Nuke this team now

[robblin17]

Adjust to what? Guys who are supposed to walk not walking and power hitters not hitting for power? For Scioscia to adjust don't those guys need to actually do what they are supposed to be good at? The two weeks Matt Joyce and Chris Ianetta remotely looked like themselves the team played well.

This team has too many low average bad contact hitters. David Freese, Matt Joyce and Chris Ianetta are all low average OBP guys or at least supposed to be. They have failed miserably at their supposed strength -- getting on base.

I'm not disagreeing that this team sucks, but Scioscia hasn't a had a "Scioscia style" team in years. So what the **** are we actually doing here? Again, the whole thing is a mess and just needs to be retooled.

You have a good core to build around already. Get rid of all the shit (Wilson, Freese, Joyce, Iannetta) and go young. Even consider moving Weaver. With Trout, Calhoun, Richards, Street and the BP, you will be alright if you get rid of the dead weight.

Bring in an up and coming manager to light a fire under their asses and let them roll.

Edited June 7, 2015 by robblin17

[Stradling]

Exactly adjust to what? What talent?

[FabulousFabregas]

I think Jason Grilli's thong was the key to 2014's AL West Championship.

[Second Base]

Kind of hard to nuke a team with so few tradable assets. 

 

1. You won't trade Pujols.  Too much money, not a player-savvy move either. 

2. You won't trade Trout because if you do, you'll be hated and run out of town.  Half the fan-base would likely stop watching or caring. 

3. Freese, Aybar, Giavotella, Iannetta and Joyce certainly won't get you much of anything on the trade market. 

4. Can't trade Weaver, no one wants a 30-something RHP making 17 million throwing 84 mph. 

5. You'll have a hard time trading CJ, too much money is owed. 

6. No one will pay top dollar for Santiago or Shoemaker, they're too inconsistent. 

 

So I ask, if you want to nuke this team, just who in the heck do you plan of trading?  Kole Calhoun?  Garrett Richards?  Maybe by nuke the team you just mean get rid of Scioscia, in which case, why are blaming the shortcomings of an aging and poor hitting roster on the manager that led you to 98 wins last season?  Maybe you're blaming it on Dipoto, which is the popular thing to do now, but getting rid of your GM is hardly a nuke-job.  Besides, if you do that you do so knowing full well that he's the one that built the Angels scouting structure, he's the one that rebuilt their minor league system from scratch.

 

No, the smart move is to simply re-tool and get younger.  Keep Joyce, but only in a platoon DH role with Cron until the end of the season, then send him on his merry way.  Break out the wallet, accept the luxury tax and sign Justin Upton.  Give Cron until the end of the season to put something together to show he can be your 1B/DH with Pujols.  If he doesn't show it by then, trade Wilson and/or Santiago for a 1B/DH.  Replace Freese with Kubitza and collect your draft pick.  Get Weaver out of the rotation, make him the long man out of the pen.  Replace those three with Skaggs, Heaney and Tropeano until Newcomb is ready. 

[QuinlansMinion]

Do we have any guys since Trout to come up with the Angels and hit well? Seems like the only chance we have of ever improving this offense will be trades or overspending.

Edited June 7, 2015 by QuinlansMinion

[Brandon]

I also think it's easy to say fire Sosh, but who do you bring in?

 

No one ever seems to suggest that part of the equation.

[ScottT]

Has anyone mentioned that they love five game losing streaks because the reaction of the most vocal fans is so outrageous?

[Jobu]

I also think it's easy to say fire Sosh, but who do you bring in?

No one ever seems to suggest that part of the equation.

A former Rockie.

[Glen]

I also think it's easy to say fire Sosh, but who do you bring in?

No one ever seems to suggest that part of the equation.

Maybe because it's an open-ended question with dozens of candidates. Scioscia was a wild-card pick when the Angels took a chance on him. Just because we don't know the names doesn't mean there aren't suitable candidates out there.

[ScottT]

Scioscia "only" has three years left on his deal after this one. $6 million each year.  

[Brandon]

Maybe because it's an open-ended question with dozens of candidates. Scioscia was a wild-card pick when the Angels took a chance on him. Just because we don't know the names doesn't mean there aren't suitable candidates out there.

 

So, just firing him with no discourse or opinion moving forward.

 

Seems convenient and simplistic. I'm sure champion caliber clubs also take this approach.

 

You never hear people mention philosophy or in-depth strength/weaknesses, but you do get "fire Sosh" like that's good enough.

 

Just a quaint and short sided perspective.

[Amazing Larry]

No worries guys ... Scioscia may opt out at the end of the season. The Arte and Jerry show is just to much to stomach ... It's like the blind leading the blind.

Agreeing with Troll Daddy hurts.

[JoJo26]

JoJo you're logic is not logic...

 

Wait? I'm being graded on LOGIC?

 

Since when is this a requirement on this site?

[Glen]

So, just firing him with no discourse or opinion moving forward.

Seems convenient and simplistic. I'm sure champion caliber clubs also take this approach.

You never hear people mention philosophy or in-depth strength/weaknesses, but you do get "fire Sosh" like that's good enough.

Just a quaint and short sided perspective.

