In the latest edition of MLBTR’s “3 Remaining Needs” series, we’ll focus on the American League West, which boasted two playoff teams and an 89-win third-place finisher in 2018. It appears the division will once again feature, at most, three playoff contenders in 2019, as two of its clubs are in rebuilding phases.
[Previous installments: NL East, NL Central]
Houston Astros
- Add at least one more starter. With Justin Verlander, Gerrit Cole and Collin McHugh set to occupy 60 percent of the Astros’ rotation in 2019, they’re obviously in better shape than most teams. Still, it’s clear the Astros are worse off than they were last season, when Dallas Keuchel, Charlie Morton and Lance McCullers Jr. followed Verlander and Cole to comprise one of the majors’ most formidable rotations. Keuchel is now in free agency, where he may land a richer deal than the Astros are willing to fork over; Morton already left for the Rays on the open market; and McCullers will miss most or all of next season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. That leaves Josh James, who turned heads as a rookie in 2018, and Framber Valdez as the Astros’ projected No. 4 and No. 5 starters going into next season. Down in the minors, the Astros have a super prospect in 6-foot-7 righty Forrest Whitley, a 21-year-old who could debut in 2019, though he has only thrown 41 innings above Single-A thus far. All that said, there’s room for at least one veteran pickup via trade or free agency.
- Upgrade behind the plate, if possible. As with their rotation, the Astros aren’t in poor shape here. They signed the offensively solid Robinson Chirinos in free agency, and he’s slated to complement defensive wiz Max Stassi in a decent behind-the-plate tandem. Chirinos is a weak defender who’s only under contract for a year, though, while Stassi’s offense plummeted off a cliff after a hot April and May last season. Given the pair’s limitations, it’s possible the Astros will attempt to jettison the out-of-options Stassi in favor of someone better. They’ve continued to show interest in Miami’s J.T. Realmuto, the premier catcher in the game last season, but the Marlins’ asking price has been prohibitive to this point. Free agency also has one terrific option, Yasmani Grandal, whom Houston showed interest in early in the offseason. Things have been quiet since then, though.
- Pick up a left-handed reliever. In spite of Joe Smith’s ruptured Achilles, Houston’s still stacked with proven right-handed relievers. It’s not as fortunate from the other side, however, as the only southpaw bullpen options on its 40-man roster are Cionel Perez (11 1/3 major league innings) and Reymin Guduan (19 1/3). Maybe one or both of those hard-throwing hurlers will break out next year, but in the meantime, it wouldn’t hurt to have some veteran insurance. The Astros don’t have to break the bank on the top lefty reliever in free agency, Zach Britton, although they have chased him in the past. Rather, they could go for one of the many cheaper veterans available.
Oakland Athletics
- Improve the rotation. The Athletics went bargain hunting for starters in 2018, signing Trevor Cahill, Brett Anderson and Edwin Jackson to low-cost deals. Surprisingly, all three moves paid dividends, and each of those veterans helped the injury-depleted A’s amass 97 wins and earn a wild-card berth. Cahill is now with the division-rival Angels, while Anderson and Jackson are free agents, leaving multiple glaring weaknesses in the A’s rotation. The team did re-sign Mike Fiers in free agency, but he’s not the most exciting choice, and the rest of its projected rotation includes pitchers who are either unproven or underwhelming. The A’s could certainly deploy the “opener” on a regular basis next season, as they did to positive results in 2018, yet there would still be space for actual starting additions. In true A’s fashion, they’re probably not going to make a big-money splash in free agency, but there are enough affordable veterans out there who could emerge as the Cahill, Anderson or Jackson of next year’s team.
- Get another catcher. If you’re an A’s fan, it’s unlikely you’re eager to watch the Chris Herrmann–Josh Phegley duo in action. Those two own a combined lifetime wRC+ of 139, and neither have been defensive stalwarts. Oakland’s arguably a fit for Realmuto or Grandal, though there’s no indication the team has pursued either to this point. More realistically, a free agent such as Martin Maldonado could make sense as Jonathan Lucroy’s successor. Maldonado’s not much of a hitter, but as a longtime defensive standout, A’s pitchers would likely benefit from his presence.
- Find left-handed relief depth. The lone lefty in the A’s bullpen is an excellent one, Ryan Buchter. There are no lefty options to be found after him, though, so the club could stand to buy itself some more aid. As noted above in the Astros section, reasonably priced free-agent possibilities abound.
