Looking For A Reason To Be Optimistic About The Angels?
- Updated: August 24, 2016
The Los Angeles Angels can chalk 2016 up as a lost season. Pretty much nothing went their way in terms of offense, pitching, injuries, etc. Only Mike Trout did what was expected of him, which is, as everyone realizes at this point, being the best player in baseball.
Moving forward, the future is not exactly bright for Los Angeles. It will have Trout for a long while but needs to build a competent roster around him so as not to waste the prime years of the MVP of the league.
A few of the pieces of a competent roster are already here, assuming they get healthy. C.J. Cron and Cam Bedrosian were a couple of the very successful players in 2016 before injuries sidelined them for extended stretches. Andrew Heaney also has a bright future if he can get back on the mound. (He is expected to miss 2017 as he recovers from his elbow injury.) None are eligible for free agency, so the Angels can keep them around and hope they build on great beginnings.
Unfortunately, the team does have extensive money committed to less-stellar options. Albert Pujols is signed through 2021; Andrelton Simmons is signed through 2020. Josh Hamilton is still on the payroll after this season as well. These are not exactly the guys you want moving the franchise forward with Trout.
Perhaps it helps that there is little else LA is committed to, especially on the pitching side. Players like C.J. Wilson and Jered Weaver come off the payroll after this season. A fresh start may be the best start.
The farm system is weak across the board, most publications have the worst ranked team as the Angels, but the Major League roster is just as weak right now. So perhaps that would lead to an offseason overhaul with the team bringing in Major-League ready talent. General manager Billy Eppler told the LA Times earlier this summer that “it’s not in the DNA here to rebuild.” It was a surprising and perhaps misguided admission from the first-year GM. He may have changed his tune by now or may do so by this offseason, or maybe he does indeed have a plan.
Whatever plan moving forward includes the aforementioned players, as well as Kole Calhoun. Calhoun and Trout form a nice pair in the outfield despite Calhoun’s somewhat disappointing 2016. Assuming Cron gets back on the field and slides Pujols to permanent DH, this isn’t the worst blueprint for an everyday lineup. Simmons is still a minus at the plate but his shortstop defense covers up holes in his swing.
As for the rotation, there is reason to be cautiously optimistic, especially if Richards avoids needing Tommy John surgery. Richards, along with Tyler Skaggs and Matt Shoemaker form an interesting top. Current Triple-A arm Alex Meyer may be ready to be included in the rotation by 2017 as well (though he is also recovering from injury). Meyer has a plus fastball with sink, as well as a good slider. He may only be a reliever in the immediate future, but necessity could force the team’s hand into giving him a rotation shot.
It is still hard to imagine the Angels being serious contenders as soon as 2017. Most of their top prospects aren’t expected to reach the Majors until 2019 at the earliest. Though Eppler and owner Arte Moreno have scuffed at the idea of a rebuild, it seems like the smartest way to get this franchise back into playoff mode. Trading away veterans with value, such as Huston Street or Yunel Escobar, is the quickest way to replenish a barren farm. And with payroll limitations stemming from failed contracts in the recent past, it will be hard to reboot at the Major-League level as Eppler was hoping to do. It is not a quick process to dig out of holes like the Angels are in. Doing so requires some level of sacrifice and anguish.
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4 Comments
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Shaun Nickerson
August 26, 2016 at 11:11 am
Ummmmm, Andrelton Simmons is the best defensive shortstop in the league. He is the second coming of Ozzie Smith. With his glove alone, Simmons is capable of putting up between 3-5 WAR a season.
Please explain to me why the Angels wouldn’t want him on their team? Sure, his bat is below average, but he makes up for that and MORE in the field.
Joe Messineo
August 26, 2016 at 1:10 pm
I’m just a believer that if you’re a liability on one side of the ball, you’re a liability period.
It’s like In-N-Out, you can’t be a great burger place just on the strength of your Burgers, if you’re fries suck, you suck!
Joe Messineo
August 26, 2016 at 1:10 pm
Mostly kidding with the In N Out comment, please no one find my home and kill me…
Shaun Nickerson
August 26, 2016 at 7:54 pm
Well, I think In ‘N Out is only average, so I won’t kill you for THAT…
Still, respectfully, I completely disagree with your thoughts on Simmons. I also disagree with the idea that if you’re a liability at the plate, you’re a liability in the field. Also, I’d hardly call him a liability offensively. His .OBP is only about ten points off the league average. His defensive ability however, saves a TON of runs. He had a 5.4 dWAR season with Atlanta (the single greatest defensive season in history) and has never put up less than 3.5 dWAR in a full season. +2 dWAR is gold glove level…
I’d also like to point out that you didn’t explain your thought process, you only repeated your opinion 🙂