disarcina

for the 'we're contending now' posters, I apologize for my prior post........ IMO the sooner Spring Training begins for us, the better. September sounds about right. August 15 perhaps more realistic. PLEASE , HALOS front office, don't not make any deals now for the short term that further limit the team's salary flexibility moving forward..........even though we're NOT OUT OF IT NOW, (wink, wink).........

stays patient until Sept. 1 and then hopefully gets some playing time at 2B on a regular basis during September. since this would be an early start to Spring Training, I wonder if the Halos have thought about moving a couple of the September series to Tempe Diablo Stadium. If he can't just rock at 2B and at the plate during September garbage time -- he probably never will.

transaction report from 7/16/17 : Tampa Bay Rays option Taylor Featherston to the DURHAM BULLS" Taylor Featherston, who spent a whole season (pretty much on the Angels bench) on the Angels 25 man big league roster as a Rule 5 pick -- which means the team can't send him to the minors or they lose the player to his former team -- in Featherston's case that would have been the Colorado Rockies -- he didn't play much, got his first hit of the season about ten days after the All Star Break and generally cost the Halos a roster spot (that could have been used for an extra arm in the pen or some real bench depth, perhaps someone with some power at the plate). Anyway, the Halos after having him warm a bench seat all season, one of the more expensive seats at the ballpark (which have said Josh Hamilton's seat, but he wasn't at the ballpark), unceremoniously traded him for next to nothing shortly after the season ended. He bounced around a bit and spent parts of this season up with the Tampa Bay Rays........and now........Durham.

LOU -- well the A's are somewhat competitive -- they seem to beat AL West teams and not finish last. heck, with the franchise situation there I am amazed they can field an MLB caliber team most nights (and some would argue, they don't now). I'm amazed with how Billy Beane makes lemonade out of lemons most years up there -- of course, the problem with that kind of roster is they're all traded off at deadline and the team really fades in August/ September when they play mainly within the division which means when the team tanks, the descent in the standings is rapid........

never understood the BoSox signing this guy. for BoSox fans -- a lot louder with the complaints than our Halos crew -- it's must have been non-stop whining and complaining about this signing DAY ONE. Watching him play SS and then some 3B in SF -- I was amazed how quick he was a-field for such a large (and I mean HUGE) guy. But early on in SF it worked and he fielded the position -- not a gold glove but well enough -- and he had some pop w/ clutch hitting ability..........but GEEZ -- here's a guy, you watch him play and you think, it's only a matter of time until that gut catches up with him and he can't play the infield -- even 3B -- anymore. So the BoSox sign him to that huge whatever contract it was -- I thought the SF Giants really dodged one there -- that last year, 'PANDA' was a fan fav with the "PANDA hats' and stuff but his production really stalled second half of that season........ To be fair, at some point during his BoSox time, he lost weight (might have been during his several DL stints) and was looking better (low bar, there) but reality caught up with him. Some team -- probably a team out of contention trying to boost attendance and have a MLB minimum guy on their roster (BoSox eat most of the rest of his contract) will sign him...... I can see him in an Oakland A's jersey across the Bay now...........

Halos just DFA'd Espinsoa -- I guess he must clear waivers to be cut (which he will because NO ONE wants to pick up the rest of his contract). so we're done with him and will pay the rest of his contract for this year. meanwhile -- he will catch on with some team because all they have to pay is the MLB minimum of his contract for about two to three months. some playoff bound team will sign him as a late inning defensive MIF (he was touted as a whiz kid Golden Glover at 2B but, honestly, I didn't see that from him at 2B for us this year, maybe it was because at a certain point he wasn't playing much) --- he can be a late inning defensive MIF for probably an NL team and a guy who can sacrifice bunt a runner over. He certainly was not A. Simmons like with the leather.

well, the stadium situation in Oakland is terrible, no doubt, has been and will be going forward. I blame Bud Selig who refused to make a decision for years re the Oakland franchise and then the new guy has sat on his hands as well (well he did refuse their ability to move to San Jose or apparently Las Vegas as well). The Commissioner's office should allow the Oakland franchise to re-locate to Las Vegas for the 2019 season and tell Vegas to get it's baseball only, with a retractable roof, built by then............wanna bet Vegas would meet that deadline? Soon, the Oakland A's will be the only tenants the Oakland Coliseum has. It's easy to rag on Oakland A's franchise -- but it's pretty impressive how they've remained somewhat competitive over the years, developed some young talent through their farm system (players they develop and can never keep) with all the stuff they have to contend with re - the City of Oakland, the Commissioner's office, the ownership's understandable unwillingness to invest much etc. -- and even this year, for all the nonsense the front office of the A's has to put up with -- they're only 3 to 4 games behind every other AL West team bunched up behind the run-away division leader Houston.......... so for all the problems the A's have, the M's, Rangers and the Angels (with the best player in the game) are about three or four games better than the A's right now in 2017. GEEZ, Meanwhile, how about a shout out to some of the A's season ticket holders -- a small but mightily loyal and hearty group of some very knowledgeable baseball fans. It's gotta be tough to stick with that franchise..........hats off to them,

