disarcina

and poor Hector Santiago - -gets dealt from one non-contender to another and hasn't pitched very well at all since arriving in Minnesota.

'that's not why we made the trade" (i.e. Nolasco under contract for 2017 --) okay, maybe not -- but we traded Santiago -- who when we dealt him was coming off some pretty good quality starts and as mentioned in a prior post -- we've seen Santiago's 'Hyde and Jeckel' act during his entire time with is -- so we dealt Santiago at a point when his value as at its highest and, if I recall correctly, his contract is up this season -- so either we deal him or pretty much let him go and get nothing in return -- particularly if we non-tender him -- which would have been very likely. So we get journeyman starter Nolasco who is signed through 2017, no great shakes but can have a real decent start sprinkled in there once in a while and does tend to eat innings. we're really not going anywhere next season and need a number 4/5 rotation guy to eat innings and fill that spot. Nolasco should be able to meet those relatively low expectations at a decent price tag. I thought that was why we traded Santiago for an otherwise sort of like-kind starter. Perhaps I am missing something here. That being said, Santiago pitched well for us during his time here and, for the most part, exceeded expectations. Remember he was obtained / signed from the White Sox as a swing man type starter/ relief pen guy here -- he established himself as a serviceable starter for most of his time here -- did fairly well over all but was largely inconsistent as a starter. He exceeded overall expectations from the signing/ deal but did not meet the higher expectations he set when he couldn't keep up the serviceable level of starting pitching he seemed to have achieved and was actually out of the rotation for a spell before the arm injuries plagued the Halos rotation.........

it's one game -- what's Nolasco's status for 2017 ? Isn't he under contract here with us now for 2017 and even into 2018? that's why we made the deal, I thought. nice outing but let's not get too excited.........he could be a serviceable rotation guy for us in 2017. Number Four guy. And I think our number five might be Jered Weaver. We're going to try to break even next year, 81-81 - that would be an accomplishment. I see more like 73-89

check out this guy from the Mets -- my attitude is that we traded Salas as his absolute highest value -- so good job front office !! -- now, I am hoping this guy from the Mets is a top pitching prospect........Salas was our closer of the moment -- but all of our regular posters here - I am sure -- were like me -- just waiting for him to implode in that closer role. I think we traded Salas at the absolute right time - a day before the Sept. 1 deadline to expand rosters so Salas can be on the Mets post-season roster if they make it and can add some depth to their pen for the 6th to 8th inning -- he certainly won't be closing there. the guy we got has to have more promise than what Salas would give us in 2017-18. Salas is the last guy from the Freese/ Salas for Bourjos/Grichuk trade for us - who would have guessed then that Grichuk -- the throw in - would be the last player standing for the two teams. trade worked out well for all -- and Freese --amazingly to me anyway --now has a nice to year deal with the Pirates.........Bourjos - who I really liked -- seemed to be on thin ice in Philadelphia.........once his wheels go - he's done.

they mixed up and changed up the rules so much with the last collective bargaining agreement its hard to keep track with or without alcohol. I wasn't sure when I posted above if Johnny G was off the 40 man roster or not -- I assumed he was after passing through waivers and then accepting an assignment to SLC. Perhaps Johnny G accepts a ST invite with the Halos -- they show case him a bit and he plays well -- and then the Halos do him the favor of cutting him loose early - during the second week of ST -- so he has a chance to catch on with another MLB team........

yeah, the F/A sounds full of better options for teams needing a 3B with some offensive pop -- and virtually every one of the players you listed play better defense than Escobar. But I agree with the position that there's no reason to settle for a lesser package for Escobar -- he's been effective and productive offensively for the Halos and if you keep Cowart on the roster he can play some 2B as well as shift to 3B for late inning defense in place of Escobar........

geez -- here's a guy who's stock fell fast. wasn't he an All Star with Milwaukee not that long ago? his first AB after being signed was a HR - apparently hasn't done much since. I find it amazing when guys like this get signed and then cut/ DFA'd/ put on waivers -- just a day or two before rosters expand.........you think they could send the guy out and bring him back two days later with expanded rosters.......oh well - I know there are complications.

trade him? what's his contract? is he still under club control now after having cleared waivers and being sent out ? I agree, it's quite likely he gets non-tendered.

Escobar has done well leading off and has hit well for us. His best position in the field is DH. He's got some value -- I could see Halos trading him for some pitching.

