Angels GM Jerry Dipoto isn’t shying away from the free agent market in his first offseason on the job. Here’s the latest on the Angels from Mike DiGiovanna of the LA Times:
- Dipoto and manager Mike Scioscia will meet with free agent left-hander C.J. Wilson tonight. Another GM will meet with Wilson in L.A. this weekend and the 31-year-old starter will meet with multiple teams on the East Coast next week, according to DiGiovanna.
- Angels international scouting director Mark Russo watched Yoenis Cespedes work out in the Dominican Republic last week, according to DiGiovanna. However, 60-70 other scouts were also in attendance to evaluate the Cuban center fielder. It appears that Cespedes will cost more than $35MM.
- The Angels are believed to be interested in free agent relievers Scott Linebrink and Ryan Madson, according to DiGiovanna. They also appeared to have interest in Joe Nathan, who just agreed to terms with the Rangers. This is the first time we've heard of the Angels' interest in Linebrink and Madson.
- Relievers Francisco Cordero, Heath Bell, Octavio Dotel and Matt Capps also interest the Angels, as do starters Mark Buehrle, Roy Oswalt and Hiroki Kuroda.
Linebrink was incredibly mediocre for the Braves last year, book-ending a solid performance during the middle of the year with struggles at the beginning and end.
I really can’t see why anyone would bring him in, you should be able to replace his production internally.
Question for Angel fans, would you be willing to trade Peter Bourjos to the cardinals for two cardinal right handed relievers not named Motte and our 3b prospect Zack Cox?
Doubtful Bourjos gets moved for anything less than something spectacular…especially doubtful for relievers.
yah probably, I really like Bourjos, and even though his OPS is in the low 700s his defense is awesome and I think he’ll develop into something special. It just seems that the Angels have a lot of depth there to trade from.
LOL…..Scott Linebrink? Are they desperate or what?
If someone told me this could be the Angels future lineup (if contracts work out) i would be the happiest person in the world.
Aybar SS
Kendrick 2B
Cespedes RF
Morales DH
Trumbo 1B
Trout LF
Callaspo 3B
Conger C
Bourjos CF
Funny, but I don’t see V-Dub’s name on that line-up card, what gives? Because Vernon said this year we will get to see the “real” V-W
he just means a .320 OBP
I’ll be happy w/ .270/.320 27hr
I guess you aren’t gonna be happy then
considering the actual production Wells did of 60r and 66 rbi was an upgrade over Juan Rivera in ’10…should it have been better….YES…I predict that Wells will up those numbers by 20 ea next season…
And that was with a horrible April and missing all of May. And he still hit 25 HR. Perhaps some protection would’ve been nice too.
juan rivera also got 1/5 of Wells’ salary for that production
trade bourjos and a prospect to mets for D.Wright then sign cespedes.
Double NO. David Wright is nowhere near the value of Bourjos.
Yes, I am!! LOL!!
Let me get this straight.
Trade a top 3 CF and arguably one of the fastest players in the entire league who’s under team control for 4 more years AND a prospect for David Wright, who makes 15 million next year and holds a 2013 club option for 16 million, which he can void if traded.
So you run the risk of trading for potentially one year of Wright. Even if you sign him to an extension, you’ll be looking at 4-5 years at an AAV (Average Annual Value) of at LEAST 16 million.
Don’t get me wrong, Wright is a fine player, but his slash line has dipped considerably the last 2 seasons, and his strikeout totals are up as well.
No dice on this one. Sit tight with Callaspo for another season and get creative for the 2013 season. The Angels CANNOT afford to trade away what precious few young talent they have.
a top 3 CF?
I’d make the trade if Wright was healthy last season and if he was cheaper and if Angels were able to keep him for at least 4 years+..So no I’d Rather have Angels trade Trumbo during the trade deadline if Morales comes back 110%…Or trade Trumbo,Callaspo,Chat for Wright..and Let Efren ..No nvm just end this Wright convo don’t trade for wright end of story
I agree Devon. But then again, I am biased. My name is David Wright, i’m an Anaheim native, and I’ve been an Angel fan all of my 49 years.
So what did they do w/ Wells/Torii/Abreu?
Don’t hold your breath on Morales being what he was…..
Trout is not ready; Aybar should not be a leadoff hitter; Wells is in LF; Cespedes is no guarantee at the Big League level; and I recommend all Angels fans act as if Morales is not coming back. It’s been a year and a half now. I would be very nervous with that lineup… again.
this would be the lineup in a few years thats why there is no abreu, hunter, wells…… i would be nervous with that next season as well
Wow. I totally missed that. Excuse me while I go slap myself in the face for that one.
lol
So in other words, The Angels are looking at starting pitchers and relievers and maybe Cespedes. Really informative
LOL
Linebrink? Tell the Angels there won’t be many “LIGHT THAT BABY UP’S” and alot more “?-RUN JIMMY JACK…for the other team”
Unfortunately as an Angels fan, interest means nothing until we actually sign someone. Nothing about Dipoto, but this is what I’m used to so no need to get my hopes up about anyone.
