Angels in 2030

Yes.....with our new owner to boot

Yes.....with our new owner to boot

For me, what would make this offseason a success would be if one of the more impactful free agents saw their market disappear and ended up landing in the Angels lap on a one year contract so they could flip him at the deadline for a good prospect. Someone like Rhys Hoskins or JD Martinez. 
I find that unlikely though. 
The other thing that would make it a success would be someone offering up a significant prospect package for Rengifo/Ward. Again, unlikely. 
The likely outcome here is....
A. The Angels continue to round out the edges of the roster with inexpensive vets like Kike or Tim Anderson, start to rebuild their farm and save their money, and then rotate the DH spot for Rendon and Trout. 
B. Overspend on Bellinger and Snell, hope for the best, surrender their draft picks and figuratively kick the can down the road. 
Disappointing as it is, I'm hoping for option A. I loved watching Snell in San Diego. When he's right he's an ace, no doubt about it. But I want the Angels to have no part of him just because I think they need 7 inning quality starts more than 5 frame shutouts. 

This kid will rub some people the wrong way. 

Sell! Sell! Sell!
Good riddance!

And we’re stuck with him.
🤬

Bingo. They’ll say they want to win and of course want to win, but I really think Arte’s main goal has been based more around simply entertaining casual fans with familiar names and feigning a serious effort to win. It’s not just big money guys either. Kinsler, Lincecum, Syndergaard, Harvey, Lucroy…casual fans will see these names and recall them from their peaks without realizing they’ve cratered and get excited, buy tickets, sell some jerseys, tune in long enough, rinse and repeat. It’s why he kept Ohtani. And he’s been open about this, he’s said all along he’s doing it for the fans and entertainment so not sure why it would be surprising at this point. And he’s made bank as a result. 

The guy either doesn’t understand how to create a winning organization, or doesn’t care about winning just flashy signings as a way to put people in seats.

This is part of the blowback from Ohtani leaving.
When we had Ohtani and Trout, that was the most attractive time for an FA to come to the Angels.  If there was ever a time to go all-in, it was before the 2022 season.  
Now, Ohtani's left, which speaks volumes to every other FA - did you really think Yamamoto or Imanaga was going to go to the no-hope team that couldn't keep Ohtani?  They have their pride - no one wants some other guy's reject.     
We're pretty much a place to get a paycheck when a top-tier team doesn't want you.
There are stories about how the Braves and the Dodgers orgs are great places to play, while the Angels is kind of a "meh" place to play - they take care of their players and their families in ways large and small, while we have stories about starving minor leaguers sleeping in their cars.
The story pretty much says everything to me
https://www.latimes.com/sports/dodgers/story/2022-04-29/dodgers-owner-anniversary-kasten-magic-mark-walter-colletti-mattingly-kershaw
Arte could've lured away every Dodger scout and development guy with McCourt in charge - I said so at the time.  He could've bought their development system at fire sale prices.  
Arte's not cheap - he's just an idiot in what he spends his money on. 
He's the guy who spends $4000 on custom rims to put on his 1998 Honda Civic with rust spots and a bad transmission.  
 

 

That actually doesn't really affect the Angels. They have a contract with the organization, not the ballpark. For example, the Angels A Ball affiliate used to be the Cedar Rapids Kernels. When they went their separate ways, the Kernels didn't cease to exist. They worked out a deal with the Twins. 
I'm hoping the Angels leave the Northwest League altogether soon, but it doesn't seem like that will be the case. Since minor league restructuring, trans have much less say over where their affiliates play, and most of the West Coast teams use the NWL for high A. 

@cals, @mmc & @Taylor should get a room sometime to workout their sexual frustrations for each other once and for all.

Bauer's accuser on the other hand...
 

Because they suck ass and need all the help they can get?

