Pancake Bear

Priorities....
KEY.
Extremely important - absolutely necessary for any chance of contention. 
Very important - a definite need, but some flexibility in terms of how its accomplished. 
Optional - a luxury but not a big priority, and more of a bonus.
 
2019-20 OFFSEASON PRIORITIES
1. Very good starting pitcher 
2. Good plus starting pitcher  
3. Catcher upgrade 
4. Relievers
5. Added offense somewhere
6. Third starting pitcher

For me it's easy. Matt Thaiss home/away splits. 

I think you can ALWAYS use bullpen help. But Eppler doesn't seem to want to spend on relievers, and honestly given how fickle relievers are I agree with him.
He'll almost certainly pick up 1-2 guys on the cheap with the hopes of a clean peanut. Buttrey, Middleton, and Robles is a pretty damn good trio for the final 3 innings.

I don’t want them to spend money on a reliever.

Simmons also. He was a five win player two years before last season where he was injured half the year. 2018 was his best offensive season. Either way you think of it, he’s looking at a solid 2 win upgrade.

I trust Eppler to build a solid pen via the clean peanut approach.  That said, I'd like to see them target McHugh as a multi innings reliever or someone like that.  

The second question on the mlbtr chat is interesting. What 'Dan' is missing is that NY didn't *need* Corbin, thus they didn't pony up the extra year and dollars that the Nats were willing to. We could debate whether the Nats needed to either, but even with Corbin they were below the Yankees. Ditto Harper and the Cubs (that was a thing?) - they had no urgent need for him, so why would they throw 330 million his way? 
The Angels have the need (rather, the dearth), the desperation, and the money to make it happen. Unlike Corbin, Cole isn't committed to the east coast and has good reason to be willing to come here. That doesn't mean he's set on coming here, it means unlike a lot of free agents, he has no reason to not want to be on the west coast. 
CB on the chat gets it, though.

Okay.... Name four innings eaters youd like to see them add.  I'm sure you have a list of smart moves the Yankees would make, so share those  names with us.

If AP is very important, Thaiss must be absolutely essential. 

https://www.sny.tv/yankees/news/astros-sign-stealing-scandal-reveals-hot-tempers-tell-your-f--king-hitting-coach-im-going-to-kick-his-f--king-ass/311883640
"If Jeff Luhnow knew about this, he should be banned for life," said one rival general manager.
 

Dunno how realistic change is at 1B, unfortunately. 

Simmons also. He was a five win player two years before last season where he was injured half the year. 2018 was his best offensive season. Either way you think of it, he’s looking at a solid 2 win upgrade.

There aren't many #4-5's dropping a K9 near 12, a +3 boost over prior year. Something clicked for him. Can he maintain? How far can it take him? TBD still, but there's potential there, and his floor is still valuable given how much the Angels have struggled for simple durability in their rotation...it all comes down to what we costs. 

I know it's a lot to give up, but it's more about the distribution of talent. The Angels have enough back end starters, and have more on the way. So they can afford to eat into their stock of back end starters in order to acquire a mid or front of the rotation starter.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/columnist/bob-nightengale/2019/11/14/astros-cheating-sign-stealing-mlb-houston/4193684002/
”There may be 30 different agendas at these meetings, but this time, virtually all were united on one front.
They want to see the Astros go down. And go down hard.
They want the Astros to pay a fortune in penalties, being fined a record amount of money, forfeiting draft picks, international signing bonuses, and two even told USA TODAY Sports they wish MLB would force them to vacate the 2017 World Series title.”

I was initially skeptical of how far this might go. Two things make me think I initially underestimated it:
- The fact that they were allegedly doing it in the World Series (as well as since then).
That matters because it extends after the sort of amnesty near the end of the 2017 regular season when Manfred warned stricter punishment was coming if they continued. 
- The fact that the GM's off-the-record are so upset about this. 
These aren't random fanboys online who are completely unrealistic about punishment. 
It's going to be a very interesting offseason.
 

I was initially skeptical of how far this might go. Two things make me think I initially underestimated it:
- The fact that they were allegedly doing it in the World Series (as well as since then).
That matters because it extends after the sort of amnesty near the end of the 2017 regular season when Manfred warned stricter punishment was coming if they continued. 
- The fact that the GM's off-the-record are so upset about this. 
These aren't random fanboys online who are completely unrealistic about punishment. 
It's going to be a very interesting offseason.
 

Sounds like something youd read on a movie poster, under the title.
Regular or porno.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/columnist/bob-nightengale/2019/11/14/astros-cheating-sign-stealing-mlb-houston/4193684002/
”There may be 30 different agendas at these meetings, but this time, virtually all were united on one front.
They want to see the Astros go down. And go down hard.
They want the Astros to pay a fortune in penalties, being fined a record amount of money, forfeiting draft picks, international signing bonuses, and two even told USA TODAY Sports they wish MLB would force them to vacate the 2017 World Series title.”

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/columnist/bob-nightengale/2019/11/14/astros-cheating-sign-stealing-mlb-houston/4193684002/
”There may be 30 different agendas at these meetings, but this time, virtually all were united on one front.
They want to see the Astros go down. And go down hard.
They want the Astros to pay a fortune in penalties, being fined a record amount of money, forfeiting draft picks, international signing bonuses, and two even told USA TODAY Sports they wish MLB would force them to vacate the 2017 World Series title.”

Only two seasons of control.
3.46 ERA at Coors last season, 4.22 on the road, fwiw.
If he costs Marsh, I think I'm out. If you can get him for what you outlined, I pull the trigger.

Only two seasons of control.
3.46 ERA at Coors last season, 4.22 on the road, fwiw.
If he costs Marsh, I think I'm out. If you can get him for what you outlined, I pull the trigger.

I don’t think so. That isn’t new. 

One sign stealing cheater down. Let’s make it 2/2.