A few brief words of update on the Angels. Billy Eppler said during a press conference call that the team is considering various options for Shohei Ohtani this season, including “delaying him a little bit”, relays Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register (link). We’ve already heard that the club plans to keep him on an NPB-esque pitching schedule this season as he continues to work back from Tommy John surgery, but it’s uncertain if “delay” in this case means he’ll be held out of action late into Spring Training, or further.
Meanwhile, Maria Torres of the LA Times reports, from that same call, that Eppler acknowledged that the team “can add” to its already “strong” group of pitchers (link). That’s not a definitive statement, and the club’s opportunities to add might be dwindling now that one more arm is off the open market as of Saturday evening. Torres also reports that 26-year-old prospect Jose Rojas will receive an invite to big league camp this spring after a Triple-A season in which he hit .293/.362/.577 with 31 home runs.
More from around the game…
- Declining attendance be damned—MLB’s revenue streams are flowing fine. According to a Saturday piece from Forbes, gross revenues for the league were a record $10.7 billion for 2019, up from $10.3 billion last year, according to industry sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity. And the upward slant should continue in future years; as noted by Forbes, the league’s deal with Fox television kicks in during the 2022 season and that deal alone has a reported value of $5.1 billion. For those wondering, MLB player payroll and benefits came in at $4.7 billion last year—leaving plenty of pie to go around for administrators, front-office types and ownership figures. The league has seen adjusted revenue growth of 386% since 1992.
- ESPN’s Sam Miller took a closer look at the forthcoming thee-batter rule, including its real-life implications for several veteran LOOGYs. Miller coins the term “Ollies” (in honor of Indians journeyman Oliver Perez) to represent any appearance that is set to be outlawed under the new rules–which require that pitchers face three batters or get the final out of an inning before being replaced. Perez led the league with 22 such “Ollies” in 2019, while Andrew Chafin, Alex Claudio and Adam Kolarek all logged 15 or more such appearances. Of course, the forthcoming change didn’t stop the Brewers from re-signing Claudio earlier this offseason, so we can all rest assured that left-handed specialists aren’t going anywhere for the time being.
Eppler is a joke of a GM and Arte is a horrible owner. This franchise is sinking.
Mr. Ward, you are 100% correct. Year after year after year it’s the same story. It’s really this simple, the scoreboard and standings do not lie.
Every single freaking year. Like I said a few months ago, this is the FA class to make a statement and build a winner around Trout.
And what does Arte do? Spends $245mil on a freaking 3B!!!!!!!!!!!!! Eppler dumpster dives for pitching as usual, and there you have it a 78 win team.
Now they’ll delude their fans into thinking they have a winner because they have Rendon.
No Ohtani, no Ace, a bunch of 4-5s in the rotation, and you’ve got a 3-4th place team.
Great job Arte.
What would you have done differently as GM? Wheeler wanted location, Cole’s salary is ridiculously high, Strasburg wanted DC, the market clearly the market felt the same about Kluber, etc.
Mr. Ward, you nailed it.
HaloShane and Mr.Ward are the same person.
Last year he would have signed Eovaldi, Happ and Miller. Then Eppler wouldn’t have been able to do a darn thing this year. Compared to what clowns like these wanted to do last year, Eppler had a pretty good year simply not signing players to more than one year.
These guys are clueless.
Clowns?
Big shoes, colorful hair etc..
Comment of the year right here. Signing players has implications. Lead out of the cave those who think wanton signings don’t have implications.
Mr 24TheKid, you nailed it.
They certainly appear to be the same person!
The only person Shane could find to agree with him.
No Ohtani? of course Ohtani will pitch this at the most l would expect him to miss no more than 2 starts.
I don’t think it’s that simple- there are a lot of variables that come into play, way more than scoreboard and standings.
Like a player death, a rotation with excessive days on IL, a crappy manager or a few free agent pitchers playing way below expectations? Yeah I could see those variables costing a dozen wins or so.
The IL is not an excuse for sucking. Every team deals with injuries. The player death is a symptom of a bad medical and training staff. The bad coach was a symptom of a bad front office. The Angels are to LA as the Mets are to NY. Teams that should stop existing. But still, please give us October Trout!
“Every team deals with injuries”
And depending on those injuries, teams can experience diminished performance (Them Wins Above Replacement start disappearing when Replacements start appearing).
“The player death is a symptom of a bad medical and training staff.”
Because they were unable to diagnose/prevent/treat an overdose in a hotel room? Get outta here with this nonsense.
