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Rosenthal: What the Halo? Leave Trout in CF!


nate

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I can't say I disagree much with Rosenthal here (and it pains me to say that).

 

If the Angels were concerned about putting the best team on the field they'd move Bourjos for an arm and replace him in LF with Trumbo or another bat (in LF or DH/1B). If not during the deadline, the new GM should make that his top priority this offseason.

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Bottom line is this.....we want to keep Trout.  Trout loves CF.  I know he says the politically correct things in the press about being a good sport and relinquishing CF for the betterment of the team, but it is fact that he prefers CF.  At this point in his short career, Trout has earned the right and deserves CF.

 

If Trout can be moved to LF, why can't PBJ do the same thing?!?!   PBJ is a good player, but he is not a future MVP or hall of famer like Trout.  

 

Give Kid Fish CF so he stays with our Angels...  JeDi get this done!

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True, but I think it benefits in the long run for the guys to know where they're playing from day to day.  It adds to the comfort level, and they can focus on other things 

And if Bourjos is playing than 90% of the time Trout will be playing LF.  That should add to his comfort level.

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I can't say I disagree much with Rosenthal here (and it pains me to say that).

 

If the Angels were concerned about putting the best team on the field they'd move Bourjos for an arm and replace him in LF with Trumbo or another bat (in LF or DH/1B). If not during the deadline, the new GM should make that his top priority this offseason.

If PB can get us a quality middle of the rotation arm, than I am all for the trade.  However, we do not know if we can get that.  Hell if he can get us a couple of potential mid-rotation arms as prospects I am for that. 

 

Right now the best team on the field is Bourjos in Center and Trout in left.  That is until a good trade partner arrives

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I disagree with much of what Rosenthal says in this article. First, his lead in comparison to how the Giants would have dealt with Mays in a similar circumstance. The fact of the matter is, we don't have a clue how the GIants would have dealt with an issue to having an even better defender in CF over Mays. And yes, it is a coincidence that his "tear" started around the time he switched back to CF. Again, correlation does not equal causation. Then he goes to the argument of "maximum comfort" saying Trout should play where he is most comfortable. The idea that it will have a negative effect on his psyche and ultimately his performance is just plain silly. Mike isn't some kind of fragile mental midget, he'll be just fine playing LF or CF. And let's not forget that Trout played many more innings in LF last year while putting up great offensive numbers. 

 

I love how Rosenthal uses the perspective of the three former player analyst on the psyche argument because well they know how a player feels about this sort of thing and then proceeds to discount Scioscia's perspective because while he's a former player, he's now a manager so his player perspective is now invalid. Good sound reasoning there Rosenthal.

 

And no Kenny, a broader statistical analysis doesn't indicate that Trout should be in CF over Bourjos.

 

Then there's this gem: "As one rival executive explains, a .930 OPS from Trout in center would give the Angels a far greater competitive advantage than a .930 OPS from him in left. Center fielders generally don’t hit as well as left fielders. The average OPS in center this season is .728. The average OPS in left is .765."  This may be the most ridiculous arguments of this entire topic. Having a .930 OPS from your CF or LF doesn't change the Angels competitive advantage other than bar stool banter comparing one team's CF OPS to another's. Who gives a sh*t how his OPS compares to most CF? It's just plain stupid to posit such an argument to support keeping Trout in CF. 

 

It's not a matter of disrespecting Trout as a player. He's a great player without question. He's a great player if he's playing CF and he's a great player if he's playing LF. Bourjos is also a very good defensive CF who has good reads and takes good routes to the ball. He can also make the leaping home run robbing catches. But the bigger reason for Bourjos over Trout in CF is his arm. As I have been saying from the beginning, there is no question that Trout's arm is his weakest skill. Trout is an elite player in almost every aspect of his game. He doesn't have an elite arm however. Bourjos has a much stronger arm. The arm matters. The bottom line is, all things considered, an OF of Bourjos in CF and Trout in LF is best for the Angels because it allows both players to fully utilize their strengths. 

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it's not stupid to suggest that a fielder's hitting could be improved by his position. baseball players are a finicky bunch and it's all about comfort. if trout is more comfortable in center, then he may bring a better attitude/approach to his at bats. there's way too much history of good hitters struggling after being moved out of familiar digs.

 

we can ignore it, but it may have merit. i'm a big believer in borjous, but maybe the team would actually be better if he could be moved for some quality young pitching. he is a quality young center fielder, so i believe he has good value.

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Then there's this gem: "As one rival executive explains, a .930 OPS from Trout in center would give the Angels a far greater competitive advantage than a .930 OPS from him in left. Center fielders generally don’t hit as well as left fielders. The average OPS in center this season is .728. The average OPS in left is .765."  This may be the most ridiculous arguments of this entire topic. Having a .930 OPS from your CF or LF doesn't change the Angels competitive advantage other than bar stool banter comparing one team's CF OPS to another's. Who gives a sh*t how his OPS compares to most CF? It's just plain stupid to posit such an argument to support keeping Trout in CF. 

 

 

 

i'm sorry, but creating positional advantages is one of the core ways gm's build teams. if it's stupid, than they are all stupid.

 

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it's not stupid to suggest that a fielder's hitting could be improved by his position. baseball players are a finicky bunch and it's all about comfort. if trout is more comfortable in center, then he may bring a better attitude/approach to his at bats. there's way too much history of good hitters struggling after being moved out of familiar digs.

 

we can ignore it, but it may have merit. i'm a big believer in borjous, but maybe the team would actually be better if he could be moved for some quality young pitching. he is a quality young center fielder, so i believe he has good value.

there's too much history of good hitters struggling after being moved out of a familiar position? Please feel free to provide all the examples of this.

 

It is stupid and Trout's success over a much larger sample playing in LF last year belies the argument.

 

It is stupid to say that having Trout in CF as opposed to LF gives the team an advantage because of his OPS compared to most CF. There is NO REAL ADVANTAGE in that other than barstool bragging.

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The problem with the positional offensive performance argument is that as far as the Angels as a whole go, it's not really a difference maker.

 

Obviously the fact that Trout can play CF(and do so well) is a good thing for him individually down the road, as it makes him more attractive than a guy with his bat who can't do that.

 

But as long as Trout and Bourjos are both in the OF, I don't see how getting a .930 OPS out of center(to use the exec's number) and whatever you want to call Bourjos's OPS out of LF gives the Angels a noticable "competitive advantage" over a .930 OPS out of left and Bourjos's OPS out in CF.

 

Unless of course, you think Trout is going to go back to sucking if he moves out of CF. Which is total nonsense, as far as I'm concerned.

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Also, as far as causation for him getting going again, I would consider the point where Trout and Pujols looked at a bunch of video and he adjusted his stance(which was pointed out on the broadcast...last night I think? And it's the explanation Trout has offered) long before I would make the connection that he hits better playing CF.

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Trout is a center fielder. Having him in left is not fully maximizing his value. Some of us saw this coming last year, dipoto should have traded bourjos for pitching help and kept morales.

You had to choose whether you were trading Vernon or Peter. You couldn't go into a season with only four outfielders, one being Trumbo, who is our only back up first baseman. No one could have seen Shuck actually contributing. Morales was the most expendable because he could only play first base or DH and he was a year away from free agency.

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