ThisismineScios

Starting to wonder if the org is ok with Reid Detmers are our opening day starter. If there's more than I appreciate the patience, but I have this feeling that it's exactly what we're going to get.

I get why. I think the 2022 version where his eye was great and he was hitting for power made me like his swing choices. I do think its gets long and robotic at times, but I think when he's going he's making tons of contact.

You do realize they didn't sign him to replace Ohtani? They most likely signed him to platoon with Moniak (career OPS+ of 100 vs. LHP in over 1000 ABs) and fill in as needed. For the league minimum. Which is extremely easy to waive if you find a better option or he has a really bad spring. I think it also motivates Adell. It was fairly obvious it was a misquote also. He said initially he planned to play every day and that the team said he'd play across the OF and DH some. Them clearing it up was because of how it was interpreted, not what he said.

Ward? I know it gets long at times but I think it's smooth. I thought he got away from his best stuff in the first half. But in '22 I thought it looked great.

I said this awhile ago but I think Ward has a lot of value to other teams. I picture him as the guy the scouting department goes to the FO and talks up. He has an elite eye, a really good looking swing, and is athletic enough to play the corners or possibly 1B. I get the injury, but all it takes is 1 team that badly needs OF help. He has value to us also, and if our rotation was better I'd love to keep him. But he's one of our only valuable commodities and I think they'll need to find the best value they can get for him.

Like the move from depth perspective, but not really understanding the 5th OF thing. And if they keep all 5 of these guys...I'd be pretty frustrated. OF seems to be the easiest position for the Angels to replace/fill in for. They have Rengifo, Marisnick, Adams, Calhoun, and then some AAAA guys. I think you have to use this depth to find a way to get a better SP. Otherwise, they're going to platoon Moniak and Hicks? Give Adell DH at bats? I feel that using Adell as a DH is a waste of his full ability, as he has the potential to be a plus OF defender. I do not like the idea of carrying 5 OF, and Hicks' situation means if he got put on waivers, somebody would claim him. So you can't send any of your 5 OF down. Has to be a trade coming soon.

The thing that I thought got Canning in trouble last year was elevating his slider, especially with 2 strikes. The 2-strike approach as a whole was problematic, but I saw too many sliders elevated in the zone. It's too good of a pitch for him to be dropping it in the same spot you'd put a heater.

I don't know that I'd give Clev 2 years. His K's have kind of tanked since 2019, although he's a solid pitcher. That essentially means you're paying $25 million this year and next for Tyler Anderson and Clevinger. I'd definitely sign him for 1 year. Next year's SP group is pretty strong, and you can easily trade Anderson with 1 year left on his deal. I've waffled on Anderson. Part of me would rather have Drury/Rengifo at 2nd. Anderson hit the ball on the ground way more last year, and his fly balls went way down. I do think there's an easy angle adjustment there--I think that's an adjustment Ward made, although I could be wrong. I am a big Turner guy. He's just a pro hitter, and can platoon with Schanuel a bit and cover 3rd if absolutely necessary. He can also be your DH 75% of the time. I think one thing that's gotten misunderstood is "leaving the DH open". A guy like Turner leaves it open because he can play in the field. JDM/Soler will occupy that spot almost all the time. If you make these three moves, what do you do with Suarez, Drury, Rengifo, and Adell? I don't think you can keep all 4 of them if you sign these 3.

To clarify, I really like Ward. This is just based on signing Bellinger, in which case we'd have Bellinger in CF, Trout, Ward and Moniak/Adell. To me it's a choice between trading Moniak or Ward, and I'd rather keep Moniak for a few reasons. He is younger and more likely to improve, he's a better fielder, he's a lefty, and he has more years of control. Ward is already 30, and while he has 3 years of control, he's 33 at that point and then what? Moniak starts this year at 25. I think signing Bellinger is one of the only avenues left where we can truly improve the team in a meaningful way. It helps the lineup because as it is right now, I feel like Moniak bats 6th. With Bellinger in the lineup, he can move down a spot and have less pressure to hit.

I don't think they'll get Snell. I think the purpose of the bullpen being beefed up is to support their "young" starters, although they're not so much young as they are still inexperienced. I don't know that they want to count on Canning or Silseth to throw 150 innings because it almost certainly won't happen. So I think they will sign a guy like Clevinger or Ryu. What I'd prefer they do is sign Bellinger, move Trout to LF, and trade Ward+ for a solid starter. They also should absolutely trade Drury because he's expiring. Also, what the heck will they do with Suarez? As the pen gets deeper, he has less and less innings available. And he's out of options. And he's not one of their top 8 starters at this point.

Cool. I'll be disappearing into the hedges for a little while.

