Albert Pujols is a great problem to have. The Angels created a serious logjam by signing the greatest hitter of the generation last month, as they now have about five players — Mark Trumbo, Kendrys Morales, Vernon Wells, Torii Hunter, Bobby Abreu — competing for the two corner outfield spots and DH. That doesn't include Mike Trout, another outfielder and arguably the best prospect in baseball.
The Angels have indicated a willingness to keep Abreu because his left-handed bat helps balance out a righty heavy lineup, plus Wells and Hunter are unlikely to be traded given their salaries. Trumbo and Morales are first basemen like Pujols, and figure to be among the first to go if a trade is made.
Trumbo, 26 next week and with five years of team control left, finished second in the AL Rookie of the Year voting in 2011. That was due to his gaudy home run (29) and RBI (87) totals though, not his batting average (.254) or OBP (.291). Power is becoming harder to find these days, and Trumbo certainly has plenty of it. We know the Angels are looking for bullpen help, and if yesterday's Anthony Rizzo trade is any indication, the Angels could get a young, cost controlled power arm for their bullpen by dealing their incumbent first baseman. I'm just speculating, but the Indians, Pirates, Brewers, and Rays make sense as trade partners.
Morales, on the other hand, is 28 with just two more years of team control left. His value is way down because he hasn't played in a year and a half due to leg and ankle injuries, though he's recently been cleared "ramp up" baseball activities during his rehab according to Mike DiGiovanna of The Los Angeles Times. Prior to the injury, he'd hit .302/.353/.548 with 45 homers in 203 games from 2009-2010. The Halos would probably be selling low on Morales by trading him now, but they stand to save just about $3MM by moving him according to our projections. Again, those same four teams make sense as trade partners.
The Angels have indicated that Trumbo will work out at third base during Spring Training to see if he can get some at-bats there, but they might not have a better trade chip at their disposal (assuming Trout is off the table). It's worth noting that they just signed Jorge Cantu to a minor league deal to serve as depth at both corner infield spots, so they have some protection there.
Send Trumbo right to the Rays and save this off season.
seems like a rays type of player.
I know his OBP is low, I know we want a lefty 1B and I know he will be costly prospect wise but I also know he has power and he needs to be hitting behind Longoria.
I like Trumbo on the Rays. The power and the cost-control is a good fit.
the lack of defensive flexibility and obp is not
Friedman never buys high on a player
Enough with the Friedman is a genius talk. He wouldn’t be buying high on Trumbo. Sometimes you just need to fill a position and considering their financial constraints, this is a sweet deal for both. The Rays don’t have many solid bullpen arms, so I propose Trumbo for Wade Davis straight up. If each team needs to add a complimentary piece (lower level prospect each) to complete the deal, fine. The Angels could then turn around and flip a package Morales and Wade to the Indians or Pirates for something more useful.
Trumbo for Wade Davis I think I just threw up in my mouth a little bit. I hope not.
A little lucky with Matt Moore being the 245th pick in the 8th round in 2007, you make a few of those picks and you look like a genius. Oh, and they got Price as the first pick that year.
lol k .
Trumbo can play mostly DH and can play OF as well. I’d like to resign Kotchman as our full time 1B. Trumbo can also play there to give Kotch a break
The Rays can have Trumbo if they’re willing to part ways with Jake McGee and send Alex Torres back to the Angels.
You have got to be kidding me. Trumbo has a sub-300 OBP. That’s TERRIBLE. Unless he’s hitting 50 HR a year with that number (and he’s not), there is no way he’s worth McGee OR Torres.
No, Scotty is not kidding, just unwilling to part with Trumbo if a team doesn’t overpay for him. And I agree.
You have to keep in mind that trumbo was a rookie and his OBP will only get better…
If the Rays want to infuse 30+ HR’s and a .260 BA into their lineup for the next 5 years at a low price, it’s going to cost them. THe Angels are certainly winners in that trade but make no mistake, there’s no reason for the Angels to deal Mark Trumbo when they’ll have room for him somewhere unless another team is willing to overpay in good prospects/players that fill the future needs of the Angels.
I don’t think we’re parting with McGee. But I have no problems sending Torres back. Even though Wade Davis will be the most likely candidate to be shipped
How about we send you JP Howell and Reid Brignac for Trumbo. You get a left handed reliever with Howell and I no longer have to keep a bottle of Pepto on standby when he comes into the game.
Nah, Angels are already set on lefty relievers and have 3 or 4 SS better than Brignac already.
Trade Trumbo and that atrocious OBP
Oh boo hoo, he had a bad statistical category in his first major league season, TIME TO SHIP THE SORRY SAP OUT OF TOWN.
