Justin Morneau

[tomsred]

Albert Pujols is not going to play more than 80 games at first base next year. He has not played more than 120 games at first as an Angel.

First base is a huge need, and Cron is absolutely terrible there. I think Morneau would be a great pick up.

 

Okay, I need some help with this one.  Cron last year had 385 chances, he made 6 errors, and his fielding percentage is .986.  He has a range factor of 4.00 whatever that means.  Where does that rank among major league first basemen?    I should have looked up Mourneau for comparison before posting this, I will do that and edit this post.

 

Okay, I looked it up, Mourneau does look better.  He handled 397 chances, made 1 error, .997 fielding percentage, and his range factor was 8.64.  That's pretty good, yes?  So the big thing with Mourneau, he needs to stay healthy?  It's great that he's a lefty.

 

Here's Pujols by the way.  He handled 778 chances, made 5 errors, had a .994 fielding percentage, and a range factor of 4.89.

 

Okay, you guys convinced me, Mourneau does look like a good option, especially with Simmons at short.  Maybe we should sign Mourneau and trade Cron for a second baseman?

Edited November 15, 2015 by tomsred

[wopphil]

I don't know what the Fangraphs stats say about Cron, but I know that he gave me 6 near heart attacks and 4.5 kicked dogs.

[totdprods]

And if we sign an OFer who is capable of spelling Trout in center, that allows us to use *another* 1B/DH type off bench.

Especially if we roll with the kids in 3B, 2B, and C, having a bat like Morneau avail to PH late in game and replace Pujols at first comes in handy.

And if Pujols or Cron go down, we'd have a really solid back-up.

[Hollyw00d]

Just 4 seasons into the pujols contract and first base is already a huge need.

Amazing

[tomsred]

Just 4 seasons into the pujols contract and first base is already a huge need.

Amazing

 

I don't think it's that amazing.  Pujols was never going to play 10 more years at that position, and I doubt that anyone thought that would be the case.  I think the plan was to transition him to DH at some point earlier.  Let's say he plays half the games this year at first base, and maybe 1/3 in 2017, then two years at DH.  The last two years of his contract are probably still up in the air, he could retire after 2019.  

 

As far as first base being a huge need, we're talking about filling it with Mourneau and/or Cron, that's not a huge expense, and isn't as huge a need as LF, 2B, relief pitching or a 1-2 type starter. 

[tomsred]

I see your point, but I think instead of ranking particular needs, it should be viewed in a broader sense. Like....

1. Improve the offense - doesn't matter so much how, as long as it's done.

2. Create more bullpen depth. Whether this means internal options stepping up, trading for RP or buying them matters little.

3. Front of the rotation starter.

As for any players that could help, there's no sure thing, but the top two candidates you wouldn't have expected are Chad Hinshaw or Alex Yarbrough. I wouldn't count on either, but if it did happen, it will have made sense to me. Chad is fast, pretty solid plate discipline, just enough pop and plays outstanding defense. He could be a difference maker late in games with the potential for more in the future. As for Alex, before last year he was a good hitter, could run just enough and had grown into a very good defender at 2B. I'm hoping he just had some weird off year in AAA. If that's the case, and we didn't bring in another option at 2B, Yarbrough has every bit the talent to be our starting 2B.

Far outside shot, Sherman Johnson and Bo Way. Sherman plays decent defense, and can take a walk and can run. Just not much of a hitter. Way has an outside shot at being a 4th OF later in the year.

 

That's a good idea to view the needs in a broader sense as well, because you can't control the manner and timing  in which the opportunities come to you as well.

 

Also, that's a good idea to view the needs in a broader sense, because you really can't control the order in which the opportunities come to you to improve.

Of course, this is all excluding Navarro, Cowart, Kubitza and Bandy.

 

 

Thanks for the info Scotty.  It would be terrific to see Yarbrough bounce back with the bat this year at AAA.  I've seen Sherman Johnson play, I see the upside.  I haven't seen Hinshaw or Way play, I'll have to pay more attention to those guys.

