FanPost

Pax Anaheimica: A foreign policy vision for the Los Angeles Angels

Atsushi Tomura/Getty Images

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Hiroshima Carp ace Kenta Maeda is expected to be posted this winter. Note the plus-plus war face and imagine it in an Angels uniform next season.

The past few months have brought quite a few changes to the Angels, some of them exciting and some of them distressing. For the latter, we saw the sudden resignation of Jerry Dipoto and a subsequent brain drain in the front office as his lieutenants followed him out the door or abandoned ship for greener pastures on their own. On the exciting side, we had the hiring of Billy Eppler, a seemingly competent executive who cut his teeth in arguably the most high-pressure front office in the sport. Eppler soon dismissed Mike Butcher, a move that surprised and pleased many of us because we never thought it would happen. This was a sign that maybe, just maybe, Eppler has what it takes to bring much needed changes to a big market franchise hampered by a notoriously stubborn manager and a compulsive owner.

Personally, I believe we're about to see some more exciting changes from Eppler, and one in particular has me so filled with anticipation that it's driven me to write this, my first fanpost on this site in probably 2-3 years.

Friends, I think we're on the verge of diving into the international market like this franchise has never done before. Let me explain why.

Foreign Players Under Arte Moreno

It's pretty much an open secret on this blog and elsewhere that Arte Moreno is, for whatever reason, opposed to spending big on foreign talent, especially if it involves the posting systems of NPB or KBO. The lone exceptions seem to be the occasional signing of a Cuban defector (see Kendrys Morales and Roberto Baldoquin), and some scattered amateur signings from the Dominican Republic and elsewhere in Latin America. By and large, the vast majority of the Angels talent acquisition seems to focus on US players, and a "risk-averse" international strategy centered on a few traditional baseball talent pools in neighboring countries. Gaps are filled by signing established, often declining, MLB stars for more money than they're worth. Even Hideki Matsui, the lone player from outside the Western Hemisphere acquired during Moreno's ownership, was only signed after several seasons of solid performance with the New York Yankees.

As far as we know, the Angels were never serious contenders for recent Asian imports that have had an impact, such as Yu Darvish, Masahiro Tanaka, Hyun-jin Ryu or Jung-ho Kang. Despite the obvious holes players like these and others from non-traditional baseball countries could have helped fill, the Angels seem to have been strangely absent among the big- and even mid-market franchises. Many of us on this blog have lamented this fact and for good reason: Avoiding these new, unfamiliar baseball talent pools is a woefully flawed strategy that has likely already cost the Angels, and will hurt more the longer it continues.

The Growth of Baseball and The Changing Face of MLB

The Angels' seeming obsession with the US and other traditional baseball countries is flawed because, quite simply, places like the US, Cuba, and Venezuela are no longer the only nations where baseball is played seriously enough to produce MLB-caliber talent. For all the debate about the effects of globalization in the past few decades, it's had an unmistakably positive effect on baseball. While NPB in Japan and KBO in Korea aren't exactly new to MLB front offices, the flow of players and interaction between the leagues has increased in recent years. More importantly, so has the talent level in each. Every season or two now we can pretty much expect rumors about a Japanese ace coming over, and probably a Korean one as well. This year it's Kenta Maeda. Next up will probably be Shoehi Otani. Interestingly (and in my view indicating the increasing parity between the leagues), just in the last season or two we've started to see more position players attempt the transition to MLB. Some like Tsuyoshi Nishiokia and Munenori Kawasaki haven't become stars or even everyday players, but guys like Nori Aoki and Jung-ho Kang have worked out admirably for their MLB clubs. Several more look to be on their way this year from both KBO and NPB, as we've discussed in other posts the past few weeks.

Say what you will about Bud Selig's tenure as commissioner, but the evidence is mounting that his efforts to grow the sport internationally are bearing fruit and could wind up being the highlight of his legacy. The World Baseball Classic has proven not only how advanced the Asian powerhouses in Korea and Japan have become, but has also highlighted growth in other potentially major markets like Brazil and Australia. This tournament has already led to some standardization in foreign leagues to be closer in line with MLB, which can only help in terms of standardizing the talent pool worldwide.