Seattle Mariners
- Keep shedding costly veterans. The Mariners were nearly a 90-win team last season, but their success in the standings didn’t convince general manager Jerry Dipoto that they were true contenders. As a result, Dipoto has undertaken an aggressive “re-imagining” campaign that has seen the Mariners part with Robinson Cano, Edwin Diaz, James Paxton, Jean Segura, Carlos Santana (acquired for Segura), Mike Zunino, Alex Colome, Juan Nicasio and Ben Gamel in a bevy of trades. There are more trade candidates on hand, too, including just-acquired veterans Edwin Encarnacion, Jay Bruce and Anthony Swarzak, not to mention holdovers Dee Gordon, Mike Leake and Kyle Seager. Admittedly, it would be a major challenge to move all (or even most) of those players, but at least a couple are real candidates to don different uniforms come 2019. Meanwhile, if it wants to continue upgrading its formerly atrocious farm system, Seattle wouldn’t have any trouble finding takers for the likes of Mitch Haniger, Mallex Smith or Marco Gonzales. It appears they’ll remain in place, however, with Dipoto hoping they’ll be key parts of the next contending Mariners team.
- Pursue more starters and relievers. With Paxton gone, Leake and Gonzales are the only M’s starters who are good bets to perform respectably in 2019. It’s not a certainty either will be on the team then, though, nor is it clear what the club will get from Felix Hernandez, Wade LeBlanc or prized prospect Justus Sheffield (acquired for Paxton). Because Seattle’s unlikely to contend next season, it’s not going to spring for someone like Keuchel in free agency, but Japanese import Yusei Kikuchi is a worthwhile target. Dipoto has made it known he’s a fan of the 27-year-old Kikuchi, who figures to sign a deal long enough to make him a factor on Seattle’s next good team – if the GM’s plan works, of course. Regardless of whether Kikuchi becomes the latest Japanese star to join the Mariners, it would be wise for them to pursue other vet arms – both starters and relievers. They could search for their next LeBlanc, who was unexpectedly effective in 2018 after signing a cheap, major league deal, and perhaps flip the player(s) at the deadline for more prospects. Safeco Field is a good place for a pitcher to improve his stock, after all.
- Bolster bench depth. The M’s projected bench for 2019 includes David Freitas, Ryon Healy and Kristopher Negron, with minor leaguers Dan Vogelbach, Joey Curletta, Kaleb Cowart, Dylan Moore, John Andreoli and Braden Bishop also in the 40-man fold. Aside from the mediocre Healy, there’s not an established major leaguer in the bunch. On one hand, there’s an argument Seattle should mostly stick with that group and see if anyone is capable of grabbing a role in the majors. On the other, it wouldn’t hurt to bring in vets on minor league deals or perhaps cheap MLB pacts, potentially giving the M’s more players to flip for youth during the season.
Los Angeles Angels
- Continue searching for starters. Having added Cahill and Matt Harvey in free agency, it’s possible the Angels’ heavy lifting is done in their rotation. It probably shouldn’t be, though, as neither of the Angels’ new additions are all that trustworthy. Elsewhere in their rotation, there’s hope for Andrew Heaney, Tyler Skaggs and Jaime Barria, but they also come with question marks. If the Angels are going to make an aggressive push toward contention during Mike Trout’s final two years of control, Keuchel or Kikuchi may give them the front-end starter they don’t seem to have at the moment (the injured Shohei Ohtani excluded). Keuchel would be especially pricey, though, and it’s unknown whether owner Arte Moreno wants to spend much higher than the team’s projected Opening Day payroll of $167MM.
- Address the bullpen. The Angels are reportedly interested in free agent David Robertson, who’d be a quality pickup for a team in need of shutdown innings late in games. He’s far from the only free-agent reliever capable of boosting the Halos, though. While most of the top free-agent relievers are righties, the team should also have its eye on lefties. After trading Jose Alvarez this month, the sole southpaw reliever on the Angels’ 40-man is Williams Jerez, who struggled mightily across 15 major league innings in 2018.
- Buy infield insurance. The Angels are golden at shortstop with Andrelton Simmons, but the rest of their infield picture looks somewhat bleak. What if Zack Cozart scuffles again after an injury-shortened 2018? What if David Fletcher doesn’t hit enough to hold down a starting job? What if the newly signed Justin Bour puts up a second straight disappointing offensive season? Those are all valid questions the Halos have to consider, meaning they should be monitoring the market with the fear that their infield plans (Simmons aside) could go awry next season. They’re reportedly interested in free agent Josh Harrison, who’d provide a nice fallback option at both second and third. Fellow free agent Marwin Gonzalez, who can play every infield position and both corner outfield spots, would make even more sense. However, he may be out of the Angels’ price range.