Royals will use him during the September stretch to pinch run -- perhaps play some late inning defense out in LF. I don't see him having a role much beyond that -- Royals are certainly in the Wild Card hunt and if Cleveland hits a skid (unlikely) could take the division if KC goes on a run, which they can do. Remember the Colorado Rockies a few years back -- won something like 28 of their last 30 games and came from nowhere to make the playoffs? It can happen.

he accepted the assignment to SLC -- wonder if he plans to accept a ST invite? I really don't see a role for him on the 2017 Halos, except, perhaps as 4-A player at SLC who is called up when one of our MIF goes on the DL.

do you think the Dodgers pull him back from waivers?

Puig is a cancer in the clubhouse to be sure -- what his contract like? who would have claimed him? if you are a contender would you jeopardize your team chemistry by bringing this guy in? on the other hand, if you are the SF Giants -- how sweet would it be to claim Puig -- put him on the expanded roster for September and have him pinch run in the latter innings against the Dodgers?? Of course, Puig is prone to making really dumb base-running mistakes,,,,,,but he's fast !

IMO right now -today - there are only two KEEPERS on the Halos. Mike Trout A. Simmons. Pujols is also a Keeper but not necessarily by choice -- no one will take on his contract -- having said that -- overlooked in all the Pujols bashing which seems to be popular in the national MLB type media -- is the fact he's put up pretty good numbers not only this season but pretty much during his entire time with the Halos save the first two or three months with the team.........

they might add him to the 40 man roster....for infield depth and to pinch run down the stretch -- not that we're contenders but he can PR for folks like Pujols and the catcher --- if he doesn't get called up Sept. 1 - his Halos career is probably over -- he did OK for us. Did not expect a lot and he delivered more. At the end he was pretty much at what was expected - not much. No gripes about him or his play - if he does become an ex-Halo, he's one I'd root for in the future. if he does get called up Sept. 1 -- his Halos career may have one more month remaining.........

Having Weaver back? Why Not. What is he this year 8-11 ? Has had some quality starts, even some really good ones, got roughed up a few times -- clearly isn't the pitcher he was a the start of the contract but I think he's still a very serviceable 4/5 rotation guy and probably better than whatever we'd replace him with. would he make 30-35 starts in 2017? Probably not -- but he could make 25 or so and that's all we'd need. Look, Halos are not exactly going anywhere much anyway -- so in a 're-tooling' year (I like that better than rebuilding) actually 're-tooling' year 1 of at least 2 -- he could give us some starts and if they are like the one this week -- get us through 6 innings -- hey, for a number 4/5 rotation guy -- I'll take it. Could we do better than Weaver? Sure. Are we willing to pay for better? Probably not. Could we do worse? We could and have. Could we pay more for worse? We could and we have.

only possible knock on Trout (other than the fact he's playing on a lousy team record wise this season -- obviously not his fault) is his hit totals. He has 139 hits this season so far, he has never reached he magic number plateau of 200 hits in a season - he has 883 hits in his career so far. Now, a major reason for this -- and he had 190 hits his first full season with the Halos -- is that he is constantly being pitched around. the year he had 190 hits, he was walked a league leading 110 times. Each season after that his walk totals were 83, 92. 90 -- it's tough to get 200 hits when they won't pitch to you. Meanwhile a guy like Altuve is putting up early career hit totals like one of the best hit guys of all time (but don't ask Pete Rose that question) Ichiro -- if you look at Ichiro's season by season hit totals -- it's really impressive -- something like 10 straight years of 200 hit seasons.........amazing. If Altuve can keep his hit production at current levels, he could the 'hit leader' for the current generation of MLB players. Garrett Anderson was just inducted into the Halos HOF -- in his time playing with the Halos -- he was a consistent hit producer and was regularly among the league leaders........for a fair portion of his career if you were to check which MLB player led MLB 'hits' for the past FIVE years, two names that would invariably come up would be Derek Jeter and Garret Anderson -- much of this time was pre-Ichirio -- but once Ichiro arrived on the scene he zoomed up to the too of that list very quickly.

Miguel Cabrera did win the triple crown that year and topped the MVP balloting because of it. IMO, it was a toss up between Cabrera and Trout that year -- I still think if Trout would have gotten that 50th stolen base (I remember when he got tossed out at second in the last series of the year, against Texas, I think - can't remember -- do remember him getting tossed out -- might have been second to last game of the season)......if would have gotten that 'magic' stat of 50 demonstrating stat wise (that's all some folks see) that he was/ is a legitimate FIVE tool player and TOPS in the GAME in each category --the vote would have been closer. Hard to argue against Cabrera winning the MVP that year with the triple crown stuff -- but IMO, Trout was the better player that season and the most valuable......should have gotten MVP/ ROY combo -- On Dodgers/Cubs broadcast on TBS they are / were touting Corey Seager as a ROY/ MVP candidate in the NL -- I don't see how Seager tops Daniel Murphy from the Nats for MVP.....but Seager seems a lock for ROY......If Seager does get the combo -- it means someone less deserving than Trout's ROY performance would win the combo awards.

