10 minutes ago, Scotty@AW said:

As I understand, the Phillies were asking for Jahmai Jones as the centerpiece of a Hernandez deal and talks stalled after that. Phillies won't let Hernandez go for nothing and Angels won't pay a premium in prospects for a non premium player.

If Jones is the price, I would prefer going the free agent route.  Walker or Cozart would be my preference.

14 minutes ago, Mark68 said:

It may also be part of a plan to ensure AP stays (relatively) healthy by lessening his workload.

I agree with this sentiment 100%.  For many reasons, the Angels need to continue to play AP, but he can no longer survive the rigors of playing  every game. A good plan would be to give him at least one day off a week starting in 2018 and by 2021, he will likely be a part-time player and pinch hitter.

11 minutes ago, ettin said:

The reason I think they may keep Wood is that they have him now, he pitched competently when he came over to the team, and he is only a 1-year commitment and the Angels have a lot of payroll available in 2018 specifically.

I could be wrong just call it a gut feeling that they stick with him. There certainly are other interesting options on the market so they could wind up preferring another opportunity for sure.

Also keep in mind that the arbitration award is not fully guaranteed.  If Wood performs poorly in spring training, the Angels can cut him and only owe 30 days salary.  If he looks good, they keep him and (presumably) are happy to pay the salary for one year.  Since the CBT is unlikely to be an issue this year, this represents a low cost roll of the dice.

34 minutes ago, DMVol said:

Not sure what "the signing process" means....you would assume it means regular international budget money but that seems unfair to teams who already have spent their budget and a windfall for teams that haven't....Dunno....

 

In order to remedy these violations, I am releasing these players from their contracts with the Braves and declaring them free agents eligible to sign with any other Club. The procedures governing the players’ release and the signing process will be communicated to MLB Clubs under separate cover.

details to come, but presumably teams will be able to use the allotted  bonus pool for next year to sign these players.

37 minutes ago, John Smith said:

Angels PR‏ @LAAngelsPR 24s25 seconds ago

 

 

The Angels have selected the following four players to the Major League roster: RHP Jaime Barria, RHP Jesus Castillo, OF Michael Hermosillo and RHP Jake Jewell.

Great!  Exactly the players I would have chosen.

9 hours ago, Scotty@AW said:

Cal Towey was in AAA and was taken in the minor league phase.

You may be correct, although I was under the impression that Towey was on the AA roster.  

Baseball Reference states the following regarding the minor league phase:

Minor league teams can also participate in the draft. AAA teams can draft any player eligible from AA for $24,000 (doubled from $12,000 in 2016). Players chosen in the minor league part of the draft do not need to return to the original teams for any reason. That segment of the draft is often referred to in accounts of transactions as the "Minor League draft." (Previously, AA teams could draft any players that are eligible from Class A for $4,000, but in 2016 the AA phase of the Rule 5 draft was eliminated.)

https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Rule_5_Draft

And from MLR 5 (2000 ed.):

36 minutes ago, Scotty@AW said:

I think one of the big ones I don't want to lose but probably will is Zach Houchins. Probably the minor league phase. 

Houchins is on the SLC roster, so it would have to be the major league phase.

I haven't seen anything substantive on Nate Smith's medicals, but even if there is some risk involved, I like Nate a LOT as a depth piece.  IMO, he should stay on the 40 man roster.

Magnifico was out-righted last August off the 40 man roster and passed through waivers.  No need to add him.

If there is room, I can see adding Morales, but I think he is  a back of the rotation starter at best.  Think Scribner.

16 minutes ago, Inside Pitch said:

I think a more accurate statement to be made is that the current focus is better for us than the previous one.   It remains to be seen whether the issue was poor scouting or a bad draft strategy...   I dont believe the scouts or Ric Wilson were bad, I think they were looking at the wrong things and chasing different types of players as a result.

 

I agree.  The main point I was trying to make in my discussion with Scotty is to not over-value second round draft picks.  By all accounts, Swanson is well regarded in the baseball industry, and I have no issues with the job he is doing.

52 minutes ago, Scotty@AW said:

But with a different GM calling the shots with different scouts and crosscheckers.. So yes.

Jeff Malinoff was also the national cross-checker through 2016.  So:

Jones was drafted when Jerry D. was GM, Ric Wilson was scouting director and Jeff Malinoff was national cross-checker.

Marsh was drafted when Eppler was GM, Wilson was scouting director and Malinoff was national cross-checker.

Canning was drafted when Eppler was GM, Swanson was scouting director and Jason Smith was the national cross-checker.

Of course Canning hasn't pitched an inning of professional ball and dropped in the draft due to medical concerns.  He may end up being a great player, but IMO it is far too early to pronounce the "new regime" as being vastly better than Ric Wilson and Jeff Malinoff.  

3 hours ago, Scotty@AW said:

You're talking about a completely different era with a different GM, different scouts and different scouting director. Right here, right now, our second round picks are at a completely different level. 

All three may be top 100 prospects next year.

Ric Wilson was the scouting director from 2011 through 2016.  So, no.

6 hours ago, Scotty@AW said:

We've known for a couple years that Moustakas has wanted to be back in So-Cal. The fact that he's just now reaching free agency only creates this narrative.

Eppler has been extremely hesitant to sacrifice draft picks (and with good reason, have you seen his track record with the draft?) for free agents. It just isn't how you build a farm system.

