disarcina

wow - lots of optimism here -- well, it IS an ANGELS fan website, I just don't see us being much better than last year. Lot of questions in the pen -- I would have preferred we brought Martin Maldonado back to handle the pitching staff and platoon with our new number one catcher who is more offensively oriented than what I prefer in the catching position. oh well. I'd put us at 78-84 for 2019. It's a re-building year, I just hope the Halos start the season playing decent ball and that they don't find themselves 8 to 10 games under .500 early and double digits games out of first place. that kind of stuff start just puts a pall over the entire season and ensures a lot of empty seats in late July- September.,

there has already been an Anaheim coach fired this year..... Carlyle (spelled wrong?) has been let go by the Ducks, the Ducks fell behind the Kings for worst in the Western Conference so he's OUT.

Kendall on the list - most in the modern era. Carlton Fisk is on the list. Russell Martin Ivan Rodriguez. Yadier Molina has 60 SBs, Piazza had only about 25 career total Biggio had 71 between1988 and 1991 -- not sure if all came when he was catching in the game but he was primarily catching for the Astros during those seasons, Some of the SBs may have come in games where he did not start the game and was inserted into the game to PR late in the game and stole a base or two. Biggio switched to 2B in 1992 - really did not catch after that -- and in 1994 led the NL in SBs with 39, had 50, his career high in about 1997 and had 38 in 1992 the first year he was not catching full time. I don't think the MLB charts for SB by catchers listed Biggio - perhaps it's because they think he's a 2B or a CF. Biggio is one of few guys with 400 SBs and 3,000 hits.

who are the others? I have not checked any sites - let me guess off the top of my head - Craig Biggio, Jason Kendall and Yadier Molina are on the list. Did Biggio have 100 SBs in the total number of games he caught before switching positions? Mike Piazza on the list as well ?

I like Ausmus -- it was fairly obvious when he got hired as a special assistant to the owner or whatever his title was - and he was sitting in the owner's box with either Arte and/or the GM at each home game -- that he was clearly the manager in waiting, I was OK with that - Scioscia over-stayed his time in Anaheim by about three to five years, FUN STAT: Ausmus is Number 7 on the MLB All Time List of Games Played (Caught) at Catcher,

also -- last thing MLB needs is expansion. I guess moving the Oakland A's to Portland might be a possibility, A's franchise has no where to go but up -- City of Oakland, Alameda Coliseum Authority have broken promise after promise and are in no financial position to offer the A's much of anything.' It also does not help that the multi-jurisdictional Alameda Coliseum Authority/ Commission is government paralysis / bureaucracy at its worst and can't make decisions let alone do anything on time frame/ deadline. Even Portland would be better than that. I think Las Vegas would be better.

I just don't see Portland being able to support an MLB team, If I were MLB, I 'd watch to see how the new NHL entry fares over its initial five seasons, Portland's demographics would seem to be more inclined to support/ participate in Extreme Sports activities (so the NHL may work there) rather than spectator sports and sitting through nine innings, Northwest has their team -- Seattle Mariners.

you would think that Arte being a guy who made his fortune in advertising/ marketing would appreciate that having a new style ST cap each year would increase merchandise sales. Or, are the sales in Tempe part of the stadium lease deal there so Arte does not really have an incentive for caps and jersey sales at Tempe Diablo. of course, sales of Angels apparel sales have never been top of the charts -- although one would think Trout jerseys would sell well everywhere.,

sad. tragic. how did this escape media notice until now? seems like a nice family that loved attending ballgames. just tragic. words not sufficient.

there's some pretty good rotation guys with experience still on the FA list. Not top tier expensive guys like Kuechel but guys like: Ervin Santana, Tomlin (pitched for Cleveland) Martin Perez (Texas - just signed a very reasonably priced one year deal with Minnesota),Edwin Jackson (former Dodger prospect from years back -- always lots of potential never realized with about at least five or six teams, Oakland, St. Louis, Washington, I think Tampa Bay and of course the LA Dogs etc.) Consistently very inconsistent his entire career (like Ervin Santana who could never win on the road when with the Halos) -- Edwin Jackson can pitch a real gem quality start and followed it up with several starts where he can't get through the third inning.