Texas Rangers
- Land more pitching. The rebuilding Rangers may trade their top starter, Mike Minor, but even if they keep him, there’s room to add to their rotation. The club already made one noteworthy pickup in Lance Lynn, whom it signed to a three-year, $30MM contract this month. With Lynn in the mix, the Rangers are likely now pushing for Kikuchi, who could slot in near the top of their rotation for several years. Besides Kikuchi, Texas should be focusing on low-cost stopgaps who can eat innings and allow young hurlers such as Jonathan Hernandez, Taylor Hearn, Brock Burke and Joe Palumbo to get more seasoning in the minors. Assuming Minor goes, Lynn would be the Rangers’ only decent bet to handle a heavy workload next season. Edinson Volquez and Drew Smyly may join Lynn in that regard, but it’s hard to be overly optimistic considering the recent arm problems which have stalled their careers. Similarly, despite the presence of lights-out closer Jose Leclerc, bullishness likely isn’t merited with Texas’ bullpen. As a non-contender, the team shouldn’t be splurging on any free-agent relievers, but it’s a logical landing spot for affordable veterans who could potentially become trade candidates during the season. The Rangers have already inked two such arms in Jesse Chavez (two years, $8MM), whom they signed last winter, traded over the summer and brought back this offseason, and Jeanmar Gomez (minor league deal).
- Consider trading Leclerc and others. Although he enjoyed his best season in 2018, the Rangers just traded 25-year-old infielder Jurickson Profar because they didn’t believe he’d stick around for the long haul. Perhaps we’ll see even more deals along those lines from general manager Jon Daniels prior to next season. The Rangers may not have a more appealing trade chip than the 25-year-old Leclerc, whose value is likely at its zenith. Texas may try to extend Leclerc as a result, but there’s a legitimate case the team should trade him this offseason. The Rangers aren’t ready to win, and a shutdown closer isn’t a must-have piece for a team in that position. Leclerc’s controllable for the next four years, including one more pre-arb campaign, and would probably net a bounty in return. The likes of Minor, Nomar Mazara, Joey Gallo and Shin-Soo Choo also shouldn’t be untouchable, though they would bring back more modest packages than Leclerc. The club may simply hold Mazara and Gallo – who are under control for three and four more years, respectively – as opposed to selling low. The two were closer to average than spectacular in 2018, but youth is on the duo’s side (Gallo’s 25, Mazara’s 23), meaning one or both could emerge as long-term core members in Arlington. At 36 and with two years left on his deal, Choo’s time with the Rangers is waning. Choo can still produce offensively, but as an expensive DH/corner outfielder who’s on the wrong end of the aging curve, he’d probably be impossible to trade without taking back another team’s undesirable contract in return. That may not be worth the trouble for the Rangers.
- Address third base. After the revered Adrian Beltre retired last month, third base temporarily belonged to Profar. Now that Profar’s gone, the Rangers’ No. 1 option at the hot corner looks to be Patrick Wisdom, whom they acquired from the Cardinals during the Winter Meetings. A first-round pick of the Redbirds back in 2012, Wisdom finally debuted in the majors last year and held his own, albeit over just 58 plate appearances. Maybe the 27-year-old will take the opportunity in Texas and run with it, but in the meantime, it appears the club will add a veteran fallback. Harrison and Matt Davidson are among the players who have been connected to the Rangers in the rumor mill.
for the angels 2 late inning relief pitchers are must. one preferably a left-hander. right field needs a backup plan. sure, calhoun’s defense is great but we need offensive production from the position. one good thing is he tried different approach with 2 strikes. he should use that all the time.
I think Calhoun’s bat is fine. He holds a .252 career average, which isn’t earth shattering, but it’s offset by his defense and the cannon he had installed in place of his left arm. He just had a rough slump last year. I think he should be put back in the lead off spot in the order though, especially with his lefty bat.
I’d like to see 2 lefty relievers added.
Calhoun got off to an AWFUL start last season
Dipoto has options.
