Senor Piva

Before. From back in the 70's, when the Angels treated the Twins like their AAA team (Bostock, Blyleven, Carew), and all my family were Twins fans. Skipped the 80s, 90s, and 2000s. Got interested again when I was stationed outside St Louis, as Edmonds, Eckstein and Percival got my interest, and of course when Albert signed with y'all. Currently in Honduras, going to be stationed at Little Rock next year, so if you have questions about the Travelers, I plan on going to a lot of games.

Who?

Shoemaker may show promise, but if that is your answer, then welcome to 2012 and 2013 finishes

Compared to who? Blanton, Hanson? Who else you going to throw out there?

As a fellow fan of the Angels/Cards, have to agree with that last sentence. Think Lynn/Kelly + Freeman should get Aybar. If the Angels want to offer Bourjos too, then Lyons and Salas. Two starters, two relievers.

Lynn, Tyler Lyons (LH SP), Fernando Salas (RH RP, fallen out of favor), Sam Freeman (hard throwing LH RP), and Ryan Jackson (SS, fallen out of favor with Cards as well) for Aybar and Bourjos.

Hopefully Kyle Lohse's situation last year will make Vargas inclined to take the offer, or negotiate a long term deal, rather than having the whole thing drug out like Lohse's was last year.

Sox just trying to distract the Cards from bunting towards Papi

Could see Lynn, maybe Salas, Freeman and Jackson for Aybar and Bourjos. Gives Angels pitching and a spare SS plus salary relief from Aybar. Gives the Cards something better than Kozma and Jay

maybe the Bourjos market isn't dead yet.

Garza's the same as Greinke was, as a mid-season pick up, he's a true free-agent. No draft pick lost. My money's on Bronson Arroyo, though the Reds might not be dumb enough to give him a qualifying offer. Was a decent pitcher, but not worth another 3-4 year contract.

alright, so what's your plan? how do you keep this team from sucking for the next 3-5 years?

long time lurker. First (and only) Angels game was in 1977, upper deck of the third base line, vs. the Yankees. Paul Hartzell started, was disappointed, as I wanted to see Nolan Ryan. Grew up in the mid-west, so didn't like how the Angels got Lymon Bostock, Bert Blyleven, Rod Carew. However, Bobby Grich was one of my favorite players, along with Doug DeCinces (grandpa was an Orioles fan), and of course, Nolan. Became a Cardinal fan when stationed outside StL (they'd let you in free with a military ID, and allow you to bring in soft sided coolers with drinks in plastic bottles). Ride the train in, and you are talking $20 total for a MLB game. Edmonds, Spiezio, Eckstein, Percival, Glaus. Wish to see the Angels be competitive year in and year out, my favorite AL team.

So you are going to trade a guy who is owed roughly $1.4 million for the last month, an impending free agent, for who? Who is going to give up a "decent prospect" for an impending free agent who just came back from a blood clot issue? Bigger question is, do the Angels offer him a qualifying offer (roughly $13.5-14 million) for next year. I say yes. If he accepts, you have Weaver, Wilson, Vargas, Richards and Sappington (Cardinals start youngsters, no reason why the Angels can't fold them into the starting lineup). If he declines the offer and signs elsewhere, you go with Weaver, Garza, Wilson, Richards, Sappington. Luxury tax be damned. Club has to fix the starting pitching. Thoughts?

Like with Lohse, would take a qualifying offer to secure a draft pick. Was $13M/1 year for Lohse, probably be a bit more. Here's the list of potential free agent starting pitchers, as per Baseball Prospectus (asterisk means there's a club option for 2014) Starting Pitchers Bronson Arroyo Scott Baker Erik Bedard Nick Blackburn * A.J. Burnett Chris Capuano * Chris Carpenter Bruce Chen Bartolo Colon Aaron Cook Jorge De La Rosa Scott Feldman Gavin Floyd Jeff Francis Armando Galarraga Jon Garland Matt Garza Roy Halladay * Jason Hammel Aaron Harang * Rich Harden Dan Haren Roberto Hernandez Tim Hudson Phil Hughes Ubaldo Jimenez * Josh Johnson Jeff Karstens Hiroki Kuroda John Lannan Jon Lester * Colby Lewis Ted Lilly Tim Lincecum Derek Lowe Paul Maholm Shaun Marcum Jason Marquis Daisuke Matsuzaka Brett Myers * Ricky Nolasco Mike Pelfrey Andy Pettitte Wandy Rodriguez * Jonathan Sanchez Ervin Santana Johan Santana * Joe Saunders * James Shields * Tim Stauffer Jason Vargas Ryan Vogelsong * Edinson Volquez Tsuyoshi Wada * Chien-Ming Wang Chris Young Barry Zito

Give Butcher time, he'll fix that

yeah, but they'll swing and miss

Am sure I'll be crucified for this, let's say the Angels could get a Herschel Walker-type haul for Trout, would you? If they could fix the starting pitching and the bullpen tomorrow, would you? Or is the next 3-5 years of a minor league rebuild ok as long as he stays on the team? Fire away...

b ). dammit

not sure why it switched a to the emoticon. sorry

Think the problem was they: a) didn't understand how the new CBA worked, thinking it was like previous years, where they would get a draft pick. or they overestimated their likihood of being able to re-sign Greinke. Either way, seems like they didn't do their homework. With 20/20 hindsight, would have required an extension before giving up someone of Segura's ability, if even for a year

I just don't want the team to turn into the Cubs, thinking they have to cut payroll until they get the farm system re-built. Weaver, Wilson, Vargas, Richards and maybe Williams, could be a decent 1-5. But then you sacrifice the bullpen...

I got nothing else to improve the starting rotation...

Just the opposite: they need to trade for prospects. Blanton, Aybar (just because he may actually get some return, vs. Blanton who may bring a bucket of balls). Maybe Trumbo, maybe Callaspo. Anything that can bring some prospects and/or bullpen help, and try to bring in 1 or 2 starters next year (Arroyo/Nolasco/anyone not Blanton)

I was stationed outside of St Louis for 5 years, so went to a lot of Cards games. Best comparison I can think of, is if Tim Salmon had left the Angels in say, 2000 or even after 2002. Best player most fans had seen live, homegrown guy, face of the franchise. I tell people, Pujols leaving is kinda like an ex-wife leaving. You know you are better off without her, but you wonder why she didn't want you.