2018 Hot Stove League

[Angel Oracle]

2 minutes ago, HaloNArizona said:

Verlander has lowered his ERA by almost a run in the last 1-1/2 years and posted a career best in K's and WHIP.

Exactly, and that's why unless new pitching coach White is bringing that same acumen with him from Houston, I would expect a lot of pitchers to regress if leaving Houston for the Halos. 

Piggy backing on tot's post, maybe Machete wouldn't be such a bad re-acquisition.   Yeah, I know I've said that re-acquisitions don't work out a lot of the time.   Maybe Machete plus White = pitchers here improving considerably?      Granted, Machete's bat has some work to do.

[aznhockeyguy]

11 minutes ago, totdprods said:

It’s great news. Sucks that the Angels didn’t get him, but he’s out of the division and didn’t sign with the Yankees or Red Sox.

I'm only commentating that the Rays of all teams signed a good free agent.  I don't think they've ever done that, as they usually don't pay market rate for premium free agents and/or go bargain hunting. 

[Make Angels Great Again]

1 hour ago, HaloNArizona said:

This should scare you....

 Over-reaction for a non piece for us.  

 

Why? He obviously made a change mechanically that made him more successful.

It's not an over reaction when pretty much every good option keeps flying off the board while Eppler sits on his hands.

[TroutField]

29 minutes ago, Make Angels Great Again said:

 

Why? He obviously made a change mechanically that made him more successful.

It's not an over reaction when pretty much every good option keeps flying off the board while Eppler sits on his hands.

This is stupid, how do you know this? Everything I have read so far has been that the angels have been pretty heavily involved with the SP market. No starter has signed for a contract I would feel comfortable handing out except for Morton. And he said straight up he wants to play closer to his home in Delaware, so that ruled out west coast teams. 

[UndertheHalo]

There’s also still plenty of good options on the market.  It just sucks to wait. 

[Second Base]

Now Lance Lynn off the board, which was another good target.

[ukyah]

3 minutes ago, Second Base said:

Now Lance Lynn off the board, which was another good target.

three years?

weird market.

[UndertheHalo]

Lance Lynn went pretty cheap.....things are moving.  

[Pancake Bear]

What FA's are left who might be targeted?

Ones I can think of:

- Keuchel (Probably not, for a number of reasons)

- Gio Gonzalez (Possible)

- Trevor Cahill (Maybe)

- Kikuchi (Also possible)

Might be more likely to see action on the trade market, though. Seems like there's a fair number of possibilities there who may not cost a ton. 

[totdprods]

Shit, Tanner Roark woulda been nice.

[m0nkey]

Tanner got traded for Tanner

[SlappyUtilityMIF]

This Winter Meetings has been Bouring!!!!!

[Second Base]

Just about every pitcher signed so far would've been nice. I hope this means Eppler has better targets in mind, and not the fact that we're standing pat when we should be moving. 

[CDiaz27?]

3 hours ago, Angel Oracle said:

+1

Something causes pitchers to succeed more in Houston, than elsewhere, and it seems to go beyond just them being a really good team.   Pitchers undergo ridiculous improvement there.   Cole, Morton, Fiers, and even Verlander 

It’s the switch they have their pitchers doing by throwing 4seam fastballs only, and they stay up in the zone most of the time. Houston also has their guys throwing a lot of curveballs, they try to start their curves and fastballs at the same plane and level so it’s harder to spot versus a slider or change that dies downward as soon as it’s released. Trevor Bauer spoke on this and even reinvented his arsenal using those same changes last off season which contributed to a lot of his success this past offseason. Looking at Verlander and Cole and Morton they all have similar stuff and they utilize it the same. I’m sure there’s other data they have but It worked for Houston so props to them.

[totdprods]

8 minutes ago, Second Base said:

Just about every pitcher signed so far would've been nice. I hope this means Eppler has better targets in mind, and not the fact that we're standing pat when we should be moving. 

Again, it’s a two way street. None of these guys have struck me as an obvious “Oh we shoulda/coulda beat that” pitching signing yet.

Three years for Lynn is too much. Morton wanted the east coast. Six, location, and the money for Corbin likewise (who we did try for) as well as Eovaldi’s (also in on).

[Second Base]

1 minute ago, totdprods said:

Again, it’s a two way street. None of these guys have struck me as an obvious “Oh we shoulda/coulda beat that” pitching signing yet.

Three years for Lynn is too much. Morton wanted the east coast. Six, location, and the money for Corbin likewise (who we did try for) as well as Eovaldi’s (also in on).

Agreed. I'm just really hoping this means the Angels will be landing Kikuchi.

[Chuck]

39 minutes ago, totdprods said:

Shit, Tanner Roark woulda been nice.

Roark had a 4.50 ERA over 361 2/3 innings in his last two seasons with the Nats in the NL. 

I've never been a big fan to be honest. 

[VariousCrap]

44 minutes ago, Sean-Regan said:

What FA's are left who might be targeted?

Ones I can think of:

- Keuchel (Probably not, for a number of reasons)

- Gio Gonzalez (Possible)

- Trevor Cahill (Maybe)

- Kikuchi (Also possible)

Might be more likely to see action on the trade market, though. Seems like there's a fair number of possibilities there who may not cost a ton. 

I'd love to see the Angels shock everyone again this year and get Kikuchi.

[Stradling]

Just now, VariousCrap said:

I'd love to see the Angels shock everyone again this year and get Kikuchi.

I basically expect the Angels to sign Kikuchi and Ramos.  

[totdprods]

16 minutes ago, Chuckster70 said:

Roark had a 4.50 ERA over 361 2/3 innings in his last two seasons with the Nats in the NL. 

I've never been a big fan to be honest. 

Still a whole hell of a lot better than our #4-5 production 2 (3?) of the last 3 years. And the cost looks like it was basically Jake Jewell.

[totdprods]

Fabian Ardaya

 

The Angels are “ready to go,” Billy Eppler said. “Multiple” offers on the table.

[rafibomb]

3 minutes ago, totdprods said:

Fabian Ardaya

 

The Angels are “ready to go,” Billy Eppler said. “Multiple” offers on the table.

[totdprods]

He did say on trent rush’s podcast the other day that Wednesday always seemed like that “oh shit, it’s already Wednesday let’s finish something” day.

[Lou]

20 minutes ago, totdprods said:

He did say on trent rush’s podcast the other day that Wednesday always seemed like that “oh shit, it’s already Wednesday let’s finish something” day.

who's trent rush? 

[totdprods]

6 minutes ago, Lou said:

who's trent rush? 

Some KLAA dude. Eppler was on the other day for 45 minutes.