The offseason is in full swing with several high-profile players already signed - much to my surprise. So much for collusion.
The Angels so far have made only one signing and appear to be (at this time) mostly an observer. Which has gotten some fans to be impatient, and maybe a bit desperate. Though I'm not thrilled that Tony took a day off from the Winter Meetings, I don't think it signifies anything drastic in the Angels' game plan for this offseason.
I trust that the FO knows what it's doing. And I'm sure they (+Arte and Sosh) know that the team cannot go into Spring Training as is. Last offseason I advocated for the Halos to fill small holes rather than go for the big fish. It's quite clear that that plan does not apply this offseason. The big debate in the halosphere has been how and who should be targeted by the FO. The Halos have been linked (by the media) with Crawford, Soriano, and Beltre, who all fill needs.
I'm undecided on who I think would best fit.
Before the season ended, I hoped that CC would be joining the Angels. He's young, dynamic (on both sides of the ball), could vastly improve the outfield defense, and has numerously been described as perfect for Sosh's style. However, with the rise of Mike Trout, would a long term deal for an outfielder be the most efficient use of Arte-anger spending? Maybe you could wait until Torii's contract runs out after 2012. And you never know if Bourjos will actually hit enough. I guess you can always make room for a prospect that is deserving, but I've come to doubt if CC is really the big prize this winter. And of course you have all the uncertainties and risks of bringing in a speed-reliant guy on a 6 or 7 year deal.
No, presently I'm leaning more towards wanting Beltre. With the struggles of BWood, third base this offseason is a huge question mark. Personally, I don't think that BWood should be handed another chance at the full-time gig. Heck, I'm wary of a BWood/Callaspo split. Or even a BWood/Callaspo/Izturis third base. I didn't like the Callaspo trade last summer, but even I grudgingly admit that some stability at third was needed. I don't think that Izzy can provide that due to his injuries, I don't think BWood can provide that due to his performance, and though I think Callaspo gives a pretty steady performance, it's a mediocre one. With offense being one of the major deficiencies last season, third base is an opportunity to upgrade. So why not upgrade as best as the Angels can? The Halos are thin on even-a-little-bit-close-to-MLB-ready 3Bmen. Having a multi-year contract, say 4-5 years won't lead to complications, except for the usual questions of age and worth. The good thing is that Beltre's market is narrowing. I think one of the common thoughts against Beltre in the beginning of the offseason was that Boras was going to make his price out of the Angels' comfort area. But that concern looks like it won't be a concern.
So is Beltre really worth giving a long-term, big splash, contract? I'm not convinced either way. Some in the halosphere accuse him of only performing when he's in a contract year. And others have tried to debunk that notion. Beltre is certainly an above-average 3Bman and is a superb defender. Like CC, he's a dynamic player on both sides of the ball. He's older than CC, but is generally thought to command less years.
With a lot of things being equal, I'd prefer Beltre. But I would also be very happy with CC. Between those two, I don't think that the Angels could really lose, unless they give a Werth-like ridiculous contract.
No, I chiefly have two concerns: that the FO will spend unwisely and that the FO will do too little.
Showing posts with label thoughts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label thoughts. Show all posts
07 December 2010
28 July 2010
thoughts: Lackey, .500, Pineiro out
I've been able to read the paper daily to get my Angels news. You can imagine my surprise to see this:
Sure, Angel fans were caught off-guard with his signing with the RedSox. I'm sure many fans, young and old struggled to accept that he would be with a team every Angels fan has learned to hate. I know I certainly did. But I think they, and I, would have been able to get over the shock and accept the fact that Boston offered a contract that was much better than what the Angels were offering. See Figgins, Chone.
Had he left with grace, with the consciousness that his move to the RedSox would hurt Angels fans, maybe he could have expected a better homecoming.
But he did not.
He left scorning the organization, the team, and the fans. Is he so arrogant that he believes he's above the consequences of those actions?
Lackey said he didn't know what kind of reception to expect from Angels fans but added that he "hopes they respect the things I did here, for sure."If Lackey had an accurate memory, he would know better than to expect anything less than the reception he got.
Sure, Angel fans were caught off-guard with his signing with the RedSox. I'm sure many fans, young and old struggled to accept that he would be with a team every Angels fan has learned to hate. I know I certainly did. But I think they, and I, would have been able to get over the shock and accept the fact that Boston offered a contract that was much better than what the Angels were offering. See Figgins, Chone.
Had he left with grace, with the consciousness that his move to the RedSox would hurt Angels fans, maybe he could have expected a better homecoming.
But he did not.
He left scorning the organization, the team, and the fans. Is he so arrogant that he believes he's above the consequences of those actions?
09 July 2010
thoughts: swept by sox, cliff lee, bench plugs
Geez, lately I've had to start most of my posts with apologies for being MIA. I started my internship this week, so I don't expect that practice to stop, unfortunately.
Anyways, I'll try my best to keep up with Angels news (I didn't find out about the Cliff Lee trade until 5pm!) and post during the weekends.
Also, the shocking trade today and recent (lack of) play by the Angels have thwarted my attemps to post about Kaz. I've got most of the post formed in my head, so it'll be up shortly.