I’ve been critical of Perry but if there’s anything giving 3/33 to a non-closer RP says, it’s that they are not done. You don’t do that if you are rebuilding and unless you plan to build the team. It’s a pretty low roster priority overall. One thing I’ve thought lately is that I’m not 100% sure Schanuel starts OD. He showed great signs and got on base, but if you’re trying to win, even just kind of trying, you need more power from 1B. Definitely wouldn’t mind Hoskins or Turner. Hoskins fits better as a LHB. Also don’t see how/why they keep both Rengifo and Drury. But maybe they will.

I really do want Bellinger or Snell but I feel like the Angels need a year to bring in some top draft talent. They’d have 4 picks in the top 85 for the first time in a long time. I don’t think I’m going to be upset either way. Id prefer to sign an OF and trade Ward+ for a pitcher. I like Ward but he’s already 30 and I don’t know how much he’s going to improve. I was going through Fangraphs trying to find a good comp and kept coming across Arozarena and S Suzuki. Similar K, BB, Offense/Def, OBP, and hitting profile. Unfortunately he’s 30 and we have 2 young OF without options; he doesn’t fit our timeline. I think he has a ton of trade value, and maybe more to other teams than us.

I’m being sarcastic, I like the move a lot. I don’t care about his extension off the mound.

And, this is quite often how relievers turn the corner in their career. Develop a new pitch or convert from a starter to a reliever. RP career trajectory is incredibly random. If Matt Wise was being asked to continue his development, I'd be quite skeptical. Like we were last year with Anderson. But I feel a lot better with Enright and Co. working with him to keep that momentum.

Yeah but do you see his extension? Such a stupid move, it's Tepera all over again.

Bunch of idiots, can't believe they signed the second best reliever on the market with a top 5 K% and 3rd lowest WHIP of any qualified reliever for 50% less than Hader. Thanks for nothing Arte.

I think without a doubt it opens the floodgates for the Angels to sign Fujinami and keep those Japanese ads in place.

I would be ecstatic to get rid of the an owner as terrible as him. I can only hope so.

You're still not following -- which is fine -- so I'll just ask 2 simple questions: Do you think that right now, at this moment, Perry could sign a player for $3 - 10 million AAV if he wanted to? For example, could Perry spend $5 on Adam Duvall? Do you think Arte wants to dig into every single deal, analyzing the cost/profit margin, the impact, etc., or do you think Perry has a budget to work with and has some freedom to do what he wants?

ThisismineScios said: So while I agree a big part of this is on Arte, and I would be positively jovial is he sold the team, Perry hasn't done anything so far to truly improve this team's chances of winning. I hate Arte but I don't see how we can blame him for everything. I quite literally said a big part of this is on Arte, and that I hate him (I hate him for not spending aggressively with Shohei and Trout). I think it's a narcotic for Angels fans to think that Arte to tell Perry no to anything he himself doesn't come up with first. Or that Perry isn't allowed to drink water without permission. If you're going to believe Bobby Valentine, then I'll go back to when Verducci said Arte wanted Trea Turner and Perry said no we're going to spread money around...then proceeded to spread money around.

I think you guys are misunderstanding my point. Based on some of the details I shared, I think Perry has the autonomy to make smaller moves. Trades even, like he did with the Braves (which only saved us a little). Garcia, Plesac, Cimber, things in that range or slightly above. Even the Int'l signings. And if he doesn't have the green light for bigger deals, Arte's dumb but whatever. It's pretty clear he's not limited to nothing at all. My comment is that he's done nothing with what he was allowed to. I doubt Kolarek, Cimber, or Plesac are on the opening day roster. But most importantly, he stated over and over again they were going to be aggressive, make moves, improve, and build a winning club. Arte is an idiot in his own right, but Perry overpromised and has underdelivered. I really would be fine if he said that the plan was to sign mid-level guys, or vets to mentor the young guys. But he acted like they were going to jump right in and build a winner -- Wash said the same -- and sitting out any guy that's gone so far doesn't line up with that. So while I agree a big part of this is on Arte, and I would be positively jovial is he sold the team, Perry hasn't done anything so far to truly improve this team's chances of winning. I hate Arte but I don't see how we can blame him for everything.

Lol

How do we know Arte told Perry he can’t spend at all? Perry has made small signings. In fact the small guaranteed $1 million deals are guys that may spend the year in AAA. Which means they need to be replaced by other guys getting paid at a ML rate. It could be wasted money. And most attractive teams build depth this way with minor league deals. Perry has permission to build, at least some depth with guaranteed deals. That’s more expensive. And it tells me that the checkbook isn’t locked shut, and that there is a certain level of autonomy with smaller deals. This is what I believe. And if you are going to tell me, there is a complete spending freeze on any level, my response is that at least I have a small amount of evidence.

This is what I mean about Arte. I really don’t believe Arte told Perry he can’t spend on $4-8 million guys. And that seems to be more what we’re going to do. And I strongly agree with @totdprods that if they said they wanted to surround the young guys with vets to mentor them, we’d be fine with it. But Perry’s talking like he’s going to build a great team to win the WS. Sending completely mixed signals accomplishes nothing.