I like the thought of Cespedes, but only if we can get rid of a large contract.
Dipoto is new. His style is different. To assume that things will stay the same is pretty silly.
Angels won’t do squat again this offseason. The only reason they are “throwing” those FA names out there is to fool the Halo Sheep who believe the bull coming from Moreno’s PR camp. This trick is only to drive season seat sales, nothing else..
The Angels SHOULDN’T do anything major this off-season. They need a bullpen arm, another starter, and potentially a platoon partner at catcher. They have about $15m to spend. That doesn’t leave much money per player.
The only way they get involved in a big name is if prices drop on one of the marquee talents. Otherwise this is just kicking the tires.
It appears you don’t know the Angels fan base very well.
Angry much?
yeah, angry that Arte keeps the BS lies about “doing and spending whatever it takes”. Now it’s just Arte doing whatever it takes to get 3mil+ thru the gates. Whatever keeps 2nd place fans happy I guess.
He does spend Money well more like wastes Money on pointless players such as Wells,Abreu
He obviously cannot force a player to take his money (ie Teixeira for $160MM, Lackey for $72MM, Crawford for $108-140MM depending on source,etc).
Are we seriously disappointed that the Angels DIDN’T land Crawford? We’re all bellyaching about the $55-60 mil left on Wells’ contract, but imagine being stuck with Crawford (or Lackey… or Soriano, all players the Angels got dinged for not locking up). I know someone might come back and say Crawford might rebound, but there’s no guarantee, and even if he does, he’s in his age 30 season and as a player driven by pure athleticism and speed, would likely start losing his best tools in 2-4 years anyway. I think not signing Crawford was the best move Reagins made! Although it might have been unintentional….
I do think the Beltre thing was a pooch screw, though…
Honestly, I won’t buy into anything until they actually sign somebody…. The Angels are probably “interested” in every available free agent reliever, and are just doing due diligence on anyone they can. As far as Cespedes goes, who knows if they’ll actually make a serious run at him (I’m all for it, although I have no idea what they’ll do about Wells). They probably just have scouts there to see what all the hype is about, like every other major league team.
Actually, interest in pitching usually means something will happen. The Angels have to build good pitching playing in their ballpark, and they almost always get it. It’s their interest in bats that is usually questionable.
I think they Sign Kuroda for around 1 yr 10M..That would be nice instead of Cj’s crazy seeking..Then 2013 they can re-sign Santi,Haren, and Pick up on one of the other Big F/A SP out there..There’s a grip load of em next year that are way younger,better and can maybe be cheaper than Cj
I think I could’ve posted this myself. I bet just about every Angels fan could have. Interest in CJ, Buerhle, Bell, and Madson was probably inevitable. When aren’t the Angels looking for pitching?
I’m sure CJ is very interested in becoming a 4th starter on a second place team.
C.J. is interested in whichever team is going to throw the most money at him. I don’t think it matters where that team placed last year.
seriously izturis,mathis,abreu must be traded……. im gonna hate to say it so does hunter
I agree, but Sosh loves him some 150lb midget slap hitting infielders. Mathis won’t move because of the man-crush Sosh has. Abreu is lazy and washed up (Garret Anderson 2.0), NO ONE would trade for him unless Reagins gets a GM gig on some other team. Hunter is on the declne, let him go after ’12 unless he signs for less than half his current deal. God I wish we never got stuck with Wells…that’s Pujols/Fielder money right there.
If you eat enough money, you can find a buyer for nearly any contract, i.e. Gary Matthews Jr. to the Mets eating everything but $2mm. If we can move Abreu and save 3-4 million to a team like the Rays, I’m all for it.
I can’t imagine us moving Hunter. Is he worth the money? Not even close but he is still a productive player and clubhouse presence so we will just ride it out for the last year of the contract.
Just fix the bullpen, and dump the old farts. If that happens, the Angels will definitely make the playoffs. Especially if MLB adds another wild card.
SS Aybar
2B Kendrick
RF Hunter
DH Morales
1B Trumbo
LF Wells
3B Callaspo
C Conger
CF Bourjos
Bench: Izturis, Bobby Wilson, Abreu, Jeremy Moore
SP Weaver CJ Wilson Haren Santana (Determine 5th in Spring Training since we have so many of them)
RP Heath Bell, Walden, Takahashi, Downs, Cassevah, Jepsen, Thompson
Morales who?