St. Louis Cardinals -- the Cardinals way to play baseball

Are the Halos done? If we need some rotation help -- this late in the off-season there's a couple of names on the FA list that may worth a flyer, not sure where these guys stand -- but If they don't sign here pretty soon - it might be non-roster invitee time and/or minor league contract now and let's see how ST goes, Josh Timlin (previous team - Cleveland) -- was he hurt? he put up some solid starts for a pretty good Indians rotation over several seasons, He's unsigned., Edwin Jackson (A's) - an up and down career and likewise with his season starts. One time Dodgers prospect has now played for at least 8 MLB teams, it seems -- had some quality start for the A's in 2018 and same thing with St. Louis , Washington and other teams before that - like the next (familiar) name on the list Jackson shows signs of being a quality number three rotation guy one start and the next can't get out of the first/ second inning. Control long an issue. Lotta teams, perhaps not the best clubhouse guy, Ervin Santana -forgot where he was last year, Has had stints at Minnesota, KC and other places since he left us almost.a decade ago. Wasn't he the one who could not win on the road for the Angels? He was certainly a jeckel and Hyde pitcher with some top of the rotation ace type quality start followed by back to back shellings. He seems to have consistently maintained his inconsistency over the years with numerous teams. Martin Perez (Texas) -- had a pretty good run with Texas and has been in their rotation for what ? four seasons now (in today's MLB that's a lifetime) I think his ERA was a bit high - pitches in a hitter's park - though. Seemed to have a number of quality starts over the years - or did he just look like Cy Young on occasion against the Angels? Meanwhile - catcher - MARTIN MALDONADO remains unsigned,. ESPN lists him as an 'unranked' free agent. Here's a guy who seems to make whatever pitching staff he's catching, better, Why not sign this guy? Some team will get a deal by signing him late here and their pitching staff will become better than it is.

MLBPA and players are hoisted on their own petard and by their own success. the contracts have gotten so huge and for such multi-year terms (Pujols poster child - ten years with the last (four/three) being VERY LONG YEARs. so MLB - as a prior post points out and as the experience of signings over the past several years show -- MLB teams are foregoing signing the veteran/ proven MIF (Dozier comes to mind) for a huge MULTI YEAR contract and will instead put a player under club control for 4 more years on the 25 / 40 man roster. Some of those vets are getting ONE year deals and less money. the elite players (and there are fewer and fewer of them-- the Mike Trouts, the true dominating ace starter, the shut down specialist closer) contracts are getting larger and larger (and longer unless the player -- and this is often the case -- wants another shot at a big pay FA before career ends) and then there's the rest,' who is an elite player these days? Few and far between - right now MLB seems to be debating whether Machado and Harper fall within the 'elite' player definition, So far , the 2019 off-season is proving that they're definitely not in MIKE TROUT's league,

Sorry Grandal, you're no YADIER MOLINA.

My take is that odds are Calhoun gets traded at/before deadline time this season. It would take Calhoun having a career year to perhaps change those odds (but that could actually increase those odds and give Halos some real leverage to acquire some young prospects). I agree with analysis if Halos are in contention (I really don't see that to be the case in 2019), odds are Halos might not want to mess with the line up down the stretch,

Halos signed Cody Allen - sort of a risk as a closer --- but the Halos gave him decent closer money -- I don't see Kimbrel happening here. Dodgers might be smart to spend their "Harper" money on Kimbrel as insurance for Jansen, If both healthy - that would be a killer late inning combo. I don't think Jansen is going to be able to do back to back games closing like before,

Maybin ? Really? Is this a retro type post? Maybin - haven't we been there, done that? He was a speedster - had trouble getting on base as a Halo if I remember right and what I really seem to remember about Maybin is that with anything hit to left field, fly ball, pop up behind short, a line drive that fell in for a base hit but fielded cleanly on a hop -- the runners on base could literally walk to advance to the next base, Maybin had/ has ZERO arm. He worked out pretty well for Houston during the stretch run as sort of a PH/ PR type who could pinch run in the late innings -- but you really couldn't keep in the game on defense in LF, that's what I seem to remember about him, Was glad when the Halos acquired him/ signed him and was really OK with letting him go after spending less than a season with us,

