A few days ago I was able to sit down for a few minutes to talk to Angels’ GM Joshjaw on various topics:
[16:58] Rangr288: Hello Joshjaw, and thanks for taking your time to take part in an interview for the Outahere Sports Review Blog.
[16:58] joshjaw83: I’m glad to be here
[16:59] Rangr288: My first question is regarding the future of your ballclub…where do you see them three years into the future?
[16:59] joshjaw83: hopefully with a winning record.
[17:00] joshjaw83: I have a few young pitchers that will susprise some people in the future
[17:00] Rangr288: Secondly, Brian Miller – he’s emerged as a great contact hitter over the last few years. Are you happy you selected him first when the Twins were taken apart?
[17:01] joshjaw83: [Definitely], he has been everthing I had [hoped] for. He is a staple at 1B for the Angels for years to come.
[17:02] Rangr288: What about his health? Has that ever been a concern for you?
[17:03] joshjaw83: Well he had come up in some trade talks recently and another GM gave me some advice and told me to trade him, but health is a risk I’m willing to take on a team in dire need of a Superstar.
[17:04] Rangr288: What about Mike Schore? He was selected first overall in the draft by you a few years ago, and he was placed into the rotation faster than most expected. Will he be placed in the rotation again next year, despite struggles, or will he go back to AAA?
[17:05] joshjaw83: He is #2 in the rotation going into spring training. Payroll is an issue with LAA right now as we try and get a new state of the art stadium built.
[17:05] joshjaw83: So no need for pricy SPs.
[17:06] Rangr288: As I looked over your roster, I saw that the most HRs on your team was 19, by Corey Hart. Are you looking to add some power threats to your lineup to fix this hole?
[17:08] joshjaw83: Well I’m hoping that Edwin and Alex can show some power this year but this year team is about small ball and not the long ball, as why Miller and Rolland are great contact hitters.
17:08] joshjaw83: They are highly valued on this team
[17:09] Rangr288: Since you’ve taken over as GM of the Angels, you’ve rebuilt a dry farm. Most of your top prospects are pitchers – Benji Nord, Mike Schore, Jorge Suazo – you seem to have plenty of pitching for the future, now are you starting to draft more on the offensive side of things?
[17:12] joshjaw83: Well I have been fortunate with the rule 5 draft and the Twins draft to take good hitters, but I [will] always take the best player(s) for our team. And if it is a pitcher, well then I could possibly trade them for hitters.
[17:14] Rangr288: Speaking of Edwin, since you said the Angels are on a tight budget, is he and his hefty 17 million dollar contract preventing you from signing some of the FAs you’d like? Is he holding up the process of building your new stadium?
[17:16] joshjaw83: Well yes and no. Last year we set a goal and signed the FA’s we wanted and [improved] the team’s record. We just recently looked into a new stadium this past year when we saw the attendence went back up over the previous year’s disaster. So fan support is there, they just want a better place to watch the game.
[17:16] Rangr288: Thanks, Joshjaw, for taking your time with us to answer a few questions. We appreciate it, and good luck this upcoming season.
[17:17] joshjaw83: Thanks for having me. Anytime.