Just watch -- Ryan Madsen will get the SAVE for all three games of the upcoming series that starts Tuesday. If Madsen makes one pitch in a game during this series he will have pitched more for a team (Washington Nats) , a team he would have been on for less than a week, actually about three days -- than during his entire multi-year, multi-million dollar contact with the Halos. I'm thinking -- did Madsen even do a bull pen session for us before he went down with an injury. GEEZ.

Well, I am hoping the deals the Angels make at pre-deadline mid-season this year are ones where the over-priced guys are going out not coming in.

well, has pretty good stats this year.......getting hit hard right now (MLB. TV game) I kinda liked Vargas -- thought we should have done more to keep him -- but then he got that what ? FOUR year deal with KC? I mean, Halos were maybe willing to give him a one plus one option and KC gave him more money plus four years guaranteed,,,,,,,,,,we weren't even on the radar in those negotiations.........

I think we're going to see Arte selling the team -- if not as soon as 2018 perhaps by 2020 -- I think the thrill of owning an MLB team has worn off/ thin for Arte.......and how he's a sole proprietor type competing against the corporate conglomerates -- can't be a whole lot of fun.........and then there's his good pals over at the City of Anaheim..... so by about 2020 I see a whole new crew -- new owner, new front office and new manager.........

3 HRs off Vargas in 2 plus innings up in Seattle........ ASG Home Run Derby has started early it seems........

as we type and mis-type here -- Jason Vargas just gave up another HR in Seattle game -- this one by Nelson Cruz. He's given up there in the game so far -- bottom third inning. yeah, Vargas has his effectiveness issues in Seattle and still does.

good move -- typos city still here.

spilled milk. let's go back - at the time Santana was not re-signed Board members here thought he wanted too much and that he was pretty much a 'home team pitcher' who had a series of bad outings (starts) on the road -- remember that? Santana pitched over all pretty well for the Halos but we were not going to spend what it took to keep him and we probably should have dealt him (although, back then, we got draft pick compensation right?) before he left as a F/A -- you may recall that he was fairly inconsistent his 'contract' year with the Halos....home/ road splits were night and day. Greinke -- can't remember the deadline deal now - but we got Greinke at deadline time and he came over and hurt his arm his first game as a Halo -- by the time of that first game, the Halos were pretty much out of the race and by the time Grienke had his second Halos start, the Halos were out of the race -- one of the strangest deadline rental deals Halos have made over the years -- can't remember who we sent packing? what I remember best is how Greinke was hurt by about the first/ second inning of his first Halos start and then spent the rest of his Halos time making it clear he was going to sign with the highest bidder in F/A and he wouldn't be back. Vargas -- Vargas is the one we sort of let get away......LB St. grad. Jered Weaver teammate there and then in the Halos rotation. Pitched well for us on sort of a one year deal 'rehab' deal to show he could still pitch -- he came to us from Seattle in a deal, right? and sort of had his effectiveness issues in Seattle......(don't they all up there?) but he pitched well for us and then when it came contract time I think we had some issue with a two versus three or four year deal. I think he wound up with a four year deal that we were never going to match and probably should have done so - hind sight...........but I do think a lot of Board posters here said then - at the time -- letting Vargas leave as a F/A was not a god move.

know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em -- I say Halos should be SELLERS at deadline time.

good news and bad news. good news -- Trout makes All Star team for sixth straight time. bad news -- Trout won't be going to All Star Game. bad news - no reason for Angels fans to watch All Star Game as ZERO Angels will be participating / in attendance (I would think Trout would be there -- at least to get introduced? maybe not). MLB really should put A. Simmons on the roster........oh well. GOOD NEWS -- NO ANGELS on All Star Game active roster which means no one gets hurt and all players get a few days of rest.........

SF Giants don't have much offense -- so now they're going to trade away Belt -- who is a streaky hitter -- doing better right now but went a long stretch not hitting much. Giants recently put together a 6/7 game win streak -- and still remained 22 games out of first place....tough season by the Bay.

