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By Steve Adams | at
Email a copy of 'Central Notes: Cardinals, Fowler, Twins' to a friend
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takeyourbase
That better be one heck of a plan by Neil Allen. My guess is he gets the axe.
ClancyJ
I agree. I’m surprised Molitor is being retained.
angelsfan4life
I really hope can sign Fowler. He could defenitly fill the Angels left field and lead off hitter needs over the next few years.
dwilson10
None of the bigger free agents will want to sign with the Angels because they are not contenders and won’t be for a few years.
AndThisGameBelongsToMySanDiegoPadres
Free agents will sign with the Angels if they offer the most money
thepapacy
Money always talks. I always thought fowler not signing anywhere else this past winter was because he was tied to losing a draft pick along with his play in the field. Will he again be tied to a draft pick after this season?
AndyM
The CBA is rumored to have a clause preventing a team to give a player back to back qualifying offers. If the new system is implemented then Fowler will be safe. If not, I wouldn’t really be surprised if the Cubs extend him one.
bigkempin
The CBA won’t be in place and teams can still apply back to back tags
Philliesfan4life
the angels have a top 10 protected pick
ryanw-2
First of all, the Angels have the money to fill their holes enough to bounce back into contention. Second of all, if they’re not contenders, then a bigger name free agent signing with them would certainly help bring them back into contention… Hmm… Pro athletes aren’t geniuses but are smart enough to understand what adding their presence does to help a team get back into contention. And of course there’s the money and what’s best for them and their families.
chesteraarthur
I’d like to hear your plan for that with this free agent market.
bigkempin
They already have $100M committed to 7 players+HamBone.. Then you have to factor in arbitration raises, rookie contracts, etc. and then they’re probably up closer to $130-140M. They have holes in the lineup, bullpen, and rotation…..And then the biggest factor…..their owner won’t allow the team to exceed the luxury tax limit. So no, they don’t have the payroll to fill all of their holes. Let’s say they have $50M to play with….please explain your plan to get back into contention.
angelsfan4life
There is not one starting pitcher that will make an immediate impact for the Angels this offseason. Unless they trade to get one, who has a bad contract. Or is going into the last year before he becomes a FA. The Angels won’t lose their first round pick, even if the sign someone who was offered a Qualifying offer. Maybe offer Street and Escobar to the Giants for Matt More. And one more starting pitcher who is a FA. Cron will more than likely get traded this offseason.
vtadave
Wait, the only holes they have are at catcher, second base, left field, the rotation, the bullpen, …. yeah lots of holes. Pretty sure signing guys like Wieters, Neil Walker, Ivan Nova, etc. isn’t getting them back into contention.
vtadave
Matt Moore is signed for three more years well under market ($26 million total). Going to take a lot more than a pair of older free agents to be.
Jeff Todd
Since I’ve seen it mentioned a few times … Huston Street on a $9MM salary doesn’t look to me like a positive value trade asset after the season he just had.
angelsfan4life
The Angels don’t have a hole at catcher. As for the bull pen, there is plenty of FA who will be available. Yes more than likely it will take more than that to get Moore. I was giving a example.
bsteady powers
Street and Escobar for Moore?!!? Dude Matt Moore is going to take an elite package. Rays sold low. Still got more value than those 2.
dwilson10
Please explain how the Angels don’t have a whole at catcher. There are also only about 3-5 relief pitchers that are worth having and the Angels will get none of them.
angelsfan4life
Bandy and Perez that is how. Taylor Ward, if he continues the way he is, will be ready in a couple of years. No neither Bandy or Perez will be all stars, but they don’t need to be. The Angels have other glaring needs. Bandy put up average numbers offensively. Perez is above average defensively. As for your bull pen comment, the Angels cannot afford to spend 20 million on a guy like Chapman. Street granted had a down year, namely because he was injured all year. They still have him for next season, with an option for the following year. I think it’s funny how mostly everyone thinks that the team either has too buy every top free agent. Or tank and build a great farm system. Hell the Tampa Bay Reys had a top 10 pick every year, for like 10 years. They haven’t won anything. It’s about the balance between FA and home grown talent. Just because someone is a top 50 prospect doesn’t mean they will be good.
slider32
It shows that GMs are human and make mistakes, Fowler and Desmond are at the top of the list. I think they will get 3 or 4 year deals this winter.
AngelFan69
I would take a look at Céspedes as well…
John Murray
It’s funny how little metrics played into Fowler last winter…a leadoff man who can draw walks at an above average rate and can steal bases…this is what makes a good offense great. When the Jays installed a then-good Ben Revere at the top of their lineup last summer, they became a powerhouse. Without him this year, they went through long stretches where they couldn’t score. Offenses are always better when a fast guy is at the top of the lineup with a .350 OBP.
BoldyMinnesota
Urge Jay’s two primary leadoff hitters, Travis and Bautista, have been Better than revere was last year. Guys like revere are very overrated, he was basically an over glorified singles hitter. I’d rather have Bautistas .230/.350/410 line than reveres .300/.330/.310
BoldyMinnesota
Don’t know where urge came from, but that should say the lol
jd396
And Bautista can hit the cutoff guy without bouncing the ball three times for whatever that’s worth.
John Murray
Not arguing any of that, but results are results too. The Jays offense was clicking like no other when Revere was at the top. And after scoring three runs in three ALCS games thus far, it’s hard to argue that this offense is any more than a shadow of the one that the Jays trotted out last year. If anything, guys like Revere are only underrated.
redsfan48
Just so you know, the Luis Perdomo linked in this article is the incorrect one. The one linked is a Luis Perdomo that pitched for the Padres in 2009-2010 and the Twins in 2012.
Jeff Todd
Thanks, I’ll fix it. Our auto-linker sometimes snags the wrong guy and we don’t always catch it.
beauvandertulip
I doubt fowler signs with a team with a CF already. He wants to play CF and that’s what he will get signed as. Especially with teams like Houston, Texas, St. Louis, Cubs, White Sox, and possibly the Indians looking for Center fielders.
bsteady powers
The Cubs would move him to left for Almora to play CF. Guys love to corner spots later in their careers. He’ll be 32 next year. A 3 year 43-45 million deal to play left field through age 35 season, sounds about right.
cubsfan2489
I’d agree with your comment, however, they have Heyward, and then factor in Schwarber coming back. Add to all of the above that they have Zobrist who can play left. Because after the season and so far postseason Javier Baez has had, he’s going to be starting at 2nd a majority of next season.
Philliesfan4life
then they would also have to add Ian Happ in the mix, He’s gonna be their next young star on the roster next year or 2018
Mikel Grady
And eloy Jimenez right behind him. Wow what a future for Cubs
amishthunderak
As it stands they have Hayward, Schwarber, Solar, Almora, and Sczezur (how ever you spell it). That’s just their dedicated outfielders. Not sure if they’ll carry the catchers again next year or make Contrares the primary with Montero the backup. If they carry the Contrares plays out field some too. Baez and Zobrist fighting for time in the IF. I assume all of this means La Stella and Coughlan are gone. This means they don’t resign Fowler unless there is a trade for a young controllable arm involved to move some of those other pieces.
tim815
Nice Goold article. The Cardinals have some decisions to make.
dtwb93
The cards need to make a splash in free agency to even threaten the Cubs. Double E from Toronto seems to be the only guy who could have that kind effect.