Season has left me bitter...

[ten ocho recon scout]

That is really the problem. Moreno didn't "stop spending" just because there were no new contracts. The Pujols and Hamilton contracts must be paid for several years yet, and this isn't even counting the much better investment of locking Mike Trout up. There isn't an infinite pool of money. We aren't the Yankees. We can't just eat a bunch of bad contracts and go out and get more.

yeah, i get that. But to me its like buying a fixer house. You cant buy a new roof for it, put in a pool, and ignore the kitchen and bathrooms if you want to make a profit.

Yeah, we dont have the same income as the yankees/dodgers. That said, we have an extremely lucrative media deal, and last i heard, were the only team operating at zero debt. Im not suggesting we go all dodgers, but its obvious the team has holes that only money can fix.

If we go cheap, expect the same results. If that happens, meh, not anything any of us can do about it. But if het truly wants a ring...

Obviously this is totally different if we had a few hot shot prospects, but we obviously dont. August tells us everything we need to know about this team without trout. Theres zero depth in the lineup. And as much fun as giovatella was this year, im not sure id bank on the same next season. Just a hunch

[ten ocho recon scout]

And so im not giving the wrong impression, i complained about the wells move and the hamilton moves from the get go, and it had everything to do with the money, not because i had any clue how bad they would be. But those teams were different. The had a solid core, and were a tweak or two away from being very good. The current team has a very weak core, IMO, and are a tweak or two away from being very bad. If we want to win, we need an infusion of talent. Unfortunately, im not as high on heyward as some of you, and upton has warning signs all over him (as does cespedes). I dont think any of them are really ideal for us. But, theyre whats available.

To put it another way, and ive made this point in the past. Going back to the old board days, i thought beltran was a lock to come here, and threw a temper tantrum when we didnt get him. He wanted 107 mill. We balked at the price and signed finley for 14 million (because we arent the yankees). Finley obviously was a bust, so we go out 2 years later and sign GMJ for 50 mill. He obviously sucks and is a waste of money. So we sign torii the following year for 90 mill. So we spent about 150 mill to get a center fielder when we could have had one the whole time for 107...not to mention and actual second bat in the lineup to get it done when vlad didnt. IMO, the lack of getting a real bat to back vlad was one of the worst mostakes we ever made, and i dont want to see the same thing happen with trout.

[Vegas Halo Fan]

I just don't understand Arte being gun shy in free agency. You spend upwards of 400+ million dollars on Pujols, Wilson and Hamilton -- three guys with clear holes in their game/reaching the latter part of their careers..all three disappoint in some way or another... 

 

It seems to me that the second statement explains the first. Pujols' and Hamilton's contracts are still on the books, and they will be for several years. I can understand why an owner could be leery of a process that left him with tens of millions of dollars in long-term financial obligations for players who are either underproducing and declining, or had to be paid just to go away.

[ten ocho recon scout]

Same here vegas. But, i also think its a case of "he made his bed". In all fairness, and i support him on his decision, but hamilton could have still been here this year. It was arte that signed him, and arte who sent him packing. Just my 2 cents, but i dont think he can (or should is more accurate) be the roadblock to improve the team.

[tomsred]

He's a 24 million dollar Mark Trumbo! 

 

Mark Trumbo didn't hit 40 jacks, and get 95 RBI's.  He also didn't provide the leadership that Pujols does, and he did these things while dealing with significant injuries.  Pujols is a warrior.  Yes, he's overpaid for the statistical performance he brings.  But we are not in an era where baseball players are directly paid for performance.  They are generally paid for what they have done in the past, and how badly a team needs them to fill a hole.

[floplag]

floplag, I'm sorry you feel that way. I think you're forgetting the late '80s/ early '90s when we had pitchers like Abbott,Langston,Blyleven and Finley and no postseason. The bitter taste for me comes from losing to the Rangers. It was a roller coaster season, but after yesterday's win, I wasn't as upset during today's 7th inning as I normally would be. With all the focus on Seattle at the beginning of the season, the Hamilton and GM problems, to be still in it going into game 162 was remarkable.

 

No, im not at all.  I recall those teams fondly even when they didn't achieve their goals.  I think i would feel better if it was such a roller coaster, being so good one day, and so bad the next, leaves me trying to figure out what the team really is/was.

I didnt expect them to make this late run so my feeling have nothing to do with that, the added tease wasn't appreciated but i gave up on the post a month ago when they went into another vacation mode for a month. 

I dont know many wont agree with me and thats fine, this season has just left a bitter taste in my mouth  Doesnt matter really it isnt like i wont be back in the spring and following the off season moves, ive got too many years invested

The organization has put itself in such a terrible spot i dont see it getting better for a couple years at best with the issues we have and what so far appears to be a pretty craptastic pool of free agents.   Normally we would be talking about not keeping Freese and/or Ianetta, but have you looked at the options in free agency?   We dont have kids to take those spots so do we just punt till we develop that?

Well see i guess

 

[Docwaukee]

I'm totally bitter about this year.  It's the most negative I have felt about this team in a long time and I have been a fan since I the 70's. 

 

They lacked the talent to get it done but they teased us the whole way.  There is nothing worse than a tease.  Except gonnorhea.  That's worse I guess.  

