Same bullshit argument as usual. Ruth didn't have the benefit of advanced coaching, scouting, video, nutrition (duh), exercise, training regimens, etc that Trout does.
I don't believe for one second if he had all those things he wouldn't have been great in this era. Of course if you brought him in a time machine from 1918 and dropped him off in 2019 he wouldn't be nearly as good, but that's a pointless argument.
You judge players on how they did against their peers. It's the only fair way to measure.
By Tres Hefter, AngelsWin.com Columnist
1) Jared Walsh – 1B/DH/LHP, AAA Salt Lake:
Walsh’s red-hot July reached a ridiculous level the last two weeks, as he slashed .435/.500/1.043/1.543 since 7/22, notably hitting three homers on July 23rd – followed by six more over the next 10 games – giving him an incredible nine home runs over his last 52 PA, a 133 HR pace over 162 games. Walsh’s plate discipline has also made huge strides in ’19, as he is now sporting a 13.6% BB rate over his 8.1% mark in 2018, resulting in a .453 OBP since May 1st. Walsh also returned to the mound twice over the last two weeks, pitching two scoreless innings, allowing one hit, one walk, and striking out one. It’s clear that Walsh has now mastered AAA and the Pacific Coast League. Recent hot play and injuries have brought the two-way player once again to Anaheim, but with Pujols firmly entrenched at first base, playing time still seems to be scarce. Ideally, the Angels find some time for Walsh to get a shot at consistent playing time to determine if he’s simply another AAAA slugger, or perhaps the second coming of Mark Trumbo.
2019 hitting (AAA): .329/.433/.687/1.120 with 24 doubles, 29 HR, 70 RBI, 51 BB, 93 K in 81 G/374 PA
2019 pitching (AAA): 2.70 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 12 H, 3 BB, 7 K across 10 IP in 10 G
2, tied) Orlando Martinez – OF, A+ Inland Empire and Francisco Del Valle – RF/LF, A Burlington:
Placing these two together, as they’re very similar in performance, potential, and current results…
Martinez continues to make strides in his development – a cool start to the year gave way to a late June/early July surge, followed by an ice-cold 10-86 (.127) snap in July. Martinez has found his swing once again the last couple weeks however, slashing .298/.390/.617/1.007 with a barrage of extra base hits – two doubles, two triples, three home runs – and his increasingly solid plate discipline – 9 walks to 7 strikeouts. Capable at all three outfield positions, Martinez likely will stick at Inland Empire for the remainder of the year, though an opportunity at AA Mobile could emerge should he continue to play well, perhaps following a AAA taste for Brandon Marsh. Martinez should have the defense, discipline, and decent enough offensive profile to slot in behind Michael Hermosillo and Brennon Lund as a future 4th/5th OF option in Anaheim, likely landing on the MLB depth chart by late 2021.
Like Martinez, Francisco Del Valle has had an up-and-down year, teetering between ice-cold stretches and red-hot surges, and like Martinez, Del Valle profiles best as a solid future 4th OF option, though his CF playing time has dwindled a bit. Del Valle has similarly shown a blend of discipline and power, slashing .311/.436/.444/.881 over the last two weeks, with three doubles, one home run, and 10 walks to 7 strikeouts. About to turn 21, Del Valle is a year younger than Martinez but also a year nearer Rule 5 eligibility, so his development in Inland Empire next year will be key for his long-term designs in the club’s plans.
Martinez, 2019 (A+): .258/.335/.424/.760 with 13 doubles, 4 triples, 8 HR, 32 RBI, 33 BB, 60 K in 63 G/310 PA
Del Valle, 2019 (A): .211/.331/.358/.689 with 21 doubles, 4 triples, 6 HR, 39 RBI, 48 BB, 88 K in 95 G/379 PA
3) Jose Verrier – LF/RF/1B, Rookie Orem:
At 21, Verrier is a touch old for the Pioneer League, but the 6’1″, right-handed hitting Cuban has shown significant progress in his development in his second pro season after posting a .609 OPS last year, almost entirely with the Angels’ Rookie league team in Arizona. Verrier’s most recent two weeks have seen him split time between RF, LF, and 1B, but he’s also seen time at 2B and 3B. Since July 22nd, Verrier’s slashed .276/.462/.483/.944, with two home runs, seven walks, and 14 strikeouts. While power numbers are almost always inflated in the thin air of the Pioneer League, Verrier’s combination of decent pop, high walk rate, and positional versatility lends him the potential to still develop into a decent corner infield option for the Halos, perhaps easing a bit of the sting from recently dealing Raider Uceta and Rainier Rivas.
