet the fan-base has probably never been more united on a lot of things, mostly that things need change. 
You say Arte could have been a great owner had he hired a great GM ect.. That's part of the frustration, most everyone here either remembers when or lived through the era of Angels baseball were they were considered an elite team with one of the best front offices in baseball so the current shit show is even more annoying. I seriously have come to wonder if part of why Stoneman retired was due his having grown weary of Arte trying to interfere.  It's not like he wasn't out in front with his opinions in those days too, the dude loved Tejada, openly sang his praises to the point where the A's at one point had the Angels looked at for potential tampering charges. Most of MLB believed the Angels would be all over him and yet when they had the chance Stoneman said nope -- we have a couple guys we like.  
For whatever reasons, Stoneman managed to keep Arte in check...  it's been very different ever since.  IMO, Arte went off the rails the winter Reagins showed up late to the winter meetings.  It's been stupid ever since.
 

This was the only point I was making. I had no clue it was going to blossom into this huge conversation.
 
Arte started to meddle with the player personnel decisions rather than letting the smart baseball people run it. (Stoneman and Scioscia) Arte would have been a terrific owner if he hired the best President, GM, and Manager talent and funded whatever they wanted. Thats essentially what Dodgers’ ownership group does with Andrew Friedman and the Dodgers’ front office.