The Rev recalled that plane crash the day of that Haloed comeback vs. Detroit two decades ago. Now we’ll all remember the Shake of ‘08: Teix, Tex, title here we come.
here is the snippet July 29th 2:46PM: Teixeira for Kotchman, Marek close According to an American League source, the Angels and Braves are close to a deal that would send Mark Teixeira to the Angels for first baseman Casey Kotchman and pitcher Stephen Marek.
It is not known if the Angels have had an opportunity to explore contract extension talks with Scott Boras, Teixeira’s agent. The slugging first baseman is set to become a free agent and is said to be seeking a deal for as many as eight years and upwards of $20 million per year.
Kotchman, arguably the MVP on the team with the Majors’ best record, would be under the Braves’ control through 2011. Marek is a hard-throwing reliever.
I’m actually a little more optimistic than somebody, if only slightlyl. As others have pointed out, the Angels have Kendry Morales if they can’t do a deal with Teix in the offseason, and Trumbo appears to be learning this year at the minor league level. (Certainly his 5-for-5 night with a pair of homers looks rather interesting, though it was one of those matchups; Chris Pettit also homered twice.) What really worries me about Kotch is that he might become a monster offensive force once freed from the Hatcher monster.
i imagine his walks will go back up though as will his average. A solid major leaguer he will always be. Im not sure he’ll ever be an allstar because he doesnt have the 1st base power, but he’ll always be a great value at first.
Maybe. But we're also not devoid of depth at first. We have Morales and the recently emerging
Mark Trumbo as backup. Honestly, there are a LOT of good reasons to do this deal. It’s not comfortable in some ways, but IMO it’s more likely to be a help than a hindrance.
If they resign Tex it’s a good deal, if not then I’d rather have Kotchman.
Also Tex’s numbers will go down in Anaheim. The NL East is not a pitching dominated league. The 4 teams in the NL East other than ATL rank 6th, 7th, 11th and 14th in ERA.
I’ve personally seen Teix hit some monster HRs at the Big A, much to my chagrin. I’ll be singing quite a different tune if he does it again, though, at least in 2008!
If we can resign him then this is the greatest deal in Halo History! If he walks, then it is a terrible deal because we lost our 1B. And dont tell me that Morales is just as good as Kotch because he isnt
Assume that Tex does not re-sign. Assume that the Angels are a lock for the playoffs. Now:
Going forward starting in 2009, the difference between Morales as 1B (both defense and offense) and Kotch at 1B (defense and offense) is the performance cost you are paying for Tex at 1B (offense and defense) versus Kotch at 1B (offense and defense) in your playoff run.
Bigger than the earthquake. Can’t imagine we gave up Kotch for a few months of Teixeira…which means what, 3, 4, 5 years @ 20M? And I guess this indicates we’re in it to WIN IT which I can’t argue with. Still, Kotch, we hardly knew ye…but we’ll be sure to get your ring to you…
I always like the players but I love the Angels. I like Kotch but I like the Angels winning more! I’m here for the ride till the day I die. Today was a good day!
With Morales in AAA and the perception being that we need more power RIGHT NOW, it’s not surprising. Still I’m going to miss Kotch. It was fun watching him become a major leaguer and I wish him luck in Atlanta.
Logically this trade makes sense whether Teix stays or not… but damn. I really liked that guy.
With a tear in my left eye, and a smile cocked to the right...
This is bittersweet, I’m sure most of us would agree. But what’s done is done, and I see no need in compaining about getting a hitter of Tex’s caliber as much as I’ll miss Kotch.
Bottom line: we have a sick playoff lineup and five solid starters. There are no excuses now.
Btw, I just watched the four clowns on Around the Horn declare the Angels not only a threat to the Chowds, but to EVERY team in baseball. And that was before this trade went down.
Teixeira didn’t have the surrounding cast in Atlanta that he will here. It should be awesome to behold. Every night somebody in this lineup is gonna trash the rival pitcher.
This is, far and away, the best deal for a “Big Bat” that could possibly be imagined – far better than anything that’s been rumored over the last three years. It cost only 1 player off the ML roster – the guy who’s being replaced by the Big Bat. It did not cost a single pitcher from the ML roster, nor did it cost anyone expected to contribute in 2009.
Kotch would have been a guy in 2009. Not sure if Tex will be though.
Never been a big fan of trading everyday players that do play a major factor in the teams success for a guy that will also in a teams point of view play a big part in the success. I have always been good with trading future so called prospects with little or no experience at the big league level in order to upgrade the current teams run for a championship.
This is the reason I had brought up someone like a Huff (4-5 / HR 22 / 4 RBI tonight @NYY) The thinking was you give up some minor league player that is stuck behind current young proven players at the big league level. With that said though I think Tex does make the team better today and for the rest of the season. Just hope he is in an Angel uniform come late Feb of 2009. Huff would have been.
Even though I think we got a great deal, I am truly going to miss Kotch as homegrown talent. Tex is a major upgrade and should make us a lock for a WS title… however, I am concerned about where this leaves us for next year.
The Angels didn’t ask for a window to negotiate an extension with Teixeira. But it’s expected that they’ll make a massive effort to sign him to a long-term deal, after trading away their every-day first baseman, and a player they were especially fond of, in Kotchman. Teixeira is a Scott Boras client, however. And early rumblings are that his initial asking price will be in the neighborhood of 10 years, $230 million.
If they could have worked out an extension as part of the deal, it would have been ok. As it is, we get two months of a mild bat upgrade at first (I don’t think Tex is really that much better than Kotch) and we’ll have neither of them for next year. All this for a possibility of more power in the playoffs this year? Nobody is a lock for the WS… we could easily get knocked out in the first round by the Rays for all we know.
This is a move to satisfy the talking heads on TV and radio… nothing more.
Will he be good in the clubhouse? Is he going to play Angels-style team baseball? These are big questions to me since we had arguably the best team in baseball before the trade with NO issues in the clubhouse and a solid team effort every game.
We’ve got the record we have because everyone has played unselfish team baseball. Sometimes all it takes is one guy who refuses to play along to get a few others to do the same. I really hope he doesn’t tear the team apart and wreck what was a fantastic season.