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The last two series have been absolutely discouraging. After the high of winning the Texas series and really the way the team won those games, their play against the Royals and the ChiSox was disgusting, to say the least.
It's unacceptable for the Halos to lose a series to the Royals. Not only are the Royals woefully bad, the Halos have a history of absolutely crushing them. I'd like to thank them for making the Angels' scorching hot June/July last year possible. Remember what I wrote about the Halos needing to take advantage of opportunities? Well, playing a bad team whilst the Rangers played the respectable WhiteSox, qualifies as an opportunity. But its not only that the Halos lost the series and the chance to gain ground, it was the way the team lost those games. Really, how do you manage to score only one run against a Royals starting pitcher not named Zack Greinke? How do you get no-hit by Bruce Chen for 6+ innings? At least the boys showed up for national tv (perhaps they didn't want to get embarrased in front of the whole nation), pounding out 11 runs.
But things didn't improve much in Chicago. I get that the White Sox have a really good pitching staff. But I also understand that the White Sox are not an elite team. They have a respectable lineup with Rios and Konerko, but they also have the likes of Juan Pierre and Andruw Jones. Not to mention the fact that AJ and Quentin are underperforming. Winning one of the four games was a modest expectation. The Angels couldn't muster anything, despite the fact that Peavy pitched less than 2 innings. When I checked the score on Thursday, all I needed to know was the fact that the Angels managed two (two!!) hits. John Danks is very good, but that's just pitiful.
Anyways, I'll try my best to keep up with Angels news (I didn't find out about the Cliff Lee trade until 5pm!) and post during the weekends.
Also, the shocking trade today and recent (lack of) play by the Angels have thwarted my attemps to post about Kaz. I've got most of the post formed in my head, so it'll be up shortly.
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The last two series have been absolutely discouraging. After the high of winning the Texas series and really the way the team won those games, their play against the Royals and the ChiSox was disgusting, to say the least.
It's unacceptable for the Halos to lose a series to the Royals. Not only are the Royals woefully bad, the Halos have a history of absolutely crushing them. I'd like to thank them for making the Angels' scorching hot June/July last year possible. Remember what I wrote about the Halos needing to take advantage of opportunities? Well, playing a bad team whilst the Rangers played the respectable WhiteSox, qualifies as an opportunity. But its not only that the Halos lost the series and the chance to gain ground, it was the way the team lost those games. Really, how do you manage to score only one run against a Royals starting pitcher not named Zack Greinke? How do you get no-hit by Bruce Chen for 6+ innings? At least the boys showed up for national tv (perhaps they didn't want to get embarrased in front of the whole nation), pounding out 11 runs.
But things didn't improve much in Chicago. I get that the White Sox have a really good pitching staff. But I also understand that the White Sox are not an elite team. They have a respectable lineup with Rios and Konerko, but they also have the likes of Juan Pierre and Andruw Jones. Not to mention the fact that AJ and Quentin are underperforming. Winning one of the four games was a modest expectation. The Angels couldn't muster anything, despite the fact that Peavy pitched less than 2 innings. When I checked the score on Thursday, all I needed to know was the fact that the Angels managed two (two!!) hits. John Danks is very good, but that's just pitiful.
17 April 2010
thoughts: week two
Some thoughts/observations from Week Two:
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Two outings by Saundo bookended this week. The first, against the A's was encouraging after he struggled against Minnesota. Cruising into the 7th inning, the wheels just came off and Saundo was stuck with the loss. Today, against the Blue Jays, he was fantastic. Beyond the great game and the win, I think his performance was critical in bringing some consistancy to the quality of starting pitching and some encouragement to the players and fans. I'm definitely more optimistic after Saunders followed Weaver's great outing with one of his own.
Overall, the rotation seems to be on its way to working itself out. Pineiro gave some life to the Halos with his 7IP 1ER performance on Wednesday and (:::crosses fingers:::) seems on his way to proving he's not a one-season wonder, but a Reagins steal. Weaver delievered once again and (:::crosses fingers:::) seems on his way to solidifying himself atop the rotation. As for those talented-but-erratic members of the rotation I have such high hopes for - they're still a work in progress. Ervin did okay on Tuesday, but he didn't get much luck in wiggling out of jams. He ended up complaining about the umps in the media, which gets a big thumbs down from me. Get your head into your game, Ervin and have some fun. I'm not quite sure what to make of him yet. Kaz is even more of a mystery since he's only had one start. Naps raved about his slider in warmups, but it completely abandoned Kaz once he was on the mound. I'm not sure what to make of that. At times he seemed to be uncomfortable with his footing in the first inning. His pace was also noticably slower than in spring training. Nevertheless, he seemed to be in control for the first three innings, but then his mechanics appeared to explode and disaster followed. For Kaz to be successful, he needs his slider, but more importantly, he needs to stay within his mechanics and locate his fastball. He has plenty of time to turn it around, but he needs to trust himself.
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Two outings by Saundo bookended this week. The first, against the A's was encouraging after he struggled against Minnesota. Cruising into the 7th inning, the wheels just came off and Saundo was stuck with the loss. Today, against the Blue Jays, he was fantastic. Beyond the great game and the win, I think his performance was critical in bringing some consistancy to the quality of starting pitching and some encouragement to the players and fans. I'm definitely more optimistic after Saunders followed Weaver's great outing with one of his own.