I have no sympathy for Mike Trout. Nobody forced him to sign his life away to that joke of a team. He made his bed. Time to sleep in it.
Mike Trout is a professional Baseball player is it so bad being loyal to the team that drafted you?
By the way who is your baseball team
Ok you big red shoe owners, Angels had the best record in baseball just within the past 5 years. And being second fiddle to Dodgers? How about checking the record. Best interleague record = Angels valley Dodgers (regardless being the highest consistent winning team).
“All teams deal with injuries” but Not franchise record leading injuries plus mostly in the same and most important position.
Skaggs high ceiling looked like it was finally going to come together this year to be at a legit #2 level. When’s it’s not reoccurring you can’t blame the franchise. Like your stepdad thinking about your sister, you’re in a fantasy land if you think not every single MLB team has at least one player addicted to opiates.
You were probably one of the many who thought Puig was going to be better than Trout too. People Can’t rip on Pujols deal as dumb and then say they’d make the Cole deal, when pujols was far
More established and accomplished. Dodgers and Yankees have a lot more flops on their record.
“Team shouldn’t exists?” Look at the Angels attendance, MLB and baseball is lucky to have them yet several teams struggle to get 10k for a game.
How about you save your comments for the Cubs in a few years when everyone realized they dropped the best manager in baseball. Your comments are as well- made as the quality of Spiderman 3, and your analysis is put together worse than Helen Keller playing Jenga.
The owner who consistently keeps the payroll in the top 10 every year? So many fans would love to have that. And Eppler inherited some bloated contracts and a horrible MiLB system.
LOL! And we haven’t made the playoffs in over 10yrs!!!!!! What does that tell you? His signings and GMs are all a joke!!!!
But Eppler had chances and money and he blows it on high spin rate and velocity!!!!
The guy tries. He could run it as a small market team like Gene Autry did. Over 20 other teams would love an owner who tries like Arte.
And they just paid $35 mil for a player coveted by many teams. Try telling Pirates fans how bad this makes you feel.
10 years? That’s funny, pretty sure I remember watching them lose to the Royals five years ago.
How did Gene run it like a small market team? The decade of the 80s alone was basically stocking up on spending on players. Free agency until Disney took the team the Angels were very active in spending. No idea what you’re talking about.
Small sample size ring a bell?
Lynn
John
Jackson
Carew
Sutton
Blyleven
Winfield
Grich
Boone
Downing
Baylor
Gene tried harder than Arte to put a winner on the field and during a time when only 2 teams from each league made the playoffs (not 5 like today). I respect Arte for what he tried so do but he is t Gene.
Blow it on spin rate and velocity? That is what the Astros do. It seems to have worked for them.
Actually it was banging on garbage cans and yelling code words that worked for the Astros.
The Angels went to the playoffs in 2014.
I was there for game 1 and game 2. Game 1 featured my #1 evil freakish nature moment. I’ve never seen anyone ever talk about it but I saw it with my own eyes.
All day long, the wind was blowing out. Not fiercely, but blowing out. I was in the outfield seats and the flags were in my field of view, so I could see them blowing out.
Bottom of the 7th, man on first, 2 out. Cron up. At the very instant the pitch is thrown, boom, the wind stops. Completely. The flags went limp. Cron hits a blast that is caught by a leaping catch at the wall. Immediately, the wind picks back up and the flags are blowing out again. If not for that freakish moment,when the wind stopped, the ball clears the wall, and the Angels get 2 runs. But no, they lost in 11 innings. Sigh.
5 years.
if Arte is horrible why did the Angel’s have one of the best record from when he bought the team up until about 2012? over 10 years of al west championships, wildcards and very competitive years … you realize only 4(now 5) teams make the playoffs.. not everyone can win every year .
gms aren’t the reason we didn’t get Cole or other top arms.. gm has very close to nothing to do with a fa.. the owner signs a check . all they have to do is offer the most $$$. he has built solid bullpens each year for literally no $$ (I know #s may proce that wrong but when starters go 4 innings constantly the Rps are worn out in June!) always had above average offense . and what can he do about injuries . I’m not one to blame injuries because everyone gets them, but not much you can do when you consistantly are using your 6-9 starters every year . just if Tehran and Bundy provide #4 stats, that is a HUGE upgrade over Suarez and Barria . theres a handful of wins. ohtani is like a free agent #2 pitcher. hopefully heaney can come out of the gates healthy . and a full year of healthy canning is huge too. right now I am.comfortable saying they are about an 83 win team . maybe they get a Price or Gray or Ray, maybe not . but if things break right maybe they can push 90 wins.
