Cespedes signs with the Mets

[ScottT]

And because they didn't have much to trade.

[ScottT]

Especially, after trading their best prospect and another decent one for Simmons.

[bloodbrother]

“We’re doing the best we can,” said Moreno, who spoke before serving as Grand Marshall of the Newport Beach Christmas boat parade.

[ten ocho recon scout]

One of the best FA classes in years and the Angels had to bow out due to prior bad commitments. Ouch

not just that, but the most glaring hole is LF...the deepest position in FA this year was LF...several options worth. High dollar, high talent. Mid talent guys like gordon, span, etc. To not sign any is inexcusable.

[floplag]

One of the best FA classes in years and the Angels had to bow out due to prior bad commitments. Ouch

 

No we didnt have to, we chose to.   big difference. 

[ispy45]

We had no shot at Cespedes because he wanted to be a Met. We would have been used for leverage. The same could be said with Heyward with the Cubs. Upton maybe not...

Edited January 23, 2016 by ispy45

[Stradling]

Especially, after trading their best prospect and another decent one for Simmons.

I'm not bashing the trade even though it was an overpay, mainly because I really like Simmons. That being said, having that as the first move of the offseason made it feel like we were going big this offseason.

[bloodbrother]

Well, when Arte comes out and says that the big name OFers aren't guys they're willing to go over the threshold for, it eliminates the mid-tier guys in one fell swoop as well. If Upton, Heyward, Gordon, or Cespedes aren't good enough for them to justify going over the threshold, then the lesser players certainly wouldn't be either.

[Ohtaniland]

I was wrong. I was pretty sure the Angels would get one of the top four free agent outfielders. You know, because they have a top five? local television contract... and because left field was a gaping hole. Silly me.

When Arte decided to invest $100M on 4 players in one season Weaver, Pujols, Wilson and Hamilton he knew that he had already gone "all in" and that he had to pay 21 more rostered players with only about $75M left in the budget.

He gambled on those players to win and they didn't. Now Eppler has to clear the rubble.

[ScottT]

I'm not bashing the trade even though it was an overpay, mainly because I really like Simmons. That being said, having that as the first move of the offseason made it feel like we were going big this offseason.

 

Exactly.  Except I'm not sure it was an overpay. Seems pretty fair.  

[bloodbrother]

Gonna laugh if Cespedes opts out after this season and then the Angels go and give him an even more ridiculous contract next year since they'll finally have some money to spend.

 

Oh, and he'll actually have the draft pick compensation attached to him next year so they'll end up losing their 1st round pick once they do sign him.

Edited January 23, 2016 by bloodbrother

[ScottT]

When Arte decided to invest $100M on 4 players in one season Weaver, Pujols, Wilson and Hamilton he knew that he had already gone "all in" and that he had to pay 21 more rostered players with only about $75M left in the budget.

He gambled on those players to win and they didn't. Now Eppler has to clear the rubble.

 

When Arte signed a $2,500,000,000 tv deal, it came with expectations.  

 

When Arte signed a drug addict, it came with risks. If you are going to dump that guy for nothing when he relapses... most do at some point...   and you guarantee him $125 million...   lol.   

[Stradling]

We had no shot at Cespedes because he wanted to be a Met. We would have been used for leverage. The same could be said with Heyward with the Cubs. Upton maybe not...

He wants to be a Met so bad he has an opt out after year one.

[Inside Pitch]

When Arte decided to invest $100M on 4 players in one season Weaver, Pujols, Wilson and Hamilton he knew that he had already gone "all in" and that he had to pay 21 more rostered players with only about $75M left in the budget.

He gambled on those players to win and they didn't. Now Eppler has to clear the rubble.

This is pretty much what it is.  They will be frugal til Hamilton is off the books then reconsider their course.   Let's see how they draft and what they do once they can spend money on international players again.

Edited January 23, 2016 by Inside Pitch

[Docwaukee]

Gonna laugh if Cespedes opts out after this season and then the Angels go and give him an even more ridiculous contract next year since they'll finally have some money to spend.

 

Oh, and he'll actually have the draft pick compensation attached to him next year so they'll end up losing their 1st round pick once they do sign him.

the Angels can't lose a protected pick.  

[Ohtaniland]

When Arte signed a $2,500,000,000 tv deal, it came with expectations.

When Arte signed a drug addict, it came with risks. If you are going to dump that guy for nothing when he relapses... most do at some point... and you guarantee him $125 million... lol.