Overall, the rotation seems to be on its way to working itself out. Pineiro gave some life to the Halos with his 7IP 1ER performance on Wednesday and (:::crosses fingers:::) seems on his way to proving he's not a one-season wonder, but a Reagins steal. Weaver delievered once again and (:::crosses fingers:::) seems on his way to solidifying himself atop the rotation. As for those talented-but-erratic members of the rotation I have such high hopes for - they're still a work in progress. Ervin did okay on Tuesday, but he didn't get much luck in wiggling out of jams. He ended up complaining about the umps in the media, which gets a big thumbs down from me. Get your head into your game, Ervin and have some fun. I'm not quite sure what to make of him yet. Kaz is even more of a mystery since he's only had one start. Naps raved about his slider in warmups, but it completely abandoned Kaz once he was on the mound. I'm not sure what to make of that. At times he seemed to be uncomfortable with his footing in the first inning. His pace was also noticably slower than in spring training. Nevertheless, he seemed to be in control for the first three innings, but then his mechanics appeared to explode and disaster followed. For Kaz to be successful, he needs his slider, but more importantly, he needs to stay within his mechanics and locate his fastball. He has plenty of time to turn it around, but he needs to trust himself.
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11 April 2010
thoughts: opening week
Apologies for being MIA for the week - I was rudely reminded that, as a student, studying and hw come before baseball =(.
Anyways, I did manage to catch most of the games, with the exception of Friday's atrocity. Some thoughts/observations:
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Wow, so one week into the season and I've already been irrevocably proven wrong. Remember when I postulated that BWood would go about his business quietly? I still stand by my view that there was little pre-season talk about him. But then when the season started, BWood didn't do himself any favors by opening the season vying for a golden sombrero. I'm not too worried yet - it IS only a week into the season. I had thought he'd need some time to settle into being a major league player, but there seems to be an upswell of fans who are wigging out already. The funny thing is, I suspect that the spotlight on BWood is brighter because the lineup in general has been beyond anemic and he's an easy scapegoat. It's a tough way to open up a major league career, and I hope that BWood can hang in there.
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See, the losses and bad play have not been BWood alone. Sosh said it best:
Anyways, I did manage to catch most of the games, with the exception of Friday's atrocity. Some thoughts/observations:
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Wow, so one week into the season and I've already been irrevocably proven wrong. Remember when I postulated that BWood would go about his business quietly? I still stand by my view that there was little pre-season talk about him. But then when the season started, BWood didn't do himself any favors by opening the season vying for a golden sombrero. I'm not too worried yet - it IS only a week into the season. I had thought he'd need some time to settle into being a major league player, but there seems to be an upswell of fans who are wigging out already. The funny thing is, I suspect that the spotlight on BWood is brighter because the lineup in general has been beyond anemic and he's an easy scapegoat. It's a tough way to open up a major league career, and I hope that BWood can hang in there.
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See, the losses and bad play have not been BWood alone. Sosh said it best:
"We played four crappy games in every aspect..We could have played a triple-A team these last couple of nights and lost."I missed Friday's game, but what stuck out to me in the recaps wasn't the lack of offense or Palmer getting shelled, but the defensive lapses. I'm sure that's what annoyed Sosh the most, cause I sure hate it when players compound sucking with sucking-at-the-fundamental-stuff.
30 March 2010
thoughts: today's game, some ?s to ponder
Just some tidbits:
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Only caught some of today's game, but some observations:
- The Angels stranded way too many runners.
- Kaz seemed to work better when his pace seemed quicker than normal.
- Mathis caught Kaz again. If Sosh sticks with this + having Mathis catch Ervin (like he has in the past), Jeff would be paired with the dynamic-but-erratic pitchers in the rotation.
- Aybar stole 2nd and 3rd in one inning (and was stranded!) but the play at 3rd was very close. I agree that Aybar is bound to be scary on the basepaths, but I think he'll be learning (trial by fire!) at least.
- Mathis hit the ball hard, following a recent trend. Yeah, it's just spring training, but is it too naive to *hope* for some improvement in his bat?
- Jose Mota and Terry Smith seem to be gelling together. At least there isn't anymore of the awkward silences or interupting each other. Mota, in particular, seems to be growing into the role, though he does the Angels's promotional statements too often.
- Mathis threw out two baserunners on two very good throws, but had three baserunners steal on bad throws. Interestingly, one of the outs was at third base when he threw from his knees, like he did on Thursday.
- Kaz looked good for the most part. Though I suspect even if he'd bombed, I'd stay firm with my belief in him. Chalk it up to irrational fan faith!
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Only caught some of today's game, but some observations:
- The Angels stranded way too many runners.
- Kaz seemed to work better when his pace seemed quicker than normal.
- Mathis caught Kaz again. If Sosh sticks with this + having Mathis catch Ervin (like he has in the past), Jeff would be paired with the dynamic-but-erratic pitchers in the rotation.
- Aybar stole 2nd and 3rd in one inning (and was stranded!) but the play at 3rd was very close. I agree that Aybar is bound to be scary on the basepaths, but I think he'll be learning (trial by fire!) at least.