Salmon won’t coach until his kids are out of high school but I would love to see him replace Hatcher.
We need Capps,Cj or Kuroda or Buhrle, and Ramon Hernandez or like i’v been saying and now i realize Dipoto has been thinking the Same as me..Sign Cj OR Kuroda OR Burhle,Cespedes,Capps..Sounds like in the long run that will help Angels A lot..BUT then again CJ wants money and Cespedes Wants Money..So that aint gona happen unless they change there minds about wanting $$$
This is what needs to be done.
1.Cut Mathis Saving 1.8M
2.Make Conger starter and sign Ramon Hernandez as he is the last good catcher with good OBP left in FA
3.Trade Abreu and pay Abreu 6M out of the 9M..Saving Angels more money and get 3B prospects
4.Sign CJ 5yrs for 80M if he wants more he is insane which is more than likely he will want more
5.Can’t sign Cj then Sign Kuroda for 1yr 10M giving Angels money for next yr to shop for SP’s
6.Sign a closer Matt Capps
7.Promote David Carpenter to the Majors
8.Sign Another RP to strengthen the Pen
9. Or save the money instead of signing another RP
Starters
Starting Pitcher-
1.Weaver,
2.Cj/Kuroda/Buhrle
3.Haren
4.Santana
5.Chatwood/Richards/Williams/Shoemaker
Bull Pen
Closer: Capps/Walden
8th inning: Downs/Walden/Capps
7th: Thompson,Cassevah,Takahashi,Trevor Bell,David Carpenter
Starters
Catcher-Conger
First Base-Trumbo
2nd- Howie
3rd-Callaspo
SS- Aybar
LF-Wells
CF-Peter
RF-Hunter/Trout if trout is ready
DH-Morales/Hunter again if trout is ready or Morales aint ready
Bench
Ramon Hernandez
Maicer Izturis
(If trout is ready) Or if Morales aint ready
Hunter(switch btwn Rf/Dh)
Morales(sit when hunter/wells Dh)
Trout(switch with Hunter RF)
Wells(switch btwn DH/LF)
Like your lineups, but I say Haren is better than any of those 3 mentioned in the #2 spot
Ya well if we get Cj i think Cj could split Weaver and Haren..but if they get Kuroda/Buhrle then they can be #4’s
Interested in yet another expensive outfielder, huh? I say heck no. Not saying that Cepedes is going to be another GMJ or VW but our outfield is staked as it is and we don’t need to spend all that money on him.
IF they do sign him…..then they could deal PBJ for another necessary piece…..look at the options….they also could use him to replace Torii who could be dealt now or at the TDL….having “interest” just means they are looking at ALL options
True, but he is WAY too expensive considering that he NEVER appeared in a Major League game. Not worth the asking price of $35-50MM, and I’m tired of our front office gambling with these outfielders. Cepedes might have all the potential in the world, but he is not a great fit for my Angels.
Another bs report. We really just need a damn closer! Chatwood and Williams will get you 20 wins for league minimum. What else do you expect from your 4/5 starters? I know we need more but this offseason, the FA’s are not what the Angels need. Trade for Kevin Kouzmanoff. Give them Callaspo, Richarson and take on their salaries(will give Padres room to buy some much needed players). Padre’s have a great 3rd baseman prospect that is waiting to play. DO NOT trade PBJ because this kid is going to put up so Elsbury numbers in the next 3 years when he hits his power prime. Morales is a lost cause and Trumbo will be an amazing power hitter for years to come.
If Morales comes back 110% i say Trade Trumbo and others during the Trade deadline for a big bat..If not then Angels are stuck with Trumbo
Being stuck w Trumbo is a good thing. This kid will get better and better. He already proved it this season by laying off the outside slider after it was his kryptonite. The numbers he put up as a Rookie are great and he looks like a franchise player in the making. If Morales comes back healthy, then you have your DH because Abreu and Hunter only have a year left. Plus Trumbo can play outfield when Wells is finally gone. You don’t trade a cheap player that produces for you.