When Arte overpaid several players he certainly had expectations from them. He wanted a championship and he didn't get it. At the very least they should've given Arte more postseason appearances. Geez he spent a ton of money on these guys only to watch them underachieve right before his eyes. Let's face it, he signed the wrong players and now he's paying for it.

[bloodbrother]

When Arte overpaid several players he certainly had expectations from them. He wanted a championship and he didn't get it. At the very least they should've given Arte more postseason appearances. Geez he spent a ton of money on these guys only to watch them underachieve right before his eyes. Let's face it, he signed the wrong players and now he's paying for it.

 

He's paying for it and so are the fans. Hopefully they'll be in better shape by 2018 once the smoke clears from the prior money burning

[Docwaukee]

Well, when Arte comes out and says that the big name OFers aren't guys they're willing to go over the threshold for, it eliminates the mid-tier guys in one fell swoop as well. If Upton, Heyward, Gordon, or Cespedes aren't good enough for them to justify going over the threshold, then the lesser players certainly wouldn't be either.

because for Arte, it's all about the player.  the one guy.  It doesn't matter that the team could benefit from a well rounded collection of boring guys that just play good ball.  

[ScottT]

When Arte overpaid several players he certainly had expectations from them. He wanted a championship and he didn't get it. At the very least they should've given Arte more postseason appearances. Geez he spent a ton of money on these guys only to watch them underachieve right before his eyes. Let's face it, he signed the wrong players and now he's paying for it.

 

When Fox overpaid Arte for the rights to televise Angels games, I didn't think he'd end up saying this...

 

 

 

"It's the economics"

 

"We're doing the best we can"

 

 

 

No, you aren't, sir. 

[Inside Pitch]

He's paying for it and so are the fans. Hopefully they'll be in better shape by 2018 once the smoke clears from the prior money burning

 

The fans don't have to pay for it -- they can stay home.   Agreed on hoping for the best til 2018.

[bloodbrother]

Sure hope we won't be looking back at the Trout years as the era where the Angels brain trust mismanaged the hell out of it and ruined a golden chance with a once in a generational talent....the best talent that this franchise has ever developed. Have through 2020 and 2016 already doesn't look very promising

[Inside Pitch]

Sure hope we won't be looking back at the Trout years as the era where the Angels brain trust mismanaged the hell out of it and ruined a golden chance with a once in a generational talent....the best talent that this franchise has ever developed. Have through 2020 and 2016 already doesn't look very promising

 

Beyond Moreno, which brain trust?  The one that painted us into the corner and pissed away four years of minor league development time or the one that inherited this mess?

[Docwaukee]

When Arte overpaid several players he certainly had expectations from them. He wanted a championship and he didn't get it. At the very least they should've given Arte more postseason appearances. Geez he spent a ton of money on these guys only to watch them underachieve right before his eyes. Let's face it, he signed the wrong players and now he's paying for it.

We're paying for it and so are the rest of the players on the team including the best player in baseball.  

 

I keep getting the sense from you that you think Arte has learned from his previous mistakes.  He didn't profess to allocating resources to player development and scouting from this point forward.  He's basically said that he's just not gonna spend.  Not because he doesn't think it's a good idea but because he just doesn't want to shell out the cash. If he had it, he'd spend it.  

 

Trading prospects and club controlled players is an expense to the team.  Maybe not this year or the next, but eventually.  

 

If he had learned, he'd be encouraging the front office to preserve the farm talent.  In fact, it's been quite the opposite.  

[ScottT]

Besides Grichuk, who did Dipoto trade that is worth a damn?    And we'll see how long that lasts. 

[bloodbrother]

Beyond Moreno, which brain trust?  The one that painted us into the corner and pissed away four years of minor league development time or the one that inherited this mess?

 

Mostly meant Moreno. We'll never know how much he spear-headed the Pujols and Hamilton deals, though we can venture a guess that it was pretty substantial. Eppler is only a few months into the job, we have no idea if he's going to end up being any good as a GM. For the sake of this franchise, they better hope he is. The Trout window is already 4 years in and they've accomplished 0 postseason wins to show for it. They have 5 years remaining on it and 2016 already looks pretty murky. 2017 is hard to predict since it's another full year away but the same glaring needs this team has this year will still be there heading into 2017. The FA market next offseason is pretty much a barren wasteland so the educated guess there is that they won't be finding much help in FA for another year