Our team's future.....

by higdog on Oct 10, 2008 11:19 AM PDT Comment 26 comments

I know a lot of people are upset with our team including myself. We had another incredibly poor showing in the playoffs. After the last out was made I was not sure what to do about this team.

After taking a week to think about it, one must consider that most of our young players came out of the minors playing at a level that would allow them to win divisions. The Kendricks and Aybars of the team just got a heavy dose of humble pie this playoff season. Will they learn to adjust and raise their game in the playoffs, I think they will.

But some changes should be made. Sign Tex, Wood at 3rd, and a new front line pitcher. I think S. Rod will be real good next year, where to put him ? I've seen some names for LF, what about Terry Evans. Is he going to get a chance ? GMJr. has to go.

This Fan-Post is authored by an independent fan. Tell us what you think and how you feel.

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Matthews

we are stuck with him

by Rev Halofan on Oct 10, 2008 12:00 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

and i die a little bit everyday knowing this

by kingfish on Oct 10, 2008 12:13 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

will the font office/coaching staff be as intent on playing him next year?

i realize he cost a lot of money, but are they really set on putting him in the lineup everyday just because of his price tag even if it doesn’t make the team better?

If the Red Sox and Dodgers play for the World Series, I will not watch a single minute of a single game.

by NoDakHalo on Oct 10, 2008 6:56 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

He had a good start (Pre-Allstar) to the 2007 before he got injured.

Hopefully has surgery this winter on his knee and he can do something similar to that next year since we’re stuck with him.

by Seik1177 on Oct 11, 2008 3:18 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I have no to very little doubt

That he will perform when he’s healed up. The problem is that he REFUSES to do what’s necessary to heal up. PLEASE prove me wrong and go heal yourself, Gary!

Light Up That Halo!

by Clutch on Oct 11, 2008 6:23 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Hey

If we get a full year (400+ at-bats) out of him next year of .260/.340/.430, I’d crap my pants in excitement.

Should that really be TOO much to ask from our 50 million dollar man?

by Caseys Kiss of Death on Oct 11, 2008 10:08 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Pitching is not our problem. No need for another starter.

by snowhor on Oct 10, 2008 12:28 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

what if garland is gone and escobar can't go?

If the Red Sox and Dodgers play for the World Series, I will not watch a single minute of a single game.

by NoDakHalo on Oct 10, 2008 6:57 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

moseley, adenhart, jespen even

by linkbruin on Oct 10, 2008 8:05 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

that isn't all too encouraging

If the Red Sox and Dodgers play for the World Series, I will not watch a single minute of a single game.

by NoDakHalo on Oct 10, 2008 11:03 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

5th starters never are

thats why theyre 5th

by linkbruin on Oct 11, 2008 12:13 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

garland was encouraging.

he was 5th.

If the Red Sox and Dodgers play for the World Series, I will not watch a single minute of a single game.

by NoDakHalo on Oct 11, 2008 12:36 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

To get through the season, you only need a halfway decent 5th starter. And in the playoffs, you don't need one at all.

by snowhor on Oct 11, 2008 6:12 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

hmm...

i’d say it helps to have a decent one all the way through the season.

but i’ll be honest, at this point, i’m just playing devil’s advocate.

If the Red Sox and Dodgers play for the World Series, I will not watch a single minute of a single game.

by NoDakHalo on Oct 12, 2008 3:13 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I believe the thinking is along these lines;

The Angels just won 100 games. They got approx. 70% of their victories from their starters. The following are starter victory totals from this year.
Lackey, 12
Santana, 16
Saunders, 17
Garland,14
Weaver, 11

That is a total of 70 wins. Here are some more assumptions;
1) Lackey should end up with a higher victory total over a full season.
2) Santana is beyond the sophomore jinx, and will likely have somewhere near the same total.
3) Saunders…part of me wonders about a soph jinx, but he was up and down so many times prior to this season I doubt it will apply.
4) Weaver…I just don’t see much hope for improvement. I think we have seen his best.

So, I believe you can safely assume 55+/- victories from Lackey, Santana, Saunders, and Weaver (avg. of 14+/- each). Which means – barring injury and assuming the same number of wins from the bullpen – you need to find a starter than can deliver 10 wins to get to 95+/- wins for the season. That win total should definitely get the Angels into the playoffs again next year.

