waffle

Yum, waffles.

Anyways, Arte did some waffling last Friday. After starting off the offseason with some feisty-ness, losing out on CC has gotten the FO backpeddling.

I love that Arte is the Angels' owner. I've always thought of him as a top-5 owner in baseball. I love that he's an everyday, approachable guy. I love that he cares about the common fan, building the fanbase, and creating a fan-friendly atmosphere at the ballpark. I love that he's a genuine baseball fan and doesn't use the Angels as a cash cow, a side project, or a status symbol. And I love that he cares about the long-term health and stability of the franchise.

But even I had to shake my head when I read his comments in the LATimes on Saturday morning. It's not that I necessarily disagree with him that outrageous contracts in baseball can hurt the long-term interests of a club. But there are several things I take issue with.

First, the overall assertion that there is a limit on the amount of money that he will spend and a limit on the payroll. I understand that the Angels do not have endless revenue streams. But I wonder how this will change perceptions in the baseball world. There have been reports that CC chose Boston partially because they have a fearsome lineup. It's understandable that players want to go to a team that can win or a franchise that is motivated to win. The Angels are in that category, but what happens when there are doubts on whether the owner will spend? It's not only FA that may think twice about the Halos. Would Weave or Kendry question staying if it's clear that the FO can't improve the club because of a restricted budget? It's all about perception. It's possible that this is simply strategy in the Beltre negotiations. I certainly hope so because voicing the deficiencies of the club may have opened a can of PR worms.

Fans don't want to hear that an owner will limit spending. They want to hear that their owner is committed to winning and will do what it takes, regardless if it is true or not. Arte voicing the payroll limitations of the Angels is like a second nya-nya to fans already feeling inadequate to the likes of the RedSox and Yankees. Like I said, I understand that the Angels don't have the revenue streams of those clubs. But the casual fan does not and Arte, telling them certainly isn't effective in convincing them that you are not cheap. Why do you think it's taken so long for the American public to become concerned about the national debt? Because we are a society of instant gratification - we worry about tomorrow, tomorrow. Worse of all, trying to explain revenue streams and exorbitant contracts by saying that an elevated payroll would result in elevated ticket prices, makes me facepalm. Yes, I (and other fans) like that tickets are affordable and allows for a large fanbase. But like I said, we're greedy, we want it all. Its why voters hate increasing taxes but resist cutbacks on the expensive things like education, welfare, social security, etc., even in the face of budget woes. That comment just feels hollow. (Besides, fans want a winner regardless of payroll and ticket prices. Last season should give an indication of how fans will desert the Big A if the Halos are not winning.) Well, a lot of Arte's comments in the interview feels hollow and like a bunch of excuses. I thought that the Halos needed some spin on the failures (so far) of this offseason, but like Tony's attempts after the Downs signing, I see this spin as another FAIL.

Perhaps the most interesting comments was in regard to the events leading up to CC signing with the RedSox. Arte claims that the Halos FO never got a chance to talk about the parameters of a deal. Besides the fact that it directly contradicts earlier reports out of Boston, it seems to indicate that the FO was late to the party. I don't know which would be worse - that the FO was too slow to act on their reported #1 priority or that the FO got outmaneuvered at the last minute. Or that the FO never intended to make a big offseason push to improve the team.

All of this misdirection and waffling have left a lot of the halosphere confused. Does the FO actually have a plan? They are traditionally very tight-lipped and secretive, so us fans have rarely known what signings or trades were imminent. I've always had faith that the FO knew what they were doing, but why did it take so long for the FO to come out and disprove the Boston reports? Was CC a top target or not? Is Arte just blowing smoke? I don't really know what to believe.

What's apparent to me is that Arte and the FO is expending a good deal of goodwill this offseason. With another inactive offseason combined with the failures (both on the baseball front and the PR front) and confusion, it's been a disappointing offseason.

I know the Angels are better than this, but I'm still shaking my head...