The Official 2017-2018 Hot Stove Thread

[VariousCrap]

1 hour ago, krAbs said:

To me, the only explanation here is that they think the Angels got really lucky last year, and have a lot of players (esp. bridwell, their relief, simmons, that kind of player) due to regress.

 

That may be their thinking, but I'd argue that the Angels were very unlucky last year.

[krAbs]

1 minute ago, VariousCrap said:

 

That may be their thinking, but I'd argue that the Angels were very unlucky last year.

I think it depends on your baseball worldview. I agree with you, but I see injuries and flukes and not patterns. If you do see injuries as patterns, then you see a very injury ridden team, who will likely re-injure a lot of pitchers/players, and have a few of their other players come back down to earth. I see a team who got unlucky with injuries last year, but is now healthy and ready to compete, who has a few all-star caliber players who are finding their stride. I think I'm right, but like...I'm clearly biased here. haha

[VariousCrap]

46 minutes ago, krAbs said:

I think it depends on your baseball worldview. I agree with you, but I see injuries and flukes and not patterns. If you do see injuries as patterns, then you see a very injury ridden team, who will likely re-injure a lot of pitchers/players, and have a few of their other players come back down to earth. I see a team who got unlucky with injuries last year, but is now healthy and ready to compete, who has a few all-star caliber players who are finding their stride. I think I'm right, but like...I'm clearly biased here. haha

 

I agree with you on this.

[Angel Oracle]

At this point, the Halos are battling the Twins for the 2nd WC spot.   I'll take it!

[stormngt]

On 3/2/2018 at 11:59 AM, Angel Oracle said:

At this point, the Halos are battling the Twins for the 2nd WC spot.   I'll take it!

At this point the Angeles are battling every other team for a world champioship.

[Warfarin]

1 minute ago, stormngt said:

At this point the Angeles are battling every other team for a world champioship.

The San Diego Padres thank you for your rosy outlook on their chances this season.  

[stormngt]

1 hour ago, Warfarin said:

The San Diego Padres thank you for your rosy outlook on their chances this season.  

It maybe a rosy projection but it us also true.  Everyone is currently tied for first and tied for last.  That's why games are played!  And quite frequently teams outperform and underperform projections

[Docwaukee]

It boils down to run prevention.  Prediction systems don't like our pen at all.  They also dislike our SP and have our top guys throwing very few innings but improved from last year.   Personally think we are 3-4 wins better SP.   I feel like our floor is 85 wins and if a lot goes right, we could be at 95 wins.  I'm still a little concerned about our pen.  Cam and Middleton are going to have to anchor things down and we're gonna need a couple guys to come out of nowhere again.  Like a Jake Jewel, Felix Pena or Luke Bard.  

[WeaverFever]

10 minutes ago, Dochalo said:

It boils down to run prevention.  Prediction systems don't like our pen at all.  They also dislike our SP and have our top guys throwing very few innings but improved from last year.   Personally think we are 3-4 wins better SP.   I feel like our floor is 85 wins and if a lot goes right, we could be at 95 wins.  I'm still a little concerned about our pen.  Cam and Middleton are going to have to anchor things down and we're gonna need a couple guys to come out of nowhere again.  Like a Jake Jewel, Felix Pena or Luke Bard.  

I too am concerned about our pen. It will be interesting to see what happens this year, I’m excited but cautious anything can happen. 

[Warfarin]

5 hours ago, stormngt said:

It maybe a rosy projection but it us also true.  Everyone is currently tied for first and tied for last.  That's why games are played!  And quite frequently teams outperform and underperform projections

Yeah man, I get it, and I do agree with your premise.  Every year, there are surprise teams that no one expected to contend, but yet do anyway.  As you said, "that's why games are played!"  

All that said though, I like how our team is constructed and I like the future of this ball club, with Billy Eppler at the helm.  

[m0nkey]

Mariners close to signing their own Japanese two way player:

 

Ichiro

[Angel Oracle]

Arrieta?   Arrieta?   Arrieta?

[DMVol]

36 minutes ago, Angel Oracle said:

Arrieta?   Arrieta?   Arrieta?

Hope I'm wrong but I just don't see Arte pushing up against or going over the luxury tax.....Chris Russo on MLB radio (who is a nut job but I sometimes listen to him during lunch break) today said Brewers or Nats for Arrieta but called the Angels a wild card....if that's your competition, who knows?  Nats have a big payroll and want to keep Harper...Brewers make some sense but does he really want to go there?

[Angelsfan1984]

Based on how relievers have been getting rocked so far, I bet if we see another week of that we bring in Holland.

[Angel Oracle]

30 minutes ago, DMVol said:

Hope I'm wrong but I just don't see Arte pushing up against or going over the luxury tax.....Chris Russo on MLB radio (who is a nut job but I sometimes listen to him during lunch break) today said Brewers or Nats for Arrieta but called the Angels a wild card....if that's your competition, who knows?  Nats have a big payroll and want to keep Harper...Brewers make some sense but does he really want to go there?

If it's a reasonable enough deal (max years, say 4), then something to consider. 

[ettin]

1 hour ago, m0nkey said:

Mariners close to signing their own Japanese two way player:

 

Ichiro

Otherwise known as the "Poor Man's Shohei Ohtani".

[Tank]

On 3/2/2018 at 8:34 AM, ThomasSutpen said:

Ha how would that call from Eppler to Walker go? Hey Neil you're a great everyday starting player, want to come play 11 games a year for us with an excellent seat from the bench to watch Pujols try to set the record for negative WAR in a season? Hello? Anyone there?

"hi neil. you're guaranteed to play every sunday of a road trip when sosh rolls out his special lineup."

[Troll Daddy]

Hot Stove on second page, yikes 

Rangers go all in with international money on Julio Pablo Martinez OF prospect

[Troll Daddy]

 

[nando714]

1 minute ago, Troll Daddy said:

 

Ha!

[Angel Oracle]

Really Bora$$?

Your anger isn’t appealing.

Are you next going to say that Arrieta will sit it out too?

Heh heh heh

[Troll Daddy]

 

[Angel Oracle]

Cozart >>>> Moustakas.

[mulwin444]

Moustakas has had only two good offensive seasons in his career, is almost 30, has no speed and doesn't really walk.

He and Bora$ overplayed their hand and are trying to pin it on something nebulous like "the market" when, in reality, a smart GM isn't looking at someone like him as a long-term investment unless they desperately need a 3B and there are no other options.

[Vlad27Trout27]

36 minutes ago, Troll Daddy said:

Nope, there are no Red-Flag here. teams are becoming more reasonable and are not going to pay a one-dimensional player, 15+ mil to hit home runs, when they can sign someone else for far cheaper.