Leake and seager could potentially be dealt to the padres in a deal for Wil Myers. Padres have a glaring need at 3B and Mariners can give Myers a position at 1B. The mariners clear money off the books in 2019 and 2020, pay Wil Myers 1 mill more than theyd pay seager in 2021. Padres clear Leake after 2020 and seager after 2021 vs myers at 2022. Getting out from myers a year early means locking up core assets early buying out arb years for 2 or 3 fa years, hopefully.
Encarnarcion could be dealt to the Rays white sox (if they sign some big ticket names, may not, but if the FO does),
I think seattle keeps Leake for now as they do need arms to fill out their rotation and he wasn’t terrible either
Mike Leake has posted 3.6 fWAR, valued at $28.4 million, in 36 starts with the Mariners.
With its depleted pitching staff, Seattle needs Leake’s innings now more than ever.
Exactly. They don’t gain anything by trading him right now
I think Seager could be dealt to a number of teams. He’s a decent 3B and he can also play some second. He might fit in nicely with the Yankees. They could use his lefty bat and he can fill in at second and third depending on if they get Machado. If they don’t sign Machado, Seager could start at second and move Torres to short. Late in games, Seager could move to third and Wade could take over second.
Dodgers could have the brothers work the left side of the infield and move Turner to second. Muncey to first and Bellinger to center.
Nationals could put him at second and add some left handed power.
The yankees would prolly have to eat some of his contract
That actually sounds like a reasonable offer.Myers has been healthy and productive when he plays at first; not so much anywhere else. I know teams are tempted to use him in the outfield because he’s fast and has a strong arm, but he just can’t stay healthy out there. He’s also still young enough (28) to improve a bit, especially if he could also DH some of the time. Leake is actually from San Diego, and if SD is going to pursue an innings eater he’s about as useful as any out there. He’s 31 but doesn’t seem to be regressing too much. The fear, of course, is that he’s a ground-ball pitcher heading to a team with bad infield defense, although SD could probably sign Galvis again and Seager would be an upgrade on any of the third basemen the Pads tried last season.
I believe I read that if Seager is traded, his option becomes guaranteed, so he would be on the books till 2022 @ $72.5M. Myers’ contract runs through 2022 @ $72M, so the Padres would be paying more, all be it a very small amount, for a player with not nearly the upside of Myers. As much as people like to pile on Myers, he had a war of 2.4 last season and was hurt most of the year, compared to Seager’s 0.8 war.
The Padres need to put Myers at a position and leave him there for a year to see if he can put it all together. He can be part of a bad contract swap/change of scenery deal next of season if things don’t work out.
Unfortunately, that position would have to be first, I think, to keep him healthy. And first base is manned for awhile….while I think Myers is a better player than Hosmer, there’s no way the Padres are going to supplant Hos with Myers after the huge investment they made in him.
This is true. His option become guaranteed if he’s traded
Maybe that works for the Padres, but not the mariners. For one thing, the Mariners don’t need any more 1B/OF/DH. Joey Curletta, Ryon Healy, Evan White, and Dan Vogelbach are actually promising, and not league average.
Not to mention, Kyle Seager had a terrible 2018 that was a complete anomaly. He’ll be way better with a toe that’s not broken for 5 months of the season. They’d be trading him at his low, and that’s a bad idea.
Healy is not promising…he’s average at best. Agree on White and Curletta is interesting as well. Vogelbach is a DH only really bug I think he will hit if given a shot. Hoping they move EE so DV gets the shot
DV will be on the team or traded. He’s out of options and can’t be sent down again without being DFA.
Mariners trading for Myers is fake news and they are trading Seager. They may move Leake to Padres but that is likely the extent of it.
I’m guessing the stros will put brad peacock back into the rotation like he was in 17
Not likely. As it stands now I expect Verlander, Cole, McHugh, James, Valdez..
They will either add a starter and keep Peacock in the pen, or add a good pen arm and put him in rotation. They won’t go with both James and Valdez in rotation, those two will battle for a spot in the spring
Rangers need to be in full blown sell mode. They need talent and to build a core.
They don’t have much to sell of any real worth on their ML roster though. The rangers are in a tough situation
Yeah, Minor, maybe Andrus would have some value if not for that insane contract (he’s owed 75 million over the next 5 seasons). Odor has value but is still young enough that Texas might want to keep him. I’m sure if any team wanted Choo they could have him for little return, because Choo had a nice comeback season with the bat, but he’s DH-only at this point. Gallo’s skillset is somewhat common now. I can’t quite imagine they’d listen on LeClerc but he would probably be the only Ranger to bring back a serious haul in a trade.