My point is that he’s complimentary to what the Angels have assembled. Teix can yank the ball out of the yard a little more often than Kotch has to date.
I only meant that everything I’ve heard about the team all season (and preseason) was how we needed another bat to compete. Meanwhile, the team has the best record in baseball with the existing configuration. Despite this, we kept hearing the pundits go on and on about how we needed a big bat. Now we have one and I hope it doesn’t screw things up.
that the way in which the team has been winning does not make for forseeable, more predictable winning for the rest of the year and in the playoffs.
this takes a little of the risk and chance out of our offense. For a change we have a 3-4-5 that will stress opposing pitchers and help everyone else out in the lineup
That the Angels front office from Arte all the way down to Sosh don’t give two shits about what pundits had been saying, doing, or thinking and that had absolutely nothing to do with why this deal was made.
What’s the one thing that has kept us in games all season while the offense struggled and what’s the one thing that has been shaky as of late? Bingo! The rotation. Adding a hitter like Tex takes a little bit of the pressure off of the pitching staff. Theoretically…
forgot to add, as i did in a post on another thread, that GA’s contract is likely gone as well
frankie: 10 mil GA: 12 mil
we still have other guys to worry about extending, but we’ll take it as it comes. You cant overlook the amazing present to worry about the distant future
Great move! The assumption here is that Tex gets resigned. If not, Kowbell is an offensive improvement if a defensive downgrade. Didn’t give up pitching.
Seems like the Angels will have at least $10M free at the end of this year. See what happens…
His bat is better......His glove is almost the same, but not quite.
He was not our openning 1B man because they had already told Kotch that it was his job to lose. Why dont we just wait and see instead of fighing about who is better. We can compare their stats next year and see who does better.
re: the glove of Morales. I really have a hard time believing that his glove is in the same class as Casey. Casey was the best defensive 1st baseman in the AL. Kendry doesn’t have that rep.
But, offensively – Kendry can reproduce Kotchman’s 2008 in his sleep – Low OBP with moderate SLG. That is Kendry’s game. He doesn’t have the upside of Kotchman from an OBP standpoint, but he has better power potential. Worst case scenario, Morales is a Kotchman-like 1st baseman in 2009. That is tolerable and that is why I am cool with the trade today.
I was pissed for about 30 minutes. Then I realized that Kendry can do what Kotchman did this year and all was great with the world.
But that doesn’t mean that Tex is not as well. We have heard it preached to us that Kotch is amazing at first, but so is Tex. He has gotta be faster than Kotch as well, so he would have better range running balls down that are popped up down the line.
No knock on Kotch, but Tex is no slouch, he’s a two time Gold Glover.
Worry about the next when the time comes. Kotchman was a ‘superstar’ defender, but Teixeira is the big bat that may make the difference between having the big bats to compete for an AL Pennant and not just the AL West division.
If the Angels lose him in the off-season, so be it.
Losing Kotchman maybe tough because he’s a ‘face of the franchise’ many fans like to believe is a cornerstone, but maybe his supposed lack of power made him expendable to an organization feeling like they can make a move to get them over the top.
if you sub Anderson for Willits, since the actual lineup is more likely to include GA?
Personally, my “problem” with HK47 in the 2-hole is his lack of patience (and that’s why Kotch was a good fit, it seemed). I’d have ‘Ztu in there, followed by Teix, Vlad, Hunter, Kendrick, Rivera, GA, and catcher.
I was going to get to that after the kids went to bed. So, here goes:
Figgy Kendrick Teix Guerrero Hunter Anderson Rivera Napoli Izzy
gets the team 5.262 runs per game…
Optimized the lineup looks like this:
Teixeira Kendrick Rivera Guerrero Hunter Anderson Izzy Napoli Figgins
and that grouping yields 5.299 runs per game.
You can then deduce that Willits is worth .75 runs per week over Anderson. Over the course of the year Willits would be worth about 2 wins more than GA.
traded my fucking favorite fucking player, god fucking dammit.
and you know how i realized it?
i went onto my fantasy team today, and saw vlad’s stats next to “W, 6-2”, and casey’s next to “L, 8-3” and said ‘stupid yahoo and their stupid mistakes all the time.”
then i looked at casey’s name and it said “ATL”. my eyes immediately shot up to mark teixeira’s name and saw “LAA” next to it.
holy. fucking. shit.
rev, is there any possible way to get my username changed? otherwise i’m gonna need prozac everytime i look at it.
and to find out like this after a miserable day makes me think I should just wander to the desert and not wander back until October, when we’ll finally be at the time where the Angels might be able to do something to allow me to get over this.
assuming Teixeira walks, we have a more-than-capable replacement in Kendry Morales to take his place, so it’s not a total loss…in that case, we lose a quickly-replaced player for a two month rental that could bring us a world title.
Second: Vlad has an option year left on his contract, and that’s it. When/if he goes, the Angels not only lose a ton of power, but a ton of money comes off the books. Perhaps it’s possible that if we get Teixeria a ring, Arte opens his checkbook and makes him our new offensive cornerstone, and he’s willing to be the big man on the team if we can match or surpass any other team’s offers. A lot of players seem to love the atmosphere to our clubhouse anyway.
On your first thought, not only do we upgrade for the post-season at the cost of a minor leaguer
only to instantly replace with Kotch-level production (hopefully) at the end of the year, we also get a pair of high draft picks in the bargain. Looking at it in that light, this deal actually looks almost deviously clever by Reagins and Co. It’s a gamble, but I think it’s a pretty solid one. We really have a lot more to gain than lose.
not only do I hate the Braves with a burning passion, but I just can’t stand the thought of Kotch in their uniform, showing up on ESPN, where they talk about how great he is (after overlooking him so badly in favor of YOUK FOREVER), and east coast fans talk non-stop once more about how all the best players out there, and we have to pretend like it doesn’t annoy the hell out of us that not one of them even knew who he was until he was in an East Coast uniform. The thought that east coasters will drool over him after he was so ignored out here just kills me.