- Mathis hit the ball hard, following a recent trend. Yeah, it's just spring training, but is it too naive to *hope* for some improvement in his bat?
- Jose Mota and Terry Smith seem to be gelling together. At least there isn't anymore of the awkward silences or interupting each other. Mota, in particular, seems to be growing into the role, though he does the Angels's promotional statements too often.
- Mathis threw out two baserunners on two very good throws, but had three baserunners steal on bad throws. Interestingly, one of the outs was at third base when he threw from his knees, like he did on Thursday.
- Kaz looked good for the most part. Though I suspect even if he'd bombed, I'd stay firm with my belief in him. Chalk it up to irrational fan faith!
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28 March 2010
thoughts: ST recap, organization rankings
Back in NorCal, where the rain is due to kickoff another quarter...
Just some (long) tidbits:
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Which Rodney are we gonna get - the one that was dominating on Saturday (no hits, two strikeouts) or the one that was wild today (4ER, 3BB)? Ah yeah, the inconsistancy is his trademark - but it's also been fitting considering the Halo's play this spring.
Other notables this past weekend was Matsui making his first put-out (surprisingly, didn't hear more about that), hitting his first HR and taking a (seemingly) bajillion walks. Torii and Howie seem to be getting into a groove and it was interesting to see Aybar take five straight pitches for a walk today. Abreu hit some homers recently, which was a pleasant surprise. The offense is scoring in bunches, so I guess we'll all see if that translates this season to the "offensive chemistry" that Sosh is looking for in the lineup.
On the pitching side, things are much the same. Some causes for optimism, some for worry. Saundo struck out SIX batters yesterday, which is a crapload for a pitch-to-contact guy. Don't really know what to make of that - he still allowed three ER over 4 1/3IP. Ervin was scratched last Tuesday but pitched four really good innings today before becoming unravelled in the 5th. I'm kinda curious why Sosh had Weav pitch in a minor league game in Tempe on Friday rather vs. the Giants. I know that the stated excuse was that the Halos wanted a more controlled environment where he wouldn't have to bat. But Weav has already "batted" this spring, and it's not like he'd be allowed to swing anyways. Reports said he felt good (the generic report from every pitcher in the spring!) and gave up some HRs. Maybe he's still working on those new pitches Pineiro taught him? Whatever it is, the Halos used the opportunity to showcase Reckling. It's seriously hard to wrap my mind around the fact that he's only 20 years-old. Ironically, the best performance from the rotation this past week goes to Pineiro (0ER, 5IP), though he was facing the Royals. And of course, the biggest news for me was missing the chance to see Kaz pitch after he was scratched with shoulder stiffness. He says he's fine, Sosh says he's fine, so I guess it won't do me much good to worry about it. We'll see when the regular season comes around.
And really, it couldn't come fast enough. I'm tired to having to temper my enthusiasm or concern with the required "Well, it's only spring training." I'm ready to start cheering on the thumping of the AL West and those teams from the East.
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Just some (long) tidbits:
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Which Rodney are we gonna get - the one that was dominating on Saturday (no hits, two strikeouts) or the one that was wild today (4ER, 3BB)? Ah yeah, the inconsistancy is his trademark - but it's also been fitting considering the Halo's play this spring.
Other notables this past weekend was Matsui making his first put-out (surprisingly, didn't hear more about that), hitting his first HR and taking a (seemingly) bajillion walks. Torii and Howie seem to be getting into a groove and it was interesting to see Aybar take five straight pitches for a walk today. Abreu hit some homers recently, which was a pleasant surprise. The offense is scoring in bunches, so I guess we'll all see if that translates this season to the "offensive chemistry" that Sosh is looking for in the lineup.
On the pitching side, things are much the same. Some causes for optimism, some for worry. Saundo struck out SIX batters yesterday, which is a crapload for a pitch-to-contact guy. Don't really know what to make of that - he still allowed three ER over 4 1/3IP. Ervin was scratched last Tuesday but pitched four really good innings today before becoming unravelled in the 5th. I'm kinda curious why Sosh had Weav pitch in a minor league game in Tempe on Friday rather vs. the Giants. I know that the stated excuse was that the Halos wanted a more controlled environment where he wouldn't have to bat. But Weav has already "batted" this spring, and it's not like he'd be allowed to swing anyways. Reports said he felt good (the generic report from every pitcher in the spring!) and gave up some HRs. Maybe he's still working on those new pitches Pineiro taught him? Whatever it is, the Halos used the opportunity to showcase Reckling. It's seriously hard to wrap my mind around the fact that he's only 20 years-old. Ironically, the best performance from the rotation this past week goes to Pineiro (0ER, 5IP), though he was facing the Royals. And of course, the biggest news for me was missing the chance to see Kaz pitch after he was scratched with shoulder stiffness. He says he's fine, Sosh says he's fine, so I guess it won't do me much good to worry about it. We'll see when the regular season comes around.
And really, it couldn't come fast enough. I'm tired to having to temper my enthusiasm or concern with the required "Well, it's only spring training." I'm ready to start cheering on the thumping of the AL West and those teams from the East.
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24 March 2010
thoughts: ST games, snuggies &more
Finals are over and I'm finally feeling the warm sun of SoCal. Not much stuff to comment on that hasn't already been beaten to death, just a bunch of notes...
