Kruger signed with Angels?....

[maroonmania]

At least that's being reported on SPS. Big blow to next year's team if true.

[MSUDawg99]

Yeah I just saw it on Twitter.

Damnit! Sux.

[Big4Dawg]

Drafted in 20th round. smh.

[Taog Redloh]

I would have rather gotten him back, but I somewhat expected this, him being a junior and all. There wasn't much change he was going to improve on a BA of .358, 7 bombs and slugging .570. Good news is, it's one more MSU guy in the pros AND it opens up a spot for a hitter to a lot of guys who are playing well in summer ball.

[Todd4State]

Thank God we have Elih.

[Steakonastick]

Rounds matter very when you are a junior. He will sign for more in the 20th round then he would as a 7th rounder next year.

[Jacksondevildog]

Agreed. This is a big blow, but fortunately we have Marrero. I expect him to have a nice season for us next year.
Thank God we have Elih.

[maroonmania]

I would have rather gotten him back, but I somewhat expected this, him being a junior and all. There wasn't much change he was going to improve on a BA of .358, 7 bombs and slugging .570. Good news is, it's one more MSU guy in the pros AND it opens up a spot for a hitter to a lot of guys who are playing well in summer ball.

Just a nasty blow when you lose the guy penciled in to be your 3 hole hitter next year. Especially when every indication was he was coming back.

[maroonmania]

Agreed. This is a big blow, but fortunately we have Marrero. I expect him to have a nice season for us next year.

Well yes, I'm glad we have Marrero but you really need 2 frontline catchers not only in case of injury but its just a difficult position to play without a break. Kruger could have platooned with Marrero at Catcher and DH'd when he wasn't in the field. Not sure who will be the backup catcher at this point.

[Steakonastick]

Good thing we have Stovall. He's good enough behind the plate to play there if needed.

[preachermatt83]

That's a HUGE blow!! Huge!!

And if elih,'s performance in summer ball is any indication then he's gonna struggle to reach the Mendoza line next year. Just awful blow here.

[Taog Redloh]

Well yes, I'm glad we have Marrero but you really need 2 frontline catchers not only in case of injury but its just a difficult position to play without a break. Kruger could have platooned with Marrero at Catcher and DH'd when he wasn't in the field. Not sure who will be the backup catcher at this point.

Hardly any team in America has 2 front line catchers.

[Taog Redloh]

Marrero was going to be the starter anyway. 90% of the time at least.

[Taog Redloh]

Good thing we have Stovall. He's good enough behind the plate to play there if needed.

I figure Skelton will be pretty good.

[Brando]

It hurts, but we will be fine I believe. Stovall is a damn good catcher to let Elih rest a little. Elih just needs at bats. He killed the ball early on in the yr when he was playing. He struggled a little and then didnt really have a chance to work out of it after that...

[msstate7]

Is rooker a done deal to come back?

[preachermatt83]

Is rooker a done deal to come back?

Yes. He announced today he was coming back.

[Todd4State]

Good thing we have Stovall. He's good enough behind the plate to play there if needed.

We have a freshman catcher named Dustin Skelton coming in who was drafted by the Blue Jays and possibly Lovelady coming back. It hurts but we will be fine.

[Todd4State]

That's a HUGE blow!! Huge!!

And if elih,'s performance in summer ball is any indication then he's gonna struggle to reach the Mendoza line next year. Just awful blow here.


You are aware that they are hitting with wood bats and he is a year younger than most players in that league right?

[Taog Redloh]

We have a freshman catcher named Dustin Skelton coming in who was drafted by the Blue Jays and possibly Lovelady coming back. It hurts but we will be fine.

Dude, we are all aware we signed Skelton.

[CrazyEyeKilla]

Signed for $395k per Jim Callis tweet. That's a hell of a number for 20th rounder. Angels must have wanted him badly.

[Homedawg]

Signed for $395k per Jim Callis tweet. That's a hell of a number for 20th rounder. Angels must have wanted him badly.

I call bs.

[Todd4State]

Dude, we are all aware we signed Skelton.

Apparently not since maroonmania said he wasn't sure who the back up would be but you be you.

