Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 2008 Thread

Hopefully that's a sign a deal is imminent lol.

 

Great, now what the heck am I going to do with a Guerrero Angels jersey with Tex's autograph on it...

 

The pitching is young, younger and youngest. I don't/can't even venture a guess who the starting 5 will be. Gio Gonzalez and Dana Eveland will be two of them and they have a ton of young arms. They need a veteran starter but I don't think Beane will try to hard to find one.

I think the offense will be MUCH better and it will have to be.

I think the formula this year is score some runs and hand what ever leads they can get to a strong bull pen. The starters won't be set in stone and they will look at as many young starters as they can this year.

 

If the no name youngsters (no name to me at least lol) come through I can see you guys making a run. Not really sure what to expect from the Angels offense next year, but they still have good pitching and pen (even if Frankie is gone). Should be our division to lose, but we're going to rely an awful lot on everyone staying healthy and young guys continuing to improve.

 

I'm exactly the same...

BTW, the Yankees make me want to vomit, just thought I'd add that.

 

This clashes with what sources close to Moreno said, but if it's true I'll be pretty annoyed. I hope it isnt true lol.

Some quotes from Hunter

Mark Teixeira is Yankees' $180-million man - Los Angeles Times

Not sure why we dont kick the tires on Manny. Top the Dodgers offer by a couple mill., you get the power/consistent bat we need, and make the cross town rivals look bad, win win in my eyes. Wonder if it's because Boras is his agent...

http://www.latimes.com/sports/baseball/mlb/angels/la-sp-angels24-2008dec24,0,2812407.story

 

I think I am going to sock somebody in the ****ing face.

So you're telling me that for 16m more we could have had Teixeira? That's chump change over eight ****ing years. Moreno is a moron. A true moron if he didn't do it because of that.

**** YOU GARY MATTHEWS JR. I ****ING HATE YOU

 

I would not go to crazy. I might be alone here but I think Tex is REALLY overrated. He's getting paid like the best hitter in baseball but his numbers are barely top 20. This was all Boras.

Let the Yankees get all the headlines. Let them overpay for a pitcher who had 2 good months (Burnett). He'll wilt under the glare of the New York media. They still have some issues in middle relief and the outfield. They also play in a tough division. The BoSox are what they are and the Rays are, in my opinion, going to be even better this year with Price in the rotation.

They will never learn. They won in the 90's because of a ton of home grown talent sprinkled with a few free agents and some deadline pickups that supplemented their team. Now they are going back to the way that has never worked, trying to buy a championship.

I admired how they did things when they were winning. I was always jealous of their ability to RETAIN their own talent and get the most out of other guys....I'm glad they stopped doing that.

 

According to Boras' people at least. Who knows which side is telling the truth, but I hope it's Moreno. Cause for 16m more I probably feel how you do lol.

 

You know as much as I hate him and all, Gary Matthews Jr. has some fairly nice production when leading off. If he's at full health and you're trying to decide whether to play him or Figgins who do you play? A healthy Matthews Jr. could possibly hit in the .760 range without too much trouble. Do you play him or Figgins if both are playing in LF? Matthews does have the ability to lead off. There's a great chance that you could fetch a pretty penny for Figgins in the trade market in the form of a good prospect. Just a thought to get more out of our lineup...

 

I told you, these are the posts I would have typed, if Tex signed elsewhere for that contract 8/180 and the Yankees never bid, etc. You cant let him go for that money. I know its not a steal, but over 8 years, its pittance to lose a guy over that.

Glad the Yanks got him, just to keep me from having to type what you typed.

 

Man, I so wish Yanks would have made a package deal and play for Torii and Santana last year, I was begging for it. Our CF situation would have been solved....

 

I think you are missing the forest for all the trees.....