sorry but Trumbo Sucks only reason why he was noticed was because of Power and he was the only power Angels got away from Wells,Hunter.Everything else was horrible..Kid either hit it out or it was an out..Eric Hosmer was way better than Trumbo..Unless Trumbo proves that he can hit under pressure and hit line drives and actually get on base to help the team every at bat instead of hitting a homer once every 4 games he is going to suck…So if Trumbo proves me wrong next season which i really hope he does..Then Angels keep him but if not then Angels should trade him
Angels Need a Closer..Knowing now that Bell won’t cost Angels a pick i say now go after Bell..He is a Fastball type of guy just like Walden..I think Walden can benefit from Bell and Angels will benefit from Bell.. 2nd Sign Kuroda/Buerhle so they can be #4.. forget about Cj he wants way to much money..3rd Sign Ramon Hernandez..That’s all the Halos need..They need a big bat but that ain’t gona happen everything is full on our roster and everything that we can get rid of is just to much $.. like Dipoto and many others in MLBTR have been saying just focus on more pitching
I feel CJ Wilson would be a great addition to the Angels’ rotation. He’s thrown 200+ innings the past 2 years as a starter and has been pretty dominant during the regular season. Everyone is skeptical about his postseason woes, but he was THE guy for Texas. Here in Anaheim, he’d be the #3 or #4 starter…he’d come in out of the pen during the Division Series and he’d be the Game 4 starter during the Championship and World Series. I’d take that in a heart beat if we can get him, don’t you guys think? I’d much rather see Wilson out there ever 5 days over Jerome Williams, Chatwood, Bell, or Richards!
I’d also like to see the Angels sign Ramon Hernandez to a 1 or 2 year contract worth a total of 3-4 Mil. He made $3 Mil last year and was ok with the Reds…batted .281 with 12 hrs and 36 rbis. I believe he was injured for a short while as well. He’d be a nice addition and could definitely help turnover the lineup to the top.
As an Angel fan, I’m not hopeful in regards to Kendrys Morales. I think he’s done for…he’s been out WAY TOO LONG and I would not expect him to be anywhere near where he left off in ’10. If we could trade him and get decent value for him, I think that’s our best bet. I also feel we should shop Bobby Abreu around to see what we could get for him. I feel we could revamp our farm system by trading Kendrys and Abreu. Thus, freeing up money for next year! Thoughts?
Lastly, our bullpen. I think I’m preaching to the choir, but we could use one or two more vets to round out our ‘pen. I would LOVE LOVE LOVE a guy like Ryan Madson at the back end of our rotation. He’s got a proven track record and he’s pitched in very meaningful games for Phillies. While I like Heath Bell A LOT, we still don’t know what he can do during meaningful games since he really hasn’t been a part of one. I also think he’d be more expensive than a guy like Madson. Thoughts?
I’d rather have Bell because he resides in San Diego and would be a happy presences in the Bullpen. Happiness in your surroundings is huge for a pitcher. It’s a mental position and That’s why the Angels will offer Cj Wilson a low offer, just hoping he wants to be close to home. But both Wilson and Bell are money hungry, so you will not see either of them in an Angels’ uniform. Wish there were more players like Weaver out there! Rumors that Andrew Bailey of the A’s is a trade option.
yeaaa…3 straight seasons of negative Win Probability Added. seems legit
You’re thinking of Proctor. Linebrink had a 3.86 ERA in May, a 1.50 ERA in June, and a 1.74 ERA in July. He was bad in March, August, and September.
Overall he was mediocre, but he was a reliable bullpen arm for three straight months.
I’m confused as to how he ended up with a negative WAR last year. He wasn’t great but he was far from terrible. That being said, you could probably get almost as good (if not just as good) production from one of your better AAA guys for a lot less money.
The Angels are going to sell a lot of season tickets anyways. Fans have been expressing their discontent for 2 years. Attendance went down in 2011, lowest since 2003.
If I remember correctly, the Angels offered Crawford a contract. There were conflicting reports though on the dollar amount. I remember the Angels offer being lower than Boston’s, but there were reports stating that the Angels offered the same amount and Crawford simply chose the Red Sox over the Angels.
I will agree with you somewhat though on the whole Beltre debacle. Beltre was practically begging the Angels to sign him because he lives close to the stadium. I’m sure the Angels were genuinely interested in him, but they weren’t going to pay him what he wanted. It’s a two-way street and if Beltre wanted to play for the Angels in such a bad way, he should have been willing to leave a little bit of money on the table. In the end, Beltre took the better contract offer rather than sacrificing a bit to stay close to home, but I personally feel that the Angels should have pitched in a bit more cash to close the deal.
Umm… ook
yeah there were guys who certainly pitched far worse, but Linebrink was easily replaceable.
It’s true.
What “protection” did Matt Kemp have? Would he have batted .400/.490/.840 with 60 homers with someone good hitting behind him instead of Rivera/Loney/Uribe?
Hmm good idea =) gota create an acc
Hmm good idea =) gota create an acc
I can’t post anything tho
No, but it gives you better pitches to hit.
I hope it IS what happens with Wilson.
Erick Aybar Career Stats Batting Lead-Off
.284/.331/.400
Peter Bourjos Career Stats Batting Lead-Off
.254/.276/.467