2019 (Orem Rk.): .239/.369/.478/.847 with 5 doubles, 2 triples, 8 HR, 19 RBI, 21 BB, 61 K in 40 G/168 PA
4) Gareth Morgan – OF, AA Mobile:
Morgan’s light-tower power has carried him into his first AA foray, where the powerful slugger will try to prove his dramatic HR surge can translate outside of the California League, and where questions about his even more dramatic BB:K will be answered in one way or another. Over his last twelve games (eight in A+, four in AA), Morgan has slashed .277/.358/.511/.869, with two doubles, three home runs, 14 RBI, five walks, and 21 strikeouts. Yet to hit a HR in AA, Morgan has gone 4-15 (.267) with one walk and seven strikeouts. If Morgan is able to make decent contact and continue his prodigious power, the lack of walks and high number of strikeouts might not matter much.
2019 (A+/AA): .262/.314/.569/.883 with 6 doubles, 21 HR, 53 RBI, 15 BB, 122 K in 56 G/245 PA
5) Michael Stefanic – 2B/SS, A+ Inland Empire:
In his second pro season, infielder Michael Stefanic has quietly proven a solid hitter, and could sneak into the MLB plans by 2021, as he’s posted a .302/.383/.393/.775 slash in 92 career games, hitting every step of the way, buoyed by a solid 29:40 walk to strikeout ratio. Should his defense and offense maintain, Stefanic might move quickly as a result, and recently put in a .346/.443/.423/.866 slash displaying his blend of contact and discipline. Signed as an undrafted free agent, Stefanic has never held much prospect helium, but he might be one to watch once he graduates to AA Mobile, likely next season.
2019 hitting (A/A+): .296/.377/.391/.768 with 14 doubles, 2 triples, 3 HR, 34 RBI, 25 BB, 35 K in 78 G/321 PA
Honorable mention, hitters:
Justin Bour (1B/DH, AAA): .342/.519/.895/1.414 with 3 2B, 6 HR, 13 BB, 15 K – Bour hitting in the SLC is kind of unfair
Taylor Ward (LF, AAA): .438/.538/.750/1.288 with 4 2B, 2 HR, 7 BB, 7 K – little short on PA (39) to rank
Zane Gurwitz (LF/3B A+, AA): .419/.468/.674/1.143 with 6 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 4 BB, 8 K – hitting well back in IE A+ after a brief mixed promotion to Mobile AA
Anthony Bemboom (C, AAA): .375/.444/.542/.986 with 1 2B, 1 HR, 3 BB, 5 K – catcher hitting well in return to org, likely now #3 on depth chart with Garneau claimed and Briceno injured
Jose Bonilla (SS, Rk. DSL): .333/.444/.542/.986 with 1 2B, 2 3B, 7 BB, 9 K – 17-yr old has a .808 OPS with a .402 OBP and .405 SLG to date in first 20 pro games.
Kaleb Cowart (3B, AAA): .308/.357/.538/.896 with 2 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR, 3 BB, 7 K – playing exclusively 3B over the last month
Drevian Williams-Nelson (2B/RF, AAA): .310/.412/.483/.895 with 3 2B, 1 3B, 4 BB, 10 K
Brandon White (OF, Orem Rk.): .314/.400/.486/.886 with 2 2B, 2 3B, 5 BB, 9 K – ’19 draftee hitting well to start pro career
Jeremiah Jackson (2B/SS, Orem Rk.): .277/.345/.489/.835 with 1 doubles, 3 HR, 11 RBI, 4 BB, 15 K
Roberto Baldoquin (2B/3B, AA): .353/.389/.441/.830 with 3 doubles, 2 BB, 7 K
Ryan Vega (OF, AZL Rk./A): .297/.422/.405/.828 with 1 double, 1 HR, 2 SB, 8 BB, 10 K – hitting well in Burlington after a rough stint at Inland Empire
Alexander Ramirez (DH/CF, DSL Rk.): .268/.333/.488/.821 with 4 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 15 K – reminder, he is in his age 16 season
6) Patrick Sandoval – LHP, AAA Salt Lake City:
At first glance, Sandoval’s stats at Salt Lake City do not suggest the 22-year old lefty is big-league ready, an assignment that draws to reality this evening, when Sandoval makes his MLB debut against Cincinnati. But digging deeper, peripherals begin to indicate Sandoval has been far more victimized by the hitter-friendly PCL’s ridiculous environs than what he’s due. Sandoval’s most recent work, two consecutive starts against Colorado’s Albuquerque Isotopes, resulted in 11.2 IP, .190 BAA, 2.31 ERA, and 5 walks to 14 strikeouts, an example of the lefties strong swing-and-miss stuff. In addition to Sandoval’s strong strikeout rates (11 per 9 innings), he’s also kept the ball on the ground via a 47% groundball percentage, and a reasonable 7 HR allowed in 60 PCL innings. With the Angels rotation decimated by injury, Sandoval has golden opportunity to seize a spot on the staff and run with it for the remainder of the year. While initial results have been mixed, the exposure that this promising quartet – Canning, Suarez, Barria, and Sandoval – are experiencing now could shape the Angels rotation drastically as soon as 2020.
