jangel7

Disagree with almost everything you posted.
 
The Angels 2013 rotation sucked!
 
Blanton will not pitch out of the rotation this season. Period.
 
Hanson is GONE.
 
Enright is GONE.
 
Weaver doesn't have a broken elbow!
 
Wilson is a solid #2 and really commanded his stuff better down the stretch.
 
Richards will be better!
 
Santiago is already good, but should get better pitching half of his games in a friendly ball park.
 
Skaggs has the stuff to be a very good #2 and a tweak to his delivery which was caused by some bad coaching on his changeup will reclaim his velocity.
 
Mulder has a chance, I said a chance, to be an effective innings eater like what we hoped to get from Blanton and Hanson last season.
 
Shoemaker impresses me.
 
Dipoto is not done, still looking for more arms.
 
Settle down and hug someone.
 
Out!

The Angels rotation is definitely a little tentative with the starters currently slated for the rotation. Could they have used Garza or Tanaka or even Dan Haren? Sure. Would they benefit from a guy like Arroyo or Hammel? Sure. 
 
Yet the real help to this team is offense. 
 
Over the past four seasons, from 2010-2013, the Angels have scored 681, 667, 767, 733 runs.
 
Compare that to the four year stretch before that from 2006-2009: 766, 822, 765, 883 runs.
 
While offense as a whole is less than in previous seasons, and the Angels did score more runs than some playoff teams, it should be noted that the Red Sox scored 853 runs last year and the Cardinals were third with 783. (Tigers were second).
 
Even with a good pitching staff, it's important to score runs. The Angels need to have consistency in their run production. With a lineup that features probably the best player in the game, in addition to two former MVP's, offense should come easy...
 
But too often last year it didn't.
 
We had some great games offensively, and some terrible ones. Never quite got on a hot streak the way the Dodgers, Red Sox and Cardinals all did.
 
It's even more important for the Angels to produce offensively than those other teams because those other teams have better rotations and bullpens. 
 
I think this group of Angels can lead the league in runs scored this year. And if they do, rotation shortcomings won't matter as much. 
 
Even a repeat of last years relatively ineffective rotation would be fine if they scored 820+ runs. 
 
Yet, again, scoring 850-870 runs while allowing 700 is going to get them into the playoffs. I'd like to see the rotation allow 450, the pen allow 180, and the offense score 800+, but that's a lofty goal.
 
Still, David Freese, Raul Ibanez, and Kole Calhoun (Plus Pujols being back) is going to significantly increase the offense from a year ago. Yes JB Shuck had an okay season, but he shouldn't have played as much as he did. Peter Bourjos is a better offensive player and I think Calhoun is better than that. Calhoun over Shuck is a huge upgrade. Hopefully Ibanez gives them the same as Trumbo did last year in a poor year, and perhaps Grant Green gets some of that playing time as a right handed DH option. Together, they should outproduce Trumbo. And Freese should significantly improve over the revolving door at 3rd. 
 
So maybe I'm being optimistic, but if they stay relatively injury free, this group can produce some pretty great numbers offensively. And if they do that, the rotation is not going to be as much of an issue.
 

Baseball is by far the hardest sport to predict on paper. It is assumed by many that none of our big money players will produce. If they do than this could be and awesome year. If they continue to tank than the lean years will continue. I just see so much potential in our line up I cant understand throwing in the towel before spring training even starts. It almost seems like some are too nervous to be optimistic because of recent disappointments. 

Baseball is by far the hardest sport to predict on paper. It is assumed by many that none of our big money players will produce. If they do than this could be and awesome year. If they continue to tank than the lean years will continue. I just see so much potential in our line up I cant understand throwing in the towel before spring training even starts. It almost seems like some are too nervous to be optimistic because of recent disappointments. 

Baseball is by far the hardest sport to predict on paper. It is assumed by many that none of our big money players will produce. If they do than this could be and awesome year. If they continue to tank than the lean years will continue. I just see so much potential in our line up I cant understand throwing in the towel before spring training even starts. It almost seems like some are too nervous to be optimistic because of recent disappointments. 