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Spring training games haven't changed much from my last entry. The Angels have (finally) sprinkled in some wins with all those losses and have sent some of the youngins down to minor league camp. What has stood out the most for me is the inconsistancy of the Angels' play. I mean, for a long stretch of the losses, it seemed like they couldn't hit anything. A string of spring training games with only 3 or 4 hits is puzzling. But then they came back with multiple double-digit run games. And then the pitching! Ervin looks absolutely dominating in back-to-back games then gets hammered in a Triple-A game and the AAAA relievers alternate between horrible and capable. Like I've said, I don't really care about spring training wins/losses, but the inconsistancy can be quite annoying. I guess, it's just an extension of the unpredictability of the team this season.
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The announcement that the Angels are going to try to break a world record made me laugh. I'm pretty sure the the potential publicity doesn't outweigh the ridiculousness of it all. I mean, Snuggies - really? I'd rather that the marketing department find better ways to promote the Angels (and their fans) but at least it gave me (and others) a good laugh.
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Another article that gave me a good laugh - Bengie Molina was (once) a shortstop. It's definitely one of those "REALLY?" moments and, as a commentor noted, a revelation that even Bengie is probably faster than a great deal of fans.
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Spring training games haven't changed much from my last entry. The Angels have (finally) sprinkled in some wins with all those losses and have sent some of the youngins down to minor league camp. What has stood out the most for me is the inconsistancy of the Angels' play. I mean, for a long stretch of the losses, it seemed like they couldn't hit anything. A string of spring training games with only 3 or 4 hits is puzzling. But then they came back with multiple double-digit run games. And then the pitching! Ervin looks absolutely dominating in back-to-back games then gets hammered in a Triple-A game and the AAAA relievers alternate between horrible and capable. Like I've said, I don't really care about spring training wins/losses, but the inconsistancy can be quite annoying. I guess, it's just an extension of the unpredictability of the team this season.
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The announcement that the Angels are going to try to break a world record made me laugh. I'm pretty sure the the potential publicity doesn't outweigh the ridiculousness of it all. I mean, Snuggies - really? I'd rather that the marketing department find better ways to promote the Angels (and their fans) but at least it gave me (and others) a good laugh.
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Another article that gave me a good laugh - Bengie Molina was (once) a shortstop. It's definitely one of those "REALLY?" moments and, as a commentor noted, a revelation that even Bengie is probably faster than a great deal of fans.
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07 March 2010
thoughts: ST games, Rojas, GA, etc.
It's about time for me to go into my finals-studying isolation, so posting here should be quite sparse for a few weeks.
Just some tidbits:
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Cactus League play started this past Friday and the Angels pulled out an exciting tie (can you sense the sarcasm?). Then followed with two less-than-exciting losses (to the Rockies and A's). I don't really care about spring training wins/losses (you figure they've gotta win sometime, right?), but the real treat was having the opportunity to see young prospects like Reckling, Chatwood, Amarista, Trumbo, Conger, etc. I'm still waiting to see Chaffee and Smith in action, so it's not so fun that yesterday's game wasn't televised and today's game got rained out.
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Victor Rojas, the newly hired Angels play-by-play announcer, explained why he decided to leave MLB Network to come to the Angels. Well, mostly it was him explaining how he got the MLBN gig in the first place and how he grew into the role. Two thoughts - first, it speaks really well of him that, although he didn't have any broadcasting experience, he dove right into the work, was amendable to adapting on the fly, and never really shied away from trying new things. Secondly, that as much as he professes to have loved his work on MLBN, Arte got him to come to Anaheim. Specifically, "...most importantly [I left] because ... Mr. Moreno (I promise I will learn to call you Arte) wanted to make a commitment to me and the family." When the announcement was made and the resultant feedback in the halosphere was positive, I kinda wondered how the Angels enticed a national broadcaster to leave a network he helped build to come to Anaheim, where the west coast bias is in full swing. All indications point to it being a great hire and for all you doubters out there, here's another instance where Arte is doing all he can to make the Angels experience a great one.
I'm looking forward to seeing Rojas in action!
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Just some tidbits:
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Cactus League play started this past Friday and the Angels pulled out an exciting tie (can you sense the sarcasm?). Then followed with two less-than-exciting losses (to the Rockies and A's). I don't really care about spring training wins/losses (you figure they've gotta win sometime, right?), but the real treat was having the opportunity to see young prospects like Reckling, Chatwood, Amarista, Trumbo, Conger, etc. I'm still waiting to see Chaffee and Smith in action, so it's not so fun that yesterday's game wasn't televised and today's game got rained out.
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Victor Rojas, the newly hired Angels play-by-play announcer, explained why he decided to leave MLB Network to come to the Angels. Well, mostly it was him explaining how he got the MLBN gig in the first place and how he grew into the role. Two thoughts - first, it speaks really well of him that, although he didn't have any broadcasting experience, he dove right into the work, was amendable to adapting on the fly, and never really shied away from trying new things. Secondly, that as much as he professes to have loved his work on MLBN, Arte got him to come to Anaheim. Specifically, "...most importantly [I left] because ... Mr. Moreno (I promise I will learn to call you Arte) wanted to make a commitment to me and the family." When the announcement was made and the resultant feedback in the halosphere was positive, I kinda wondered how the Angels enticed a national broadcaster to leave a network he helped build to come to Anaheim, where the west coast bias is in full swing. All indications point to it being a great hire and for all you doubters out there, here's another instance where Arte is doing all he can to make the Angels experience a great one.