2019 (AA/AAA): 5.71 ERA, 1.74 WHIP, .290 BAA, 42 BB, 98 K, across 80.1 IP in 20 G/19 GS
7) Cristopher Molina – RHP, A+ Inland Empire:
Molina has continued to show no issues adjusting to A+, as the righty added three more solid starts to his 2019 campaign, throwing 16.2 IP of 3.78 ERA ball, walking four and striking out 15 to go with 2 HR and 16 hits (.254 BAA). Molina has now been in the organization since 2014, yet is only 22 – young for the California League – and has been consistent and durable going back to the second-half of 2018, so he might begin to get pressed further as the year goes on, perhaps even a AA call-up. Tall and lanky, listed at 6’3″ and 170, Molina’s strong blend of durability, decent strikeout rates, low walk rates, and ability to limit baserunners makes him an ideal organizational soldier who could emerge as a depth piece as early as 2020.
2019 (A/A+): 3.07 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, .228 BAA, 33 BB, 99 K across 105.2 IP in 21 G/18 GS
8) Hector Yan – LHP, A Burlington:
Early season questions about Yan’s control and ability to pitch deep into games are quickly becoming erased. Yan is now averaging 83 pitches a game since June 4th, having pitched into the 5th inning or better in nine of his last eleven starts after only doing so twice in the first two months of the year. He has allowed no more than one walk in his last five starts and only 20 in his last 54.1 IP, after starting the year with 22 BB in his first 35 IP. In his last two starts, Yan has again been dominant pitching 10.2 IP of 1.69 ERA ball, only allowing four hits (.118 BAA) and two walks, striking out twelve. Yan might have little left to prove in Burlington, and a promotion to Inland Empire to wrap up the year seems reasonable and possibly imminent, where he might replace the recently promoted Oliver Ortega on the 66er’s staff.
2019 (A): 3.32 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, .188 BAA, 4 HR allowed, 42 BB, 122 K across 89.1 IP in 21 G/17 GS
9, tied) Luke Lind – RHP, A Burlington/A+ Inland Empire and Chad Sykes – RHP, A Burlington:
In a year that has seen the Angels utilize multiple starting pitchers in tandem, and a number of relievers converted to the rotation, the number of relievers in the system has dropped significantly. Two names however have bucked that trend and have posted strong results. Towering Luke Lind, a 6’6″ RHP who was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2017, struck out 62 in 38 innings before missing the 2018 season, has returned this year as a force in the Burlington, and now Inland Empire, bullpen. Lind made one more Burlington performance on 7/22 before being promoted to Inland Empire, and has collectively posted 10 IP, 0.90 ERA, .135 BAA, 2 BB, 13 K in five appearances over the last two weeks. Routinely delivering 30-40 pitches, Lind has been used heavily as a multi-inning reliever, and one has to imagine he’ll follow this path as he advances, if not garnering some discussion as a possible rotation convert.