Well that Freakin sucks........I would have hated Kendry being trated to the Sux or Yanks.
and you Hate Atlanta just as much. I dont really care about them too much but I know it must suck to have your favorit player playing for a team you hate. Maybe he will walk when his contract is over and finish his career in style for a team you dont hate…...like the Rays or something.
I really feel for you bro and I enjoyed discussing Morales VS Kotch with you. I hope you can find joy in these dark times with hopefully alot of Angels W’s in the next 58 games and some October Action that would make you, Hunter, Tex, and Moreno as well as All Angels Players and Fans…....Thats a Ring of course.
Kotch was easily in my top 3 of favorite angels.....(joe saunders and Lackey being the others)
as evidence by me having him as my avatar for the first few weeks of me being here…....but like someone mentioned earlier…..I root for the ANGELS…..and now that the official shock has worn off…im excited for the stretch run with Tex….....may the bats be mighty…...and the wins be plenty….......homefield advantage is well within the reach of this team…........roll halos…....roll
earthquake, and now this
i’m going to church!
yeswecan - July 29, 2008
The earthquake shook it loose
red floyd - July 29, 2008
the day the earth moved
The Rev recalled that plane crash the day of that Haloed comeback vs. Detroit two decades ago. Now we’ll all remember the Shake of ‘08: Teix, Tex, title here we come.
BuckyFox - July 30, 2008
Holy. Shit.
ReggieBullits - July 29, 2008
i love kotch but it makes us better
surfpunk - July 29, 2008
Steven Marek and Kotchman
is what angelsbaseball.com says…
Downing Rules - July 29, 2008
It's Lyle Spencer...
here is the snippet July 29th 2:46PM:
Teixeira for Kotchman, Marek close
According to an American League source, the Angels and Braves are close to a deal that would send Mark Teixeira to the Angels for first baseman Casey Kotchman and pitcher Stephen Marek.
It is not known if the Angels have had an opportunity to explore contract extension talks with Scott Boras, Teixeira’s agent. The slugging first baseman is set to become a free agent and is said to be seeking a deal for as many as eight years and upwards of $20 million per year.
Kotchman, arguably the MVP on the team with the Majors’ best record, would be under the Braves’ control through 2011. Marek is a hard-throwing reliever.
—Lyle Spencer
Downing Rules - July 29, 2008
I need a beer and a smoke.........
44FAN - July 29, 2008
i second that!
wallispdub1 - July 29, 2008
I'm having a beer and a smoke
And then even more beers and smokes. I’m loaded up, well stocked
highlandhalo - July 29, 2008
we still have adenhart and wood and rodriguez and walden
our future didnt no rest solely on kotchman
it makes sense. we have vlad at the end of his prime, torii hunter in his prime
we are built to win this year. Now we have a chance
ihearhowie2.0 - July 29, 2008
We Have Kendry
WillGoAngels27 - July 29, 2008
this deal
made too much sense not to pull the trigger
gorams77 - July 29, 2008
Hopefully we can resign him
This immediately makes us the WS favorites.
HungryHunter - July 29, 2008
From a red sox fan espn comment
LamodafokinLey (6 minutes ago) Report Violation wow the angels just won the world series…....im a redsox fan!
vladtheimpaler - July 29, 2008
This is a Total Shocker
Never for a moment did I give any credence to the rumors.
Long live Kotch.
I’ll bet Tex is stoked.
vladtheimpaler - July 29, 2008
I'm Sad...
But still happy to see we’ve got a lil’ more oomph…
still sad…
scottnak - July 29, 2008
I'm sad too scott
But I’ll be happy to see Kotch be slow and slick with glove for the Braves. Will always root for him.
highlandhalo - July 29, 2008
bring Kotch back in '11
adirondackangelfan - July 29, 2008
positive thinking
GA + Frankie’s contracts gone next year = 22 million off the books
We might have room to try and extend Tex
ihearhowie2.0 - July 29, 2008
and if we dont
dont we get the 2 compensation draft picks?
ihearhowie2.0 - July 29, 2008
4 with Franky leaving too.
This offseason’s going was already going to be full of interesting opportunities before this, but now…
TheOptimist - July 29, 2008
But at only one position
8 years/$20M per? Uh.
scareduck - July 29, 2008
Awful Trade
Glen Rice II
Rusty Carew - July 29, 2008
Lakers got a ring with him
SCHalo - July 29, 2008
Don't like this deal at all
Not really sure it’s a huge upgrade, huge contract, not likely to re-sign on the West Coast. Horrible deal.
LA Seitz - July 29, 2008
Wow, imagine
I’m actually a little more optimistic than somebody, if only slightlyl. As others have pointed out, the Angels have Kendry Morales if they can’t do a deal with Teix in the offseason, and Trumbo appears to be learning this year at the minor league level. (Certainly his 5-for-5 night with a pair of homers looks rather interesting, though it was one of those matchups; Chris Pettit also homered twice.) What really worries me about Kotch is that he might become a monster offensive force once freed from the Hatcher monster.
scareduck - July 29, 2008
he'll never be a big power hitter
i imagine his walks will go back up though as will his average. A solid major leaguer he will always be. Im not sure he’ll ever be an allstar because he doesnt have the 1st base power, but he’ll always be a great value at first.
ihearhowie2.0 - July 29, 2008
Low level relief pitcher my ass
Yet that was the rumor I believed
vladtheimpaler - July 29, 2008
Great short-term trade, possibly bad long-term
Looking at the numbers:
Kotchman: 287/327/448
Teixeira: 283/390/512
Teixeira also has more home runs than anyone on the Angels this year.
Yes, this deal might hurt us later on. But will we care if Teixeira helps us win a World Series?
gilbert - July 29, 2008
to answer your last question
no, he’ll be a legend
ihearhowie2.0 - July 29, 2008
I would sell my soul. Oops Reagins already did.
hauldog - July 29, 2008
Maybe. But we're also not devoid of depth at first. We have Morales and the recently emerging
Mark Trumbo as backup. Honestly, there are a LOT of good reasons to do this deal. It’s not comfortable in some ways, but IMO it’s more likely to be a help than a hindrance.
