Angels GM Billy Eppler disclaims the notion that his club might look to rebuild in the wake of a miserable first half of 2016, as Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times writes. That’s no surprise to hear, as Halos owner Arte Moreno has never been shy about spending for a winner, but Eppler provided some interesting color to the organization’s approach.
Being in a “substantial market” allows the team to both contend and amass young talent, he suggested. The word he focused on, Shaikin notes, was “investment” — with the idea seemingly being to utilize cash for promising new talent rather than swapping out veterans.
As Shaikin explains, it’s still tough to see how Los Angeles will manager to piece together a likely contender next year, given all the areas of concern on the roster. Not much has gone right thus far in 2016, with the significant injury situations facing top starters Garrett Richards and Andrew Heaney ranking chief among the barriers to a swift turnaround.
Despite the seemingly tall task ahead, Eppler rejected the idea that the organization will need to come out sprinting into the free agent market this winter. While the Angels may be questioned for their decision not to plunk down top-of-the-market cash for a left fielder in the most recent free agent market, given the somewhat foreseeable struggles that have ensued, the club has also been bitten by some unfavorable investment decisions.
Ultimately, the GM believes that there’s value to be found on the market. “I don’t believe that you have to make those investments to have a good team,” he said of players in the $20MM+ annual salary range. “I believe you can fish in the $2.5-million pool if it’s going to be a part-time, 60-65% player. Or you can invest $12 million in a full-time guy and be very happy with your results.”
That being said, Eppler didn’t rule out future pursuits of big-budget options. “If the opportunity comes, and there is a player that sets himself apart from the pack like none other, we do have the financial resources to go get that player,” he explained.
Eh, I don’t see the Angels of retooling enough with a solid Mariners club, an Astros team with even more young fire power on the way, and a talented Texas team.
After next season there will be plenty of money for the angels to spend , but they need to retool. With weaver and wilson plus joe smith coming off the books after the season, they should go all in for cespedes and then maybe add a solid starter.
Angels need more than a couple players. They can spend but they need about 3 starters just to start off. There is not very many good starters becoming FA this year so unless they trade for a few its going to be another long year.
The Angels need to get younger and more athletic. Signing Cespedes would just be a continuance of the previous strategy of throwing money at aging veterans hoping they can be good for at least two years.
This was a lost season for the angels, Injuries all around the field. They need to retool and trade some guys to get some young talent in return while their value is still high. Shoemaker , Escobar , Smith , Street and maybe Bedrosian and Calhoun.
What would Shoe return? Let’s the Red Sox as an example because of their glaring need. Something like Benni and ockimey?
Not sure if he would bring back 2 top 50 prospects in the teams system
Ummm you realize Benintendi is one of the elite 20 or so best prospects in baseball, who could be in the majors next year right? Shoemaker doesn’t have near that trade value..
IMO they should hold Bedrosian, his youth and performance makes him a potential asset of the future.
Escobar/Smith need to be dealt for the best packages possible.
Street/Salas/Santiago should be traded only if they can get something above what their current performance dictates (not likely)
Shoemaker is an interesting case. If they can get something truly significant due to his ace-like performance of late then I think you take it. If not you hold due to the potential and yrs of control. I don’t think he’s anything more than a 4th or 5th starter but his superb last 9 starts may have driven his market to its peak.
I’d like the Angels to target Conforto/Nimmo or Wheeler from the Mets if possible. Wheeler could fit into the rotation next year and make contending more feasible in 17. Rotation of Wheeler/Tropeano/Skaggs/Santiago/Shoemaker isn’t bad at all and LF can be addressed in free agency (Reddick?)
Who do you think the Mets would want in return for young and controllable players like Conforto, Nimmo, and Wheeler????
I don’t see a fit here…
I understand the statement but I disagree with the direction of the Angels. Honestly, follow the Braves model (which is borrowed from others but lets stay current) and shop everyone! EVERYONE! Trout alone can put you in a better position than the Braves are in right now!
no way the angels would trade trout, Maybe the braves should think about trading freeman
The Braves should field all calls and consider all options.
I agree all offers for every player should be listened to, but you only consider the ones in which you consider yourself the clear winner given your organization’s goals and situation.
Trout, no matter how good or how reasonable his contract is, is untradeable. An acquiring team will have to hand over the farm and then some to get Trout, which is too much for any one player. The backlash from both fan bases will be immense, and for good reason. The Angels lose the face of the franchise and the league, while the acquiring team will be put in the Angels current situation due to not having the prospects to develop MLB talent.