In the mean time, he's traded pitching prospects that weren't his to begin with (Newcomb, Ellis, Alcantara, Long, Rodriguez) to acquire the talent he needs. Billy does this because of his confidence in finding quality pitching on the waiver wire, which he's proven adept at.

It isn't as if we won't pay the price.  Eppler basically paid this price for Upton, with Long and Rodriguez essentially being the equivalent of free agent compensation and the 5/106 Upton got from us.

It just has to be the right player.

If we sign Moustakas, we forfeit our second round pick, which in the last three years has been Jahmai Jones, Brandon Marsh and Griffin Canning. 

I think I'll take the prospect and the money and allocate it somewhere for a player with a better OBP than .310.

And the second round picks the 5 years previously were:

• Joe Gatto
• Hunter Green
• RJ Alvarez
• Nick Maronde
• Daniel Tillman

I am not a big Moustakas fan, but he would represent an upgrade at 3B, so the question is whether his contract is reasonable.  For 4 yrs and $48M, I say go for it.  For 5 years and $90M, I say pass.  For 5 years and $65M, I could go either way.

2 hours ago, Taylor said:

"So, tell me about your achievements."

"I traded Mike Napoli for Vernon Wells ... I'll see myself out."

And when they interviewed Anthopoulos:  

So, tell me about your achievements."

"I traded Vernon Wells for Mike Napoli."

"You're hired!"

I could see Eppler bringing Street and Bailey back on split contracts with spring training invites.

I would also add:

• Jake Jewell
• Jesus Castillo

I also vote neither.

5 hours ago, ettin said:

My point is that there is still about a very rough $30M in cap space for other players not to mention prospects/players brought in via trades of some of our more expensive players and what our farm system produces.

I simply do not think it is nearly as bleak a picture as you are seeing it, respectfully in terms of payroll and what we will have acquired via trade or produced out of our farm system by that time.

I don't view one-year being over the CBT threshold as "bleak" in any sense of the word.  Arte has consistently said that for the "right" player he would pay a  luxury tax.  I can't think of a more "right" player than Trout.  

3 hours ago, ettin said:

With the current group you have now and the addition of a Trout extension plus minimum players this is untrue Oater. Salary would be at about $160M or so off the top of my head in 2021. Depends on who is on the roster but there is room for sure.

Sure, you can theoretically construct a roster that would not exceed the CBT threshold in 2021 and still have room to extend Trout on a $40M AAV contract. However, the only way Trout is going to agree to an extension is if the roster has sufficient talent to be highly competitive.  If the Angels pursue this strategy, payroll will approach the CBT threshold in 2018, and will increase from there--and the Trout extension will add $15M (or so)  by itself.

If you expect to extend Trout . . .

• The Angels WILL exceed the CBT threshold in 2021 (AP's last year);
• The Angels will need to exercise restraint on any new FA signings or trades--i.e., limited to areas of clear need and not excessive in terms of AAV or years.  Nunez and Cozart are targets.  Moose--not so much.  Stanton or Martinez--forget about it.  IB--not a clear area of need.

On 10/30/2017 at 9:45 PM, ettin said:

So basically I was a little surprised because last year team benefits were about $13M give or take and I expected it to be about $14M-15M this year.

However when you read the new CBA rules it is pretty clear cut that for the 2017 season they settled on a total benefits amount of $219,300,000 which, when you divide by all 30 teams, is $7,310,000 per team.

In each succeeding year through 2021 one of two things will make Benefit costs rise. The standard increase is a flat 6%.

The second one is that if total player salaries rise by a percentage higher than 6% from one year to the next, Benefits will rise by the percentage increase between 6% or the percentage increase that player salaries rise, whichever is higher.

So say total player salaries is $7,000,000,000 in 2017. The following year, in 2018, total player salaries add up to $7,490,000,000. That represents a 7% increase in total player salaries which means that Benefits will go up by 7%, not the standard 6%.

It is sort of a Benefits cost management "rising" tool to keep total player salaries and Benefits in some odd proportional inflation rate. It is weird but that is what is clearly detailed in the new CBA.

That is why in the 2018-2019 off-season we should see evidence of this when Kershaw, Harper, and Machado sign their mega-contracts and probably Trout signing an extension. It will probably be a large % increase at the end of that season.

Player Benefits cover medical, compensation and other odds and ends and must be shared equally by all 30 teams per the current rules.

The agreed player benefit costs per team of $7,310,000 for 2017 cover only the benefits described in Article XXIII, subsections D (1)  (b) through (g) of the CBA.  However the total player benefit costs also include the contributions to the MLB  Player Benefit Plan (described in subsection D (1) (a)).  I don't have a current figure for this component, but MLB contributions were $143 million in 2014.  So, after allowing for payroll increases since 2014, on a per team basis, this will add another $5-6 million to the player benefit costs.  This will make the total player benefit costs close to $13,000,000 per team.

Calhoun is a good, reasonably priced player in the prime of his career.  He may have had a slight down year, but  he had what was basically a career low BABIP and is at least a modest  bounce-back candidate.  With a number of problem areas to fill, IMO there is no reason to actively attempt to trade him.  

2 hours ago, Lou said:

What the hell is a gurka?

Julio Garcia doesn't get much attention on this site, but he has quietly been putting together a good season.  For the second half of the year, he is hitting .344 .408 .525.

With plus defensive skills, he could the SS to follow Simba.

I think you stared too long at the sun without your eclipse sunglasses on! 

I am guessing 4-3.