[Todd4State]

I call bs.

I would too- but it is the Angels and see Albert Pujol's, CJ Wilson, and Josh Hamilton's contracts. They have done stupid things before.

[djaymsu5]

This will be better in the long run for us to make a run in 2018.

[Homedawg]

I would too- but it is the Angels and see Albert Pujol's, CJ Wilson, and Josh Hamilton's contracts. They have done stupid things before.

That money for a hs kid in the 20th rd, who says he's going to college, It happens. A college guy? Nah. Take off a zero and I'll believe it. Hell Kruger went in the round he should have. He's not a great pro prospect. College player yes.

[craigmid]

20th round? Does he have to pay them to sign?

[Taog Redloh]

Apparently not since maroonmania said he wasn't sure who the back up would be but you be you.

Except you replied to Steakonasteak.

[Todd4State]

That money for a hs kid in the 20th rd, who says he's going to college, It happens. A college guy? Nah. Take off a zero and I'll believe it. Hell Kruger went in the round he should have. He's not a great pro prospect. College player yes.

I agree with you. I was being sarcastic about how the Angels run their organization which has led to them having one of if not the worst farm system in baseball right now. Admittedly it was out of place and random.

But one thing you left out about Kruger was the fact that he also had an arm injury which makes him risky on top of everything else you mentioned.

I do wonder where Jim Callis got that amount though? It does sound a lot like someone putting something out to make them sound better than what they are. The noble thing to do would have been to just say "hey I signed with the Angels"- assuming the figure is inaccurate as we suspect of course.

[Todd4State]

Except you replied to Steakonasteak.

Yes I did. And then you responded by saying that "we are ALL aware that we signed Skelton". I simply pointed out that maroonmania asked who our back-ups were clearly indicating that we ALL didn't know who our back-ups were and that you are just being an ass. Didn't say that was who I was responding to specifically- but I'm sure he appreciated the information nonetheless.

[Bothrops]

Next year is a rebuilding year. Will be good to make a Regional.

[maroonmania]

Yes I did. And then you responded by saying that "we are ALL aware that we signed Skelton". I simply pointed out that maroonmania asked who our back-ups were clearly indicating that we ALL didn't know who our back-ups were and that you are just being an ass. Didn't say that was who I was responding to specifically- but I'm sure he appreciated the information nonetheless.

Well I know we will have others catchers on the roster or guys that can play catcher but I just said I don't know who the backup catcher will be, and I don't. Nobody else does either. Stovall and Skelton I guess will be the 2 primary candidates but who knows. Point was, with Kruger back we would have 2 proven catchers next year, now we don't. Heard rumors that Lovelady might be granted another year of eligibility but I have no clue if there is any validity to that.

[HSVDawg]

By my count, we return the following contributors from last season:

Mangum
Gridley
Rooker
C. Brown
Pilkington
Stovall
Marrero
Rigby
B. Smith
Billingsley
Cyr
E. Small
Breaux

I may have missed one or two. That's two everyday players (Mangum, Gridley), one almost everyday player (Rooker), one former semi-regular player that had a lot of struggles (C.Brown), one starting pitcher (Pilkington), a couple of regularly used bullpen guys (Rigby, B. Smith), several seldom used bullpen guys who each showed some promise but also some inconsistency (Cyr, Billingsley, Small, Breux), and a couple of guys who as freshmen also showed flashes but struggled for the most part at the plate (Marrero, Stovall).

For the most part, it looks very much like there will need to be modest expectations for next season. Even if Stovall and Marrero become everyday guys and do well, we will still have 4 holes in the lineup that need filling. I think its asking a lot for us to find that many guys that can come in and all hit around .280 to .300 and be solid in the field in their first college baseball action. We will also need several guys to step up in the weekend rotation, although the bullpen has potential to be a strength. Thats not even mentioning the new coaches coming in, and that is always an adjustment. Overall, I'd be very happy just to make a regional next season.

[smootness]

That money for a hs kid in the 20th rd, who says he's going to college, It happens. A college guy? Nah. Take off a zero and I'll believe it. Hell Kruger went in the round he should have. He's not a great pro prospect. College player yes.