HOF voting is IN, Hope that Omar Vizquel continues to climb. During the era of shortstops : Jeter, Nomar, Cal Ripkin Jr. etc. OMAR was the best defensive SS of them all. He ranks right below Ozzie Smith on my all time defensive SS list, Would like to see Vizquel get in at some point, He climbed up to about 40/45 percent of the vote this year,

no mention here that former HALO Vernon Wells was eligible this year and it appears he will fall off the list of eligibles in his first year. Here's a Halos worst contracts HOF: Gary Matthews Jr. Vernon Wells Josh Hamilton Kevin Appier some folks might want to add guys like Albert Pujols or Mo Vaughn to that list - but at least both of them out up pretty decent stats -- Vaughn of course ties Alex Johnson as one of the most toxic clubhouse guys in Halos history.

I meant to say 2019 is a re-building year re the rotation

I like Simmons a lot -- I think he is a tremendous player and team leader type. the real question here is : where are the Angels headed the next two seasons? I think 2020 - unless something else happens -- is a sort of a re-building year especially with the rotation. Are the Halos going to do what it takes to make a real run in 2021 or are the Halos just biding their time -- which means bye, bye Trout and he gets traded at deadline time this year,. If the Halos are going that route -- then trade Simmons for prospects and build the farm with quality players under club control for five/ six years. Simmons could step in and be a team leader/ spark plug type player on a contender. SO -- are the Halos going to make the moves that will make TROUT even want to think about extending his contract? Let's hope Philly wins the Harper sweepstakes -- that means they won't have the salary space for TROUT -- and it also means they settled for less than the best, Not a big Harper fan. I think he will be a big contract guy flop.

where did he sign again. San Diego? Pitcher's park -- if healthy he'll give them some good starts in that pitcher's park

Phillies meeting with Harper tomorrow. Kind of hope they sign him and over-pay for him which means they probably wouldn't be in the market for Trout in the near future. Machado ? From his play in Los Angeles, if I were a GM I wouldn't be willing to bust the bank for him, He should wind up back in the AL which he knows and seems to do a lot better. Obviously, I am a Halos fan and favor Trout -- but really, I have trouble even putting those guys in the same sentence/ category as a Mike Trout. IMO, Mike Trout is one of those Once in a Generation players. Harper can't seem to put together back to back solid seasons -- when he's on he's ON -- but some folks remember he spent almost the entire 2017 season getting untracked and finally woke up at some point in late August Machado's play down the stretch for the DODGERS was less than inspiring. He's a solid player - his years in Baltimore showed that - but there were times in August/ September last year where I didn't think I'd want him on team -- lack of fundamentals , apparent lack of hustle. Trout never has those issues. Trout's issue is being frustrated when he hits in front of Pujols - Mr. GIDP -- and Trout doubles or whatever and gets stranded on the base paths. Trout has also made highlight reel catches and throws from the outfield that challenge those made by Jimmy Edmonds, Torri Hunter and others as atop the board for the best catches in Angels history (no, I did not forget Devon White or Darrin Erstad).

Inside Pitch - YEP - I stand corrected. Houston signed the Texas Rangers catcher and let McCann go. when they let McCann go -- I was sure they'd re-sign Martin Maldonado - who played well for the Astros down the stretch and made their rotation better -- but then they signed the Texas catcher who had decent offensive numbers. I can't believe that a Gold Glove catcher like Martin Maldonado still has not signed yet. If he has signed somewhere, I missed it, I wouldn't mind him back with us, Some team is going to get a quality back stop in Maldonado.

a good pick up and should help the Angels offensively from the catcher's position -- a place they've had offensive weakness since perhaps -- should I say it ?-- Mike Napoli. Still - IMO - Lucroy at this point is more of a platoon catcher/ DH guy, Not a bad combo for AL rosters, I have long thought that guys like the now retired Napoli (don't think he's spending any energy trying to get together with his now retired former manager, Sosh) are great for AL roster as a third string type catcher for those extra inning games and other times, DH, 1B and perhaps LF. To me Lucroy is like that - but a little bit better defensively but not great. Don't think he can Cath more than 85 games in the season and 100 may be a stretch. Martin Maldonando is still un-signed, Houston signed McCann to catch. I still Halos should look at bringing Maldonado back to catch -- he makes the pitching staff better - have Maldonando catch about 85 games and Lucroy about the same.