Starter Vargas will be a decent contract during the off-season..........some club will over-pay for him based on his near career season this year -- and Vargas -- with not much on the market -- will use supply and demand to his advantage to demand a multi-year deal and could get it........

Any reason why Darvish wouldn't re-sign with Texas? Not much on the market for starters so it makes sense for him to test it........good thing Arrieta's contract is up this year -- with a weak market someone will over-pay for him based on his past performance........who-ever gets him, it will be a little bit like Halos taking a flyer on a 2 time (back to back) Cy Young Award winner -- Tim Lincecum.......how did that work out? Arrieta's year is better than where Lincecum was when Halos signed him but Arrieta's effectiveness was decreased markedly over the past two years........Halos should stay away. Halos should try to re-sign/ extend Maybin but wouldn't over-pay there either. Blake Parker under club control -- i wouldn't make a huge offer to keep Bedrosian, -- i think Norris might get dealt (perhaps Bedrosian, too, at deadline time for a team that needs pen depth) -- the big issue for the Halos right now -- this month -- is whether to be sellers and acquire some quality depth players for 2018-19 and under club control for off-season F/A guys who will be rentals for their new clubs for the rest of 2017......a few teams will make deals in the next three weeks that will look awful come October -- but they'll roll the dice anyway.

Nolasco pitched 197.2 IP in 2016 between Angels and Twins -- he has pitched 99.2 so far this year. so that's 296.4 -- so he needs 103.6 or 104 IP by season's end to reach 400 IP. If MLB pitchers are going about 6 IP avg. per start -- then that is 17/18 more starts and at the rate Nolasco is going (without missing any starts -- which is unlikely) the max starts he would get by end of season is 15 -- so at 6 IP per start that's 90 IP when he needs 103.6. Somewhat closer than I thought he would be -- but no cigar, that being said, sure Nolasco gives up a lot of dingers, always over his career.......but Halos got him for insurance and to eat innings if any Halos starters went down -- they went down and Nolasco has performed pretty much as expected -- and, more significantly from Halos' standpoint -- better than Santiago would have.........and we got Meyer.

do any starters pitch 200 IP a year these days? So Nolasco probably won't reach 400 IP for combined 2016-17 and if he even gets close -- and I don't think he is but will check -- Halos may have him skip some starts in August/ September.........I do seem to remember that when we got Nolasco in the Hector Santiago trade, there appeared a way he would stay under contract for up to four years from when we got him.........we also got Meyer in that deal. Meanwhile, check out Hector Santiago's line score for yesterday's Minnesota game - he is now 4-8 and I think his ERA is north of 6.00.

I don't see Nolasco getting traded at deadline time UNLESS all of our injured starters are suddenly healed and ready to go for the long run (and that's simply not happening within the next two- three weeks). We got Nolasco and Meyer in the Hector Santiago deadline deal last year --- a pretty good deadline transaction for us. Yes, Nolasco gives up dingers and Meyer was pretty shaky control wise (early in the game) vs. Dodgers in his start Wednesday -- but his line score numbers looked good (better than he actually pitched). These are two players under contract (Nolasco) and club control (Meyer) for a few years -- Nolasco can eat innings (and give up dingers) and Meyer has some promise as a rotation guys - at least 4th/5th starter, maybe even more which would be an absolute bonus........I don't see the Halos moving them at deadline time.......off season - perhaps with the right deal and depending on how all the DL rotation guys are doing (reports on Skaggs are discouraging long term).

great work/ analysis in the posted article. I agree with almost all the deadline deals outlined with the exception of Blake Parker......I think he has proven himself this year, is likely under club control for a number of years and is either a potential solid set up guy or even closer -- and if not that -- a every effective pen depth guy in the 5th-7th inning type role he is playing now. perhaps the most looming question for the Halos right now are we actually going to be sellers so that we can make some of the well - thought out and analyzed deals that have been outlined in the excellent article above.......or is the front office, suddenly dazzled by the better play of the Halos lately and now getting Trout back in the line-up -- have illusions of grandeur that we can get one of the wild card playoff spots this year.......decide to do little -- perhaps even make a minor deal (not really being deadline 'buyers' but enough to say 'we did something' and preventing the Halos from being true 'sellers') and then miss the deadline opportunities to strengthen the club for 2018 moving forward AND either miss the playoffs entirely or be a one game and done wild card team.......... I'd make any one or several of the deadline deals proposed above.........except ones involving Parker.

Good Night Irene...........