Deek

Trout McCutchen Posey Kershaw Felix Hernandez (I like Jose Fernandez more, but Felix has done it for more years and he's still young...)

I think sometimes we forget how many of these fringe guys get talked up, or a bit more playing time, in an effort to increase their value because management would love to move them...

Giuseppe Smith...

No offense TD... but I'm always embarrassed by "Angels fans" that don't know the history of the club... The Angels are the original professional LA baseball team - we've been here since 1901 (more than half a century before the fan-beating-doyers)....

You only need good lighting... everything in the background is easily deleted and replaced....

Am I the only one that's alarmed by the muscle/weight percentage? He gained 28lbs, but only 15 of that was muscle... whiskey, tango, foxtrot - over...

"...you see the ball... you hit the ball"... 1 vote for "Thread Title of the Month"...

I don't understand all of the "good story" sentiment... I could care less - I'm only looking for a championship ball club... Having said that - I like the zero risk approach... A looooong time ago, I was a big fan of Mulder.... but make him prove he's capable...

Uh... how do you have a 20 game differential in "back-end-of-the-rotation" starts? The team played the same number of games in 2012 and 2013...

That list of college players was pretty underwhelming...

HoA - not sure where you're going with "overrating" and "underrating"... but I do know that every Japanese player that has requested to come to the MLB, has done so to "grow as a player" or "to take the next step"... they all know there's a talent chasm... And then you pin your argument on "he could end up" and "great command (better than Darvish and Iwakuma)"... that smells a little hyperbolic...

Mark - you forgot Irabu, Hasegawa and Kazuo Matsui on your list of "average-at-best" Japanese players... My post was only enumerating the 4 above average players...

I'm indifferent on Tanaka (we need an arm that won't cost a draft pick - and I'm all about finding creative solutions)... having said that - in the past 20 years there have been only 4 above average Japanese imports: Hideo Nomo, Ichiro, Kuroda, and Darvish... And I find it laughable when people point out his stats.... They've been accumulated against below average talent... And sentimentally, I do have a problem paying an unproven commodity more $ than Arte's paying Weaver - if Tanaka was a proven number one, I wouldn't have an issue... Weaver made his choice...

I'm pretty sure both of those feats were accomplished in Japan... against Japanese hitters...

Since contract considerations are a requirement for this exercise: Longoria (and it's not even close)... Many of the names being kicked around are pretty intriguing, but those dudes will break the bank...

What's our On Page Percentage? Yeah, you know me...

When you compare Cano and Kendrick side-by-side... there's no way you can peg Cano's value at $30M...

+1... I like Jimenez, but if he did, in fact, turn it around because of the coaching around him... I don't hold out much hope that trend continues under our pitching coach...

...looks like some 70's porn-king's nut sack... ...I forget the dude's name...

So does this not qualify as "change": DiPoto replaces Stoneman... Trade Kendry for Vargas... Sign Pujols... Let Hunter walk - sign Hamilton... Hatcher fired... Sign Wilson... Let Haren and Santana go... What did I miss...?

Was this a Dodger fan v. Dodger fan hate crime?

Thanks for checking in Fox Mulder...

Calhoun looks like Michael Phelps as a Hobbit...

"There is no financial incentive for the Angels to secure Trout to a long-term deal now. If they did, the average annual value of that contract, which could top $20 million, would immediately count toward the team's luxury-tax payroll. By waiting two years, Trout would not take up nearly as much luxury-tax payroll." I did not know that... It sure makes the decision to kick the rock (or $20M+ boulder) down the road a bit more understandable...

See: Josh Hamilton contract clause and Albert Pujols contract clause... SB attempts "are too distracting" to the hitter...