Edited November 15, 2015 by tomsred

[ELEVEN]

He should have never been up here last year at all. Do I think he's hopeless for all time, no. He has some basic raw skills that need minor league development, then he might be emergency filler.

i would like to see if he can make it out of High A ball first.

[totdprods]

1B is far from a huge need. We're talking basically a bat off the bench who would be an insurance policy at 1B or DH, who also happens to fill the need of being a left-handed power presence with OBP skills and a good glove.

If anything, it demonstrates how important Pujols still is - if that in the event of him getting hurt again or taking awhile to come back, there's at least a hopeful replacement in the wings - be it Cron or Jaso/Morneau to fill either's role, and not relying on Efren Navarro as a starter for a month on a team going all in. That need would be heightened if we wind up proceeding with Gia, Perez, and Kubitza/Cowart at 3B.

As thin as the farm is, and with the 2nd wild card keeping more teams in play, the last thing the Angels need to do is be needing to fill a position in June. If that happens, we're leaning on a razor-thin farm or overpaying via trade with what little is left.

Edited November 15, 2015 by totdprods

[Brent Maguire]

I wouldn't mind Morneau if you could trade Cron for a 2B/3B/LF or a reliever and a prospect. Cron gives the team power for cheap but I'm very wary of him playing near 100 games at 1B for this team. He is not a good defender. 

[totdprods]

Cron + a SP (Shoe, Santiago, Wilson, or Trop) would probably bring back a decent young bat for a position of need too, maybe another pen arm as well.

[Vegas Halo Fan]

I don't know what the Fangraphs stats say about Cron, but I know that he gave me 6 near heart attacks and 4.5 kicked dogs.

 

You will have to enlighten me on how you picked up the 0.5 kicked dog.

[tomsred]

You will have to enlighten me on how you picked up the 0.5 kicked dog.

 

He swung with his foot, and missed, scared the hell out of the pup.

[Second Base]

Also, it should be noted that Cron really improved with the glove last yer. In the minors, he may have been the worst defensive 1B I've ever seen besides David Ortiz or Edgar Martinez that one time. Now, his range is pretty solid, he's a big target and has done a reasonable job with the scoops. I think he's grown into a "passable" 1B in much the same way that Freese was a "passable" 3B.

[ELEVEN]

The ball is more passable than Cron's glove is.

[Tank]

You will have to enlighten me on how you picked up the 0.5 kicked dog.

 

it was a pomeranian.

[tomsred]

Also, it should be noted that Cron really improved with the glove last yer. In the minors, he may have been the worst defensive 1B I've ever seen besides David Ortiz or Edgar Martinez that one time. Now, his range is pretty solid, he's a big target and has done a reasonable job with the scoops. I think he's grown into a "passable" 1B in much the same way that Freese was a "passable" 3B.

 

Interesting that you say that Scotty.  He did look to improve some as the season wore on and he got regular playing time.  He is a lot like Freese, kind of naturally clumsy if you know what I mean.  To me the most intriguing thing about him is his hitting of course, could he seriously ever hit 35-45 home runs in a season?  He actually had some really big hits for us late in the season.  His overall numbers were scewed down by a terrible start, then they sent him down and he came back a little wiser.

[Slegnaac]

It will be interesting to see who bats 4th if Albert is on the IR to start the season.

[Second Base]

Interesting that you say that Scotty.  He did look to improve some as the season wore on and he got regular playing time.  He is a lot like Freese, kind of naturally clumsy if you know what I mean.  To me the most intriguing thing about him is his hitting of course, could he seriously ever hit 35-45 home runs in a season?  He actually had some really big hits for us late in the season.  His overall numbers were scewed down by a terrible start, then they sent him down and he came back a little wiser.