Speaking of Australia and Brazil: There is now an established league in The Land Down Under, and MLB just hosted a successful season opener there featuring the Dodgers and Diamondbacks. A few Australians have made it to the Majors in recent years, and several more are in the minors. Yan Gomes has established himself as the first All-Star from Brazil, and a few of his countrymen have at least tasted the Majors or made it to the minors. MLB and some of its more forward-thinking franchises have identified Brazil as the next baseball hotbed and set in motion efforts to develop this vast pool of potential talent. Though still small in comparison to soccer, baseball's following in Brazil is strong enough that a recent move by a bank to destroy the only field in Rio sparked controversy large enough to attract protest and the attention of ESPN Brazil and city officials. As more Yan Gomeses (Gomeii? Not sure on that one) come up to MLB or even NPB and make a name for themselves, young athletes who can't make it in their country's hyper-competitive soccer culture will begin to view baseball as a viable career alternative.

Other countries offer potential as well: MLB and NPB support a developmental league in China. Just a few months ago, the Orioles became the first MLB team to sign a player from that league. A few players from South Africa have signed minor league contracts with MLB clubs, and one, Gifte Ngope, has established a reputation as a superb defender and made it as far as a Spring Training invite with the Pirates this season. Even Europe offers some potential, with several Europeans in the minors and Italian-native Alex Liddi receiving multiple cups of coffee in the Majors over the past few seasons. Baseball's amateur and semi-pro presence on the Old Continent is strong enough that MLB is backing the development of a 30,000-seat "honkball" facility in the Netherlands with the hopes of hosting a season opener there soon.

In short: Baseball isn't just a game for American and Latin kids anymore.

What This Means for the Angels and Billy Eppler

Notice that nowhere in the above section were the Angels mentioned as an active participant. This is a mistake, and one that I believe our new GM can and will fix going forward.

Much has already been said here about Eppler's experience dealing with difficult ownership and high expectations in New York. His time in New York has also given him direct experience with baseball's growing international talent pool. Most recently, the Yankees won the bidding for Masahiro Tanaka. They also took the risk of bringing Hideki Matsui over, which paid off handsomely. They've gambled on other foreign stars and back in 2007 they signed an agreement to support baseball in China. Like them or not, the Yankees are one of the most risk-tolerant and progressive franchises in baseball when it comes to their pursuit of foreign talent. Eppler has been at the center of this operation over the past several years, and will no doubt apply that knowledge and experience as he sets up his regime here in Anaheim.

For once, Arte Moreno and John Carpino's admiration of the Yankees could be beneficial to the long term interests and success of the Angels. No doubt the Yankee pedigree is part of what made Eppler a strong candidate for the GM position the last two times it was available, and part of that Yankee pedigree includes the aggressive pursuit of foreign players BEFORE they establish themselves with MLB clubs. Eppler is the perfect guy to convince Moreno to expand the franchise's horizons, and for further justification he can point to our divisional rivals in Texas and Seattle.

This offseason in particular provides a perfect opportunity, perhaps the best in years, for the Angels to radically alter their international strategy. This process could begin as soon as this Sunday, when Korean star Ah-Seop Son is expected to be posted. Son could fill an obvious need in left field, left-handedness, and OBP skills without costing a draft pick or a contract the size of what's expected for Yoenis Cespedes, Jason Heyward, or Justin Upton. As noted elsewhere on HH, Japanese IF Nobu Matsuda could provide an intriguing option at two positions of need, and most notably, doesn't come with the requirement of a posting fee. Another point to note is that Son and Matsuda are position players, and thus shouldn't have the usual concerns about wear-and-tear that unfortunately do come with NPB and KBO pitchers. However, if Eppler can convince Arte it's worth the risk, Kenta Maeda will likely be out there as an alternative to Price or Greinke, again with the bonus of not costing a pick. There's even a KBO/NPB relief option we could pursue in Oh Seung-hwan. These options would "only cost money" as the saying goes, and if actions speak louder than words, that's something Arte Moreno clearly has no problem with.

Beyond this season, I believe Eppler has the experience necessary to set the Angels up like the major franchise they are and establish them as a force in baseball's new international markets alongside the Yankees, Red Sox, and Dodgers, and the smart, smaller franchises like the Rays. We've had the resources the entire time Moreno's owned the franchise, we had a guy with the smarts but maybe not the experience in Dipoto, and I have a hunch that we finally have a guy with the right mix of both in Eppler.

The Angels are the biggest franchise in the AL West, and perhaps starting this offseason with someone like Son they'll realize that and begin to enforce "Pax Anaheimica" (Anaheim's Peace) upon the division like they're capable of. I could be wrong, but the strategy is obvious and I think our new GM knows it. Here's hoping he's able to implement it.

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

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