Rangers should take a page out of Dipoto’s book and package Choo w/LeClerc and see what they can get.
I think choo has 2 years left. Imo it would be better if they just let choo’s contract expire and keep Leclerc
For the angels , I would offer maybe a 2 or 3 year deal on both Harrison and Robertson. No need to over spend on Keuchel. Try to go after Kikuchi or Gio Gonzalez
And I wanted a pony for Christmas
reading my mind. a lefty specialist. kikuchi.rob÷rtson.. 2. yrsharri s
If only the Mariners had listened to need #2 last year… They were a couple mediocre starters away from the playoffs even in the AL West.
Offense was the mariners real problem, not so much starting pitching. Diaz was the main reason they won 90 games last season
Wrong. They scored three or less runs in 80 games…that is why they missed the playoffs
Things the Angels need?
A closer
A set up man
A right fielder that can hit
Now I agree with starting pitching, but other than Gio Gonzales, none of the starting pitchers who are FA are better than what they have now.
Could go after Kikuchi ? Calhoun changed after he came back from injury last year. He got off to a terrible start, came back changed his stance and was a better hitter.
He was also terrible in late August and all of September though
Hope the Angels go after Kikuchi as a starter. I would trade for a set up reliver. David Robertson would be great as a closer or even Zack Britten. As far as right field, if Kole Calhoun can’t cut it? It’s time for Angels to bring up Jo Adell or Brandon Marsh and see what they do? They do have in house potentials that need to be looked at. I think that’s the plan that Billy Ebler and Manager Brad Ausmus have plan.
Kikuchi allegedly just reached a deal with the Mariners. I agree on K. Calhoun. The guy came back from the injury with a much better approach and looked (and hit) better than he had in a while.
Don’t judge Calhoun by only looking at his batting from the first half of last year. See my comment above.
Phi447 Calhoun has had two straight years, where his numbers have dropped drastically. 2016 Calhoun hit around .270. 2017 he hit around.240. This past season around .200. Calhoun is great defensively. But need to deepen the lineup. Can’t expect Trout, Upton, Ohtani and Simmons to carry the offense the entire season. The bottom of the Angels lineup the way it will look, no one of them hit .250 this last season.
He hit .244 in 2017 and .208 in 2018, again based on a horrible start that ended up with a DL stint and some tweaking in Salt Lake. Afterwards, he hit somewhere in the mid .200’s. I can’t find a breakdown of his month to month BA for 2018. I’d like to see him stay. Again, he’s not lighting the plate on fire, but he is a good enough defender to accept a middle of the road hitter. Again, I like him in the lead off spot.
So you want a lead off hitter with a .250 obp? Fletcher should be the lead off hitter.
His obp was .315
That’s not great either
The funny thing about your 3–none of these have been the biggest recent focus of the Astros: getting a DH.
They could just bring back evan gattis
No value.
They have White so any change at DH would be a luxury, not a necessity. They could also rotate Brantley through DH at times to help keep him healthy.
Astros should try and get Matt Boyd… He’s improved quite a bit and I think The Astros can make him a middle of the rotation guy on a good staff. Shouldn’t cost much.
The Angels have actively striven for mediocrity the last few seasons, so why do we honestly expect them to “make an aggressive push toward contention” now all of a sudden?
It is safest to expect this pitiful trend to continue for the Angels
PECOTA 2016: 76-86
…actually finished 74-88 (-2)
PECOTA 2017: 78-84
…actually finished 80-82 (+2)
PECOTA 2018: 79-83
…actually finished 80-82 (+1)
Because the 18/19 offseason so far shows that is once more exactly what they are specificly going for
pitching injuries dude. where have you been.
that and two bad money situations in josh hamilton and pujols
Jake Odorizzi to the A’s for Frankie Montas and Yerdel Vargas??
Seems the Twins are “kinda” trying to win. A’s might want to call up the O’s about Cobb instead.
Before the “Trade Trout” nonsense begins on this article, let me say that the Angels will not and should not trade Trout.
If they aren’t going nowhere and don’t trade him they will risk losing him for a mere draft pick that most likely won’t ampunt to anything big
Your assertion that they aren’t going anywhere is only conjecture.