Tex is not being paid for his Bat alone...its not a world class bat...but is a darn steady one. His career is made of rediculously consistent production that you can bank on. Everywhere he has been, he is a 30+ HR, 100+runs, 100+RBIs, .280+ hitter. And agree, thats not best hitter in baseball #'s, but Tex is recognized to be so much more....on the Diamond and off. He is a Switch Hitting match up problem. He is a STUD 1B, vacuum glove on grounders and throws, and he has an accurate arm....off the diamond for a place like NYC, he is straight laced business model citizen. It may not mean much, but as part of the complete package thats why he gets the cash.

He is the total package of his role and thats why he gets the cash this go round.

And, frankly, if you have really watched the Yankees since the '03 WS lose to Marlins, and the '04 Sox come back, Cashman is doing exactly what you liked, he is no more buying a Championship then what he helped establish in the mid '90s. He is protecting the Farm hyped Arms and Bats from being traded off...he is securing key Farm Arm and Defensive components to compliment the homegrown but aging Bats/Defense and yes, he is supplementing with Trades and FA signings. It really is a carbon copy of '90s approach, before King George soiled the sheets with his frustration of the '01 bloop loss!!!!!

So, if you liked it then, you will see and appreciate it now. It just so happens that '09 had the 3 big signings and folks are frustrated that all 3 came in the same FA campaign. Again, historically speaking, this is what happened in '76, that led to '77 and '78 championships. Just saying...

 

Just heard Fuentes just signed a 2 year deal with the Angels. Heard it on ESPN Radio. Heres a link.
http://mlb.mlb.com/news/press_relea...ent_id=3730672&vkey=pr_ana&fext=.jsp&c_id=ana

 

For that length and that money I like the signing. 3/26.5 if we exercise our option aint bad. If he'd gotten Frankie money i would have been pissed.

 

Dependable 30 save, ~3 ERA closer. Not a bad deal at all especially when you consider he's done well in a hitter's park. Gives them an experienced and reliable closer. Doesn't replace K-Rod but then again no one else can.

 

I don't like this move by LA. Sure they signed him to a short term deal at a low cost but I just don't trust that Fuentes is a lock down closer. I would have given the job to Jose Abbalando and used that money to sign a power hitter or 2.

 

I'm not sure they're handing him the closers job. I know before there was talk that even if they brought him in he'd compete w/ Arredondo and Shields in the Spring for the closers job.

 

I realized I completely butchered Arredondo's name in my previous post haha.

That would be interesting but I'd be surprised if Fuentes didn't get the job. I'm a big fan of Arredondo, the kid has great stuff.

 

I knew what you meant lol.

I like Arrendondo as well. I cant imagine him not getting some opportunities to save games this year. Wonder if maybe Scoiscia will go with a situational type rotation early on and see if one of them takes the job.

 

Well deserved extension, hopefully he'll be here long beyond even this new deal. Hopefully he figures out how to beat the Red Sox too lol.

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_y...i-sciosciaextension010509&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

 

Keith Law seems to like the Fuentes signing. Not a huge fan of our team, though I'm not sure I blame him.

Not sure 85 wins takes the West, but we'd be in the hunt. Hopefully some of these young guys will start to step up now that they're being counted on so heavily.

 

I love Scioscia and think he's a top manager. But I can't help but laugh everytime the Sox play the Angels and Scioscia has a 'I just saw my only daughter dancing at the strip club' look on his face, it's classic.

 

Manny is exactly what this team needs. I dont really get signing Abreu but having no interest in Manny. Unless Abreu will be switched to 1B, which is possible w/ Dunn. Bleh, I dont even want to think of our lineup atm.

 

mariners>>angels

ha, i wish. im getting excited for baseball though. not sure why

 

Im ready for some M's baseball myself....

If Morrow can make the transition from the pen and be a solid #2 or 3 starter our pitching staff has a chance to be dominant. Ofcourse Im not sure how were gonna score runs.

 

I dont have any doubts he can't. he did last year at times. he is gonna be inconsistent. but when his stuff is on, he is unhittable(literally, ask the yanks )

hopefully felix can stay consistent this year, and bedard stays healthy. thats 3 nasty pitchers in the rotation.

we're gonna have lots of young bats, that's probably why I'm excited. 2 young guys in the outfield as of now.