 

This team did exactly what I hoped they wouldn't.   String us along till the final day.  I take no consolation in it as they didn't get beat by anyone in particular , but they played some really bad baseball to end up where they were.  

[AngelsFanSince86]

Mark Trumbo didn't hit 40 jacks, and get 95 RBI's.  He also didn't provide the leadership that Pujols does, and he did these things while dealing with significant injuries.  Pujols is a warrior.  Yes, he's overpaid for the statistical performance he brings.  But we are not in an era where baseball players are directly paid for performance.  They are generally paid for what they have done in the past, and how badly a team needs them to fill a hole.

 

I get what you are saying about leadership and Pujols is definitely a better defender, but Trumbo hit 29 HR and 87 RBI in 2011, 32 HR and 95 RBI in 2012, and 34 HR and 100 RBI in 2013.  So he was pretty close in terms of offense.

[Jay]

Thinly veiled shot at Dipoto supporters.

 

you mean Mariners fans?

[fan_since79]

Pujols disappointed ... ? Hardly

 

.307 OBP and .221 BA in high leverage situations is disappointing in my book.

[fan_since79]

I'm totally bitter about this year.  It's the most negative I have felt about this team in a long time and I have been a fan since I the 70's. 

 

They lacked the talent to get it done but they teased us the whole way.  There is nothing worse than a tease.  Except gonnorhea.  That's worse I guess.  

 

This team did exactly what I hoped they wouldn't.   String us along till the final day.  I take no consolation in it as they didn't get beat by anyone in particular , but they played some really bad baseball to end up where they were.  

 

This, and the 1998 season when Texas swept us at the end to crush our playoff hopes, are the two most disappointing seasons for me. Outside of the '86 disaster and '95 collapse, of course. Those were unspeakable.

 

Feeling bitter and robbed right now. 

[Palomar]

Bitter, no.  Was more bitter last year with ultimate bitterness for '95. Was more disappointed because the team was able to come back after the horrible August and ultimately were only 2 games short and that it was due mostly to errors and overuse of the bullpen. Ultimately I appreciate the effort and the excitement of the last couple of weeks when they could have folded. Feel sadness today mostly.

[AngelsLakersFan]

That is really the problem. Moreno didn't "stop spending" just because there were no new contracts. The Pujols and Hamilton contracts must be paid for several years yet, and this isn't even counting the much better investment of locking Mike Trout up. There isn't an infinite pool of money. We aren't the Yankees. We can't just eat a bunch of bad contracts and go out and get more.

 

If this is true then we need to start being a heck of a lot smarter with our contracts (that we apparently aren't going to be signing for another few seasons), and we need to start selling off pieces right now. Not doing such was exactly the scenario that led to the late 80's and all of the 90's. If Moreno does not want to spend, and does not want to sell off then we are looking at easily another decade of .500 or less baseball.

 

Also I don't buy it at all. There is no reason to think that the Angels actual break even spending limit is right at the salary cap threshold. This team has dropped from the top of the league in payroll to the upper ~20%, spending around the same amount of money despite significant increases in league revenues.  

[laagamer]

It's odd, but I find myself feeling just the opposite. We were in the playoff hunt until the last game of the season with a team that didn't hit and that had a spotty defense, a suspect bullpen and an injured closer. I also saw the team show a fire and a desire to win in the last month that looked to be all but gone in August. Saturday's ninth inning comeback was one for the ages. With the right adjustments and some key additions (not necessarily high dollar free agents, since we have had less-than-stellar results down that road), this could be a solid club in 2016.

Yup

[ten ocho recon scout]

If this is true then we need to start being a heck of a lot smarter with our contracts (that we apparently aren't going to be signing for another few seasons), and we need to start selling off pieces right now. Not doing such was exactly the scenario that led to the late 80's and all of the 90's. If Moreno does not want to spend, and does not want to sell off then we are looking at easily another decade of .500 or less baseball.

Also I don't buy it at all. There is no reason to think that the Angels actual break even spending limit is right at the salary cap threshold. This team has dropped from the top of the league in payroll to the upper ~20%, spending around the same amount of money despite significant increases in league revenues.

meant to include that last part in my post. Im not saying we "have" to be in the top 5 in payroll, but after the media deal, it should be somewhere close.

If we could afford wells/gmj without the media deal...

Inly reason incould think of is that arte wants to keep the price affordable to sell in the not distant furture...i have a feeling if we had already won a ting on his waych he would have already flipped the team

[Angel Oracle]

Ghost Pujols (with RISP) left me really bitter.

 

$24 million/season might as well be $8 million/season, because that's about all he's worth now.   

[Puget Sound Angel]

We were in contention till the last game of the season. Having suffered through the 70's and most of the 80's with this club, that was when I was really bitter.

[Jay]

lol

[Jimmag]

I am a little depressed knowing that there will be no more games for a while and we came so close with a chance to make playoffs.

In the famous words of Maxwell Smart..."Missed it by that much"

[ten ocho recon scout]

Sounds lame, but i always end up missing terry smith. I know a lot of you guys dont like him, but because of my job i listen to far more games than i watch. So as soon as the season ends and theres no game on when i drive around at work it sucks for the first week or so until i get used to it.

With the hot and cold play on the field, the dipoto drama, the hamilton drama, this is a year that i was ready to end....but now that it has, id take it back with all the warts to still be able to catch some games