The Erstad Issue

Here are the problems for erstad

1B: Morales - a legit power hitter, taking him out of the lineup would be a shame, and it would be hard for him to DH with salmon and anderson taking these duties for the time being.
Kotchman - Most likely our everyday first basemen for the next couple years if he actually recovers from mono. While his hitting style is different than  morales (i think mo has more pop), this is the guy that has been on our depth charts since he was drafted.
CF:Figgins - Sure, we all get nervous when a fly ball comes to him, but he has the speed and can move on the basepaths. He's my pick to be the fixture in CF for the years to come, if mcpherson and kendrick can prove themselves.
Murphy - He's flashed the leather and robbed a home run, his bat will come around but i don't see him being an everyday player until 2008, or 2007 if anderson can't play the field anymore.

Basically, Erstad is where salmon was at this point in 2004(coincidenitally with the same amount of time left on his contract as salmon did at the time), and he is bruised, broken, and unable to hit.

I mean, sure Erstad is good at the rbi groundout, otherwise known as the "productive out" by hatch and scioscia, but i have to unfortunately say that Erstad is dead weight on our team, and he is only going to hurt our depth by being on our bench. The problem is that I don't even want to think about giving Ersty the DFA, even if he has had only one truly productive season on the Angels, his scowls will warm my heart any day.

Tell him to get surgery now, invite him to spend the rest of the season in the clubhouse while rehabbing, lending his intangibles & support without actually having to hurt the lineup with his bat. Then, with as much grace & thanks as possible, kiss him goodbye, or offer him a $500,000 contract to be a bench player while the youth movement rolls on.

The 2007 lineup should look like this:
C: Napoli/Mathis
1B: Kotch
2B: Kendrick
SS: Cabrera
3B: D-Mac/Quinlan
LF: Garret/Rivera
CF: Figgins
RF: Vlad
DH: Morales

That's both pretty good and pretty cheap. We've got $30 million coming off the books (Erstad, Alfonzo, Weaver, Kennedy, Yan, etc.), no F.A. needs for the rotation ... so either the extra money should be spent on Vernon Wells types, putting Figgy back into his Rover role, or Stoneman should package some spare shortstops, AAA SPs, prospects and whoever the hell else for Miguel Cabrera.

The Dodgers did that youth movement crap and it was miserable.  It was so bad they had to go out and sign more free agents than anyone else in baseball.  Now they are a winning team again with a mix of veterans and young players... which we already have right now.

We badly need a big bat in the outfield for next season, and if we need to give up one or more of out rookie infielders, so be it. Apart from Gorneault, we don't seem to have any outfielders knocking on the door.

As Matt points out, we will be freeing up  $20m plus, and assuming Bart is fit, will have no need to find a starter.

Cabrera would be a huge signing, and worth giving a lot for.

I agree with everyone above me here... Ersty is more or less done.  It sucks, but get him some surgery, let him play injured clubhouse inspiration/intagible guy.  

Let the youth movement go into effect, but still keep a few veterans around, as the Rooks gotta learn from somebody.

I told someone early this year when I heard Ersty was gonna be playing CF, he wouldn't make it to the All-star break without going on the DL... well, it looks like it's pretty bad now...

Jeff

Erstad's contract expires at the end of this year, not 2007.

But I agree that his lingering injury problems may ultimately benefit the team, because it prevents Scioscia from wasting a spot in the lineup on a guy who we know will be unproductive, rather than giving a chance to a younger player who might be productive.  This year is about player development as much as anything else...really, sort of like the A's last year.  The Angels aren't too far out of it & could still take the division, but it's patently obvious that it's time to start integrating the yunguns into the lineup to find out if they're going to make it here and whether they have trade value as ML-ready players.

I think the team can contend this year with out selling the farm. With the AL west being what it is, its could take only  90 wins to get into the playoffs. Our pitching should be able to carry us to that mark, and if Stoneman figures out he's not in Montreal anymore, and deals prospect or two for a bat, you never know. As for Ersty, you have to be able to seperate the man and the player. He's been overrated for a long time. He does play great defense, but he strikes out to much, and lacks 1b/of power even when he's healthy. I am also a huge fan of aqcuiring Cabrera, a superstar in the making, worth almost any of our prospects. I wouldnt be opposed to packaging Aybar/Saunders/Kotchman. He's worth it to me.

how about a coaching position??

Phys and Hud are eating dinner at restaurant when Hud drops his stupid ball and in an attempt to catch anything round, Ersty races to catch the ball. He sumersaults through the restaurant,  knocks into a retaining column holding the building up. This causes the building to callapse killing everyone. Ideally Hannity and Combs would be doing a live version of their shit spewing show at the rstaurant. The're identities would not be known for weeks, oddly no one would notice.

Bernie in NY .....there's more I swear.

this is your life Ersty

erstad is in the 3 hole tonight for slc so maybe hes tryin to make a go of it?  he's also in center as well.