I’m sorry, you don’t trade guys that hit 30 HR’s on a whim. He’s under team control for 5 more seasons at a very affordable price currently.
I’d rather trade you and your atrocious logic.
he’s never really shown the ability to take a walk and get on base consistently.. why should anyone expect that to change all of a sudden?
given his defensive short comings,his obp is a serious hurdle.
your logic is more likely to be DFA’d
I’d be careful there, as while it may not change “all of a sudden” in the big leagues, Trumbo did have a 10% BB% in Triple-A in 2010. Sure, that doesn’t mean he’ll be able to duplicate that number in the big leagues next year, but it’s been demonstrated that batting eye is a skill that CAN be learned.
1 outlier year.. in the pcl, where no teams put good pitching prospects and where AAAA pitchers nimble because fly balls leave the yard.
the rest of his bb% are terrible, especially when coupled with his k%..
he’s posted sub .800 OPS in 4 out of his 6 minor league seasons.. that just doesn’t cut it from a mlb 1B
if he can play average 3B defense, then maybe he’ll become an everyday player
..and he had a 9% rate in 2006. Point is, it’s possible he could learn enough discipline to be a .270/.340/.520 type guy. Just so-so at best for 1B, but yeah if he can play third, that certainly would help his long-term outlook.
Even with a 10% rate he would have to have an at least reasonable batting average to have a decent OBP.
If the Angels were relying on him to anchor their offense then yes, I’d be inclined to agree with you, fortunately thus is not the case, saving me the displeasure of agreeing with yet another person who doesn’t think things through…
I will NEVER expect his OBP to be in the .370-.400 range, but .330-.340 would be fine. In his last 2 minor league seasons he averaged an OBP of .350.
He’s more than capable, he needs to make some minor adjustments to the bevy of breaking balls he saw last year.
A rookie campaign with a low OBP isn’t the end of the world…and CERTAINLY doesn’t justify trading him.
Your logic is relegated to the DL.
No matter what you say, there is absolutely no reason for the Angels to keep Trumbo. Pujols is the best hitter any of us have ever seen play, he plays 1B, so trade whoever you have at 1B to strengthen other areas. Total no brainer to get rid of him.
A .327 wOBA at twenty-five isn’t spectacular for a first baseman. He is the third best first basemen under contract. Why would they want to keep him?
jim hendry, is that you?
How long have you been a baseball fan? Random players hit 30+ HR all the freaking time. Trumbo is just another one of them.
he hit 30 HRs and was still only 5% more productive than a league average hitter. that was the 5th worst performance in the league at 1B
special power does not a special offensive player make
I want to see Trumbo try 3rd base before a trade is made.
I want to see Morales be 110% healthy before a trade gets made
^ That and ^ That. The Angels need to find out what they have first.
Can’t happen like that unfortunately. They can’t all be on the 25 man roster and having 5 of the same player for 1 or 2 positions and on the bench is just a stupid way to run a team. Scioscia would never go for that. He would want better flexibility off the bench. One, if not both, will be gone by the end of January. There are just two many intelligent ways to work this, while the Angels have these assets available for a trade.
I agree with Morales, disagree with Trumbo. Morales is well below peak value and Trumbo arguably wont ever have as much value as he does now. Trumbo is a definite trade, Morales is a wait and see, unless LAA gets an offer of something decent for him. He’s the risk.
Also, btw. Those 4 teams, none of them have a power back end arm. Rays have a lot of power arms in the minors but I don’t think the Angels care for that. Unless, they love Farnsworth for some reason, I don’t see that matching up well.
Jim Johnson for Morales?
Indians have two. Chris Perez (an All-Star last year) and Vinny Pestano.
The Braves have a few . And we also have a need in our OF and possibly 3rd next year .
I doubt Trumbo or Morales brings back any good power arms.
trade wells 2
Get Reagins a GM position, then you’re in business…
The only person idiotic enough to trade for Wells is currently out of a GM job.
Chone figgins for trumbo make it happen
Thats actually a decent deal.
If they expect Trout to break camp with the team, they should look into trading Bourjous. Trade Trumbo, their values will never be higher than they are now, don’t bother with Trumbo at 3rd, Callaspo is better.
Trout, Wells and Hunter in the OF, Morales at DH.
Wells should never, ever be in CF.
EDIT: I didn’t know Trout played CF.
Bourjos is still better than any of Wells/Abreu/Hunter/Trumbo/Morales, so he shouldn’t be traded.
Trout should be in CF.
edited, thanks.
Trouts a CF I thought?
and what happens in 2013? Trumbo and PBJ and Hunter and Abreu..Would be gone..So who plays RF then? Along with DH because we still don’t know if Morales can even play again and if he can play can he play in the level he was playing in before he got injured.