It's likely the Angels wound up about $300K under slot and just gave it all to Kruger to get him to sign. That's probably why we thought he was coming back until just now.

[smootness]

I agree with you. I was being sarcastic about how the Angels run their organization which has led to them having one of if not the worst farm system in baseball right now. Admittedly it was out of place and random.

But one thing you left out about Kruger was the fact that he also had an arm injury which makes him risky on top of everything else you mentioned.

I do wonder where Jim Callis got that amount though? It does sound a lot like someone putting something out to make them sound better than what they are. The noble thing to do would have been to just say "hey I signed with the Angels"- assuming the figure is inaccurate as we suspect of course.

Why do we suspect the amount is inaccurate? It is very likely accurate.

ETA: http://www.ocregister.com/articles/pick-722607-friday-angels.html. The amount is accurate, and as I suspected, it's just all the money the Angels had left after signing everybody else.

[Steakonastick]

Yup they missed on signing on two guys drafted before Kruger. They also signed I know at least 3 seniors too. Slot money means very little. Teams punish seniors and throw the money elsewhere.

[I seen it dawg]

That's a HUGE blow!! Huge!!

And if elih,'s performance in summer ball is any indication then he's gonna struggle to reach the Mendoza line next year. Just awful blow here.

Orgeron may still be coming!

[I seen it dawg]

And good for Jack. He's by all accounts a great damn guy and I hope he carves out a nice little baseball career before he does really big things when he grows up. Loved having him for the one yr we had him. Hopefully someone can step into his leadership roll.

Good luck to you Jack! You were a great Bulldog for the short time you were here.

[Todd4State]

Why do we suspect the amount is inaccurate? It is very likely accurate.

ETA: http://www.ocregister.com/articles/pick-722607-friday-angels.html. The amount is accurate, and as I suspected, it's just all the money the Angels had left after signing everybody else.

It's not common for a 20th round pick to get that kind of a bonus in today's era. I love Kruger but the Angels overpaid for him.

[Todd4State]

By my count, we return the following contributors from last season:

Mangum
Gridley
Rooker
C. Brown
Pilkington
Stovall
Marrero
Rigby
B. Smith
Billingsley
Cyr
E. Small
Breaux

I may have missed one or two. That's two everyday players (Mangum, Gridley), one almost everyday player (Rooker), one former semi-regular player that had a lot of struggles (C.Brown), one starting pitcher (Pilkington), a couple of regularly used bullpen guys (Rigby, B. Smith), several seldom used bullpen guys who each showed some promise but also some inconsistency (Cyr, Billingsley, Small, Breux), and a couple of guys who as freshmen also showed flashes but struggled for the most part at the plate (Marrero, Stovall).

For the most part, it looks very much like there will need to be modest expectations for next season. Even if Stovall and Marrero become everyday guys and do well, we will still have 4 holes in the lineup that need filling. I think its asking a lot for us to find that many guys that can come in and all hit around .280 to .300 and be solid in the field in their first college baseball action. We will also need several guys to step up in the weekend rotation, although the bullpen has potential to be a strength. Thats not even mentioning the new coaches coming in, and that is always an adjustment. Overall, I'd be very happy just to make a regional next season.

We will be OK- we won't have as much power as we did last year. But I don't think it will be like 2015 either unless we have a ton of injuries or Henderson manages the staff like Butch did.

Pilkington is looking like an ace in the Cape. And that is HUGE. We have to have that to do well in SEC play. Small has also pitched well in the Cape and Keegan James was just named the top prospect in his summer league. Cyr has had a good summer as well and then Breaux has been good outside of one summer league outing. Padgett has looked good, but just had to leave the Cape because of arm soreness and that bears watching which sucks because he was dominant. I'm very confident in our bullpen with Smith, Rigby, Billingsley and I think Jacob Barton is a JUCO guy that I think will have a huge impact. We'll see what Ashcraft can give us but he could be a good short relief guy as well.

