Latest on Garret Richards

[Angelsjunky]

Seems positive.

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2016/09/latest-on-angels-garrett-richards.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+MlbTradeRumors+(MLB+Trade+Rumors)

[mulwin444]

Just read DiGiovanni's tweet before you posted.  Good to hear at the very least.  Richards, Shoemaker, and Skaggs is a solid starting point for a rotation

[tdawg87]

If he pitches in 2017 I will wax my taint.

[DMVol]

It's not just can he pitch in 2017.....can he also be effective?......Tough deal physically and mentally....

[Docwaukee]

23 minutes ago, tdawg87 said:

If he pitches in 2017 I will wax my taint.

why would that be unusual?  

[tdawg87]

I shave it with the cat hair trimmer.

[Docwaukee]

1 minute ago, tdawg87 said:

I shave it with the cat hair trimmer.

so you treat it like a pussy?  

[eligrba4ever]

ALBERT BOMB!!!! 1-0 Angels. You're gonna need a few more, guys.

Oops. About 60 minutes back, I forgot which thread I was in. Pardon the interruption.

Carry on about the taint.

[Docwaukee]

It might sound like hyperbole, but the entire 2017 essentially rests in the arm of Garret Richards.  

[Angelsjunky]

56 minutes ago, tdawg87 said:

If he pitches in 2017 I will wax my taint.

We're going to need proof.

[Angelsjunky]

7 minutes ago, Dochalo said:

It might sound like hyperbole, but the entire 2017 essentially rests in the arm of Garret Richards.  

Yeah, that's kind of true. If Richards is healthy, and Shoemaker comes back OK, and Skaggs takes a step forward, all of a sudden the Angels have a solid 1-2-3. I think that's kind of the baseline for possible contention: you really need (at least) three starters that can throw quality starts more often then not. Nolasco is decent enough as an innings eater, then you have a rotating cast of Meyer, Banuelos, and Oberholtzer vieing for that 5th spot.

Where is Banuelos, anyway?

[mulwin444]

5 minutes ago, Angelsjunky said:

Yeah, that's kind of true. If Richards is healthy, and Shoemaker comes back OK, and Skaggs takes a step forward, all of a sudden the Angels have a solid 1-2-3. I think that's kind of the baseline for possible contention: you really need (at least) three starters that can throw quality starts more often then not. Nolasco is decent enough as an innings eater, then you have a rotating cast of Meyer, Banuelos, and Oberholtzer vieing for that 5th spot.

Where is Banuelos, anyway?

My understanding is Banuelos has been shut down for the resr of the year and will get things ramped up again in the winter

[Oz27]

2 hours ago, Dochalo said:

It might sound like hyperbole, but the entire 2017 essentially rests in the arm of Garret Richards.  

His return is so crucial to the future of our franchise. I don't think he will lift us into the playoffs next year, not even close. But if he comes back, looks healthy and returns to form he becomes an enormous trade chip which was otherwise lost.

[Second Base]

2 hours ago, Dochalo said:

It might sound like hyperbole, but the entire 2017 essentially rests in the arm of Garret Richards.  

Not sure I'd go that far. Even if Richards is in ace form, there still a lot that needs to go right.

1. Skaggs and Meyer need to pitch up to their ability.

2. Shoe pitches like he did this year.

3. Nolasco needs to pitch like he is right now, it like last time he was at home in So Cal with the Dodgers.

4. Bedrock, Street, Valdez and possibly Alcantara Paredes and Middleton all need to come in and shut the opposition down.

5. Cron needs to stay healthy.

6. We need at 2B and a LF.

Of those six things, I can optimistically see 4 going right. And so even the optimist in me says the Angels won't compete in 2017. But 2019 sounds promising. I figure Thaiss, Jones, Hermosillo etc... will all be up by then.

[Docwaukee]

1 hour ago, ScottyA_MWAH said:

Not sure I'd go that far. Even if Richards is in ace form, there still a lot that needs to go right.

1. Skaggs and Meyer need to pitch up to their ability.

2. Shoe pitches like he did this year.

3. Nolasco needs to pitch like he is right now, it like last time he was at home in So Cal with the Dodgers.

4. Bedrock, Street, Valdez and possibly Alcantara Paredes and Middleton all need to come in and shut the opposition down.

5. Cron needs to stay healthy.

6. We need at 2B and a LF.

Of those six things, I can optimistically see 4 going right. And so even the optimist in me says the Angels won't compete in 2017. But 2019 sounds promising. I figure Thaiss, Jones, Hermosillo etc... will all be up by then.