Clearly he's being blackballed by MLB and the owners.  That's why he hasn't returned.  Seriously, there is a constant list of rapists, drunk drivers, wife/girlfriend beaters, cheaters, drug users, etc. and they are given 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, etc. chances by these same owners time & time again.  The owners themselves fall under this same category.  Not to mention coaches, GMs, etc.  If you think otherwise, you're quite naive.  

Clearly he's being blackballed by MLB and the owners.  That's why he hasn't returned.  Seriously, there is a constant list of rapists, drunk drivers, wife/girlfriend beaters, cheaters, drug users, etc. and they are given 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, etc. chances by these same owners time & time again.  The owners themselves fall under this same category.  Not to mention coaches, GMs, etc.  If you think otherwise, you're quite naive.  

Clearly he's being blackballed by MLB and the owners.  That's why he hasn't returned.  Seriously, there is a constant list of rapists, drunk drivers, wife/girlfriend beaters, cheaters, drug users, etc. and they are given 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, etc. chances by these same owners time & time again.  The owners themselves fall under this same category.  Not to mention coaches, GMs, etc.  If you think otherwise, you're quite naive.  

Clearly he's being blackballed by MLB and the owners.  That's why he hasn't returned.  Seriously, there is a constant list of rapists, drunk drivers, wife/girlfriend beaters, cheaters, drug users, etc. and they are given 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, etc. chances by these same owners time & time again.  The owners themselves fall under this same category.  Not to mention coaches, GMs, etc.  If you think otherwise, you're quite naive.  

In the very short-term, sure.  Having a bad system will prevent you from much needed additions internally and via trades.
But over 8 years, it doesn't hold water.  Eventually there should be good draft picks, selling pieces for prospects, etc.  The funny thing is they got Ohtani as a freeby basically -- no draft pick.  Sure he cost their int'l money, but those guys are lottery tickets at best.  Ohtani was a sure thing and turned out even better. 
OK, maybe a bad GM screws things up...well, they've gone thru what like three now the past few years.  I mean seriously, can you mess things up even more?  A top 5-10 ML budget, Trout and Ohtani....yet can't even get to 500.  Time to walk away from the table, cash in what you have Arte and move on to let someone else take your spot on the table.  

In the very short-term, sure.  Having a bad system will prevent you from much needed additions internally and via trades.
But over 8 years, it doesn't hold water.  Eventually there should be good draft picks, selling pieces for prospects, etc.  The funny thing is they got Ohtani as a freeby basically -- no draft pick.  Sure he cost their int'l money, but those guys are lottery tickets at best.  Ohtani was a sure thing and turned out even better. 
OK, maybe a bad GM screws things up...well, they've gone thru what like three now the past few years.  I mean seriously, can you mess things up even more?  A top 5-10 ML budget, Trout and Ohtani....yet can't even get to 500.  Time to walk away from the table, cash in what you have Arte and move on to let someone else take your spot on the table.  

I’ve since learned that BA’s rankings are based on signing bonus rather than a ranking of talent.

MLB.com has him at 37:
https://www.mlb.com/prospects/2024/international/joswa-lugo-815915
Scouting grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 55 | Run: 50 | Arm: 50 | Field: 50 | Overall: 50
Lugo, the younger brother of former big league infielder Dawel, could outgrow shortstop in the near future, but he’ll start his professional career in the middle of the diamond. Should he switch positions, his strong arm would help in the transfer to the hot corner. He also has the soft hands, footwork and body control to excel in both spots.
In the meantime, though, Lugo has been using his large frame to his advantage and projects as a right-handed power hitter. He already shows gap power with consistent hard contact and is expected to tap into his raw power as he continues to mature and his body develops. He already shows good discipline at the plate and rarely swings and misses.
Lugo trains in the Dominican Republic with Jaime Ramos, a member of MLB’s Trainer Partnership Program.

It's quite an accomplishment that a team who hasn't finished over 500 in over 8 years can have such a bad farm system.  Consistency i guess and two things you can count on from this Arte owned organization for almost a decade now -- an under 500 record and a bad farm system.  Arte selling and 2030 can't come soon enough.