Chad Sykes, one of the Angels ’19 draftees, and even rarer, one of the few allowed to pitch the same season as being drafted, has also made a mark to start his career. The UNC reliever was promoted to Burlington on July 24th, and has opened his A Ball career with 6 innings pitched, allowing zero runs, one hit, three walks, and striking out 10. Sykes could be a fast-mover in the Angels season, perhaps finding himself in AA Mobile as early as next year, with a 2020 call-up not out of the question. Lind 2019 (A/A+): 2.30 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, .228 BAA, 2 HR allowed, 19 BB, 58 K (11.1 K/9) across 47 IP in 28 G Sykes 2019 (Orem Rk./A): 4.50 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, .228 BAA, 1 HR allowed, 8 BB, 25 K (14.1 K/9) across 16 IP in 11 G
10, tied) Cooper Criswell – RHP, A+ Inland Empire and Robinson Pina – RHP, A Burlington:
Three ties for this edition of the hotlist! The last slot goes to two arms that have quietly produced a full season of solid results, often in the shadows of those with more exciting results such as Hector Yan, Jose Soriano, or Oliver Ortega, or with more prospect pedigree, such as Kyle Bradish, Chris Rodriguez, Aaron Hernandez, or Cole Duensing.
Cooper Criswell, in particular, has really come along as a strong, durable arm in the Inland Empire rotation. Standing 6’6″, 200, the North Carolina righty turned 24 a couple weeks back, and made the hotlist following three strong starts in which he totaled 17.1 IP, allowing a 2.08 ERA, and 21 hits, striking out 18 and only walking 2. Criswell has enjoyed a steady, solid summer actually, having limited opponents to a 3.42 ERA in June and July, posting strong peripherals (10 BB, 55 K, and only 2 HR) in 52.2 IP. Criswell’s might find himself in AA before the year’s out, and could profile as a decent back-of-the-rotation starter on the Angels’ depth charts as soon as 2020.
Pina, likewise, has been solid and dependable over the course of the year, and his most recent two starts align with those of Criswell, albeit in only two starts, as the righty allowed a 1.64 ERA, .216 BAA across 11 IP, walking 2, striking out 15. The 20-year old Pina is nearly two years older than the competition he is facing as a member of Burlington’s staff, and while walks have been of some concern (50 in 90 IP), he has struck out 115 on the year, only allowing 4 home runs and limiting hitters to a .218 BAA on the season. Pina should see time in Inland Empire before the year is out, and continued success could lead him to a quick ascent among the Angels top SP prospects, with a future in at least the bullpen an almost certain floor.
Criswell 2019 (A+): 4.27 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, .288 BAA, 6 HR allowed, 26 BB, 86 K across 90.2 IP in 20 G/16 GS
Pina 2019 (A): 4.08 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, .218 BAA, 50 BB, 115 K across 90.1 IP in 21 G/16 GS
Honorable mention, pitchers:
Kelvin Caceres (RHP, AZL Rk.): 14 IP, 4 BB, 13 K, .224 BAA, 3.21 ERA in 3 G/2 GS – 19-year old with a strong showing stateside so far, 3.09 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 9 K/9
Tyler Carpenter (RHP, AA): 12.2 IP, BB, 9 K, .245 BAA, 3.55 ERA in 2 GS
Greg Mahle (LHP, AA): 11 IP, BB, 11 K, .273 BAA, 3.27 ERA in 2 GS – Remember him? Wouldn’t surprise me if he wound up making a spot start before the year is out.
Luis Pena (RHP, AA): 6.2 IP, 4 BB, 10 K, .154 BAA, 2.70 ERA in 4 games – converted to relief, Pena has a .175 BAA and 2.78 ERA in Mobile this year following a demotion from SLC
Adam Hofacket (RHP, AA/AAA): 9.1 IP, 4 BB, 14 K, .206 BAA, 3.86 ERA in 4 games – RHP showing increased strikeout rates this year, could pop up in Anaheim before year is up
Victor Rodriguez (LHP, DSL Rk.): 9 IP, 3 BB, 10 K, .229 BAA, 1.00 ERA – 18-year old lefty throwing well in Dominican Summer League
Ethan Clark (RHP, Orem Rk./A): 7.2 IP, 3 BB, 18 K, .172 BAA, 2.35 ERA in 4 games – 6’5″ RHP from Tampa org, a little old for league but 28 K in 20.1 IP so far
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I’ll say it until I am blue in the face, but I don’t see how a guy that started 21 games last year and had a 3.80 ERA is “an extreme long shot”. So you sign all those guys, and you empty the farm then when they get hurt you get the “I tried ribbon” because you won’t have anything else.
If you don’t want to read the many words to follow, skim down to the “TLDR” version. Thanks in advance for the snarky comment(s) about how long this is. You're funny.
