Pancake Bear

I disagree. (Edited for language - apologies to Lou)
How much did Arte buy the Angels for and how much are they worth now? He can easily afford to make less over 2-3 seasons and make it back in 6-7 when the teams sucks again or the farm is cheap. 

Rendon would be less than 250, fwiw. Also, there’s no we. It’s Arte’s money. I’m just saying he needs to figure out what his priorities are and quit jerking Trout and the fans around while saying one thing and not following through. 

Arte is a billionaire. The team’s value has gone up big time since he purchased the team. He can sell it for far more than he spent. Whether he’s overspending what the team takes in or not, if he’s serious about winning and not wasting Trout’s career, he needs to step up  and be willing to pass the luxury tax. This is a key window. If Arte waits, the Trout window will be gone. Spend less and make more later. 
Go big or quit talking about trying to win. He went out and got Maddon. He extended Trout. All of that is pointless if you’re going to be principled and cautious financially now. Don’t leave the job half done. Don’t be outbid on Cole. The Yankees don’t have our desperation. If you have to outspend them by 20m, do it. Then go and sign Rendon or Strasburg. It’s as simple as that. This is Arte’s shot, he needs to not blow it. It’s about legacy - which he supposedly used to care about. 

it's a risky proposition to spend your way out a problem that was created by inappropriate spending but I agree.  Although I will say that I have been hoping he'd do that for awhile now and I am glad he's shown some restraint in that regard because the guys available to do that on were absolute landmines.  
But now it's different.  Yet why should Arte believe that?  Honestly, I have no idea other than to say that it just feels different.  This class of free agents is very very good.  You don't get many opportunities like the players available this year.  
So yeah. Go for it right now.  
BUT.  there is always a but.  But don't give up your farm system.  You don't have to.  There's a chance to make the team a lot better without doing so.  An opportunity that doesn't always exist.  

This is why I think Arte should go all-in on Cole and Rendon. Trade for one more quality starter and get a catcher and hit the pedal to the metal.

Yankee fans are easily the most entitled in baseball. Maybe in all sports. They think they deserve everything because they’re the bloody Yankees. Players will line up to play for them because they’re the Yankees and any who don’t are cowards who don’t care about winning. No fans I hate more. Absolute worst. 

How I imagine the discussions on YankeesWin:
 

There’s a genuine question how good Bum will be. His road splits last year were awful. Giants park is the most pitcher friendly in baseball. 

This is the way. 

Sign Maldonado immediately.  

Arte must overwhelm Cole and get the deal done.  The best player is always the best move.  Always. 

God reading the Yankees forum is pure cancer... especially about Cole. Basically saying if he wants to play for a winner to come play for them and he should go to the Angels if he wants to sit an watch October everyone year like a Trout does. 
 
Probably the worst fans in the history of all sports.

Yeah it’s incredibly annoying. God I hate the Yankees.

Skipping Cole to sign two “good” pitchers reminds me of Bavasi’s line about replacing Nolan Ryan because he was gonna cost too much. 
The reality is that looking around the league right now, if you don’t have an ace, you cannot be competitive in the playoffs. This isn’t 2002.
          FontSize             Ryu averaged 105ish innings between 2017-18. He basically didn’t pitch at all in 2015-16. Given our luck with injuries, I avoid Ryu. Yeah, there’s a lot of upside, but he’s a huge health risk and his skill is inducing favorable contact, to strikeouts. Not sure how well that’s gonna age. But he’s coming off a career year. 

I'd be very careful with the logic that signing 2-3 tier 2 pitchers is better value than the one ace. I think @Dochalo and @Inside Pitch have detailed this in the past. I don't remember the exact details but the bottom line is, signing/trading for guys like Scherzer/Verlander/Sale/Greinke/Corbin/Lester/etc has almost always been better value than going after guys like Garza/Darvish/Cobb/etc
 
It's not always going to be the case, but on average the better value has been with the elite pitchers, even if you have to pay more to get them

I would stay the heck away from Bumgarner. I love is Giants and A's territory so Bumgarner is on all the time and I'm telling you, he's not even a mid rotation starter anymore. He's reached that proverbial cliff. Someone is going to sign him for a lot of money and he's going to go the way of James Shields. 
I really like Ryu. Great upside, can be had at a fraction of the cost of the other upside plays on the market and doesn't require draft pick compensation. 
I think Dallas Keuchel is a great fit. High ground ball tendencies with Simmons and Fletcher behind him could be a great commination.

Skipping Cole to sign two “good” pitchers reminds me of Bavasi’s line about replacing Nolan Ryan because he was gonna cost too much. 
The reality is that looking around the league right now, if you don’t have an ace, you cannot be competitive in the playoffs. This isn’t 2002.
          FontSize             Ryu averaged 105ish innings between 2017-18. He basically didn’t pitch at all in 2015-16. Given our luck with injuries, I avoid Ryu. Yeah, there’s a lot of upside, but he’s a huge health risk and his skill is inducing favorable contact, to strikeouts. Not sure how well that’s gonna age. But he’s coming off a career year. 

Don’t want Bumgarner; Ryu is a huge injury risk. Cole, easily. 

You forgot the cameraman. 

Skipping Cole to sign two “good” pitchers reminds me of Bavasi’s line about replacing Nolan Ryan because he was gonna cost too much. 
The reality is that looking around the league right now, if you don’t have an ace, you cannot be competitive in the playoffs. This isn’t 2002.
          FontSize             Ryu averaged 105ish innings between 2017-18. He basically didn’t pitch at all in 2015-16. Given our luck with injuries, I avoid Ryu. Yeah, there’s a lot of upside, but he’s a huge health risk and his skill is inducing favorable contact, to strikeouts. Not sure how well that’s gonna age. But he’s coming off a career year. 

I'm not sure it's possible in today's environment.  If you look at the teams who have been in the World Series lately, 2019: Astros (Cole, Verlander, Greinke) vs Nationals (Scherzer, Strasburg), 2018: Dodgers (Kershaw) vs Red Sox (Sale), 2017: Dodgers (Kershaw, Darvish) vs Astros (Verlander), 2016: Indians (Kluber) vs Cubs (Lester), 2015: Mets (deGrom) vs Royals (Cueto).  We need someone of that caliber of that caliber.

Don’t want Bumgarner; Ryu is a huge injury risk. Cole, easily. 

Don’t want Bumgarner; Ryu is a huge injury risk. Cole, easily. 

Don’t want Bumgarner; Ryu is a huge injury risk. Cole, easily. 

Albert is 40 and his first year of the deal was age 31.  That would be like giving Strasburg an 8 year deal when you factor in that pitchers get shorter contracts.  8 years of Cole takes him through age 36.  It actually makes more sense to give Cole a 10 year deal than it does having given one to Albert.