HaloNArizona

The fact that we will start the season with two or three pitchers on the DL and the F.O. is not making dumb moves, goes to our depth.

Richards - #1, fully recovered from knee injury, hitting 100 mph on the gun....looking for a great year

Heaney - #2 will build on last years success

Santiago - #3 solid first half, needs to have a full season (personally surprised he wasn't moved), supposedly has six pitches in his arsenal

Tropeano - #4 will be a solid back end guy on the staff, could be a #3 just to break up Santiago/Heaney, will be moved to SLC when CJ is healthy.

Shoe - #5 - Jeckyl and Hyde pitcher, never know what we are going to get, he will be on the SLC shuttle.  Skaggs will be in this spot when healthy

Weaver is going to have a long injury, and both he and Wilson will be gone next year, leaving a solid core, that will be top 10 in MLB and we will still all hate on JD

As long as Mike leaves Giavotella in the nine spot, I think he will surprise a lot of people.  In 156 ABs in the 9 spot he has a .382 OBP and a .869 OPS.  Who wouldn't like that at the bottom of the order.

I am hoping his work in the off season on the defensive side of things pays off and we all bitch about something else.

I always knew that Marcia Clark and company screwed the pouch on the O.J. trail.....the t.v. show, while not 100% accurate is some pretty good insight.  Just amazing.

Clarkson, Russell, Randle and a true center!  How much longer to we keep Sacre on the bench and Hibbert in the starting line up?

I was not sold on Nance Jr as a late 1st round pick, but have been fairly impressed with him.  I know Upshaw (with the D-Fenders) has had off the court problems, but I would rather seem work with Randle, Russell and Clarkson than Hibbert, who will not be a Laker in 2017.  We need to think next year....look ahead.

Oh...and a new head coach.

Gia, last year was a 1.0 WAR player, he is better suited as a #9 hitter, in his small career (240 PA), he has a .339 OBP, and in 2015 from the #9 spot, his OBP was .376.

Scioscia needs to keep him in the #9 spot, and let him continue to be the table setter. 

Escobar in his career either leading off or batting 2nd has a career .360 OBP

Anyways, I think used right, Gia can be an average (more than likely slightly below average defender) and a 2.0-3.0 War player.

Again, if Scioscia uses his players correctly.

If we can get Albert in the line up, it will make us stronger.  We are still a fourth place team, third at the best, but Albert makes us more competitive.  It would be nice to see him ready to start the home opener.

Move him to 2nd and get him up here next year.

Middle infield problem solved.

We are heading down there this Sunday.  Not sure if we will go to a few more games or not. 

Great move at SS....Not sold on 3B and 2B, but we will hold out hope.  LF needed to be addressed....The fact Arte did not learn a damn thing last year is frustrating. 

Absolutely. Baldoquin, Sherman, Yarbrough, Navarro, these are all guys the Angels should consider for 2B in the future, potentially at the end of the year.

I think too many people assume he is a SS only. 

In the Cuban league, he improved every year and in his last year had a .372 OBP. with a .270 ish BA.  Isnt this what we are hoping sets in front of Trout, Calhoun, Cron and Pujols?

I'd like to see CJ Wilson moved for a young OFer.

Both Chicago teams have question marks beyond their #3 starters.

There are teams who could use CJ to be their #3 or #4 starter.....I think (actually hope) that by the end of ST, CJ is gone and in his place is a shiny young new LFer.

If Pujols misses time in the beginning, as is expected, Choi will have a chance to produce.  Let him start off at 1B/DH and move to LF once Pujols returns healthy.  Also a back up plan (and competition) for CJ.

You all know that Baldoquin also plays 2b....right?

Not defending the horrible signing...but with Simmons at SS, Baldoquin could be our 2Bman of the future.

Arte, Eppler and Wilson need to spend money on scouting and developing players.  We have not had a significant signing outside the U.S. since what...Morales?  We need to find the guys like Richards, Trout, Grilchuck etc...We need to focus on the farm and keep Arte the f*ck out of baseball ops.

For the coming year...

I am glad that we have (so far) hung onto Richards, Heaney and Skaggs....I like those three atop our rotation

I am glad that we have a young super star in CF, SS and a star in RF

I am glad that we have a young catcher, who can hopefully grow into a Bengie Molina-esque catcher (not in girth)

I am looking forward to seeing if Cron can prove he belongs full time at 1B (.275 BA/25+HR/90+RBI/.325 OBP)

I am glad that baseball is almost here

I hope that we can put an emphasis on building a farm system and supplement that roster with a FA or two (not the other way around)

I hope that Arte allows a GM to run the team and does not look to be sexy with overprice aging hitters

Good thing we acquired the cash for Navarro....

Eithier for Josh Hamilton's contract.

Done!

He does seem to suffer from the Coors effect, but I'd look to acquire him....

We need to address LF first and foremost, the platoon will suck...we all know it....Eppler knows it, Scioscia knows it...Arte can only think of this wallet, but deep down, he knows it.

Sign upton, move Escobar to 2b, and let Cowart and Kubitza battle for 3B

So, if we move Richards, who pitches?  Please keep in mind that Richards is the closest thing we have to an ace, and he didn't pitch last season at 100 percent.

The Angels have to think beyond 2016...Right now, we have Richards, Heaney, Skaggs, Trop, Santiago, Shoe, Weaver and Wilson

Weaver is a huge question mark and done after 2016

Wilson is done after 2016 and probably the best candidate to be moved by at least the ASB

Shoe is, in my mind, a question mark.  His 2015 was up and down....I'm not sure if I feel comfortable with him going forward

Skaggs, I think will be impressive, but is coming off an injury

Santiago is a tale of two halfs

Don't get me wrong, I like our rotation moving forward, I think Richards, Heaney, Skaggs will make a very solid top three in a rotation.  If Trop is a #4 type of guy, than we are looking good for the next several years.  I think Santiago and Wilson will be moved, one before the start of the season, one by the ASB.  Weaver will be demoted to mop role/released and by the ASB our rotation will be:

Heaney, Richards, Santiago, Trop and Skaggs.

I understand Arte expecting the club to perform within certain financial parameters....if this is the case, than Arte needs to stay out of baseball ops. 

Let your baseball people run the show, and come to you when you need to approve the check. 

The name that intrigues me is Jorge Soler.....I wonder what it would take to pry him away from Chicago?

With as much anti Blackmon sentiment on this board, you can expect us to acquire him.

I wish his .390 OBP in Coors carried over....He has a .300 OBP on the road

He would be an answer to a the lead off spot, but I'll pass.

I like the Stadium, I like the renovations to the stadium, the location the looks....I think some upgrades again would be good, keep the stadium for another 20 years or so.

For the next couple of years, I am concerned....we still have glaring holes at 3B/2B and LF

CF/RF/SS/SP seem to be very solid, I am looking for to seeing what Heaney, Skaggs, and Richards can do in the next couple of years (which means one of them will be traded)

Our bullpen is of concern, I think it will be okay, but not great....Smith and Street will continue to perform (until Smith leaves via FA and Street pulls the nut sack).  We have way too many years of Albert under performing in the 4 spot and are hoping CJ Cron can become a consistent producer, he does not need to be an all star, just a solid performer.

Our farm system is non-existent, we have too many big horrible salaries....

Arte needs to reign in Mike, MS needs to play nice with the GM and Arte needs to leave the baseball ops to the baseball people.  It's time to put some money into the scouting department, and quite whiffing on drafts....build from within.  When I see most successful clubs, they build their roster from the farm system up and only had one or two key pieces.  We have, because of Arte, spent too many years thinking we are the Yankees....focus on young talent and let them grow.