I'm looking forward to seeing Rojas in action!
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18 February 2010
thoughts: ST starts, arbitration cases
Just some tidbits:
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Pitchers and catchers reported to Tempe yesterday. I could echo every other baseball fan in what a joyous occasion it is, but what it really means for angels&aimee is that it'll no longer be on life support!
When I began angels&aimee, I had a modest viewership, mostly cause I didn't really care to promote it - it was all for my own pleasure. I've been surprised and pleased to get the support of other bloggers and media, but now that I have actual readers, well it's been on me to actually produce stuff for them to read. And unfortunately, there hasn't been much Angels news for me to comment on. Unless of course, I really wanted to espouse about the Quinlan signing for a whole post. But now that Spring Training has begun, news should be free flowing, as evidenced by the bevy of stuff today. So new Angels news = more thoughts, opinions, comments = more posts!
This being my first season of angels&aimee, I'm especially excited.
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Arbitration cases are pretty much done with. Aybar settled for $2.05M before his hearing and Mathis's hearing occured this morning. I'm really glad that the FO settled with Aybar, but it really sucks that they couldn't settle with Mathis. Mathis needs some confidence to improve his production at the plate and an arbitration hearing is definitely detrimental to that. Furthermore, looking at their figures again, the FO may have low-balled him. Naps got $2M last year in his first year of arbitration and even if you account for the obvious difference in offensive production and arbitrations value on offense, is $700K really a winnable submission? BR lists Brandon Inge as a comparable at the same age and Inge recieved $1.35M in his first arbitration year, abeit when he was 28 and had improved his numbers. I think I'd feel better about the FO winning if they had submitted something closer to $900K, but I guess that's all a moot point now.
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The other Angels news today is that Rodney and Kazmir were kept out of pitcher fielding practice due to minor injuries. Irony aside, Kaz's injury is worrisome since supposedly his hamstring is what was bothering him last season. Sosh says its not serious, so let's hope that it won't be chronic either.
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Pitchers and catchers reported to Tempe yesterday. I could echo every other baseball fan in what a joyous occasion it is, but what it really means for angels&aimee is that it'll no longer be on life support!
When I began angels&aimee, I had a modest viewership, mostly cause I didn't really care to promote it - it was all for my own pleasure. I've been surprised and pleased to get the support of other bloggers and media, but now that I have actual readers, well it's been on me to actually produce stuff for them to read. And unfortunately, there hasn't been much Angels news for me to comment on. Unless of course, I really wanted to espouse about the Quinlan signing for a whole post. But now that Spring Training has begun, news should be free flowing, as evidenced by the bevy of stuff today. So new Angels news = more thoughts, opinions, comments = more posts!
This being my first season of angels&aimee, I'm especially excited.
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Arbitration cases are pretty much done with. Aybar settled for $2.05M before his hearing and Mathis's hearing occured this morning. I'm really glad that the FO settled with Aybar, but it really sucks that they couldn't settle with Mathis. Mathis needs some confidence to improve his production at the plate and an arbitration hearing is definitely detrimental to that. Furthermore, looking at their figures again, the FO may have low-balled him. Naps got $2M last year in his first year of arbitration and even if you account for the obvious difference in offensive production and arbitrations value on offense, is $700K really a winnable submission? BR lists Brandon Inge as a comparable at the same age and Inge recieved $1.35M in his first arbitration year, abeit when he was 28 and had improved his numbers. I think I'd feel better about the FO winning if they had submitted something closer to $900K, but I guess that's all a moot point now.
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The other Angels news today is that Rodney and Kazmir were kept out of pitcher fielding practice due to minor injuries. Irony aside, Kaz's injury is worrisome since supposedly his hamstring is what was bothering him last season. Sosh says its not serious, so let's hope that it won't be chronic either.
08 February 2010
thoughts: Saunders, PECOTA, &more
Back from a (seemingly) long midterm-studying hiatus.
Just some tidbits that I missed...
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Saunders signed a one-year deal, avoiding arbitration. It's good that they're not gonna argue over $250,000, but I was really hoping for that multi-year deal. Maybe the FO is just waiting to see what Joe does with a healthy full season.
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PECOTA came out with their projections, then realized that they screwed up. Um, yeah, didn't having the Nationals win 82 games make them pause and say "huh?" The use of statistics in baseball fascinates me (even if I don't want to be a stathead), but that's gotta put a dent in BP's credibility. Any good scientist can tell you that data can describe things, but if the math (and procedures) behind it isn't sound then the conclusions are worthless. To their credit, they did admit they screwed up and fixed it.
Just some tidbits that I missed...
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Saunders signed a one-year deal, avoiding arbitration. It's good that they're not gonna argue over $250,000, but I was really hoping for that multi-year deal. Maybe the FO is just waiting to see what Joe does with a healthy full season.