TheOptimist - July 29, 2008
Bye KOTCH!
You Will Be Missed!
Funke5ive - July 29, 2008
Yes, I'll miss him too
I like this trade and I’ll still miss Kotch. He gave us several good years here.
gilbert - July 29, 2008
Poll
Can I vote for both the 1st and 3rd choices?
jjackflash - July 29, 2008
Vlad should be doing cartwheels.
This is going to be the best impact bat to be hitting behind him since he’s been an Angel, and possibly in his entire career.
That 1-2 combination, is very Ortiz/Manny-esque…
bc56274 - July 29, 2008
Cartwheels?
Dear god, please do NOT let Vlad try to perform any cartwheels!
jjackflash - July 29, 2008
Best comment
+1
tbone_cutter - July 29, 2008
LOL
he cant even run let alone do any cartwheels!!
KingF15h - July 29, 2008
Possibly?
It is not even close. Previous to this Jose Guillen
hauldog - July 29, 2008
I can't select any of those 3 options in the poll
If they resign Tex it’s a good deal, if not then I’d rather have Kotchman.
Also Tex’s numbers will go down in Anaheim. The NL East is not a pitching dominated league. The 4 teams in the NL East other than ATL rank 6th, 7th, 11th and 14th in ERA.
MH252525 - July 29, 2008
His numbers were just fine in Texas
ReggieBullits - July 29, 2008
Bandbox stadium.
Zu Long - July 29, 2008
In 2006
He hit better on the road then at home. .298 to .266 and 21 HRs to 12.
ReggieBullits - July 29, 2008
Look at his home / road splits in Texas
Better hitter on on the road by far.
HungryHunter - July 29, 2008
Yup
ReggieBullits - July 29, 2008
Plus
A .978 OPS in the last 3 years at Angel Stadium (91 AB).
HungryHunter - July 29, 2008
Yeah
I’ve personally seen Teix hit some monster HRs at the Big A, much to my chagrin. I’ll be singing quite a different tune if he does it again, though, at least in 2008!
jjackflash - July 29, 2008
Only in one season.
Otherwise always better there.
That one season he wasn’t good in Texas is the same year that Juice did something similar. 1-year anomalies do not change park effect.
Zu Long - July 29, 2008
Not a bandbox really
but it plays one on TV. Their problem is the jet streams in the power alleys.
scareduck - July 29, 2008
I agree
If we can resign him then this is the greatest deal in Halo History! If he walks, then it is a terrible deal because we lost our 1B. And dont tell me that Morales is just as good as Kotch because he isnt
KingF15h - July 29, 2008
But do the math.
Assume that Tex does not re-sign. Assume that the Angels are a lock for the playoffs. Now:
Going forward starting in 2009, the difference between Morales as 1B (both defense and offense) and Kotch at 1B (defense and offense) is the performance cost you are paying for Tex at 1B (offense and defense) versus Kotch at 1B (offense and defense) in your playoff run.
Stirrups - July 29, 2008
We better put you...
in protective custody.
Beware of Acuda
Angel Hawker - July 29, 2008
sh!t. damn.
Bigger than the earthquake. Can’t imagine we gave up Kotch for a few months of Teixeira…which means what, 3, 4, 5 years @ 20M? And I guess this indicates we’re in it to WIN IT which I can’t argue with. Still, Kotch, we hardly knew ye…but we’ll be sure to get your ring to you…
LUVtheLAA - July 29, 2008
i would rather lose with Kotch
than win with Tex
higdog - July 29, 2008
thats silly
surfpunk - July 29, 2008
Dumb
Always want to win
highlandhalo - July 29, 2008
What does "lose" mean?
I’m an Angel fan.
Red114 - July 29, 2008
Must not have been an Angel fan too long then..
seamariners85 - July 29, 2008
What have the Mariners ever won?
116 and out is not an accomplishment.
hauldog - July 30, 2008
That makes no sense.
hauldog - July 29, 2008
It's the team not the players
I always like the players but I love the Angels. I like Kotch but I like the Angels winning more! I’m here for the ride till the day I die. Today was a good day!
Monkeyspanked - July 29, 2008
I suppose I kind of suspected it would happen.
With Morales in AAA and the perception being that we need more power RIGHT NOW, it’s not surprising. Still I’m going to miss Kotch. It was fun watching him become a major leaguer and I wish him luck in Atlanta.
Logically this trade makes sense whether Teix stays or not… but damn. I really liked that guy.
Zu Long - July 29, 2008
Somone get a paper bag...
Hud is so excited he’s hyper-ventaliating. HA HA!
Scuff - July 29, 2008
Please god dont let Manny be next.
I got a nasty feeling Tony isnt done plucking the homegrown garden.
SFV88 - July 29, 2008
With a tear in my left eye, and a smile cocked to the right...
This is bittersweet, I’m sure most of us would agree. But what’s done is done, and I see no need in compaining about getting a hitter of Tex’s caliber as much as I’ll miss Kotch.
Bottom line: we have a sick playoff lineup and five solid starters. There are no excuses now.
Btw, I just watched the four clowns on Around the Horn declare the Angels not only a threat to the Chowds, but to EVERY team in baseball. And that was before this trade went down.
Red114 - July 29, 2008
Angels didn't ask for an extension negotiation window
Per Keith Law.
scareduck - July 29, 2008
Oops, Jayson Stark
scareduck - July 29, 2008
Oh always believe what Jayson Stark tells you
FFS duck get a brain
highlandhalo - July 29, 2008
I'm starting to worry about Tex's .847 road OPS. Would you have traded Kotch and a prospect for Aubrey Huff?
snowhor - July 29, 2008
pitchers pitch to teixeira differently than huff
i can assure you that
ihearhowie2.0 - July 29, 2008
But considering their similar production, do they need to?
snowhor - July 29, 2008
Aubrey Huff
is playing his age 31 season; Teix is playing his age 28 season. There’s a big difference right there.
Teix’s career OPS is .909 (132+), Huff is at .822 (116+). Teix is a Gold Glove 1B.
Big difference
jjackflash - July 29, 2008
Yeah but...
Teixeira didn’t have the surrounding cast in Atlanta that he will here. It should be awesome to behold. Every night somebody in this lineup is gonna trash the rival pitcher.
Monkeyspanked - July 29, 2008
Think About It
This is, far and away, the best deal for a “Big Bat” that could possibly be imagined – far better than anything that’s been rumored over the last three years. It cost only 1 player off the ML roster – the guy who’s being replaced by the Big Bat. It did not cost a single pitcher from the ML roster, nor did it cost anyone expected to contribute in 2009.
jjackflash - July 29, 2008
Contribute
Kotch would have been a guy in 2009. Not sure if Tex will be though.
Never been a big fan of trading everyday players that do play a major factor in the teams success for a guy that will also in a teams point of view play a big part in the success. I have always been good with trading future so called prospects with little or no experience at the big league level in order to upgrade the current teams run for a championship.
This is the reason I had brought up someone like a Huff (4-5 / HR 22 / 4 RBI tonight @NYY) The thinking was you give up some minor league player that is stuck behind current young proven players at the big league level. With that said though I think Tex does make the team better today and for the rest of the season. Just hope he is in an Angel uniform come late Feb of 2009. Huff would have been.
Angel Aviator - July 29, 2008
Kendry at first base in 2009?
tanana40 - July 29, 2008
I have a hard time stomaching this deal
Even though I think we got a great deal, I am truly going to miss Kotch as homegrown talent. Tex is a major upgrade and should make us a lock for a WS title… however, I am concerned about where this leaves us for next year.
Los Angeles de Anaheim - July 29, 2008
Long-term?
From ESPN:
The Angels didn’t ask for a window to negotiate an extension with Teixeira. But it’s expected that they’ll make a massive effort to sign him to a long-term deal, after trading away their every-day first baseman, and a player they were especially fond of, in Kotchman. Teixeira is a Scott Boras client, however. And early rumblings are that his initial asking price will be in the neighborhood of 10 years, $230 million.
Scuff - July 29, 2008
Two words went through my head when I heard about this`
Jim Abbott
Riverrun - July 29, 2008
I think this was a bad move...
If they could have worked out an extension as part of the deal, it would have been ok. As it is, we get two months of a mild bat upgrade at first (I don’t think Tex is really that much better than Kotch) and we’ll have neither of them for next year. All this for a possibility of more power in the playoffs this year? Nobody is a lock for the WS… we could easily get knocked out in the first round by the Rays for all we know.
This is a move to satisfy the talking heads on TV and radio… nothing more.
thetooth - July 29, 2008
And how is his personality?
Will he be good in the clubhouse? Is he going to play Angels-style team baseball? These are big questions to me since we had arguably the best team in baseball before the trade with NO issues in the clubhouse and a solid team effort every game.
thetooth - July 29, 2008
Answering one of those questions
Probably not, which is why the Angels got him.
scareduck - July 29, 2008
Then he could be our undoing...
We’ve got the record we have because everyone has played unselfish team baseball. Sometimes all it takes is one guy who refuses to play along to get a few others to do the same. I really hope he doesn’t tear the team apart and wreck what was a fantastic season.
thetooth - July 29, 2008
It's not "unselfish team baseball"
it’s “hitting the ball out of the park”.
scareduck - July 29, 2008
stop it
i swear, people on this site could find a way to make everything seem like the end of the world
how about you enjoy our best power hitter for the rest of the year and enjoy the ride instead of finding new ways to kill buzz
ihearhowie2.0 - July 29, 2008
And we should also blindly believe that we just got a superstar even if the numbers suggest that we may not have?
snowhor - July 29, 2008
Maybe he is just suggesting that we spend time enjoying what IS happening in 2008,
rather than worrying about what MIGHT happen in 2009.
Stirrups - July 29, 2008
My concern is for 2008. Feeling a bit better about it now though, but still not sure Tex is the superstar people think he is.
snowhor - July 30, 2008
his stats back it up.
mighty impressive stats too but, then again, stats mean jack.
retrohalo - July 30, 2008
Dipshit
If they didn’t think he wouldn’t, they wouldn’t have gotten him. And if you have any doubts Torii Hunter will straighten him out.
highlandhalo - July 29, 2008
Watch the name-calling man.
Zu Long - July 29, 2008
Don't call me man ...
man. I mean, Stu. Cheers, Stu
highlandhalo - July 29, 2008
BTW it was saying the commenter was a "dipshit"
I was saying that it was a “dipshit” comment. This internet thing gets confusing sometimes.
highlandhalo - July 29, 2008
Fair enough, Stu. ;-)
Zu Long - July 29, 2008
Whatever
My point is that he’s complimentary to what the Angels have assembled. Teix can yank the ball out of the yard a little more often than Kotch has to date.
scareduck - July 29, 2008
True that
scareduck - July 29, 2008
Hahahaha
Riiiiiight. This move was made to be the lead story on Sportscenter. Gotcha.
ReggieBullits - July 29, 2008
Not quite what I meant...
I only meant that everything I’ve heard about the team all season (and preseason) was how we needed another bat to compete. Meanwhile, the team has the best record in baseball with the existing configuration. Despite this, we kept hearing the pundits go on and on about how we needed a big bat. Now we have one and I hope it doesn’t screw things up.
thetooth - July 29, 2008
one could argue
that the way in which the team has been winning does not make for forseeable, more predictable winning for the rest of the year and in the playoffs.
this takes a little of the risk and chance out of our offense. For a change we have a 3-4-5 that will stress opposing pitchers and help everyone else out in the lineup
ihearhowie2.0 - July 29, 2008
Good point...
I hope it works out that way.
thetooth - July 29, 2008
I can assure you
That the Angels front office from Arte all the way down to Sosh don’t give two shits about what pundits had been saying, doing, or thinking and that had absolutely nothing to do with why this deal was made.
What’s the one thing that has kept us in games all season while the offense struggled and what’s the one thing that has been shaky as of late? Bingo! The rotation. Adding a hitter like Tex takes a little bit of the pressure off of the pitching staff. Theoretically…
ReggieBullits - July 29, 2008
BS it improves our team.
Arte does not need to please anyone
hauldog - July 29, 2008
Rays are not making the playoffs
hauldog - July 29, 2008
I'll be amused
when they take the division.
scareduck - July 29, 2008
Okay Scareduck.
Just out of curiosity, is the Angels offense scoring 5+ runs and how is Blanton working out?
hauldog - July 29, 2008
The Rays are still quite likely to make the playoffs though.
If for no other reason than that the Yankees still have 10 games against us, while the Rays have only 3.
Zu Long - July 29, 2008
I like your thinking. Good logic
I am on board with that. I stand corrected. Our dominance against the Yankees will propel the Rays into the playoffs!
hauldog - July 29, 2008
That's MY story and I'm sticking to it. ;-)
Zu Long - July 29, 2008
It is a great story. I am into it.
hauldog - July 29, 2008
Not yet on the season
but so far from Matt Welch’s bet, so he gets that.
scareduck - July 29, 2008
Please
The Rays will make the playoffs
KingF15h - July 29, 2008
Lots of games against the Red sox and the improved Yankees left.
hauldog - July 29, 2008
Would that be
the improved Yankees who just lost their starting All-Star catcher for the season?
scareduck - July 29, 2008
Link
Via ESPN.
scareduck - July 29, 2008
yes those are the ones I am talking about Duck.
hauldog - July 30, 2008
so lets see
we DIDNT trade howie, ervin, mathis and willits for 2 years of miguel cabrera
but we did trade kotchman for 2 months of teixeira when we looked primed for a world series run
call me crazy, but the second one is better. You still have all your pitchers, all your top prospects and howie kendrick!
Our lineup will scare people for a change in the playoffs
ihearhowie2.0 - July 29, 2008
the more i think about this, the more i like it.
definite immediate upgrade in the lineup.
his glove isn’t too damn shabby.
we could be losing krod’s contract next year, opening up room to resign.
if we don’t resign, we get two draft pics and save a ton of money to spend on someone else.
if we don’t resign krod, we get the draft pics.
we have kendry, who may not be where kotch was, but he should be soon.
we could be without tex and krod next year, but be up 4 pics and $35 million.
we could be with one of the two and still have 2 pics and $15 – $20 million.
this leaves room for potential off-season deals as well.
NoDakHalo - July 29, 2008
thats the spirit
and you still have wood, adenhart, kendrick, saunders and santana
people need to look at this for what it really is: the team WANTS TO WIN A WORLD SERIES
cry about that and you can go somewhere else, please
ihearhowie2.0 - July 29, 2008
woops
forgot to add, as i did in a post on another thread, that GA’s contract is likely gone as well
frankie: 10 mil
GA: 12 mil
we still have other guys to worry about extending, but we’ll take it as it comes. You cant overlook the amazing present to worry about the distant future
ihearhowie2.0 - July 29, 2008
Feel bad for Kotch... he must be crushed.
Doubtful the Braves will make the playoffs.
Great move! The assumption here is that Tex gets resigned. If not, Kowbell is an offensive improvement if a defensive downgrade. Didn’t give up pitching.
Seems like the Angels will have at least $10M free at the end of this year. See what happens…
melvintoast - July 29, 2008
Kowbell
doesn’t have Kotchman’s eye, or his glove. He’ll be Kotchman—.
scareduck - July 29, 2008
Kotchman did not have Kotchman's eye this year
hauldog - July 29, 2008
Cowbell actually has a pretty good glove.
Zu Long - July 29, 2008
I'm sick of people saying Morales is better than Kotch
If that were the case, then Morales would have been our opening day 1B
KingF15h - July 29, 2008
His bat is better......His glove is almost the same, but not quite.
He was not our openning 1B man because they had already told Kotch that it was his job to lose. Why dont we just wait and see instead of fighing about who is better. We can compare their stats next year and see who does better.
acuda27 - July 29, 2008
how did i know acuda might show up sometime soon...
NoDakHalo - July 29, 2008
I will have to defer to you..
re: the glove of Morales. I really have a hard time believing that his glove is in the same class as Casey. Casey was the best defensive 1st baseman in the AL. Kendry doesn’t have that rep.
But, offensively – Kendry can reproduce Kotchman’s 2008 in his sleep – Low OBP with moderate SLG. That is Kendry’s game. He doesn’t have the upside of Kotchman from an OBP standpoint, but he has better power potential. Worst case scenario, Morales is a Kotchman-like 1st baseman in 2009. That is tolerable and that is why I am cool with the trade today.
I was pissed for about 30 minutes. Then I realized that Kendry can do what Kotchman did this year and all was great with the world.
jimmuscomp - July 30, 2008
one thing's for sure
Arte clearly wants to win it ALL this year.
yeswecan - July 29, 2008
Rory just said...
Tex will be in the lineup tomorrow night (Wed.)
Red - July 29, 2008
I have but two t-shirts purchased from the Stadium Store
One has the number 9 on it. The other has number 35.
So naturally I have emotions.
I’m just not looking forward to the day I say “Casey would’ve caught that.” And it probably won’t even be true. But I know I’ll say it anyway.
“If Casey wasn’t so in Georgia…”
Zoe Necrosis - July 29, 2008
T-Shirts?
Small investment. Go Tex!
Downing Rules - July 29, 2008
My facetious radar isn't working
Did it actually sound like I’m bummed about my shirt?
Zoe Necrosis - July 29, 2008
Remember....
Tex is a Gold Glover, Kotchman is not. We can’t complain about his D
Angel Hawker - July 29, 2008
dude, have you ever seen kotch field?
kotch was a born gold glover.
retrohalo - July 29, 2008
I agree...
But that doesn’t mean that Tex is not as well. We have heard it preached to us that Kotch is amazing at first, but so is Tex. He has gotta be faster than Kotch as well, so he would have better range running balls down that are popped up down the line.
No knock on Kotch, but Tex is no slouch, he’s a two time Gold Glover.
