Angelsjunky

One thing I might not have made clear in the article, or didn't even discuss really, is that I think this team as it stands, with perhaps another starter brought in, could be competitive for the next few years. The talent is there - there's just something not clicking. But if Pujols and Hamilton start producing, this team improves vastly. So while it seems rather unlikely that the Angels make the playoffs this year (although, to be honest, I haven't completely given up hope - as naive as I sound), I'm not quite ready to throw the towel in on 2014-16 and trade Kendrick, Aybar, Vargas, etc. I'd rather see the Angels address the main weak spots from this year. To put that another way, the gamble Arte & Jerry made is that they invested in the team that's on the field for the next few years. They've got to stick with it, for the most part, unless they don't want to contend for the next five years if they want to completely rebuild the system from the ground up. And then, if they do that, they'll have a similar situation as Miami is facing with Giancarlo Stanton. They've pretty much have to stay the course and hope that this team can start performing, and at least make things interesting until the farm system is revamped and the next "great" homegrown Angels team takes the field in 2017 or 2018.

Love this. Should be in the Angelswin lexicon.

Online forums are for armchair GMing. Scott, you forgot "Or giving a 5-year, $125 million contract to a player whose team wouldn't offer him more than four years."

You're right, but that's the problem - and its called poor ownership and management of a team's finances. A team shouldn't pay based upon past performance, especially when a player is in his 30s - except, maybe, for a homegrown player that you are rewarding. Good post - and nice comp with the Yankees of the 80s. My thoughts exactly. The Yankees didn't get good again until they started focusing on the farm and signing players with a lot of talent who might have under-performed or needed a second chance or new environment.

Me too!

Whoops, I didn't see that you had written the same thing. Great minds.

My thoughts exactly. It is one thing to play at a .357 winning percentage through a quarter or third of a season, another for 162 games. They could be up and down all season but they won't be terrible all year long. I suppose 70-92 is possible, but seem rather unlikely.

I think the answer is simple: more cowbell.

Trout is not being traded no matter what, sorry doomsayers. That's just ridiculous.

This says it all: Last Play: J. Hamilton struck out swinging

4

For some reason Dipoto and Moreno thought it a good idea to compound the Wells disaster with not one but TWO terrible contracts. It boggles the mind.

Here it is.

No way he has an OPS above 1.000. .900? Yes, I think that's possible. I still think he's capable of .300/.350/.550 or so, but not much better. Still, I'd be very happy with that.

Actually, it was around this time that Albert started to hit well. It wasn't until June 10th that his OPS got to where its at today. That said, last year was different. His numbers this year are very similar to what they were at this time in 2011.

To be positive for a moment: 2012 through May 15: .212/.248/.288 (.536), 1 HR 2013 through May 15: .248/.328/.418 (.746), 6 HR I'll take the latter, thank you very much.

.235/.291/.490 (.781 OPS) It isn't pretty but at least it isn't April: .204/.252/.296 Baby steps.

Now now, boys. Back to Trout, I like the idea of him staying in CF and Bourjos in LF - or at least trying it out. But I don't think Trout's hitting has anything to do with where he's playing in the field. I could be wrong, of course. Trout is now at 2.3 fWAR, tied for third in the majors with Manny Machado, behind only Carlos Gomez (2.8) and Evan Longoria (2.4). Looks like he's heading for #1 again.

Hope he isn't throwing 85 mph fastballs anymore.

Exhibit A as to why the All-Star Game is a joke. Fans don't pick the best players, they pick their favorites.

I'd take 25-30 by the end of May.

I don't think it has to be crash and burn IF the Angels took a more sustainable approach like the Braves or Cardinals, who have minor dips but manage to contend most years. This is my concern. There aren't a lot of sellable parts other than the parts you'd want to keep to build the next contender (e.g. Trout, Trumbo, Bourjos). No one would take Pujols or Hamilton. I suppose Kendrick and Aybar have value but there's no one to replace them with, at least not until Stamets, Lindsey and Yarbrough are ready - and none of those guys look all that great. Exactly. Or look at the Braves. This is where I really worry about the organizational ethos. It seems that Arte Moreno is closer to Peter Angelos than Ted Turner/Time Warner/James Malone, unfortunately - the meddling owner who doesn't know baseball all that well and actually inhibits the team's success with poor decisions. All that said, I'm more optimistic than some. 38 games doesn't make or break an organization. While this year has been disappointing, not only is it not over, its also just one year. Even though I'm concerned about the near future of this club, I also like what I've heard Dipoto say as a whole. I think he wants to build an organization more similar to the Braves or Cardinals, but it remains to be seen whether Arte will let him AND if he has the smarts for it. At the least it should be interesting to see how it all unfolds.

That's how many years the Angels went without making the playoffs, from 1987 through 2001. Remember that, folks? There were a few close calls - 1995, of course, and the Angels were decent in 1997-98. But that's a decade and a half of impotence. Just putting these last four years in context. (Its hard to believe that its been that long - since 2009 - that the Angels have been in the playoffs).

That's how many years the Angels went without making the playoffs, from 1987 through 2001. Remember that, folks? There were a few close calls - 1995, of course, and the Angels were decent in 1997-98. But that's a decade and a half of impotence. Just putting these last four years in context. (Its hard to believe that its been that long - since 2009 - that the Angels have been in the playoffs).

Freudian slip there, Bob.