LOLZZZZZZ and this is what makes this organization arguably one of the worst in all the MLB.
This will likely be their first 90 loss season in almost 20 years. They may have one playoff appearance in the last 6 years but 9 times out of 10 they’re contending. Not even close to one of the worst organizations in MLB. Try the Royals going 30 years without a playoff appearance.
They are currently the only expansion team (any franchise created post 1961) to own a franchise win-loss record above 500. They will probably sink below 500 after this season. But the next closest expansion franchise is the Blue Jays who are 30 game below 500.
Somebody needs to tell Eppler that Socioscia is the GM. Poor Mike Trout is doomed to play on terrible teams until 2021.
Or they play like they did in 2014 , that was a great team, Not sure what happen
Not the case at all. Eppler and Scioscia have a much better relationship than the Dipoto vs Scioscia debacle. Mainly because instead of trying too hard to be another Billy Beane and making his mark (like Dipoto), Eppler has taken the time to at least evaluate those Angels teams that made the playoffs year after year and try to find players and build a roster that fit that kind of mold. There’s a certain type of player, roster, and approach the Angels need, especially given their home ballpark. And Eppler has actually tried to tailor his club to that, unlike Dipoto.
Does not make much sense to rebuild the only old player on the team is Pujols, makes sense to wait and see how Richards does, if things go good put out some low risk high reward contracts for guys like Cashner/Bucholz. If they are still in last place next July then they can start rebuilding. People seem to think a highly rated system is the direct path to success the Twins beg to differ. A good farm system gives you more options but is no means a direct path to winning baseball.
What I would do is maybe if they have a top 10 pick , go all in for cespedes and then take a look at cashner or bucholz
Agreed. The team is relatively young and promising. They need to address LF/3B/2B in some capacity but I don’t see it as impossible that they can contend with a bit of help.
I think they should sign a starting pitcher like Matt Moore or Gio Gonzalez, or both if their options are t exercised. There is a rich relief market. The Angels offense is way better than last season. I think 2015 was a fluky down year for them offensively. They can plug 2B/3B/LF easily with depth and focus on the pitching side this offseason.
They are missing so many pieces, it’s not just a retooling that needs to happen.
They can rebuild and retain Trout and be competitive before his deal ends.
And they should
And even then, they don’t have the assets to rebuild from.
Anyone that isn’t under control in 2018 needs to be moved though
If I am the angels, should they consider trading shoemaker and calhoun? Or extend Calhoun?
I would extend Calhoun. Trading him would leave a hole, not just in LF, but in the thin lineup as well. Although the potentially signing of Reddick….
RF
You need to take another look at their roster and see how well their offense has performed and the fact that they have a full rotation on the DL that has overworked their bullpen. People have been saying since 2013 that they are missing too many pieces and don’t have enough to retool. And of course they had the best record in the majors the next season and missed the playoffs by one game a season after that. The Angels have enough pieces to have a chance, but are too banged up and there’s nothing anyone can do about that. With the amount of money coming off the books this offseason, they’ll be in a position to load up on depth to regroup for next season.
All the angels need really is a power hitting left fielder and a couple pitchers.
Agreed. And who knows what the new competitive balance tax (aka. Luxury Tax) will be starting next year. Arte could give Eppler more coin to sign some players.
Thats why go after cespedes or reddick next year, take a flyer on buchholz or cashner, then 2018 make a bid on harvey fernandez and others
Problem is that everything has to come from outside of the organization because the minor league system has literally nothing to offer. They have lost the 2 big starters for at least a year and a half, will need to find starting pitching help, OF help and what’s coming off the books isn’t going to amount to as much as you think in the end.
It’s the same thing whether it comes from one or the other. No guarantees on either end. Major hole in logic suggesting that a team can’t contend when having to go outside the organization. The Angels already have plenty of internal options. They just need to plug some holes, mostly on the pitching side.
Ok the debate of retooling or rebuild? If the Angels go for a complete rebuild, Trout will ask for a trade. They could retool, it won’t be easy, but it can be done. By trading Escobar, Smith and Salas to a team like the Giants or Mets could bring back some minor league pitching prospects. Santiago to Houston or Seattle for an outfielder and bull pen pitcher. Why trade Street when he is in the first year of a three year extension? Unless you get top level prospects in return. By trading those players, and Wilson Weaver and Aybars contracts coming off the books, even with arbitration bump for Calhoun and arbitration for Shoemaker the Angels will have about 60 million to retool during the off season.
How about a trade, the Astros give up their top 5 prospects and the Angels give up both Trout and Pujols.
Only if that includes Correa.