Inside Pitch

Wasn't trying to misquote you. Sorry if I misunderstood what you wrote LOL.. The Cubs plan took 7 years, and five 87+ loss seasons to get them back to the postseason. The Astros plan took 10 years and seven 86+ loss seasons to get there. Please enlighten me -- why is that a better plan than what Eppler is doing? Does being a bigger loser for longer make you a better winner? Beyond that -- the Cubs and Astros model can't really be replicated anymore, the draft and international game has been completely redone IMO as much to deter teams from doing the full tank job as it was to create better balance. The fact is you're ignorant of the plan and not a case of there not being one. Right now it's looking like the team is well of ahead of where ANYONE could have hoped for at this point -- they have gotten incredibly lucky with some picks, seen some guys rise that NOBODY saw coming and have restored organizational depth at the lower levels. David Fletcher and Luis Rengifo alone have made for a rapid organizational improvement and neither one of them is really thought of as one of our best prospects. You're looking at the MLB team and doing your usual kneejerk reaction then applying it to the franchise as a whole.. there is nothing new in your take. But the situation is a lot better off than they were last year and that would be true even if they had a worse record than last years (they don't). As hard as it for some to believe the window is opening, not closing... What is it you care more about -- the team building a winner with Mike Trout or the team not looking stupid? I have no clue what Trout is thinking, nobody here does. But Im willing to bet he is more clued in to where this team is going than anyone on this board. Gutting the long term health of the franchise to try "pretend" they are trying is easily the worst thing this team could do. The "non plan" is coming together.. Trust the process.

Angels have had success with guys from Grand Canyon University... Chad Curtis and Tim Salmon.

Matt Shoemaker off the top of my head. Check this list from last year of the ALL TIME undrafteds... https://www.mlb.com/news/all-undrafted-team-includes-many-star-players/c-236581256

More talking -- but still no vote. Meow.... It's hilarious that you talk about them going Cubs and Astros -- you're the same guy that said he couldn't get into the Angels when you were a kid because why bother (they were bad). You couldn't handle a full rebuild.. I mean, you are having a meltdown in June.

They got caught ripping off kids and lost the faith of everyone on the Island... The handlers and everyone else just wanted no part of the Angels because they felt they were dirty and couldn't be trusted. The carryover from the Daniels fiasco was pretty ugly.

Someone is talking but not casting a vote for Dipoto.... Why is that?

Bingo....

I'm not at all salty -- I just think it's hilarious that people like you have been talking Jerry up lately is all. A large part of why the Angels are where they are go right back to the guy you're E-blowing. But I understand some people can't see the forest for the trees so, it's cool. As far as the rest of your commentary... You're absolutely right, it's an uphill climb and the M's have outplayed the Angels. Props to them and as I said -- hopefully their 2018 plays out better than our 2014.

Plenty of room on that bandwagon, a reunion with JD may be just what you need. I hope the M's 2018 ends better for them than our 2014 because they are staring down the same fate.

No limit. They are basically free agents.

... God help me I will stab Scioscia....

Read the article on Reyes .... The guy's insurance ran out so he rehabbed himself watching Youtube videos.... Its ridiculous.

Holy crap -- what a read.

Man -- that article is really painting a great picture of how deep the Angels current front office is scouting. Dude was a total nobody who didn't even log 10 innings this year .... Was throwing 80 MPH in HS now in the 90s.. Absolute project but there might be something there.

http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/profile.asp?ID=187362 Little dude, 5'9, 165 LBs.. School bio page https://purpleeagles.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=5773 SS -- 6'0, 200 LBs, went .351/.435/.662 with 18 SBs in 20 attempts... School bio page https://uisprairiestars.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=1591

I think it takes a special breed. Look no further than Maldonado and the story that when he heard the Angels had acquired Ohtani he asked for all the scouting/game video they had on hand in order to get more familiar with his newest pitcher. Thats a level of dedication that isn't necessary at any other position. In Ward's case it was the part of the game most weighing him down or so it seems. This may also be why we are seeing the Angels target specific catchers of late.

The prospect mavens are definitely on board -- but then you have every shit-head beat writer in the country that still tries to make cutesy comments about the Los Angels Angels of Anaheim of California of the USA of planet Earth, talking about how the Angels have no pitching and a weak farm system... That's the common narrative among casual fans. Law and FG have been almost effusive about the system...

Leon? UDFA...

Well, there were lingering questions about his being able to be an everyday catcher.. Dude has all the tools and a cannon arm but you'd watch him play and it just seemed like he was meh back there and the bat wasn't showing enough to make you believe he would be worth starting over someone who did do all the things you want to see in a catcher -- even after he proves he COULD hit. Eppler and company said it best when they opined that moving Ward out from behind the dish meant his advancement would be completely on him -- he would no longer be burdened with needing to help the pitchers along and that sort of stuff. To his credit his move to 3B has seen a spike in his isolated power and other positive rates. He's been sporting a higher BABIP than in the past but more and more his bat has been significantly more consistent since moving off of catcher. Dude looks like he will be at least a league average hitter with quality OBP skills... At 3B -- thats a lot of value to the Angels.

Ward the 3B doesnt much resemble Ward the C. The position change altered his profile -- as least as an Angels prospect.

I just made reference to this very fact in another thread... And it's exactly what made that farm system so stout -- they were able to miss on one guy and still have someone come up and provide excellent value. I don't think everyone is following our system as much as closely as those of us in the minor league thread every day. I totally get why people are slow to come around on whats happening there, particularly when you see a lot of the media online still talking about our farm system as it it was two years ago. The farm under Eppler has come around much faster than I believe any of us could have hoped for -- it's likely ahead of where Stoneman was in his third year.

Fair enough -- league average is what I would define it as too. Anything above that would be gravy. As far as what to expect goes... Ward and Thaiss are both showing solid discipline skills, so there is at least the HOPE they aren't park induced mirages. The OF situation may take a bit before it's settled. All the talented kids are still working their way up.

Define hit... Because simply getting league average output out of 3B, 1B and RF would make for upgrades. Maybe more importantly, the system is developing a second tier of prospects that are creating depth where there wasn't any. How good do you think they need to be for the Angels to benefit? or be able to allocate dollars to other areas?

Frazier would definitely start for the Angels right now -- Florial has been getting the bat knocked out of his hands in High A and Albert Abreu has struggled in High A every time he's gone there but Sheffield is legit and Chance Adams has struggled this year but has a pretty solid track record. Some of those guys are overrated by virtue of being Yankees, but the Yanks system right now is very much like Stoneman's 2005 farm system.. It's not just the guys at the top that are impressive, it's the large number of guys behind them that makes the system special. This is the goal Eppler is working towards, hopefully.

IF he survives the explosion in his head... Giving AO that guy might rival Chuck's twitter rage as far as solid comedy goes.