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PECOTA came out with their projections, then realized that they screwed up. Um, yeah, didn't having the Nationals win 82 games make them pause and say "huh?" The use of statistics in baseball fascinates me (even if I don't want to be a stathead), but that's gotta put a dent in BP's credibility. Any good scientist can tell you that data can describe things, but if the math (and procedures) behind it isn't sound then the conclusions are worthless. To their credit, they did admit they screwed up and fixed it.
25 January 2010
thoughts: angels arbitration cases, FO this offseason
Just some tidbits:
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Long overdue, but the Angels are down to three arbitration cases. Weaver, Howie, Napoli and Reggie all signed for 1-year deals before last Tuesday's deadline to exchange arbitration figures. I was pleasantly surprised that they avoided arbitration with Weaver, but I was still hoping for a multi-year deal. Saunders, Aybar, Mathis are still unsigned, while Izzy got a 3year/$10M deal today. The most worrisome case to me is the nearly $1M difference in Aybar's case.
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I definitely like the deal for Izzy. He's one of the best backup infielders and he's good enough to be a starter. The price might seem high for a bench player, but Izzy is a premium bench/platoon player which I think makes the deal a great bargain. In fact, I think the deal might be too good. No doubt that Izzy could get a better deal on the FA market next year, and he probably could get a starting job. So I hope the reason he signed has more to do with him liking the organization rather than the FO promising potential playing time. Izzy is great and dependable, but I (and a good deal of the fans) don't want him blocking BWood. Furthermore, I'm still a believer in Howie's upside despite his close to crash-and-burn status last season. So what's gonna be Izzy's role? My hope is that Izzy is for insurance and his usual backup infielder versatility.
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Long overdue, but the Angels are down to three arbitration cases. Weaver, Howie, Napoli and Reggie all signed for 1-year deals before last Tuesday's deadline to exchange arbitration figures. I was pleasantly surprised that they avoided arbitration with Weaver, but I was still hoping for a multi-year deal. Saunders, Aybar, Mathis are still unsigned, while Izzy got a 3year/$10M deal today. The most worrisome case to me is the nearly $1M difference in Aybar's case.
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I definitely like the deal for Izzy. He's one of the best backup infielders and he's good enough to be a starter. The price might seem high for a bench player, but Izzy is a premium bench/platoon player which I think makes the deal a great bargain. In fact, I think the deal might be too good. No doubt that Izzy could get a better deal on the FA market next year, and he probably could get a starting job. So I hope the reason he signed has more to do with him liking the organization rather than the FO promising potential playing time. Izzy is great and dependable, but I (and a good deal of the fans) don't want him blocking BWood. Furthermore, I'm still a believer in Howie's upside despite his close to crash-and-burn status last season. So what's gonna be Izzy's role? My hope is that Izzy is for insurance and his usual backup infielder versatility.
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05 January 2010
thoughts: Rory, Kotch, Bay/Holliday, Chapman
Just some tidbits:
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I was utterly shocked when I learned of Rory Markus's death.
I only started listening to the radio broadcasts last season, so I wasn't yet able to discern Rory from Gubi and Terry, but the resonding majority of halo fans liked him the best. I especially liked the "Just another halo victory" call, which I discovered today was Rory's call. A lot of fans were looking forward to having him call every tv game next season. A horrible loss for his family, the Angels, and Halo fans everywhere.
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I was utterly shocked when I learned of Rory Markus's death.
I only started listening to the radio broadcasts last season, so I wasn't yet able to discern Rory from Gubi and Terry, but the resonding majority of halo fans liked him the best. I especially liked the "Just another halo victory" call, which I discovered today was Rory's call. A lot of fans were looking forward to having him call every tv game next season. A horrible loss for his family, the Angels, and Halo fans everywhere.
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23 December 2009
thoughts: Rodney, Yankees, and the M's (again!)
Just some tidbits:
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So the Angels signed Fernando Rodney today. I'm ambivalent about this signing. While yes, Rodney helps to bolster a very bad Angels bullpen (that's already lost 'Dondo and Oliver, but gains Shields back from injury), it's not even close to a slam dunk.
The side that hates this deal says:
First of all, Rodney isn't what you'd call a lights-out reliever. He closed for the Tigers last year to the tune of 37 saves (out of 38 tries) and 2-5 with a 4.40ERA. Not pretty numbers, especially if you notice the declining K/9 rates. Add in the reputation of being erratic, and well, the save percentage doesn't look as appealing. Most backers would argue that most of the damagae to his numbers came in non-save situations, but uh, isn't he coming to Anaheim to set-up??? I can't imagine that Sosh will rock the boat and displace Fuentes unless Fuentes is really bad. Add in the fact that they're spending another $5-6M for a reliever, and the Angels have one pricey bullpen (Fuentes = $9M, Shields = $5.35M, Spier = $5.25M). The Angels had a tradition of a lockdown bullpen earlier in the decade, but well, weren't those built on cheap young talent or reclaimation projects? Throwing so much money at a relief pitcher seems like such a waste of resources.