With that in mind, I would not pay Garland $12,000,000 for an anticipated 10 wins. I would look for a journeyman starter that would accept half of that (Paul Byrd?), and keep Moseley, Loux, and Jepsen as insurance, let Adenhart and Green mature for one more year, and spend the balance on bullpen help or Teixeira.

by sothball on Oct 12, 2008 8:21 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

We need big bad guys that can hit the home run and get the extra base hits.

That has been the difference in teams that have had success in the post season, and those that don’t. The Angels play well over a season of baseball, but when it come down to a short series in the post season they always lack the power necessary to get it done against the east coast teams.

Recipient of the 2008 "The Iron Man" award from scottnak of Halos Heaven!

by 44FAN on Oct 10, 2008 12:54 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

We should

go out and find one of the top 5 ugliest players in baseball. Red Sux got Youkilis and the Dodgers got Manny. Maybe that’ll get us over the hump.

"Throw some CHED!"

by angelskid2210 on Oct 10, 2008 12:56 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Don't we have Lackey?

Light Up That Halo!

by Clutch on Oct 10, 2008 1:10 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Also note the sarcasm

In case you were wondering.

Light Up That Halo!

by Clutch on Oct 10, 2008 1:10 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

yea i got you

"Throw some CHED!"

by angelskid2210 on Oct 10, 2008 1:26 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

the beard doesnt really work for him

one of my female friends was kinda disgusted by it actually. i had to show a non beard picture to defend the mans honor.

by linkbruin on Oct 10, 2008 8:06 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

2003 or 2006 redux

Is what I’m seeing for next year.

Our rotation, assuming we let Judy go and MySpace doesn’t come back in time to make a huge contribution:

Lackey
Saunders
Santana
Weaver
? Adenhart? Olenberger?

Santana was awesome this year, but it remains to be seen if he’s going to be a Paul Byrd-like pitcher who has an overwhelmingly dominant year followed by an “off” year. Weaver was inconsistent this time around. Saunders showed some serious signs of fatigue towards the end. If we don’t get better offense, I think Lackey’s the type that could get pissed off and stop producing at the end of the season, just waiting for FA to kick in—knowing he’s going to get a big payday either way. Then we’ll be breaking in a rookie at the back of the rotation—has to happen eventually, but there will ALWAYS be kinks to work out, no matter how talented said rookie is or is supposed to be.

Then our position players.

The best thing Reagins can do in terms of a trade is either sending Mathis to 24hour/7-day hitting camp from now until Spring Training, or get rid of him for a prospect or two. Otherwise Soth is just going to keep trotting him out there at least every other day and letting him strike out and overthrow to second base. If Soth doesn’t have Mathis to play with, he’ll be FORCED to put Naps in the everyday role, with Bobby or Ryan (maybe both?) breaking in as a back-up. Heck, that way we might even get a Hank sighting towards the end of the season.

Assuming no Tex, we have Kendry at first. Not terrible, but we’ve yet to see him perform consistently—Acuda, I love him as much as the next guy, but wild cycles of brief power flashes followed by mediocrity ain’t gonna cut it over the course of a whole season.

Figgy in LF? Somehow I remember that turning out terribly last time around. Or maybe that was Figgy in CF. Leave him at 3rd or short and give Wood a shot at the MI. Aybar should improve next year, and I think I prefer his glove at this point, but he still leaves something to be desired.

Finally in the OF we’ve got a rapidly declining Vlad, GMJ unwilling to fix his f—ing knee and sucking so long as he is, and Torii all set up for the latter part of his career. Hunter should be good for at least the next season, but beyond that I’m not so certain.

So I’m seeing a year of high expectations and under-performance. I’m very much hoping to be proven wrong on this point.

Light Up That Halo!

by Clutch on Oct 10, 2008 1:20 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

i forgot terry evans was even alive

so i guess that doesnt bode well for his chance at starting.

Did people forget that we had 4 outfielders last season? Im pretty sure part of reagins’ selling arte on signing torii was that matthews would step in for GA after 2008.

no more outfielders

by ihearhowie2.0 on Oct 10, 2008 3:52 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

vlad has an option, so does ga, gmj shouldnt start, willits is garbage

i would say right now we have one outfielder. as many as 3.

1 more wouldnt be so bad.

by linkbruin on Oct 10, 2008 8:09 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Let's

Bid farewell to Willits at the least, and let GA stay on if he’s willing to go on a part-time basis (i.e., stay in the batting cages playing simulated games for the first half of the season and then coming back in the second half when he can start hitting). Then let’s give some of our inexperienced guys a shot—Evans, Dee Brown maybe?

Light Up That Halo!

by Clutch on Oct 10, 2008 8:14 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs