The October 6, 2015 edition of Los Angeles Angels news includes Billy Eppler’s introductory press conference, Arte Moreno indicating he might go over the luxury tax this winter, and more…
The Story: Angels introduce Billy Eppler as new GM
MWAH Says: We’ll have a more meaty breakdown of Eppler’s quotes later today. There were some interesting tidbits among all the boilerplate GM speak, and overall he seemed like a level-headed, intelligent guy. Given how poorly the Angels handled PR this season, it’s a minor miracle the presser went off without some massive blunder. Maybe it’s a sign better days are ahead.
The Story: Moreno willing to go over tax limit “for the right player”
MWAH Says: Arte’s been using this line for a while now, but there’s been no indication that “the right player” is someone who currently exists in Major League Baseball. The Angels are going to have to spend some cash on at least one position this winter to make up for the several guys lost to free agency, but whether they’ll dump money first to stay under the tax limit is anyone’s guess right now. I’d bank on at least one of C.J. Wilson, Hector Santiago, or Fernando Salas being traded to free up some financial wiggle room before any deal that exceeds the $189 million limit is agreed on.
The Story: Can a new GM solve the Angels’ problems?
MWAH Says: This entire article is one giant ¯_(ツ)_/¯. There’s one super weird line about how maybe Dipoto will “ruin the Mariners next,” and a quote from Moreno indicating that the Josh Hamilton acquisition was as much the next guy’s fault as it was his. Which, *fart noises*.
The Story: How Billy Eppler built the Yankees’ pro scouting department
MWAH Says: An oldie but a goodie. Marc Carig re-shared an article he wrote in 2011 about Billy Eppler building the Yankees’ pro scouting department up from scratch, more or less. The Angels have had advance scouts for several years, covering the ins and outs of upcoming opponents, but I don’t think they’ve ever come close to putting together the kind of well-oiled machine Eppler seems to have designed in the Bronx. If this is the kind of thing he plans on bringing to Anaheim, I’m totally on board.
The Story: Chris Iannetta makes quiet exit from Anaheim
MWAH Says: I am a pretty big Iannetta fan, so despite his struggles this season I’ll be sad to see him go. He looked to be on his way to a qualifying offer when the year began, but ended up with the worst offensive numbers of his career and zero starts in the final week of the season. With his framing numbers taking a huge leap forward, he should have no trouble landing somewhere this winter. Just don’t expect it to be Anaheim—it’s pretty clear Scioscia was/is not on the Iannetta bandwagon.
The Story: How the Angels failed Mike Trout
MWAH Says: A postmortem of sorts on the Halos’ 2015 season, from Matt Trueblood. This one uses Mike Trout’s MVP-caliber season as the hook, but spends a good chunk of the article talking about Sunday’s Game 162. It includes some optimism about the club’s young future, pessimism about the old and expensive present, and the salient point that it’s patently absurd the Angels have yet to win a postseason game with Mike Trout on the team.
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