Angel Hawker - July 29, 2008
Again let me say...
Kotch is great defensively. I’m NOT saying he isn’t an outstanding defender, because he is. Tex just is too!
Angel Hawker - July 29, 2008
i heard ya.
just kind of bummed out.
retrohalo - July 29, 2008
Kotchman
Gets to play ‘closer’ to home.
BBFan1 - July 29, 2008
Let's try to win it all this year
Worry about the next when the time comes. Kotchman was a ‘superstar’ defender, but Teixeira is the big bat that may make the difference between having the big bats to compete for an AL Pennant and not just the AL West division.
If the Angels lose him in the off-season, so be it.
Losing Kotchman maybe tough because he’s a ‘face of the franchise’ many fans like to believe is a cornerstone, but maybe his supposed lack of power made him expendable to an organization feeling like they can make a move to get them over the top.
BBFan1 - July 29, 2008
weird quake causing weird outcomes.
if we don’t resign teixera, i’m gonna be pissed. what a semi-bummer.
retrohalo - July 29, 2008
holy crapola........imma miss you CK.....you the man.....
Welcome Tex…..
norcaliangelsfan - July 29, 2008
Change in the lineup...
So, with Kotch gone and TexMex in the mix, I revisited the lineup analysis I started a couple of days ago.
Here is the lineup I would put out there…
Figgy (.372/.319)
Kendrick (.355/.502)
Teixeira (.390/.512)
Vlad (.347/.482)
Hunter (.342/.480)
Rivera (.338/470) career
Napoli (.308/.472)
Izzy (.325/.350)
Willits (.380/.325) career
This lineup generated 5.399 runs per game. The optimized ordering generated 5.426 runs and looked like this:
Willits
Tex
Hunter
Kendrick
Guerrero
Napoli
Rivera
Izzy
Figgy
Interesting stuff.
jimmuscomp - July 29, 2008
interesting indeed.....nice write up
norcaliangelsfan - July 29, 2008
what happens
if you sub Anderson for Willits, since the actual lineup is more likely to include GA?
Personally, my “problem” with HK47 in the 2-hole is his lack of patience (and that’s why Kotch was a good fit, it seemed). I’d have ‘Ztu in there, followed by Teix, Vlad, Hunter, Kendrick, Rivera, GA, and catcher.
jjackflash - July 29, 2008
Yeah, Jack...
I was going to get to that after the kids went to bed. So, here goes:
Figgy
Kendrick
Teix
Guerrero
Hunter
Anderson
Rivera
Napoli
Izzy
gets the team 5.262 runs per game…
Optimized the lineup looks like this:
Teixeira
Kendrick
Rivera
Guerrero
Hunter
Anderson
Izzy
Napoli
Figgins
and that grouping yields 5.299 runs per game.
You can then deduce that Willits is worth .75 runs per week over Anderson. Over the course of the year Willits would be worth about 2 wins more than GA.
God I friggin’ hate GA. He is my new Erstad.
jimmuscomp - July 29, 2008
This makes me
:’(
Caseys Kiss of Death - July 29, 2008
Of course, GA crushes tonight...
jimmuscomp - July 30, 2008
Fuck the fucking world
traded my fucking favorite fucking player, god fucking dammit.
and you know how i realized it?
i went onto my fantasy team today, and saw vlad’s stats next to “W, 6-2”, and casey’s next to “L, 8-3” and said ‘stupid yahoo and their stupid mistakes all the time.”
then i looked at casey’s name and it said “ATL”. my eyes immediately shot up to mark teixeira’s name and saw “LAA” next to it.
holy.
fucking.
shit.
rev, is there any possible way to get my username changed? otherwise i’m gonna need prozac everytime i look at it.
Caseys Kiss of Death - July 29, 2008
I wuz wondering when you would wander back in here.
I thought that maybe we would see you take a 5 day sabbatical to wander off into the desert and meditate on the meaning of life or something.
Sorry man. I feel your pain. Of course, between the two of us, I am the one who can turn the page and get giddy again so it’s easy for me to say…
Stirrups - July 29, 2008
I was at work
and to find out like this after a miserable day makes me think I should just wander to the desert and not wander back until October, when we’ll finally be at the time where the Angels might be able to do something to allow me to get over this.
Caseys Kiss of Death - July 29, 2008
I AM LOOKING INTO IT
Rev Halofan - July 29, 2008
P.S. - I suggest "Caseys Kiss Goodbye"
Stirrups - July 29, 2008
We should have held out until ATL agreed to take GMJ, as well.
Next time, Reagins, I expect more out of you!
Stirrups - July 29, 2008
Quick thought
assuming Teixeira walks, we have a more-than-capable replacement in Kendry Morales to take his place, so it’s not a total loss…in that case, we lose a quickly-replaced player for a two month rental that could bring us a world title.
Second: Vlad has an option year left on his contract, and that’s it. When/if he goes, the Angels not only lose a ton of power, but a ton of money comes off the books. Perhaps it’s possible that if we get Teixeria a ring, Arte opens his checkbook and makes him our new offensive cornerstone, and he’s willing to be the big man on the team if we can match or surpass any other team’s offers. A lot of players seem to love the atmosphere to our clubhouse anyway.
Caseys Kiss of Death - July 29, 2008
Not so sure the Angels "lose a ton of power"
He’s hitting some homers to be sure but his SLG is .484 for the year; it hasn’t been below .500 since he was 21.
scareduck - July 29, 2008
A ton of power is a relative term
relative to the Angels, it’s a TON.
Caseys Kiss of Death - July 29, 2008
On your first thought, not only do we upgrade for the post-season at the cost of a minor leaguer
only to instantly replace with Kotch-level production (hopefully) at the end of the year, we also get a pair of high draft picks in the bargain. Looking at it in that light, this deal actually looks almost deviously clever by Reagins and Co. It’s a gamble, but I think it’s a pretty solid one. We really have a lot more to gain than lose.
Zu Long - July 29, 2008
After watching Angels Live, you can tell that Figgy is feeling pretty down about losing Kotch.
cardinalwraith - July 29, 2008
Good. Glad to hear it. It shows a tight clubhouse. Losing a key part of that should hurt.