Well said.
Right? It’s like people expect the rest of their division to punt and let them win. There are 5 teams trying to position themselves for years of division titles.
This comment is why they removed the dislike button.
I’d say until 2015. They won 98 games in 2014 and 85 in 2015. I think that at least kept them in the top third Of the league until the last 4 years.
You’re asking why the angels have a winning record after arte Moreno bought the angels here’s the reason why it was still a carryover from Disney’s ownership Disney’s baseball operations drafting Tim salmon Darren Erstad Garrett Anderson Troy glaus the other core of Angels for hiring general manager Bill Stoneman Picked up David Eckstein Adam Kennedy hiring Mike Scioscia that’s why the angels were so good it was a carryover from Disney nothing to do with arte Moreno
@MrWard14 Say what you want, but I love my team. They are must see TV. Trout is the best player in baseball. Ohtani is arguably the 2nd most exciting player in baseball. I can’t wait to see him on the mound again. Rendon is one of the best 3rd baseman in baseball. A power hitting 3rd baseman, which we have lacked for years, We have been deficient at 3rd base for years. He was one of the most productive players last year. Simmons is one of the best defensive SS. Pujols is still a legend, even if hasn’t lived up to expectations in an Angels uniform. Upton will hit 25-30HRs. Adell will be a candidate for rookie of the year. We still need to add a starting pitcher and a catcher. I am looking forward to the season and I know I am not the only Angels fan that is.
I know a lot of deals have not worked out for the Angels, but as a fan, I do not want Arte to stop signing free agents. I am glad that the Angels didnt pay as much as the Yankees did for Cole. There are no guarantees in free agency, but a position player is less risky than a starting pitcher.
Arte has always showed a willingness to spend money. He has continually signed some of the best players available on the free agent market. I know a lot of which have not worked out for the better. We have have some good free agents signings, i.e. Ohtani, Torri Hunter, Vlad Guerrero and some that havent worked out, Pujols, Cozart, and Hamilton. Even some of the ones that haven’t worked out were exciting pickups at the time. They keep the fan base interested and invested in the team.
If you don’t like the team, I don’t care. I do and will continue to support it. You can be a bitter negative Nancy all by yourself.
Ohtani is the third most exciting player. Acuna might even push your Trout off the number 1 spot.
Acuna may be exciting but all he can do to Trout is sniff his butt.
I say the same about Trout sniffing the playoffs. What a coincidence
Must be awful. 2 seasons Acuna has been in the majors. Gone to the postseason each year. Why cant Trout do that?
“Pujols is still a legend, even if hasn’t lived up to expectations in an Angels uniform” <—- understatement of the decade.
“Upton will hit 25-30 homeruns this year”<—- super optimistic
ohtani san you know the dodgers are about a 30 min drive away..go be one of their “fans”
@at Mr. Ward aka HaloShane
It is too obvious you are the same person. The only thing you nailed was to expose that fact
Damn, that’s deep.
I hate to be the optimist here, but they could still sign and trade for a starter.
I truly don’t believe Arte and Eppler are dumb enough to enter the 2020 season (after signing a Rendon) with their current rotation.
I’m all for Ryu on a 3yr contract, then a trade for another SP like Clevinger (I’d give up Adell for him), Boyd, Ray, or Gray would give us a chance to win the West.
Then all your anger will subside.
Preach my dude. Eppler needs to go
Should’ve been fired at the end of last season for horrible free agent signings and the ball club losing 90 games Eppler should’ve been fired but Moreno likes to put his hand in baseball operations and handpick free agents that hasn’t worked out so well of late And I am an angel fan I just don’t like the direction that we’ve been going the last five years
it would be cool to see a breakdown of revenue by team, has mlbtr ever done/considered that?
Private held companies they don’t share that.
Plus, teams are very good at booking revenue to subsidies and separate entities, in order to cry poverty when the situation calls for it. Advertising revenue, concession and parking revenue, even broadcast and streaming revenue can be artfully moved around to other entities.
Accounts can make about every MLB franchise books look dire.
Great too see the revenue.
Sorry, “subsidiaries”, not “subsidies”. And I haven’t even started drinking yet. But if Ryu signs with somebody else tonight…
the Angels “already strong group of pitchers” HAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
Oh that’s great
oo!oo
That quote was a kick in the balls. I clearly don’t see eye to eye with that. And most Angel fans aren’t buying it.