IN DEFENSE OF EPPLER
I don’t consider myself an Eppler apologist, but I have been known to make the case that he is, at the least, a solid and smart GM who is building a team that should be in perennial contention in the not too distance future. Yes, there's a sense that this future is not only always receeding into the future, but the imaginary construct of optimists, apologists and nutswingers. But in this case, the details do matter More specifically, if you look at his four-year tenure, I think his approach has generally been quite reasonable, and for most of those years the team’s struggles were out of his control. Let’s take a look back…
2015: Dipotogate
If you remember, coming off the 98-win 2014 season, 2015 was a bit of a disaster. It started with the Angels trading busted free agent Josh Hamilton to the Rangers. What followed was an escalation of tensions between GM Jerry Dipoto and manager Mike Scioscia, resulting in Dipoto quitting in early July. Despite that, the Angels were in first place into late July, with a season best record of 54-40 on July 22. But they proceeded to go on an 11-26 run and eventually fell to 3rd place, losing a wildcard berth on the final game of the season.
On October 4, the last day of the season, Billy Eppler was announced as the new General Manager. A little over a month later he made a big splash and first of three big signature moments, sending Erick Aybar and top prospect Sean Newcomb to the Braves for defensive whiz Andrelton Simmons, who has overall been better than expected, his recent injury notwithstanding.
2016: The Year of the Busted Arm
If 2015 was a disaster in one way, 2016 was in another. First of all, the team plummeted a double-digit loss in the win column for the second straight year: from 98 to 85 to 74 wins. This was largely due to almost comically unprecedented injuries to starting pitchers. Tyler Skaggs had Tommy John Surgery in August of 2015 and was out all of 2016; in the first month of the new season, Andrew Heaney went down, eventually needing TJS; staff ace Garrett Richards went down in May and was recommended to have TJS—he opted for plasma injections but ended up getting the surgery two years later; in August Nick Tropeano also had TJS, and finally in September Matt Shoemaker was hit in the head by a line-drive. Furthermore, the decline of Jered Weaver reached the point where he could barely throw 85 mph.
Coupled with the fact that the farm system was in shambles—this was the year that Keith Law called the Angels farm the worst he’d ever seen—and the entire organization was in crisis. The year was about trying to keep the ship afloat as the rotation imploded…not much Eppler could do about it. His task was merely to keep the ship from sinking further, or to mix metaphors, stop the bleeding.
2017: Transition, Part 1
Eppler’s 2016-17 offseason was quite modest, bringing in mediocre players like Ricky Nolasco, Jesse Chavez, Luis Valbuena, Martin Maldonado, Cameron Maybin, and Yusmeiro Petit to plug holes in the roster – no major free agents or trades, no real attempt to push the team into contention. Perhaps after a 74-88 season and a questionable but talented starting rotation, Eppler realized that 2017 could be nothing more or less than a transitional, rebuilding year. And so it was, with the Angels finishing 80-82. The core young rotation that was projected as the “rotation of the future”—Richards, Shoemaker, Skaggs, Heaney, Tropeano—started a mere total of 41 games.
Even Trout got injured, messing up his thumb on a freak accident, sliding into second base. Albert Pujols’ decline continued as he had one of the thirty worst seasons by fWAR over the last 50 years (#26 out of 7,002 qualifying seasons, 1970-2019).
The one bright spot for the year was trading for Justin Upton for virtually nothing, prospect Grayson Long (who has since retired). There were also glimmerings that the farm was starting to improve; the Angels got their best draft pick in years in Jo Adell, thanks to that 74-88 record the previous season.
2018: Back to Conten…I mean, Transition, Part 2
Eppler had his second of three signature moments on December 9, 2017, when he convinced Japanese mega-star, Shohei Ohtani, to sign with the Angels. After the injuries of the previous couple years, it felt like a gift from the gods. Seemingly taking this as a sign that the Angels could be legit contenders in 2018, Eppler bolstered the lineup by trading for Ian Kinsler and signing Zack Cozart, who was coming off a breakthrough year with the bat.
With a lineup centered on Trout and Upton, but with a solid complementary cast of Ohtani, Pujols, Simmons, Kinsler, Cozart, Calhoun, and Maldonado, and a rotation of Ohtani, Richards, Skaggs, Heaney, Shoemaker, and Tropeano all healthy or coming back, the Angels were legitimate contenders entering the season. What could possibly go wrong?