The optimistic side says:
Rodney is a power arm (which Sosh loves in the bullpen) and has closer experience. He'll push Fuentes for the closer gig, and if Fuentes really sucks, bumping him to the set-up role can prevent his 2011 option from vesting. He's an established closer with great stuff - a mid-90s fastball and a fantastic slider. And he was the best relief option on the FA market. Most other FA relievers have signed elsewhere (Soriano, Saito, Wagner, Capps), unless Valverde and his crazy contract demands sounded appealing. For a bullpen that was in shambles last season, Rodney gives it a good to great addition.
Rodney was the best option out there for the Angels and I guess doing something is better than doing nothing in this case. But I just can't like this signing. Its too many dollars for a relief pitcher that doesn't have a consistant track record. I just hope that I'm wrong.
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So the Angels signed Fernando Rodney today. I'm ambivalent about this signing. While yes, Rodney helps to bolster a very bad Angels bullpen (that's already lost 'Dondo and Oliver, but gains Shields back from injury), it's not even close to a slam dunk.
The side that hates this deal says:
First of all, Rodney isn't what you'd call a lights-out reliever. He closed for the Tigers last year to the tune of 37 saves (out of 38 tries) and 2-5 with a 4.40ERA. Not pretty numbers, especially if you notice the declining K/9 rates. Add in the reputation of being erratic, and well, the save percentage doesn't look as appealing. Most backers would argue that most of the damagae to his numbers came in non-save situations, but uh, isn't he coming to Anaheim to set-up??? I can't imagine that Sosh will rock the boat and displace Fuentes unless Fuentes is really bad. Add in the fact that they're spending another $5-6M for a reliever, and the Angels have one pricey bullpen (Fuentes = $9M, Shields = $5.35M, Spier = $5.25M). The Angels had a tradition of a lockdown bullpen earlier in the decade, but well, weren't those built on cheap young talent or reclaimation projects? Throwing so much money at a relief pitcher seems like such a waste of resources.
The optimistic side says:
Rodney is a power arm (which Sosh loves in the bullpen) and has closer experience. He'll push Fuentes for the closer gig, and if Fuentes really sucks, bumping him to the set-up role can prevent his 2011 option from vesting. He's an established closer with great stuff - a mid-90s fastball and a fantastic slider. And he was the best relief option on the FA market. Most other FA relievers have signed elsewhere (Soriano, Saito, Wagner, Capps), unless Valverde and his crazy contract demands sounded appealing. For a bullpen that was in shambles last season, Rodney gives it a good to great addition.
Rodney was the best option out there for the Angels and I guess doing something is better than doing nothing in this case. But I just can't like this signing. Its too many dollars for a relief pitcher that doesn't have a consistant track record. I just hope that I'm wrong.
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21 December 2009
thoughts: Lackey, M's, Oliver
Just some tidbits:
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I can understand Lackey testing the FA market. I can understand that him getting as much money as he can. I can even understand him following that money to Boston (though I don't like it). What I can't understand is comments that indicate he wanted to go to Boston (and that he and his agent worked hard to convince Theo). I get that the RedSox win a lot (at least in this decade), but don't you think its a big FU to Halo Fans when you say things like "I was always interested in coming here. Winning was definitely my first priority of a team to go to." He's in a tough position - trying to win over RedSox fans, who have definitely disliked him for a long time, (remember he said that the Angels were the better team after '08 ALDS loss) is probably quite hard. But while he's doing that he's alienating Halo fans. It's like he can't wait to burn that bridge between Angels fans.
I'm beginning to really dislike players creditting their wives for helping them make FA decisions. I thought that Teixeira's comment that his wife told him to be a yankee was absolutely stupid. Sure, the NY fans are gonna love her, but now you basically unleash the hatred of 3 fan bases on her. Instead of owning up to your decision like a man, you let her take the responsibility. It seems like Lackey has taken that route too, mentioning his wife's northeastern roots and her family's RedSox fandom. Sure, its gonna endear you to BoSox fans (and help convince Theo you're serious about coming to Boston), but man, it makes it easier for bitter Angels fans to spread the hatred.
You can read the transcript of Lackey's Boston press conference here.
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I can understand Lackey testing the FA market. I can understand that him getting as much money as he can. I can even understand him following that money to Boston (though I don't like it). What I can't understand is comments that indicate he wanted to go to Boston (and that he and his agent worked hard to convince Theo). I get that the RedSox win a lot (at least in this decade), but don't you think its a big FU to Halo Fans when you say things like "I was always interested in coming here. Winning was definitely my first priority of a team to go to." He's in a tough position - trying to win over RedSox fans, who have definitely disliked him for a long time, (remember he said that the Angels were the better team after '08 ALDS loss) is probably quite hard. But while he's doing that he's alienating Halo fans. It's like he can't wait to burn that bridge between Angels fans.
I'm beginning to really dislike players creditting their wives for helping them make FA decisions. I thought that Teixeira's comment that his wife told him to be a yankee was absolutely stupid. Sure, the NY fans are gonna love her, but now you basically unleash the hatred of 3 fan bases on her. Instead of owning up to your decision like a man, you let her take the responsibility. It seems like Lackey has taken that route too, mentioning his wife's northeastern roots and her family's RedSox fandom. Sure, its gonna endear you to BoSox fans (and help convince Theo you're serious about coming to Boston), but man, it makes it easier for bitter Angels fans to spread the hatred.
You can read the transcript of Lackey's Boston press conference here.
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