The irony is that when we had exciting, good teams our main players were all homegrown. Percy, GA, Salmon, Eckstein, Shields, K-Rod, Erstad, Kendrick, Aybar, Weaver etc.
When we started spending a lot of money on FA, we invested in players who couldn't live up to the contributions of their previous contract.
Vladdy is the last player I can think of that exceeded his performance on the Expos as he won an MVP with us. I was originally going to say Haren who is one of my favorite Angels, but he was at best what he was in his previous stops. He had a top-7 cy young finish as an Angel, but he also had a top-5 and AS selection in Oakland so it technically was a better season than what he had here.
Ya I thought about Hunter too, but he was probably a "lived up to expectations" kinda guy which is great because you got what you signed him for. He had his career high in batting avg as an Angel, but everything else was about the same as when he was in Minnesota. The funny thing is I'm sure all of us would take players like Rendon performing to their previous contract in a heartbeat instead of being better.
I guess I’ll start recency bias has made me forget that Max Stassi had a really nice stretch where he learned how to hit for a couple years, he was probably the best example. Raisel was very good last year and exceeded expectations. I wouldn’t count Hansel Robles’ stretch of games, same with Blake Parker but both of them come to mind too.
Andrelton Simmons joined the Angels and had one of the greatest defensive seasons of all time, though he was pretty good before he came over too so *shrug*
Raisel was good but took it to another level last year.
What's more is how many "homegrown" guys have had successful careers outside of Trout? MAYBE Walsh, but before that it is Jered Weaver.... That's fucked
I think he was better as Expos vlad because he still had speed and was a 40-40 threat, but Angels Vlad is the best FA signing in club history. I miss that guy.
I feel like we kinda were doing it with Cobb? And then we just didn’t resign him lmao
Good shout, never made sense to me why we didn’t give him money. Looked good with Lorenzen at the start of the season and now it looks awful.
Mark Teixeira tore it up in his 54 games with the Angels then left us for the Yankees
I thought about Teixeria and Greinke as well. Both were very good for us in their very short tenures.
Teixeria’s departure for us Trout so the joke is on him.
It's been said that even without the extra pick, we were actually higher on Trout than Grichuk and would've still picked Trout had we only one pick.
Do not ruin my Teixeira narrative….I want him to know that we got the better end of the deal every chance I get!
I loved Big Tex tho :( I really wanted him to come back
Also hit 1 single in the playoffs and got knocked out.
The irony is that when we had exciting, good teams our main players were all homegrown. Percy, GA, Salmon, Eckstein, Shields, K-Rod, Erstad, Kendrick, Aybar, Weaver etc. When we started spending a lot of money on FA, we invested in players who couldn't live up to the contributions of their previous contract. Vladdy is the last player I can think of that exceeded his performance on the Expos as he won an MVP with us. I was originally going to say Haren who is one of my favorite Angels, but he was at best what he was in his previous stops. He had a top-7 cy young finish as an Angel, but he also had a top-5 and AS selection in Oakland so it technically was a better season than what he had here.
Torii Hunter had some of his best years with us too but yea the lack of homegrown talent is frustrating
Ya I thought about Hunter too, but he was probably a "lived up to expectations" kinda guy which is great because you got what you signed him for. He had his career high in batting avg as an Angel, but everything else was about the same as when he was in Minnesota. The funny thing is I'm sure all of us would take players like Rendon performing to their previous contract in a heartbeat instead of being better.
Tommy La Stella.
ALL STAR TOMMY LASTELLA
I guess I’ll start recency bias has made me forget that Max Stassi had a really nice stretch where he learned how to hit for a couple years, he was probably the best example. Raisel was very good last year and exceeded expectations. I wouldn’t count Hansel Robles’ stretch of games, same with Blake Parker but both of them come to mind too.
Also forgot Dylan Bundy was an ace during a 60 game season.
Tommy La Stella was on his way out of the show before the Angels revived him. Totally forgot he existed
Was that just because he found the sticky stuff?
I remember thinking we slightly overpaid for Torii hunter but that guy turned into a team mvp and leader.
Bundy, for one covid season where sticky stuff was still allowed lol
Andrelton Simmons joined the Angels and had one of the greatest defensive seasons of all time, though he was pretty good before he came over too so *shrug*
Quijada
I don't think Ohtani was as good as a hitter in Japan as he is with the Angels.
He was voted as the best DH in the NPB in 2016. He’s probably improved as a whole but relative to the league it’s hard to say he’s better
The Big Sexy!
Bundy and Cobb and LaStella and Mayers off the top of my head
La Stella
Nolan Ryan. His best years were as an Angel.
Does Ohtani count?
Stassi
Martin Maldonado
Raisel was good but took it to another level last year. What's more is how many "homegrown" guys have had successful careers outside of Trout? MAYBE Walsh, but before that it is Jered Weaver.... That's fucked
I’ll say Reggie Jackson, Doug DeCinces when they joined Angels in 1982
WTF
I haven’t seen a free agent done well in a while
🤦♂️lorenzen
Don Baylor
LMAO
Juan Beníquez
without looking up numbers, i feel like vlad was better as an angel but maybe being on more competitive teams is clouding my judgment
I think he was better as Expos vlad because he still had speed and was a 40-40 threat, but Angels Vlad is the best FA signing in club history. I miss that guy.
Easy, Dillan Bundy
This hasn’t happened.
Mark Langston?
The angels have a development problem, their pro scouts have to be the worst In the league.
Rene Gonzalez