Well, quite a bit. The lineup was a mixed bag, but yielded disappointing seasons from Pujols, Cozart and Calhoun in particular. The rotation, once again, was in shambles. Shoemaker was never really healthy and started only 7 games. Ohtani started having arm issues and was shelved after his June 6 start. He pitched again in September and then reinjured his arm, requiring Tommy John surgery.
Disaster struck in July as Garret Richards went down with “right forearm irritation,” leading to Tommy John Surgery. The pitcher that was meant to inherit the role of Angels ace from Jered Weaver had pitched his last game as an Angel.
Andrew Heaney had a solid, healthy year, and Jaime Barria was a bit of a savior, but overall it was another disappointing year, a second 80-82 record in a row.
2019: Towards a Wildca…I mean, Transition, Part 3
OK, take two. 2018 was supposed to be a resurgence to contention, and so it was with this year, or at least the hope was that if things went right, the Angels could nab a wildcard berth. First of all, we all rejoiced when Eppler had his third signature moment, extending Trout to a 12-year contract. For those bemoaning the recent performance of the team, remember this: We have the best player in the game and the history of the franchise, and one of the best ever, for his entire career.
There was general optimism entering the season, but it was tempered by both the last few years and the fact that Eppler patched the pitching staff with a series of high-risk, high-reward—but one year—free agents in Matt Harvey, Trevor Cahill, Cody Allen, and Luis Garcia. Couple those pitchers with the lineup improvements---a group of role players and fringers starters in Tommy La Stella, Brian Goodwin, Kevan Smith, Jonathan Lucroy, Justin Bour, and Peter Bourjos--and it was clear that 2019 was to be another year like 2017: patching the ship so it doesn't sink, hoping that maybe if everything goes right the Angels earn a wildcard berth, but without the hopes of legit contention that was felt before 2018.
Eppler's moves did yield pleasant surprises in La Stella, Goodwin, and Smith. La Stella was a bonafide star for half the year and Goodwin a solid fill-in while Upton recovered. Trout has continued being Trout, probably en route to his third MVP season.
But overall the season has been disappointing. Through August 4th they’re once again a game below .500. But unlike 2016-18, this feels at least partially on Eppler. Despite a couple standout acquisitions, Eppler's moves did nothing to improve the team. Consider that the four pitchers mentioned above plus Bourjos, Bour and Lucroy has yielded a -3.0 WAR…for almost $40 million. Add in Cozart and the mediocre cast from 2017, and there's a reason for some concern about Eppler's judgement in free agency.
What to Expect from 2020
Looking at the last four years, the first three of Eppler’s reign were largely out of his control. They were riddled by injury and the organization was recovering from the Dipoto years. 2019 feels like the first year that is Eppler’s, and it hasn’t been pretty.
But given that it has really only been one year, he deserves a chance to course-correct. His free agent signings of the last few years have largely been poor to mediocre, but with a few bright spots. But in that time he’s signed no major free agents, no stars. That should change this offseason, as he looks at Gerrit Cole and other top starters.
This is a very important offseason for Eppler. He had the three post-Dipoto, injury-plagued years; and he’s had the one, “whoops, that didn’t quite work out” year. Now he has a chance to course-correct and take this team to the next level. He needs to be aggressive in player acquisition – in particular, and perhaps only, starting pitching.
In other words, the team is actually pretty good in both the lineup—which should continue to prove as the youth movement continues—and the bullpen, which is the best its been in years, despite struggling to keep up with the failing rotation. But the rotation has just been terrible. This makes things relatively straight-forward this offseason, both in terms of what Eppler needs to do and what we can judge him by.
Gerrit Cole is the big prize and my guess is that Arte will open up the purse strings and give him the 6/$180M or so that he’ll require. But even if they don’t get him, there are quite a few other options. The Angels will sign at least two solid starters of #3 caliber or better.
Stay tuned.
TLDR Version
2016: Not his fault, injuries
2017: Not his fault, injuries, transition
2018: Mostly not his fault, more injuries, transition
2019: Kind of his fault, but signs of improvement to come
No, it is hilarious that we have a thread dedicated to Firing Eppler and you use a term like "Eppler can't be discussed in any type of negative light", so firing him is "any type of negative light". It makes you appear to be really fucking dumb, which well, yea. It is almost as dumb as assuming Upton can't be an offensive contributor because he isn't playing great right now.
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