If the Angels fired him without a replacement in mind it would be a horrible decision. Just because I don't know any candidates for the job doesn't mean none are out there. I didn't know Scioscia was on the horizon when he was hired. Does that mean the Angels were short-sighted?

[Brandon]

I'm sure they had a list or maybe a premise for the type of manager they wanted, you know, more than just firing him and winging it.

 

That was the point of that post.

 

Everyone else here seems to have an idea about how to run the team, but when it comes to firing Sosh that seems to be where the arm chair owner stops his plight.

[Amazing Larry]

Fire the owner.

[Brandon]

Dude, we should get a conglomerate together to purchase the team!

 

I got the first $20 on it. I'll have Brian print up the pickett signs.

[ScottT]

I think it's fair for a fan to want Scioscia fired and have nobody in mind to replace him.  It's difficult to know who they could get, who would be interested, and who would be a good fit. Not sure how fans have any idea if Erstad or Disarcina would be a good manager... they just liked them as players.  Makes the whole exercise of picking a replacement more difficult/pointless. We see some of what Scioscia does as a manager... on the field.  We don't really see what anyone else does, unless he was recently a major league manager. Even then, how many people watch that much of another manager?    

 

The importance of a manager is overblown anyway. Nobody is going to win with this team if the offense doesn't improve. 

[Ohtaniland]

Dear Angels fans,

Again, this is all Tony Reagins fault so we can not be held responsible.

Pitchers and catchers are due to report next February. Don't forget to get your tickets early.

Best wishes,

Arte, Mike & Jerry

[mulwin444]

Dipoto has done a great job of starting to re-build a farm that was ranked dead last on the MLB...a by-product of the Reagins years when he, Mike, Arte made some awful decisions post-Stoneman. These things take time and his picks and trades have given them SP depth I don't remember them having in recent years. Weaver and Wilson are on their way out and will be replaced with extremely talented, young, cost-controlled hurlers in Skaggs, Heaney, Tropeano, and Newcomb who are set to be the future of the rotation along with Richards. The BP is set and we have solid young players in Trout, Calhoun, and Johnny G. Pujols is not going anywhere but hasn't really been the problem. Fact is guys have underperformed offensively which I don't really know how that is Dipoto's fault. Thsee are, so far, Ianetta's and Joyce's worst offensive seasons so I'm sure there's a gap on expectation that I don't any of us could have foreseen...we're talking worst case scenario with both. On the flip side, Dipoto flipped an unproductive Conger a really solid-looking Perez who I'm hoping they give more time to soon. Aybar is Aybar and not the problem but shouldn't be anywhere near the top of the line-up. Cron is just lost and I think they need to just give him some extended time in AAA. At this point, I'd rather give Dipot more time than Scioscia to deliver a winner

Edited June 7, 2015 by mulwin444

[Jobu]

The offense sucks so I'm not sure making the hitting coach the manager is a good move.

I don't buy the "Scioscia style team" narrative either. If Scioscia can't adapt to the strengths of the players on the roster then he's not a good Manager. His record seems to indicate he's a good Manager. That said, his insistence on "aggressive" play at all costs doesn't seem to be aging well. The squeeze play, the contact play, hit and runs, only work when not EVERY SINGLE PERSON in all of baseball knows you're going to do it EVERY SINGLE TIME. Defensive alignment and strategy are big in the game right now and Mike needs to adjust.

[Oz27]

The importance of a manager is overblown anyway. Nobody is going to win with this team if the offense doesn't improve. 

Yep. The job of a manager isn't to polish a turd, it's to work with the talent you've got and make it the best team it can be. The evidence is coming more compelling by the day that this team is the metophorical turd that cannot be polished. It's not impossible that changes in the latter part of the season so far, but when you've got a collection of hitters that aren't hitting what the hell can a manager do about it?

[ten ocho recon scout]

I think Jason Grilli's thong was the key to 2014's AL West Championship.

agreed. The same as escobars dong was in 04.

[ten ocho recon scout]

I'm not really a Scioscia fan but bringing in a new manager will not make Pujols 10 years younger or make Freese, Cron, Joyce, Ianetta good at baseball.

this. And its not a hard concept.

Teams generally go in cycles, good and bad. 'This' team was built around weaver/wilson, with pujols/hamilton providing the offense. I think the FO has realized it didnt work, and have adjusted.

We need bats bad...but whos available? In all honesty, there are no stud lightning in a bottle types out there. And a guy like ethier (per this board) arent going to solve anything more than one spot in the order.

End of the day, its on the players to perform, and yes, the FO to get the right players.

[ten ocho recon scout]

Do we have any guys since Trout to come up with the Angels and hit well? Seems like the only chance we have of ever improving this offense will be trades or overspending.

very true. And thats one critique i totally support.

Not sure if its scouting, development, or both. To be fair ive read the minors organizationally have been completely blown up and rebuilt. Not sure how true that is, but its a start in the right direction. The problem currently is the guys who were supposed to be here by now (like cowart) havent done shit. So we have this gap of talent that even if you drafted great this year wouldnt help for another 3-4.

Still think moncada is gonna come back and sting, much like i was hoping wed sign abreu (back when we had bats and needed pitching). Until we have a crop of at least 3 bonafide no-brainer position prospects, theyll have to use the wallet to fix holes on the field.