I thought Trout should have won ROY and MVP first year. I still think if he had gotten that one more SB -- that would have given him 50 -- he probably would have won the MVP -- hard to say. All this talk reminds me of the couple of years when Steve Carlton was on terrible Phlladelphia Phillies teams -- I think he won the Cy Young Award one year with about 27 wins in year when the Phlillies as a team may have won 55 games all season.

Talk about Seal Beach location from the military base is going nowhere -- look at the mess the EL Toro Marine Base went through -- years of meetings, planning documents, EIRs, EIS (federal equivalent of an EIR), hearings, litigation etc.........and I still don't think there's a complete resolution there........ bottom line -- City of Anaheim and the Angels need each other and neither one has an incentive to move off their positions -- so the status quo becomes permanent by default. reading those now somewhat dated (few years old) stats from the City of Anaheim as listed in the OC Register from the earlier post and link -- it appears Angels may have an incentive for lower numbers and not hitting the thresh-hold numbers that gives the City a split of the revenue sources -- of course, that logic could back fire big time (and already may have) where the City says -- 'big deal if the Angels are unhappy -- we are not getting much if anything from them anyway' -- of course public entity bean counters get nervous about even a $400,000 decrease in revenue -- which sounds like a large number but in a budget the size of city of Anaheim's -- isn't that big of a hit/ loss. Angels play/ attendance/ sales of merchandise/ concessions/ parking may not net much for the City of Anaheim this season.

not sure why folks insist on continuing this Harper vs. Trout debate stuff. was at a Nats- Giants game at AT&T a few weeks ago and saw Harper play. He was hitting then (and perhaps now) about .237. He looked awful at the plate - struck out once looking really terrible and his other ABs were nothing to write home about. Why people insist on comparing these two players when, really, there's no comparison. And not just because I'm a Halos fan, but really, by any standard, the two players names don't belong in the same sentence together..........Trout is so far superior not just this season -- but , truly, at this relatively early point in his career -- Trout has already achieved inclusion on the list of all - time players and will only move up that list in the next ten years (plus) -- I don't think Harper is at that level yet, if ever. Also -- if I had to name to the top ten players (all players, position players & pitchers) in MLB right now, today -- Trout tops the list........Altuve or Kershaw might be second -- and I'm not even sure Harper makes the list. Trout also makes, if not tops, the list of the top MLB players (still active) over the past ten years -- including this season -- which would include retiring or near retirement guys like David Ortiz, Ichiro - I'd include Kershaw -- and there's others -- Harper may not make that list either. Murphy of the Nats is the Washington player I'd want on my team -- not Harper.

I'm obviously a Halos fan. Depending on how many hits he winds up with -- I'd probably vote for Altuve if I had a vote. at one point, Altuve was on pace for Darrin Erstad (240) hit like numbers for the 2016 season.

Oakland Raiders could use him -- can he catch a pass ? Play some defense -- safety - perhaps. could be a good fit there.

I agree with the DMVol post above -- at this point, it doesn't matter much anyway and you might as well see what the bunch listed can do out there. Marte the best option, others could use / get some ABs --- sort of a Tempe in September approach.

The AJ Ellis to Phillies for Carlos Ruiz trade this week made no sense to me. what was the Dodger GM thinking here? his stated explanation 'Ruiz hits better against left handers' was really lame. The catcher spot is a defensive position (just ask Scioscia). So the Dodgers trade away AJ Ellis, described by all as a key clubhouse presence -- and he's your ace pitcher (perhaps one of the best LHP of all time, quite frankly) favorite catcher -- this pitcher is on the DL and may or may NOT pitch again this season. It may be better for his long term career that Kershaw NOT try to come back this season -- even for the playoffs -- rather than 'rush' back. With AJ Ellis assisting, Kershaw may be more willing to undertake a regimen that gets him back earlier as it is in his 'comfort' zone -- now he can wait which is probably better for his long term interests - career anyway. You know, you knock the Halos front office for some (many) of the moves they make -- this Dodgers' move is one I truly do not understand.......you tick off your best player / pitcher and gain a few extra ABs from a player (Ruiz) that you've just put into a very difficult / near impossible situation with his new team-mates and fans ---doesn't help that first game Ruiz plays in, he has a passed ball that may have cost the Dodgers a critical win. Why make this move on August 25 or whatever date it was made? If you need better hitting against LHP (or whatever the Dogs' were looking for in Ruiz) there has to be a guy or two in the minor league system that can provide that down the stretch starting September 1 with expanded rosters and if you really need the guy, you call him up August 31 just ahead of the Sept. 1 deadline for playoff roster players.........the deal makes no sense.