Here's the latest from the Big A…
- With the closer market quickly shrinking, Francisco Cordero could "fall in [the] Angels' laps," reports ESPN Los Angeles' Mark Saxon.
- Albert Pujols will have trouble living up to his massive contract on the field, but Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times examines how Pujols' arrival has impacted ticket sales, merchandise sales and the overall value of the franchise.
- MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez looks at what it might cost the Halos to lock up Dan Haren and Ervin Santana to contract extensions. The team has options on both pitchers ($15.5MM for Haren, $13MM for Santana) for 2013. Haren will be 32 in September and, as durable as Haren has been, I'd argue the Angels should wait until this season is through before exploring an extension. A source tells Gonzalez that the Angels haven't discussed a new contract with Santana yet.
- Also from Gonzalez, he reports that GM Jerry Dipoto declined to comment on the status of Erick Aybar's extension talks. LAA has already signed one infielder (Howie Kendrick) to a multiyear deal this week.
Can someone explain to me why the Angels aren’t looking to just stick with Walden at closer? He’s younger, cheaper, throws harder and has a lot more improvement on the horizon than Cordero.
There’s a lot still for Walden to learn. Cordero could be the teacher.
Isn’t that what they brought Hawkins in to do?
Walden is definitely the closer of the future, but whether that future is 2012 remains to be seen.
He showed tremendous upside last season and posted very solid numbers, but he racked up double digits in the blown saves column. One could argue that he cost the Angels the wild card last season, though you’ll never hear it from me.
Throwing hard is nice, but that’s all Walden is right now…a thrower, not a pitcher. He still has much to learn, and quite frankly his mechanics need some fine-tuning if he intends to lower his BB/9 rate.
It’s nice to believe Walden will transmute the experience he gained last year into increased success this coming season, but there’s no guarantee that will happen.
Angels are in win now mode, and while they’re heavily favored to make the playoffs with the extra wild card spot, a 1-game playoff is still horrifying. Winning the division will become more crucial than ever, and I’m just not sure they can do it with the 2011 version of Walden.
Even if Walden remains the closer (and despite my concerns, I’m not at all opposed to it), bringing in a veteran with tons of closing experience to mentor Walden (and heck, Cordero would certainly further solidify the bullpen in the process) for 1 season at a modest price (open for interpretation) seems like a smart decision.
He has trouble with his breaking stuff and pitching with two strikes
Watching Pujols fold under the pressure while he swings and misses at pitches that hit him will be better than the Cardinals winning the division in 2012.
Sour grapes much?
Yep, sour grapes. I hope he is a bust!
Hope the best for him but glad he’s gone. No way the Cards stay competitive having to pay him for 10 years.
No it wouldn’t, and I doubt he’d be that bad when he’s only 32. I have conflicting feelings on how good I want him to do with the Angels. His career has been so great that it would be a shame to see his production slip. On the other hand, I don’t want him to get near the value of his contract, and I don’t want him to be in the top 5 of MVP anymore.
If the Reds couldn’t get a 1st rd sandwich pick for Cordero, I would want him back to set up for Madson.. Great guy, great in the clubhouse, absolutely amazing in the community, is a leader/mentor and a very reliable RP. His velocity might have dipped a bit this year, but he still can be very effective and save upwards of 35-40 games in 2012. I wish him luck. He pitched wonderful for the Reds during his 4 years here. In a way I am sorry to see him go, but we have Ryan Madson in the 9th so no worries here especially with Sean Marshall in the 8th.