Sorry for the loss. Welcome the new Big Bat with unbridled joy. Now start getting back on base, dammit!!!
Stirrups - July 29, 2008
Maybe Fig wanted to play for ATL... to be close to his fam...
Downing Rules - July 29, 2008
Figgy and Kotch
were regulars at the Cheesecake Factory at Fashion Island
Rev Halofan - July 29, 2008
That's what I will do to get my mind off this, bake a cheesecake!
44FAN - July 29, 2008
As opposed to us mere mortals
who must stand in line for 40 minutes JUST TO PUT YOUR NAME ON THE WAITING LIST, which was ANOTHER 45 minutes!
Stirrups - July 29, 2008
i saw that
i don’t think he was down necessarily. i think he was playing it both ways: bummed to lose Kotch, but glad to have an impact player.
yeswecan - July 30, 2008
Dumb Question....
I didn’t really pay attention to him in TEX and ATL… What’ s his uniform number?
red floyd - July 29, 2008
uhh.... 23, i think?
not sure
howiestheman - July 29, 2008
He's playing #25 on the Angels
Atleast, I think I just read that somewhere.
infant - July 29, 2008
Here you go
Teixeira will bat third, play first base and wear No. 25 for the Angels tonight in Fenway Park after the Atlanta slugger was acquired Tuesday for first baseman Casey Kotchman and double-A pitcher Steve Marek, a relatively small price for one of baseball’s elite players.
infant - July 29, 2008
thanks
howiestheman - July 29, 2008
Thanks
He was wearing 24 in the SC highlights, and that’s HGH’s number.
red floyd - July 30, 2008
And I have two words about the fact that Tex is a Boras client...
Jered Weaver.
Arte knows how to deal with Boras.
red floyd - July 29, 2008
It think I heard this repeated time and again
right up until the time Matt Harvey walked away from u.s
Caseys Kiss of Death - July 29, 2008
Harvey could go to college. Weaver could go to the independants and his clock would not start.
hauldog - July 30, 2008
But I think it's safe to say
that money played a much bigger role in why the Harvey situation happened the way it did.
Caseys Kiss of Death - July 30, 2008
Agreed but his alternative was much better
Hardball was much more effective with Weaver
hauldog - July 30, 2008
>>NOT happy<<
ladybug - July 29, 2008
I can't cope
not only do I hate the Braves with a burning passion, but I just can’t stand the thought of Kotch in their uniform, showing up on ESPN, where they talk about how great he is (after overlooking him so badly in favor of YOUK FOREVER), and east coast fans talk non-stop once more about how all the best players out there, and we have to pretend like it doesn’t annoy the hell out of us that not one of them even knew who he was until he was in an East Coast uniform. The thought that east coasters will drool over him after he was so ignored out here just kills me.
Caseys Kiss of Death - July 29, 2008
you're not the only one.
i’m going to feel incredibly bitter about seeing kotch not in angel red. fuck.
retrohalo - July 29, 2008
but you can take solice in the fact that he is gonna finally get his well deserved recognition
norcaliangelsfan - July 29, 2008
For a team I loathe on a Red Sox-esque level
another team’s fan getting satisfaction out of his performance makes me :(
Caseys Kiss of Death - July 29, 2008
Well that Freakin sucks........I would have hated Kendry being trated to the Sux or Yanks.
and you Hate Atlanta just as much. I dont really care about them too much but I know it must suck to have your favorit player playing for a team you hate. Maybe he will walk when his contract is over and finish his career in style for a team you dont hate…...like the Rays or something.
I really feel for you bro and I enjoyed discussing Morales VS Kotch with you. I hope you can find joy in these dark times with hopefully alot of Angels W’s in the next 58 games and some October Action that would make you, Hunter, Tex, and Moreno as well as All Angels Players and Fans…....Thats a Ring of course.
acuda27 - July 30, 2008
BTW on the first line "I dont really care about them" I was talking about Atlanta.
acuda27 - July 30, 2008
Kotch was easily in my top 3 of favorite angels.....(joe saunders and Lackey being the others)
as evidence by me having him as my avatar for the first few weeks of me being here…....but like someone mentioned earlier…..I root for the ANGELS…..and now that the official shock has worn off…im excited for the stretch run with Tex….....may the bats be mighty…...and the wins be plenty….......homefield advantage is well within the reach of this team…........roll halos…....roll
norcaliangelsfan - July 29, 2008
It was officially Angels day in MLB today
I LOVE Lack…nails. Go Tex, get us some knocks
adirondackangelfan - July 29, 2008
this is a win-win for everyone
angels – braves
kotch – tex
i’m happy
NoDakHalo - July 29, 2008
kotch is still eligible for a ring
NoDakHalo - July 29, 2008
if i had a quarter
for every time i voted for Kotch in the pre-game guesses i might have like three fiddy
adirondackangelfan - July 29, 2008
Caseys Kiss of Death - July 30, 2008
awesome
adirondackangelfan - July 30, 2008
lets just win in 2008!!
and worry later about 2k9!
im4kiss - July 29, 2008
Ill miss you, casey!
but seriously, people, this is not the end of the world. players come and go but we all still root for the same TEAM!
welcome, Tex!
lightupthehalo - July 30, 2008
Agree.......This is ANGELS BASEBALL going into a WHOLE NEW LEVEL.
We knew we were good but now EVERYONE sees we are good and can SHUT UP about the BIG BAT.
acuda27 - July 30, 2008
I LOVE CASEY, BUT I GOTTA ADMIT THIS MAY MAKE US BETTER….. FOR NOW… STILL I LOVE HIM FOREVER
HEAVEN35 - July 30, 2008
Why Are you Yelling at Me?
Sniff, Tear…
Angel Hawker - July 31, 2008
Dude...
See that button to the left of the “A” key? It’s called “Caps Lock”? Press it so that the little light goes OFF on your Keyboard.
Then learn to use that big key right below it called “Shift”.
red floyd - July 31, 2008
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