I'm a big believer in Cron, but even I don't know what he'll turn into. I watched him more than anyone not named Richards, Trout and Calhoun. I studied his swing, approach, adjustments. After the first year at IE, I saw him a bit overwhelmed by the advancement in pitching, and he reverted back to what he knew best, which is swing hard and hit the ball far. It worked, but I knew he'd need to adjust at the upper level. He got to AA and in April-July, he looked to be stalled in his development. He wasn't hitting HR's, was chasing pitches, making weakcontact. But then in August, he began working on using the whole field and working the count. It was slow, subtle, didn't show up in the box score. He went to the AFL and something turned. He started mashing more than anyone other than Kris Bryant.

Cron should've never been in AAA, the environment makes it so that there's no difference in any approach for him,it all results in him at 2B or rounding them in a trot. He got to the majors and again, the pitching was too good for him to deploy his more refined approach. So he again reverted to mashing everything. It worked in his first go around, but then pitchers adjusted. The beginning of last year showed what happens to Cron when he's overmatched. He went back down to AAA, and same thing approach, pull everything and put itin the air. Quite frankly, he never should've been promoted back to the majors. There wasn't adjustment other than he was seeing the ball a little better. But the Angels had no choice.

Once he came back up, it was Scioscia of all people that diagnosed his flaw and came up with a pan to manage it. It wasn't enough to hit the ball the other way. Scioscia made him hit EVERY ball, no swings and misses, down the first base side. No matter where it was pitched. He did this for a good week straight and made sure CJ used those exact swing mechanics. It was about staying "inside" the pitch. You're putting two eyes on the ball, your front shoulder is staying in, your hips don't fly until the hands are out front. We saw CJ developed a knack for hit and run plays, and shooting the ball through the holes when he's fooled. When he isn't, he hits the ball far.

Now as for CJ himself, if he's truly past the pull happy days of past, he might be realy good. But we've seen twice now. When he's overwhelmed, he reverts. Scioscia developed a technique to help keep him grounded in game, but forcing hit and runs. If he is fixed, CJ is going to hit .280 with 30 HR's. If not, bench. One thing I particularly like though, is that his HR's, he's stopped loading up completely. In the minors, when he had a pitch to drive, he'd put all he had into it and hit a few nearly 500 feet. Now, he tends to get some backspin and sort of just lay it up about 410 feet.

[tomsred]

Good stuff Scotty.  I heard the Scioscia adjustment story in summary form earlier this year.  I think Terry Smith was talking about it on the radio.  I enjoyed the early part of your story, I didn't see much of him at the beginning of his career.

[Second Base]

Beginning of his career, I'll admit, his BP sessions were a lot more entertaining.  To see him depositing balls into parts of the stadium rarely reached before (no way it would've translated though).  It's actually what really drove his stock up, because when he was selected for the Future's Game, he put on a show at BP the day before.  I mean he just started driving balls 450+ feet to dead-center.  Scouts really are isolated sometimes.  Eveyone knew Cron was a big boy, and assumed he'd be a cleanup hitter type.  But once scouts and coaches from other teams got to see him hit in person, Jerry's phone began ringing off the hook.  It really sped up the timeline.  Jerry kind of had to make a choice between Cron or Trumbo, or risk one losing value and not being able to get anything in return.  I think they more intended to cross that bridge in 2014 or 2015 instead.  Had Trumbo performed better in 2013, Cron would've been dealt because his value was a bit higher after the Future's Game.  But Trumbo kind of tanked it in terms of BA/OBP, and Jerry had managed to pry both Santiago and Skaggs loose, which was a huge win for him. 

[Second Base]

Of course, all of this is from the old regime, when I was privy to more information on the side.  Anybody I actually knew that worked for the Angels has since moved on. 

[Angel Oracle]

I'd rather find an experienced utility guy who can play LF, RF, and 1B.

[tomsred]

I'd rather find an experienced utility guy who can play LF, RF, and 1B.

 

That might be a rare combination, because first baseman usually don't have the speed to cover LF and RF, or the agility required for that matter.

[Rico]

That might be a rare combination, because first baseman usually don't have the speed to cover LF and RF, or the agility required for that matter.

Bring back Erstad!