I did like that “strong” was in quotations.
Gotta say, I was surprised when Rojas nor Roberto Ramos weren’t selected in the Rule5 draft.
FIRE BILLY INEPT-PLER PLEASE….
no matter how you slice it, the Angels SP depth would only be good if injuries never existed.
But at least the Angels “were in on” Keuchel. And they’ll be “in on” Ryu. But as the last of the front-of-the-rotation starters go off the market, the cost of acquiring help by trade will go way up. Eppler has done a very good job of rebuilding the Angels pathetic farm system, and of kick-starting talent acquisition in Latin America, but when it comes to acquiring pitching talent through trade or free agent signings, he’s incompetent. Perhaps Arte needs to reassign Eppler, and turn the job of roster-building over to someone who can close the deal.
Really? We don’t have any top prospects other than Adell. Our pitching “prospects” are horrible too. Eppler just put lipstick on a pig and crapped the bed where it really counts: THE MAJOR LEAGUE ROSTER!
Sure, that’s why every GM that talks trade with Billy wants Brandon Marsh.
Beyond that, the talent is at the lower levels, moving up. That talent wasn’t there pre-Billy.
Eppler inherited a system rated the worst in baseball. Now it’s about mid-range. That’s a hell of an improvement in just 3 years.
I mostly agree but Marsh is a top prospect too. There are some prospects in the lower minors but not pitchers and still no catching prospects and a power hitting 1B. Swanson and his scouts need to be held accountable.
They’re still worlds better than the useless Ric Wislon. I think it’s as much the philosophy as the talent evaluation. Too often, they pass up elite talents in the first round to draft a guy they can sign for under-slot money, in order to afford better guys in later rounds. They also keep ignoring badly needed pitchers in round 1. That brought us Matt Thaiss instead of Forrest Whitley and Jordyn Adams instead of Brady Singer. Imagine how much different the outlook would be if the Angels had those two guys getting close to joining the team. Both of them were drafted with the very next pick after the Angels’ pick in their respective drafts.
Oliver Perez is the goat, and i dont care what anyone says to the opposite effect
If you mean he’s literally a goat, like the animal…. I can definitely see the resemblance
No way, and not even at his job. Remember, he was a starting pitcher for the majority of his career. If anything, Javier Lopez comes to mind as one of the game’s best LOOGY’s.
Randy Choate was also a good LOOGY. He kept LHB’s to a .190/.276/.274 line in his entire career.
He eats garbage and smells bad?
Ahh, so you’ve met him too.
In reference to Eppler’s “strong” group of pitchers comment, in the words of King Booker T…”He didn’t say that…tell me, he didn’t just say that!” LMAO!
Under Torres’ tweet with that quote, Ken Rosenthal replied, “Strong group of what??”
It is King Bookah. He didnt use the T as King
Eppler has proven inept at evaluating and acquiring starting pitching.
Nobody is perfect but this is a fatal flaw. I’m now on the side of his needing to go.
Sux about Halos Heaven being dismantled, doesn’t it, just because of a poorly written law.
There could be a reprieve. The author of that bill is offering to exempt such reporters. Would have to come once the Legislature reconvenes starting in January.
Yes. Those of us on the masthead were screwed.
Look for a rebirth.
just curious, as an outside observer, the situation here
Im sure Julio Terhan wjll do fine against Verlander on opening day.
Billy Eppler doesnt understand that pitching wins championships. Eppler is busy drafting middle infielders, catchers and converting them into something their not and outfielders. all of his free agent pitchers have been complete busts and that is no real surprise. billy Eppler needs to be fired
You think he doesn’t understand that? What would YOU have done differently?
A strong group of pitchers where the only guy to reach 100 innings was Trevor Cahill clocking in at an ERA/FIP of 6. Even if they were strong, there’s no way the guys won’t be gassed out by June with that approach.
they should have the opportunity to pull 1 guy at any time. the rest should see 3 batters
Keuchel’s deal supposedly is 3 years, $55.5 million with a vesting 4th year option. The Angels couldn’t beat that????
If you want to win, sometimes you have to make the big move, even if you have to overpay a little. Otherwise, you get eternal mediocrity. Mike Trout is the best player of his generation, but he isn’t literally immortal.