If they produce then it doesn't matter.

nah man im done with it... not going ot waste time calling out names. no point to it and im not in third grade so...
 
All i know is i got blasted for saying no way id go 20+ mil for this guy.. blasted... called names, personal attacks, the whole bag of horrors... i guess its ok for some people to say it, but the hypocrisy is thick on this subject
 
am i taking it personal.. yeah, a little.. hard not to when i get raked over the coals and others get agreement for saying the same thing

I did the very complex AAV CBT math, and basically the Angels can afford to sign Tanaka for up to a $20 M AAV and be in just under the luxury tax. This assumes a roster with 10 league minimum guys. If they pay some of these guys more (Trout, Conger, Richards) then perhaps they'd have to cut Salas or Jepsen and replace them with someone making the league minimum.
 
Now, this assumes that Freese, Frieri, Jepsen, and Salas get the exact salary projected by MLB Trade Rumors. I assumed they cut Blanton but are still on the hook for his entire salary. 
 
It assumes no player who has incentives earns them. This is unlikely. Yet, no player has any big dollar incentives that would be earned against this year's CBT except Raul Ibanez. The total of all of the other players bonus would equal what Raul can earn which is 2.25 M. 
 
Now, they can trade a player midseason, and make up some bonus money, like Iannetta, if they really don't want to go over the tax.
 
As for Trout's extension, it's not necessary for four more years, and even if he sets records in Arbitration, they'd still not likely go over the CBT in any other year, except possibly 2015. But I doubt that, as they'd be about $7.5 million short of the CBT in 2015 if they do not sign any free agents, and kept Burnett but not Salas or Jepsen. If they kept all of those guys, they'd still not likely exceed it.
 
Consider that for the next two years you'd be set in the pen (as it's the only place the Angels do have minor league depth), the rotation (Weaver, Wilson, Tanaka, RIchards, Skaggs), the outfield (Trout, Hamilton, Calhoun) and Infield (Pujols, Kendrick, Aybar, Freese), and Catcher (Conger/Ianetta), and at DH (Ibanez /Cron/Green)…where do you need to spend money?
 
In 2016, Kendrick, Iannetta, Burnett, and Freese are free agents and most can be replaced by current minor leaguers in LIndsey, Maronde, and Cowart… the only spot the Angels will need to look at is Catcher and maybe DH.
 
In 2017, they'd have more issues with Weaver, Wilson, Frieri, Aybar and Smith being free agents but Stamets or Rondon could be ready to fill in for Aybar, plus they have pitching depth to replace Frieri and Smith… they'd need to look at the rotation, which by that point they could resign one of their two starters (Weaver) and still be well under the cap to add another starter, or anywhere else they wanted to add someone new.
 
In 2018, Trout and Hamilton will be FA, as well as Conger and Richards, but they should have the money to resign all of them if they wanted to, though I'd think Hamilton will be gone. Even with Trout getting $30 Million per season, Tanaka getting $20, and Pujols getting $24 they'd still have more than 90M in room depending on the CBT number. 
 
Tanaka is affordable, because they have young players in the majors now, making next to nothing. It might be a squeeze for 2014, but 2015 and all future years look good if they can draft well, and players in their system at least turn out to be regulars or bench depth. 

As the California Angels. Always and forever for me.

As the California Angels. Always and forever for me.

Why don't we all agree that we have no clue how we're going to finish, but like the good old days we're optimistic and fans regardless, cheering on the Halos for every 162 games during the season?
 
That my friends are the 90's, most of which you spoiled Angels fans missed.

I AM SICK AND F'N TIRED OF GROWN ME BE VICTIMS OF BULLYING!  They are grown me, they are millionaires.  WTF!
 
quit woosifying AMERICA and quit insulting every little nerdy kid who may face true bullying!

Even though the rumor was debunked, I totally love those trade rumors.  It gets the adrenaline up and discussing them is a fun way to pass the time in these ridiculously long offseasons.