LA Angels Wednesday News Crash: Taking calls

Jack – in theory, and in a vacuum, I generally agree. Or if this team was anywhere close. But circumstances affect my ultimate analysis.

As we have seen, this team has been and is going nowhere. It has been going nowhere for a long time. With or without these players like Soriano, Detmers and Neto, this team has not performed and continues in that direction – actually getting worse. We are looking at losing over 100 games this season. The status quo (holding onto assets like Ohtani while trying to “compete”) has not worked. This is absolutely clear.

We are also about to go into a lockout where these players are likely a) not going to play for a full season and b) the team will likely lose a year of control over these players.

Unless we have an owner who is willing to spend on All Star caliber free agents (we don’t), there are so many holes to fill that players like Soriano, Detmers and Neto will continue to be surrounded with below-replacement value players which is a de-motivator (which I think we see in Neto). Without a solid surrounding cast, these guys have not and cannot make that much of a difference in a team sport.

All of these players like Detmers, Soriano and Neto will get more and more expensive. With as many holes as the Angels have it makes no financial sense to continue spending to keep these guys.

This Org needs a reset – a complete change. The stench of the last 12 seasons is not going away by staying put and not making big changes.

A well orchestrated rebuild by a baseball person who knows what they are doing can pay big dividends sooner than you may think. Look at the White Sox. And before that the Orioles and Tigers. The key is it needs to be well orchestrated.

I would prefer to be in a rebuild than continually hearing “compete” and retaining these players and watching the team lose 90+ per season.

Taking all of this into consideration I see trading away all the assets for young talent as the team’s only possible route forward. I agree it’s not ideal and I wish the team was in a different position. But I have concluded it is the only shot the team/Org has and it’s a Hail Mary.