was (Is) a very solid 5th starter despite the ERA that rose at the end of the year. He eats innings. Please look at the 4-5 starters for most teams if you don’t believe. See if he will take a home town deal, not sure what that would be. I would not get a bidding war for him, but I would try and keep him at a reasonable price. $12 million seems high.

I think if the Angels had known how Santana and Saunders would step up in 2008 they would have kept Cabrera and found a #5 starter elsewhere. Imagine if we had O.C. at short in the playoffs. Hmmm…

In any event, the only way to keep Garland is at a MUCH cheaper price. Otherwise, gotta’ let him go.

He was a solid starter who did better than his numbers indicated for sure, but unless he’s going to take a hefty hit in pay (say, $5-7 million), I don’t think it’s worth it. Adenhart or Green, or even Moseley, could probably fill the gap for a while.

it wasn’t that great knowing you…

Thanks for all you’ve done, though

I think Garland should take his services to AAAA. He would be more dominant in the NL. He’s come close to 20 wins a few times and over there he could probably do it. I’m glad he was here for ’08 but our money should go elsewhere.

Use that $12 million toward signing Sabathia, or paying Jake Peavy if the Angels can work out a trade for him (I heard that the Padres may be looking to trade him)

Roatation is then:
Lackey
Saunders
Santana
Weaver
Sabathia/Peavy

plus hopefully, you have a rehabbed and healthy Escobar as an extra starter, or you plug him in to the bullpen as the closer or 8th inning guy.

but given our other priorities, I’m fine with offering arbitration and letting someone else give him 50/4.

the dude is nothing more than a #5 starter and he will not sign for cheap so just let him go

Hello Kelvim.

If Escobar can’t start, look from within or something young and cheap.

No thanks I pass. Let him walk unless he takes a home town deal for lot less. I don’t see that happening at all though.

There will be a team that tosses him some big money and I am sure Judie is looking for that last (guaranteed) contract.

….or “see ya later alligator”

… later, bro.

Remember, we get much-needed draft picks when we let free agents walk.

But 1) not worth 12 million…. and 2) we don’t need a 5th starter…. Put Moseley in there and you still make the playoffs in the west with no problem…. 5th starters never pitch in the playoffs…. and as everyone has stated the 100 wins were in vain… Minus 10 wins or so and we have the same exact team in the post season (and that’s all that matters right?)

Garland is a post arbitration pitcher that is just not worth the money.

Is he Type A?

on the GA topic tht we should put GA’s money in the Te petty cash drawer I thought that was the best quote I’ve heard in awhile. We have great pitching and having a 12 mil 5th starter doesnt make sense.
If we had a cheap 5th starter that went 10-10 but our offense was better because we could sign tex it seems like a no brainer to me. Doesn’t mean that we dont offer Garland some money to stay but in my opinion he is not worth over 6 mil.
That is 6 mil in the Tex Kitty plus what we save by resigning GA to 5-7 mil a year.
When Arte said the payroll really won’t go any higher it sounded deflating, but common sense tells you that he’s gonna let some of these pieces go or offer them a lot less and then sign Tex
No Krod, GA real cheap and Garland Gone = Almost Tex’s money

Put that extra money into re-signing Tex and adding a bigger gun to the rotation. I’m thinking Sabathia.

And bored enough to figure out what kind of money we’d save if we dropped some guys? And then figure out where it’d put our payroll at to sign tex with a realistic deal? Tex and CC both?

Tell him Seattle is nice in the summer time.

It was nice to have a 5th starter like that, but hopefully Escobar will be back next year. I know Adenhart didn’t look great when he came up, but hopefully he’ll keep developing and he’ll be ready to join the rotation at some point if there’s an injury or Escobar can’t make it back.

If not, heck, Moseley’s good enough. We’ve already got 4 starters with better than league average ERA’s (and two aces), so having one with an ERA of 5 isn’t going to kill us, especially not in this division.

I would really love to see U-Hauls bat in our lineup, but is the decision based purely on money? It sounded like he enjoyed his time with our team but if its just a money thing with his agent I imagine there are other teams that are willing to hurl cash at him.

He did a solid job. He was a decent, humble guy who, as far as I know, made a good teammate. If he were half the price, it’d be worth considering, but no #5 starter should be making 12+ million dollars per year. If that’s the money it is going to take, he can go be a #1 for the Rangers.

most people here seem to think that Kelvim Escobar will be in the rotation next year. Sorry to break the news to you all, but he won’t be back until July at the earliest, and there is no way of knowing whether he’ll be effective, or even able to throw 100 pitches.

So, they need a 5th starter for at least April, May & June, and possibly for longer.

There is nobody in the minors ready to step up.

Dustin Moseley is not the answer.

So, there are three choices: (a) Garland; (b) other, unidentified FA pitcher (Derek Lowe?); © someone acquired via trade.

I would offer Garland arbitration. If he accepts, then fine; they get another year to develop pitching internally, and at worst it costs $2-$3 million more than it should. But there’s no way Garland accepts arbitration. He’ll have more than one multi-year offer.

The Angels could consider offering him 2-3 years, at around $8 million. Someone will pay him more, though.

But maybe see if he’s willing to take a significant cut to stay. Don’t know what the market is for a pitcher of his talent, but if it’s afforadable he’s a good #5 guy.

Escobar can’t be counted on until mid-2009 at least. Hopefully his replacement is doing well enough that if he is able to pitch in 2009, he’d go to the pen. Wouldn’t it be nice to catch lightning-in-a-bottle again next year with a starting pitcher like the Angels did with Saunders in 2008? Who saw that coming?

Let him walk, there are good young arms in the farm system and not to mention Escobar will be back at some point next year. Or if you do resign him maybe package him and Kendrick for an arm in the Bullpen.

Thanks for the League Average Innings Munching (LAIM).

what are we going to do w/out her?

See ya in Seattle Judy!

Enjoy your 4 or 5 year 50 million contract that you will get paid by some team desperate for pitching. For your stats sake, I hope it’s in the NL.

was it worth giving him up for Garland? His postseason numbers were slightly better than Aybar’s postseason numbers, but i think that OC in the line up would have changed things in boston this year. And the team didnt even use garland this postseason. I always felt like that trade wasnt necessary even after we found out escobar wasnt goin to come back. So, goodbye jon!!

ANGELS IN 2009!!!

but the club also gave $1.5m to the White Sox when they made the trade. So he really cost us $13.5m.

however you want to spell your name. We could have had something special, but it wasn’t meant to be.

Adios

screw you and your 4.9 whatever ERA. I’d rather have moseley…

okay well maybe not. but see ya anyway.

best 5th starter in baseball. Otherwise, see ya!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWPATqJTZjE

Garland is a below average pitcher, at a one year deal for 5-7 million he’s OK at the back end of your rotation. Somebody’s going to give him a lot more than that, probably 4 years at 8-10 million. Don’t let that be us.

He’s getting worse. A poor K/9 rate of 4.23 in 2007 fell to 4.12 in 2008. Let him walk away.