Do you honestly see them going anywhere the way they are currently constructed ? They are in limbo which is a bad position to be in and they have only gotten to the post season once I repeat ONCE with trout on the team
Do you want them to lose him for a draft pick ?? Anaheim has no direction right now. At least seattle made a decision and is sticking to it
Considering your screen name, I assume you don’t follow the Angels closely. The Angels have a great core built around Trout but have had their pitching staff decimated by injuries for several seasons in a row. I’ve said they need to examine the pitcher training program but that’s a different conversation. Plus, Scioscia and his guys are all gone so that problem may handle itself. I could go through each position, but I don’t want to rob you of doing your own research. Eppler has done a great job of rebuilding the farm system and several bad contracts have gone away, with only Pujols remaining. So to answer your question, yes, I see them going somewhere with their current construction.
The Angels have just finally begun assembling a modern analytics department; Like a lot of other teams that have fallen behind – the Giants, Rangers, Royals et. al., they’ve neglected that part of their front office for a while. They’re getting better about that, so we’ll see if they can combine that with their financial clout and the best player on the planet to create some kind of winning formula.
This “great core” of theirs hasn’t produced great results. Yes trout is amazing and Simmons is great but it drops off from there. Calhoun is ok but what else is there ? A Bad bullpen, Albert albatross and a fragile starting rotation.
If Anaheim isn’t going to be a contender during the next two seasons than why not clean out a teams farm system with trout ? Being a 82 or so win team isn’t going to help them at all. This will be a huge decision for their organization to make and they can’t mess it up
Again, I’m not going to do the research for you. I follow the team closely so I know the talent they have and the potential. With the new management at the helm, I believe they have a great chance of the 2019 post season.
“If Anaheim isn’t going to be a contender during the next two seasons…” = conjecture.
DC74 – You’re right. As much as I like Scioscia, he was a dinosaur who had too much control over off field decisions. I think Ausmus will steer the team in the right direction quickly.
What they had last season plus Lucroy and Harvey isn’t going to get them past the other AL contenders. Do you honestly see them getting past ny, boston, Houston, Tampa, or Oakland for a division/wild card spot with what they currently have ?
Yes.
“but have had their pitching staff decimated by injuries for several seasons in a row”
That is just the lazy excuse absent the overall reality of the situation
Did they experience a ton of injuries – yes
Did those injuries make any difference – nope
The combined rotation filler has, as a whole, produced results at the same rates as the intended opening day rotations the last few years. So for all those injuries, the team has performed the same as they would have had they not experienced them. That’s why their projections and actual results match the last 3 seasons
Injuries have not hurt the Angels – setting out for mediocrity has
How can you state as fact that the starting roster would have performed the same as the replacements? That is gross speculation. They have suffered pitching injuries for 3 seasons in a row.
We know it to be the case because of 2 corroborating facts
First, based off the actual stats produced – the opening day rotations ER rates spread over 180 IP each have the same ERA as the actual overall Angels SP ERA did. The fillins performed at the same rates as the injured guys were
Second, for 3 years straight the projected record (which is based off the opening day rotations) has matched their actual record.
Great core? They have Trout, Ohtani, Simmons, and who??
Of course the pitching injuries had a negative effect on the LAA’s season. You state the injuries made zero difference and that is just absurd. That is only your baseless opinion.
My opinion is that the starting rotation of the LAA’s would have performed much better than the replacement pitchers and yes would have made a difference.
Yeah, and your opinion is not supported by the actual facts
Take 2017 (assuming 180 IP each for the expected opening day rotation)
Richards – 46 ER/180IP
Shoemaker – 90 ER/180IP
Skaggs – 91 ER/180IP
Chavez – 66 ER/180IP
Nolasco – 99 ER/180IP
That’s a combined 4.31 ERA (431 ER over 900 IP) if they were perfectly healthy all year
The replacements?
Ramirez – 65 er, 142.1 ip
Bidwell – 49 er, 117.1 ip
Meyer – 28 er, 67.1 ip
Heaney – 17 er, 21.2 ip
Scribner – 8 er, 16.2 ip
Wright – 2 er, 9.1 ip
Norris – 1 er, 8 ip
Petit – 0 er, 4 IP
Combined that is a 3.95 ERA (170 ER in 387 IP)
The replacement pitchers (3.95 ERA) the Angels used actually out performed the rates of their Opening Day Rotation (4.31 ERA) in 2017
And that’s why we have a reality like this:
PECOTA 2017: 78-84
…actually finished 80-82 (+2)
The Angels were not hurt by the injuries
“Great core? They have Trout, Ohtani, Simmons, and who??”