I suppose this is a bad time to bring up the fact that in 2016, Eppler took Matt Thais at #16, and the Astros then grabbed Forrest Whitley at #17, and that in 2018 Eppler took Jordyn Adams at #17 and the Royals then grabbed Brady Singer at #18. Sigh. Adams can dunk a basketball, but Singer can pitch.
Strong group of pitchers? I’d hardly call the Angels pitching staff strong. It is average at best
I’m scratching my head that in the same phone call it was said the Halos will hold Ohtani a bit and that the pitching staff, as is, is solid. I am hoping that Eppler is working a trade for a guy like Boyd because if they go in with this staff, as is, I think many Angel fans will question the strategy.
Because we need another 4.75 ERA pitcher in the rotation.
Boyd is one of those guys who looks better on a Fangraphs metric chart than on the back of a baseball card. He’s def trending up and the fact that hes on the Tigers doesnt help his numbers much.
If he’s trending up, how come he was better in the first half in 2019?
And playing for the Tigers has no bearing on anything but his win total, which no GM uses to evaluate a pitcher.
Tigers ranked 26th/30 in MLB defense and 7th worst in errors. The team can definitely make a difference in a pitchers numbers.
4.32 FIP. Try again.
boo!
For Eppler’s sake, I hope they don’t show him on the big scoreboard screen at games this year. The booing will be deafening.
sell the team, arte!
Maybe Eppler meant it literally …. as in maybe they have the physically strongest group of pitchers, ready for bench clearing brawls
Record profits and a huge tv deal on the horizon… owners still crying about money. They are trying to squeeze their minor league affiliates so they can make even more money.
The three-batter rule is like the government mandating fuel efficiency. Now, there’s a bunch of cars with wimpy transmissions that won’t make it past 100k miles… Creating more pollution!
Instead of a specialist coming in to stop a big inning, the innings will drag on. No strategy makes for boring ballgames. Juiced balls drove me nuts.
Delusional (political) claptrap. You should educate yourself before making comments that are just balderdash and people won’t think so little of you.
I like that claptrap and balderdash appeared in the same comment
The 3 batter rule is a joke that caters to Manfreds weird obsession with pace of play. Complelty messing with how baseball is supposed to be played.
Pace of play is very, very easily improved. Cut a 30 second commercial out of every game break. That would save about ten minutes per game. Then enforce the pitch clock by calling a ball, and keeping guys in the box by calling strikes. That would save another five to seven minutes.
Wait – can’t do that? Then stop whining that games take 3:05 instead of 2:45.
I hope the MLB does switch to the NPB way for starters. Each guy pitches once a week; the idea is great but in practice it will need to be ironed out. I believe though it would be a step in the right direction for pitching
What the hell are the angels doing??!! I’m not a fan but it’s absolutely rediculous that the games best player..this generations best player never sees the damn post season. They should not be aloud to have him anymore. They had a good lineup already but instead of investing in pitching they add another mega contract to it. Which would be fine if you invested in your damn rotation. What a joke and I’m dead serious that the mlb should step in somehow and at least tell eppler that pitching is also part of the game
What are the Angels doing? We’ll see, but what they are not doing is paying 18 1/2 million a year for a pitcher that wasn’t very high on their board.
Well they have an even better lineup now, what’s not to understand? They got the best available player, Rendon, and have an impressive offensive and defensive lineup. Still got to score more runs than your opponent to win. Offense and defense go a long way. Also with the trend to only throw your starters 2 times through a lineup, on a pitch count, or yank them after 5 etc the bullpen in my opinion is just as important as the starter since it pitches basically a little less than half the game and the Angels are pretty set there. Tired of hearing because the Angels didn’t sign this pitcher or that pitcher they don’t know what they are doing. It’s still the off season and still making moves. Plus current starters are getting healthy, their biggest problem the last few years. The Angels are improving, not their fault pitchers wanted to sign elsewhere, they’ve pursued the top tiers for two off seasons now.
So tired of seeing teams babying their players, as if they’re children. Just STOP, please, for the love of god.
Unleash the Ohtani!!!
And you are saying this after Strasberg won a World Series for the Nationals?
Were you there when Frank Tanana went into the Hall of Fame as an Angel? Oh wait. Never mind. They abused him as bad as a team could abuse a pitcher.
“Abused” him? Wtf? Grow some balls.
Oh Maddon is gonna use Ohtani EVERYWHERE!! And go back n forth from pitcher to Lf or 1B. Y’all watch
You people are really going crazy the Angels didn’t sign Keuchel? Some people went crazy when the Angels didn’t sign Maldanodo.
