The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
First of all, let me preface my article by saying, "My name is Jon and I'm a lifelong Angel fan." It is at this point that everyone in the circle responds, "We love you, Jon." I have to admit it makes me feel better that there are others that feel my pain and of course, I feel theirs. There aren't too many of us left and the circle has shrunk throughout the years but believe it or not, there's still enough to form a circle, however tight it might be. The Angels have made the playoffs once in the last 14 years and the one year they made it, they got swept in three straight games. They have consistently had a top 10 payroll throughout those years. They've had two generational players on the same team at the same time. They've gone through managers and GMs like Taylor Swift has gone through boyfriends. They have searched far and wide for the magical formula that would put their past behind them and surge into a bright future but continue to fail to find it. Everyone always asks, "What happened and how can a top market team be so bad?"
There are plenty of answers to that question but that's not what this article is about. I am instead going to focus on 2024 and beyond.....after all:
"My one constant through all the years has been Angels baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It's been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt, and erased again. But Angels baseball has marked the time.
Anaheim Stadium, this game -- it's a part of my past. It reminds me of all that once was good, and it could be again.Ohhhhhhhh,the Angels will win again....the Angels will most definitely win."
The Good: Logan O'Hoppe, Zach Neto, Ben Joyce. These players are young, they are hungry, and they are leaders. They are under team control for a few years and are pillars of a franchise moving forward. Did you know the Angels have the 4th highest attendance in the American League even though they have the 5th worst record in MLB? It's because of these three guys. The future is bright when you can build around a catcher, a shortstop, and a dominant reliever.
The Bad: There is plenty of bad but it starts with the owner, Arte Moreno. Winning isn't Mr. Moreno's priority which is a problem. Angels need new ownership and they need it ASAP. The trade deadline the last few years has been a disaster. The Angels had a golden goose but instead of turning him into a rebuilt farm system, Arte Moreno turned him into 2 months of selling tickets and bobblehead giveaways. This year the Angels had plenty of players they could've and should've traded but instead only traded two of them. Just as an example, plenty of teams were asking for Luis Rengifo but the Angels decided he was too good to part with and then a week later, declared him out for the season. Just pure incompetence.
The Ugly: Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon. Two of the biggest contracts in MLB and two of the most injured players in the history of the game. Rendon is a World Series champion and Trout is a three time MVP. Did you know that only four centerfielders have a higher WAR than Mike Trout all time and their names are: Willy Mays, Ty Cobb, Tris Speaker, and Mickey Mantle? There was a moment a few years ago that Trout was on pace to be the greatest to ever do it and now due to injuries, he's a "what coulda been" instead of "what could be." It's a shame and it's unfortunate but Angel fans need to move on. If I was the GM, my first action would be to buy out Anthony Rendon's contract and remove him from the team. His attitude, contract, and injuries are an anchor on a boat that needs to be freed. My second action would be to have a serious conversation with Mike Trout: What does he really want for the last five-six years of his baseball career? Deep down I'm sure he wants to hang out with his family in Crystal Cove and live in obscurity and prosperity. However, he can't and won't say that. So how about a trade to a contender? If he wanted to stay local: Padres or Dodgers. Angels would and should be willing to eat 1/2 the contract and hope to get back a few players. Let Trout taste the playoffs and have a chance to win a ring. Ken Griffey Jr. played for the Reds. It's okay to let Trout play for another team.
Remember as Angel fans, it's time to put our past behind us or put our behind in the past as Pumbaa once said.
So to continue the theme, Angel fans need to adopt the motto: Hakuna Matata. There is hope and light in the dark tunnel and it might be a few more years but the rightful king will return to Pride Rock and the Big A will shine once again.
My name is Jon and I'm an Angel fan.