That’s not too bad at all.
The problem with the Angels is the rest of the lineup drops off a cliff after those guys. If there were five others who were good players the Angels would be OK as a playoff team.
Still wouldn’t rate against the top three teams in the AL though.
You must has missed his inauspicious run in Detroit.
yankee fan is lame. . eppler is !oing great withwh ay he can do. angelsw ould have had much betterr ecord last two yearsbut. for pitching injuries. no money to doend cayse of pujols. trout stsys
you are regurging oothers opinions .if eppler did the unforgivable the fans would bepi ssed
Ohtani will only get around 350 plate appearances though. A guy that has over .900 OPS should play his position, let the DH take over for another player on the days he pitches
Five years ago the Angels had the best record in baseball. Four years ago they were eliminated on the last day of the year.
Over the last three years, 15 of their 16 pitchers who broke camp as their starters have gone on the DL, most missing most of the season. And yet they are still a 500 team over those three years (Pythagorean W-L Record).
There is more there than you think. Especially if Trout plays 160 games and not the average of 125 like he has the last two years.
He can’t throw a baseball the day before he pitchers or the day after. Seriously? Every time I read one of your comments I just laugh.
We all laugh at yours, but some of us just have more class than to bash on the comment boards
dude you are trying to sound like a smart baseball writer. Trout stays
Unless Trout is adamant about not accepting an extension – and he really should test the market, only because it would be fascinating to see what his value would be in an open market – I would hope the Angels have already prepared an extension offer. I mean, Trout is obviously a generational talent; he may end up as the best player of all time, for real, What’s that worth? 500 million over ten years? More? I don’t know if the Angels would be gun-shy after the spectacular failure of the Pujols deal, but there are so many differences between Trout and Pujols that it’s not a good comp.
It would also, of course, be interesting to see what sort of trade would have to happen for Trout. A team’s best three young players and best three prospects? More? Anyway, Trout would be a free agent in a somewhat down off-season for FAs – SImmons, Zimmerman, Verlander but the latter two will be old. It would be very interesting to see.
The only thing that’s scary about a 10 year contract for the big fish is that he will he close to 30 when he is a FA. Other than that he will be the biggest free agent since arod. They can’t wait too long to make a decision
the only people talking Trout trade must are not Angel fans
I may be one of the only ones that said neither Machado nor Harper will get the 300 million they are looking for this year, but I am still standing by that months later. Trout will definitely be the first to eclipse that mark though, maybe even 350 million or more. Machado has a better shot of getting the big deal with the Phillies, but most likely they will see something like an 8 year deal averaging 35 million annually= 280 million. Still a record until Trout breaks it
Or only Angel fans can’t bear the thought of Trout leaving
It depends on whether he wants to be the best player to never go to a World Series, or if that matters to him. Right now the Angels aren’t close to that, and spending a ton of money to keep him would just keep them from acquiring good pitching. He should definitely consider the Yankees, Mets, Red Sox, Cubs, or Dodgers as those are the 5 biggest stages he can play on, and those teams all look to be strong when he becomes FA.
Do you know anything about baseball? A-Roid went to one World Series. If he didn’t cheat his way there, he would have went to zero.
Bonds went to one World Series, if he didn’t cheat he would have went to zero. Nolan Ryan one… AS A RELIEF PITCHER IN 1969.
Ted Williams,,, One, Griffey Jr… Zero. Five years ago the Angels had the best record in baseball. Trout got one hit in those playoffs. Making it to the World Series is hard no matter how good you are.
Do you any idea what you are talking about? It doesn’t look like you do.
Ernie Banks went to zero World Series; granted, a lot of these guys were pre- FA players, but there are plenty of terrific players in baseball history who never went to a world series.
What would it take to pry away boyd and hardy from tigers from A’s perspective. Rumors about hardy as a bullpen opener for A’s and boyd can eat up eatings. Of course if montas and bassitt can stay healthy and consistent, maybe less of a need to add pitching. Id be open to trading canha and/or fowler for pitching help
All of these other teams wish they were in the position the A’s are. The best and most loyal fans in the game. An underrated ballpark in a beautiful city. And a team capable of making what the Red Sox did last year practically forgettable.
Please do explain why any teams fans can ever boast they are “the best and most loyal.” Tell us how you think the A’s will make the Red Sox– who had a historically great season– “forgettable.”