It changes your entire off season approach in my opinion.  There is mild hope.  He's a #1.  Maybe not the 'ace' that people want him to be, but he's a true top of the rotation starter.  A game changer for any rotation and with Shoe, Skaggs, and Meyer in tow, a reason to add someone else like Nova.  A reason to add a 2bman and a LFer.  A reason to revamp the pen.  Maybe it's just me, but I feel like 2017 isn't an utter lost cause if Garrett is healthy.  It's still going to take a significant off season to give me reasonable hope.  But without Garrett, there is just zero chance.  

[arch stanton]

If Garrett is healthy then loading up the pen can go a long way toward getting back those 20 wins they need just to be competitive.

[tdawg87]

I hope Eppler doesn't have any peanut allergies.

I also hope he's OK with getting the occasional pinkeye.

[Second Base]

9 hours ago, Dochalo said:

It changes your entire off season approach in my opinion.  There is mild hope.  He's a #1.  Maybe not the 'ace' that people want him to be, but he's a true top of the rotation starter.  A game changer for any rotation and with Shoe, Skaggs, and Meyer in tow, a reason to add someone else like Nova.  A reason to add a 2bman and a LFer.  A reason to revamp the pen.  Maybe it's just me, but I feel like 2017 isn't an utter lost cause if Garrett is healthy.  It's still going to take a significant off season to give me reasonable hope.  But without Garrett, there is just zero chance.  

In the middle of reading that I had "preach it!" and "Amen reverend" going through my mind. 

I will join you in that optimism. Maybe, just maybe having Richards back and 40-50 million coming off the books might mean we get ourselves at 2B and a LF along with some pitching. I just hope Eppler's investments prove to be more fruitful than Dipoto's were.

More than likely, I think Eppler will go the inexpensive yet proven route for a LF. Pearce of Coghlan, but if we're lucky, Fowler. I don't picture us being in on Cespedes. Too much money, too much commitment. I don't think we'll be in on Neil Walker either. I think they'll try some variation of Cowart, Pennington, Johnson. And as for starting pitchers, I wouldn't jump headfirst into this market. I like the idea of Nate Smith, Manny Banuelos, Chris O'Grady, Kyle McGowin, Troy Scribner, Alex Blackford, Jordan Kipper or Grayson Long better. I think if those 8 options, there are at least 1-2 #4-5 starters in there.

[arch stanton]

I really think if they can get 110+ healthy starts from Richards, Skaggs, Shoe, and Nolasco or any other reliable innings eater then Eppler can concentrate on building a bullpen and they can aspire to 90 wins.

[Glen]

9 hours ago, Dochalo said:

It changes your entire off season approach in my opinion.  There is mild hope.  He's a #1.  Maybe not the 'ace' that people want him to be, but he's a true top of the rotation starter.  A game changer for any rotation and with Shoe, Skaggs, and Meyer in tow, a reason to add someone else like Nova.  A reason to add a 2bman and a LFer.  A reason to revamp the pen.  Maybe it's just me, but I feel like 2017 isn't an utter lost cause if Garrett is healthy.  It's still going to take a significant off season to give me reasonable hope.  But without Garrett, there is just zero chance.  

 

All I have is gut instinct to back me up, but I think that if we sign Nova he'll revert to 2014-2015 Nova.  He's a huge risk.  I am intrigued by his name, though.  Four letters in both his first and last name, and three of them are the same.  That's an unusual occurrence.

[Tank]

14 hours ago, Angelsjunky said:

We're going to need proof.

No, we aren't.

[totdprods]

53 minutes ago, Glen said:

 

All I have is gut instinct to back me up, but I think that if we sign Nova he'll revert to 2014-2015 Nova.  He's a huge risk.  I am intrigued by his name, though.  Four letters in both his first and last name, and three of them are the same.  That's an unusual occurrence.

He was coming back from TJ around that time. It looks like he came back really quickly too. 

He won't cost a draft pick, he is an extreme groundball pitcher (good for Simmons) and he's turned things around in Pittsburgh under Searage, who did comparably badass work with guys like Liriano, Volquez, Happ, etc. I think he'd be  a good fit. 

[tdawg87]

25 minutes ago, Tank said:

No, we aren't.

You're getting it regardless.

[Tank]

7 minutes ago, tdawg87 said:

You're getting it regardless.

I'm going to need a safe space. How far is it to Yale?

[Blarg]

Don't go to UC Irvine, they will stick a pacifier in your mouth and tell you to go to your room and pout.

http://www.breitbart.com/milo/2016/06/02/uci-college-republicans-distribute-pacifiers-safe-space-dwelling-liberals/