Catcher was really deep- but we still have Marrero who will be a lot better next year. The guy made the Johnny Bench Award watch as a freshman and the Cape so he's very talented. I think Skelton win the back-up job. Lovelady will be in the mix but he's coming off of an injury so who knows? I do think he will get a medical redshirt if he chooses to use it. I think Stovall is an option only if Skelton isn't ready at all and/or Lovelady can't go.

The corner INF will be a question mark. Chase Goldwater has been OK this summer and Cole Gordon has done OK as well but neither have dominated. With so many OF's doing well this summer for us if I were Cohen I would consider moving Rooker to first base or at least look at it because that would help us offensively. Harrison Bragg is only hitting in the .230's in his summer league but he started off really slow and made the All-Star team. I think Reed Smith will push I'm but he's just a freshman so who knows if he is ready or not?

The MIF has been a MASH unit this summer and Gridley has had a bad summer in the Cape. We need Stovall and LA to recover more than anything. I love Gridley but LA and Stovall are both more talented than he is.

The OFers have been really impressive. Rooker and Mangum are two of the best in the Cape and I think they will have to carry us next year. Hunter Vansau has been tearing it up in Alaska and I think he starts or at the very least plays a lot. He's in the Lowe/Kruger mold of a guy that started out in D-I ball and then went to JUCO. Cody Brown has had a good summer and he will play a lot and probably start. Brant Blaylock has take a big step forward the last couple of weeks and has been playing a lot better also. I could see him following a similar path as Rooker as far as his development goes. I'm not sure what we'll get out of Eli MacNamee since he isn't playing this summer. I'd keep an eye on Marc Coffers in the fall as well- he was a big pick up for us.

[maroonmania]

We will be OK- we won't have as much power as we did last year. But I don't think it will be like 2015 either unless we have a ton of injuries or Henderson manages the staff like Butch did.

Pilkington is looking like an ace in the Cape. And that is HUGE. We have to have that to do well in SEC play. Small has also pitched well in the Cape and Keegan James was just named the top prospect in his summer league. Cyr has had a good summer as well and then Breaux has been good outside of one summer league outing. Padgett has looked good, but just had to leave the Cape because of arm soreness and that bears watching which sucks because he was dominant. I'm very confident in our bullpen with Smith, Rigby, Billingsley and I think Jacob Barton is a JUCO guy that I think will have a huge impact. We'll see what Ashcraft can give us but he could be a good short relief guy as well.

Catcher was really deep- but we still have Marrero who will be a lot better next year. The guy made the Johnny Bench Award watch as a freshman and the Cape so he's very talented. I think Skelton win the back-up job. Lovelady will be in the mix but he's coming off of an injury so who knows? I do think he will get a medical redshirt if he chooses to use it. I think Stovall is an option only if Skelton isn't ready at all and/or Lovelady can't go.

The corner INF will be a question mark. Chase Goldwater has been OK this summer and Cole Gordon has done OK as well but neither have dominated. With so many OF's doing well this summer for us if I were Cohen I would consider moving Rooker to first base or at least look at it because that would help us offensively. Harrison Bragg is only hitting in the .230's in his summer league but he started off really slow and made the All-Star team. I think Reed Smith will push I'm but he's just a freshman so who knows if he is ready or not?

The MIF has been a MASH unit this summer and Gridley has had a bad summer in the Cape. We need Stovall and LA to recover more than anything. I love Gridley but LA and Stovall are both more talented than he is.

The OFers have been really impressive. Rooker and Mangum are two of the best in the Cape and I think they will have to carry us next year. Hunter Vansau has been tearing it up in Alaska and I think he starts or at the very least plays a lot. He's in the Lowe/Kruger mold of a guy that started out in D-I ball and then went to JUCO. Cody Brown has had a good summer and he will play a lot and probably start. Brant Blaylock has take a big step forward the last couple of weeks and has been playing a lot better also. I could see him following a similar path as Rooker as far as his development goes. I'm not sure what we'll get out of Eli MacNamee since he isn't playing this summer. I'd keep an eye on Marc Coffers in the fall as well- he was a big pick up for us.

No doubt the biggest loss is Kruger's .350avg/10HR bat in the middle of our lineup. We will likely have a much better shot coming up with an adequate backup catcher than replacing that kind of offensive production.