An underrated ballpark? Well it’s compared to a cesspool, so in that respect it’s underrated.
The As are likely not to be very good.
What you guys think about this fantasy blockbuster. Seriously okay? Cubs trade J. Heyward and Russell to Diamondbacks for Z. Greinke.. The Cubs turn around and trade Greinke and W. Contreras to Cleveland for Kluber. Cubs then turn around and offer Marlins their two top prospects and J. Quintana for Realmuto. Cubs shed a ton of payroll and have an upgrade in the rotation and behind the plate. Cleveland replaces an ace with an ace, but also has one of the games best catchers for a great price. Diamondbacks have significantly improved their defense while decreasing their payroll obligations. Marlins get an above average starter and a great catching prospect in Amaya and a solid pitching prospect in Alzolay. Everyone would be better off right?
I’d tell you to turn your PS4 off.
Why would the Indians take grenkies salary and replace him with kluber ? Not only does it add salary but they get an inferior pitcher to kluber
Kluber isn’t that much better actually, and it was the addition of a premier catcher that made the deal work
Isn’t that much better? In what way is he not that much better? ERA? Nope? FIP… Nope. XFIP.. Nope. WAR.. Nope.
Hayward is worthless, Not to mention, who wants to bring in Russell.
Teams don’t generally trade for people about to be suspended for beating up women.
Man, I can’t believe how little you know about this game.
At least I knew how to spell Heyward. To think that Greinke isn’t one of the best pitchers of the last decade is plain ignorant. Look at the two careers and both are stellar. Kluber is younger and better of late, but Greinke had some amazing years and also won Cy Young.
For someone who knows the game so well, I find it shocking to see that you think Russell hasn’t been suspended yet. FYI, he is already serving a 40 game suspension and it is not for “beating women”. There are lots of people in their late teens and early 20’s who get married without the skills to manage a career and a serious relationship. Add fame and money and things can get toxic quickly. He is currently in a treatment program, and hopefully he learns from this and can still have a productive career.
Russel is a terrible human being. Read about his case. He’s a real bad dude. I truly hope he never sees a field again.
Kluber is due 52,7 million the next three years. Grienke is owed 104.5 million the next three years. Megaj, you think Contreras is worth Cleveland, a small market team, taking on 51.8 million dollars more in salary? There is no way Cleveland could afford to make your deal
A “terrible human being”? I have read the case, and it is no different than a thousand bad relationships in any town at any given time. His wife made it public because that is the day and age we live in. He was a jerk yes, but the world is full of those, and some people can and do change. Hell, they even let Michael Vick play football again and what he did was atrocious.
xpracyjcally perfect in every way. a spoon full of sugar
Angels made a mistake with Ohtani. What are you getting exactly? Unless he bats on the days he pitches, he doesn’t add spectacular value. You basically get a slightly above average hitter and very slightly above average pitcher that both play part time for big money.
A slightly above average hitter? Seriously? Are you crazy or just ignorant?
His RC+ was 8th in baseball last year. His OPS+ was ninth.
Almost everyone thinks he’s a better pitcher than hitter.
Did you really write what I think you wrote?
But it is just wasted when he is getting just over 300 at bats. I like the idea that someone above had of making him a closer.
Value is value – 300 ABS and 100 IP is an insane amount of value, if the Abs and IPs are good, as they were in 2018
They didn’t make a mistake with Ohtani? In 2020, Ohtani will pitch and hit as player. Could be worth a hugh contract himself. Ex manager of the Yankees Joe Girardi brought up a great point with Ohtani during the past season on MLB and is to make Ohtani a closer. Not a bad ideain opinion?
You guys do know that it’s impossible for any division to have more than 3 playoff teams, right?
I don’t know but he was named rookie of the year and deservedly so. Ohtani is a great talent something we haven’t known since Babe Ruth.
He’s only 24 years old. Let’s see what future leads Ohtani to. I for one believes this guy will succeed and could be a future hall of famer. Time will tell but I like what I see. Would love to see unfold.
Poor Trout with all those rusty lug nuts…TRADE TROUT!!! HE WANTS TO GO!!!!!
Hope not! But you could be right. Obviously he’s from the east coast knowing he could play for the Phillies or Yankees. Eppler could get a boat load of prospects.
Hope the Rangers give,Isiah Kiner-Falefa a real shot at 3rd base.