Offseason Outlook: Los Angeles Angels

My money is on K-Rod and Tex coming back.

I don't think that K-Rod is going to get anywhere near his 5/75 dream unless it's coming from the Mets. If the Mets go after Fuentes who's left to shell out $10m+ on a closer? The Angels might be able to land K-Rod as a "bargain" with like a 4/48 type deal. That would pay him close to what I would consider his real value to be.

If you go that route and resign Tex to a 6/110 deal you still have $10m or so to play with. I would love to see if Dunn is possible with a 4/60 type deal. If so, you bump payroll slightly or you sell off other items like Matthews (after kicking in a chunk of money).

That could leave the team with a lineup of:

Figgins (3B)
Aybar (SS)
Tex (1B)
Dunn (LF/DH)
Guerrero (RF/DH)
Hunter (CF)
Napoli (C)
Kendrick (2B)
Matthews/Willits/Rivera (DH/OF)

Pitching staff loses Garland but we hopefully gain Escobar. Relief core would stay the same.

You still have flexibility by being able to trade Wood or Aybar. Izturis provides strong back up play at 3 infield positions. Morales can be used as trade bait to fill in Oliver's role.

Finally, I am by no means suggesting that we WILL land all of these pieces. I do think there is a pretty good chance though that you could see a team like this.

Dunn doesn't fit well into the Angels system. There is value there, but not in a system that relies on contact and hustle.

Also, the Angels have been pretty clear that they want Figgins to play 3B and stay there, because they feel his defense is at a GG level now (the numbers say it as well). That said, if Figgins were to be put in the OF, and you assume GMJ gets more OF reps, then you are better off putting Figgins in RF, if you don't have Vlad there, where his stronger arm is more valuable.

Ignoring those points for now, and assuming the Angels get Tex back, I think the line up looks like this:

Figgins 3B
Aybar/Izturis SS
Teixeira 1B
Guerrero RF/DH
Hunter CF
Napoli C
Morales/Wood DH/RF - DH/3B/SS
Kendrick 2B
Matthews LF

And the Staff without K-Rod but resigned Oliver:

SP - Lackey
SP - Santana
SP - Saunders
SP - Weaver
SP - Adenhart/Green/Moseley

CL - Arredondo
RP - Shields
RP - Speier
RP - Jepsen
RP - O'Day
RP - Moseley/Adenhart/Green

With K-Rod, everyone moves down a notch.

Now, that would leave the Angels with money to spend, so would think they could make a move or two. Here is an interesting one:

GMJ + Nick Adenhart for Delmon Young

Young fits the Scioscia/Hatcher system perfectly and the Angels could probably get away with paying about half of GMJ's contract, assuming he waives his NTC. Then the lineup is as follows.

Figgins 3B
Young LF/RF
Teixeira 1B
Guerrero RF/DH
Hunter CF
Napoli C
Morales/Wood DH/RF - DH/3B/SS
Kendrick 2B
Aybar/Izturis SS

At that point, perhaps the Angels could sign a Greg Maddux or Randy Johnson to be the 5th starter. Or perhaps sign a solid number 3 like Oliver Perez and move Weaver.

"I am an orioles fan and I want wood! How about huff. Could free up some money for the angels and give the O's somebody for that hole on the left side."

Free up money? How? Wood will make $400K next year, and for the next 3 years in all likelihood. Huff isn't worth Wood.

Given what the O's need, perhaps an Adenhart + Wood for Roberts deal would work, with Kendrick moving positions.

AA:

Why would the Twins trade Delmon Young, a man they wanted so badly they were willing to trade a former #1 Pick for him, for an over the hill Gary Matthews Junior(who again would want this guy besides the Angels?) and a pitching prospect? A solid pitching prospect, yes, but the Twins aren't in any dire need for starters.

Delmon Young is going absolutely nowhere.

AA -

here's the problem... the Angels' current system doesn't work anymore. oh sure, it'll win you division titles, but it does NOTHING in the postseason, and we've seen that post-2002.

it's time for the Angels to cut back from the small ball tactics and swing more toward the power. i'm not suggesting that we should totally abandon the running game, but rather balance it out, and even lean more toward power and patience.

hence, Dunn and Tex being great pickups.

If Tex is going to be 7/140 then let the Yankees have him. He is a very good 1B and did great for the Angels. I just don't think $20m/year for 7 or 8 years makes any sense.

Same goes with CC. If you can nab him for 6/120 then you do it. Otherwise let someone else overspend.

And while the Angels traditionally haven't valued a high OBP lineup there is no reason to think they won't change their focus. I think Tex really opened up everyone's eyes to the potential of having guys on base in front of Vlad.

I do think Dunn/Burrell make a lot of sense for the Halos, with or without Tex.

An Angels/Pirates trade that may be a win-win would be if the Angels can't re-sign K-Rod, the should trade Sean Rodriguez for Matt Capps. Capps gives them a closer of the future and Sean Rodriguez, who's blocked, gives the Pirates a much needed middle infielder of the future.

"I meant if they don't resign tex."

Even if they don't resign Tex, that would be WAY too much for Huff.

"here's the problem... the Angels' current system doesn't work anymore. oh sure, it'll win you division titles, but it does NOTHING in the postseason, and we've seen that post-2002."

The 2008 ALDS wasn't won with hitting, it was won with pitching (Game 2 being the exception).

Further, it isn't like the team doesn't have power hitters.

"hence, Dunn and Tex being great pickups."

Tex - A great defensive infield player who can hit for average and power, has an excellent eye, switch hits and, while not fast, is a very good base runner = A good re-sign

Dunn - A terrible defensive player who hits only for power, is frighteningly bad against LHP, is not much of a base runner on a team full of outfielders = A bad signing.

it's game 1 of the world series. do you want to send a "solid guy" to the mound.
sure, solid guys can and do win. but that's when a team has clutch hitting

I am not getting why anyone is proposing re-signing Jon Garland. He is going to want likely more money than what Lohse got, and that is not worth it. Besides, Weaver is a more than capable 4th starter, as he is really a number 3 quality guy. The 5th starter can be almost anyone.

"it's game 1 of the world series. do you want to send a "solid guy" to the mound."

Who in the world do you think is going to pitch in the WS? John Lackey, the guy who pitched at least as well as C.C. Sabathia last year when he won the Cy Young. That's a bona fide ace, and he has Ervin Santana behind him.

Angels can't do much except resign Teixeria, K-Rod, Garland. They have a really good team and young. Their farm system is one of the best in the bigs. Angels just got beat by Boston. Angels will be the favorites in the west again unless Texas adds pitching.

HEY LosAngeles California Angels of OrangeCounty Anaheim ......ahhhhahahaha....looks like i was 100% correct ohhh i love it.....the yanks TOOK AWAY YOUR MARK TEXIERA....AND THE F*GG*T METS TOOK YOUR CLOSER.....oh you small market teams so so petty so incignifigant