Kuechel signed for 18 1/2 million a year. Did you guys want him last year when he wanted 100 over five years?
I doubt Eppler is done. What I find funny is that people loves the A’s staff but hate the Angels. Both staffs are completely different than they were last year and Angel fans are positive Luzardo, Manaea and Puk, who didn’t pitched about 50 big league innings, are going to hit the floor running and that Ohtani, Heaney and Canning will flop.
When Keuchel was talking about 5 years and 100 mil, I laughed. There was no way he would get that. Look now and he was pretty close. 5 years 87 mil. Never expected that.
I thought it was 4/$55?
Only fan not happy about signing Rendon. This guy
I just don’t understand why, if revenue is at an all time high, they don’t drop ticket prices to dirt cheap and make the games sell out. Therefore generating more fans for the long haul by having more people there in person Appreciating the game AND by making the TV product more interesting to watch
Anyone else think the Angels should feel the dodgers out on the cost to acquire Maeda and Pederson in a trade?
Maeda would be a solid addition to that staff with an era of 3.87 and 640 k’s over his 590 career innings. He also has 3 years of control left at a very good rate.
Pederson, on the other hand, only has one year of control left but he did hit 36 HR’s in 450 AB’s and put up a 3.3 war last year and he seems like the perfect LH bat to balance out the angels RH heavy lineup and it certainly appears the angels could use an OF to eat up some AB’s for them…unless they plan on giving Adell a job out of spring training.
Dodgers would most likely be looking for prospects and/or a controllable relief pitcher in return.
I know the angels are trying to rebuild the farm but Jordyn Adams seems like a valuable yet expendable piece with trout locked up long term and adell & marsh looking primed to man the angels OF for the foreseeable future.
Maybe build a package around Adams and an intriguing arm like Soriano…
That would be an intriguing trade had the Dodgers signed a frontline starter, but as is, the Dodgers top three going into the season are Buehler, CK22, Maeda, followed by a few rookies who will be on an innings limit. They appear to be veering away from Ryu and his almost Cy Young season, and Hill, if signed, won’t be ready until after the All-Star break and that’s if everything about his recovery & rehab goes as planned.
I’m sure Maeda would prefer pitching for an organization that doesn’t shuttle him between the rotation and bullpen come the playoffs though. Right now though, the Dodgers has have no one to replace him.
Pederson and Maeda is a good idea for the Angels. Then I’d call Boston to work an Upton for Price package to open an OF spot for Adell.
nope!
After reading Eppler’s quote now I understand why under his command the Angels pitching is in its current state.
He is a “strong GM, with a strong group of front office advisors.” He and his staff are looking good going into this season.
I suppose we’ll see more intentional walks during the later innings with relievers.
arte must have tightened his purse strings after he spend $35 mil per year. well epp is still looking to add a starting pitcher but quality matters at this point.
Billie Eppler has a tough job and unfortunately will probably lose it, if he doesn’t acquire a front rotation pitcher and catcher. However, ad with Kluber, they asked for the moon and dealt him for nothing, everyone knows the Angels must haves.
I also think it’s a combination of: Arte’s money and Billie being gunshy. I would sign Jason Castro(if healthy). And deal for a pitcher.
If not at least a no. 2, well, it’s not my job man!
Agreed they need at least a very good #2 and a catcher.. cant blame Epler for everything. Cole wanted to make his dad Happy, Wheeler didnt want to leave the East Coast.. Straus was never going to leave Washington, Cleveland wanted the kitchen sink from the Angels for Kluber, Mad Baum wanted to hit and pitch.. RYU good when healthy but that is the problem.. try and trade cheap pieces for Price.. and trade for the catcher from Cubs.. If we cant pitch for the win at least maybe we can score more..
Eppler and i have a vast difference in opinion on what a “strong” group of pitchers looks like..
Eppler is doing best he can with Arte, he wants what he wants.., He couldn’t do anything with the top pitchers, Wheeler wanted to stay on East Coast, Straus wanted to stay in Washington, Cole wanted to play for his favorite team, Mad Baum wanted to hit and pitch, Indians wanted a ransom for Kluber, Ryu is to injury prone.. maybe there is a trade maybe Price, or another one out there. We still need a catcher the one from Cubs would be great fit..
Price is not a good option — and Kluber went cheap –Pirates do have Chris Archer on the block b — he is cheaper than Price but can he rebound ? Mets have extra starting pitching — they have 6 starters
another 4th place finish in 2020