I didn’t realize Bourjos was as good as he was. I should probably check the statsheet before I post next time. Sticky situation for the Angels. Bourjos approach at the plate is awful but he’s an elite defender.
They are so flush with cash, Wells shouldn’t be taking playing time away from anyone.
He is an Elite defender and his bat would get better..During the end of the season he showed what he could do and with posting Double digits in every offensive category Doubles, Triples,Homers,Stolen base’s..Expect him to be a good threat on base next year
No thanks! Hunter and Wells will both be gone in a couple of years. A future outfield of Trout and Bourjous will be one of the best if not the best defensive outfield tandems in the league, given that Trout actually lives up to expectations. I think and correct me if I’m wrong but Bourjous saved the most runs in the league last year, and his bat was pretty solid to end the season.
Oh man, yet another “ship X player out of town because my team could use him” proposal.
Yeah…dude. Let’s ship out arguably the best defensive CF in the game who has a higher offensive ceiling than most realize just so Trout can play a position that better suits his speed.
Thanks for the morning laugh, much appreciated.
I never said I wanted Bourjos for my team, but creating a strawman is much appreciated.
Bourjos is better than I thought, but I don’t think the Mariners would be too disappointed today if they had traded Gutierrez after his 2009 season.
i think the jays should get morales and try him out at 1st, as an alternative to committing a lot of money to prince. i like that he’s a switch hitter, and i think he has a team friendly contract? either way, he’d be a good fit for the jays if he’s healthy, imo.
Oh no you don’t. We are running out of guys to get for 1B and the Jays have stolen enough from us just in the last year.
you snooze, you lose 🙂
morales for encarnacion and perez.
The “logjam” is temporary, Abreu and Hunter are both gone after 2012. Why trade either one?
You get +3 intelligence points.
I’m so sick and tired of everyone pushing this issue. Trading either one at this juncture is stupid.
Couldn’t agree more.. The only log jam we are going to have in 2013 will be Trumbo.. Assuming Morales does come back 110% and takes over DH.. Unless Trumbo learns how to play 3rd or if They actually replace Wells for Trumbo in LF.
Morales wont get much in return. Trumbo’s stock is probably as high as it ever will be. Sticking him at 3rd might lower that value if he cant make it and other clubs know he must be traded. Morales is a lefty and if he can return to some kind of form, it’s better to keep the bat form the left side who can also hit from the right side too.
trumbo plays third he’ll re injury his foot ..just like yook did in boston
Lineup of Trumbo, Pujols, Morales, and trout is deadly and defense of Borjous, Aybar, Kendrick, Hunter, and comeback from Wells. Not to mention four great starters Angel Vs. Ranger games are going to be a whole lott better lol. They better be showing on espn lol
Trumbo is awful, I´d rather have Russell Branyan or Brad Hawpe…
Omar Minaya, is that you?
Troll.
I’ll keep Morales until his value is sky high when he cracks the allstar team in KC then we trade em :). Right now hes not worth much why trade ? lol makes no sense lol
So then it makes more sense to trade a guy playing at an All-Star level when you’re trying to win a championship?
Exactly. The same reason other teams want to take a “low-risk high-reward” flyer on Morales is the SAME EXACT REASON the Angels should keep him.
If he returns to form…congratulations. It’s like you acquired not one but two MVP caliber 1st basemen this offseason. THEN you have a real trade chip that will net multiple quality prospects/major league piece. Or you can ride the wave into 2013 (his last under team control), offer arbitration and collect draft picks (working under premise that he’d be type-A since this entire hypothetical is predicated on his return to 2009 form).
If he doesn’t regain his 2009 form this year, oh well…you lost 3 million and a fringe prospect from some team buying low. Not the end of the world.
Keep both. They’re under team control, and bullpen needs are almost always exaggerated.
The Pirates are desperate for some kind of a power bat. Maybe some kind of a deal could be worked for either Evan Meek or Joel Hanrahan involving Morales or Trumbo?
Not much trade value with Meek, and I’d have to think if the Pirates would trade Hanrahan, they’d probably do it for prospects.
Trumbo smacks 30-35 bombs no problem regardless of the position why trade him now when we have another 5-6 years of control. He showed alot last year this kid is humble, works hard, and stepped up in key spots all of last year I’ll keep him and see how hes doing 3 years down the road
Thank you for utilizing common sense.
People keep pointing to his low OBP last season as justification for trading him, and it’s ludicrous.
1) Rookie.
2) Big swing.
3) NO protection behind him.
4) Rookie.
5) Rookie.
Yeah guys, he’s the first power hitter to ever struggle with plate discipline in his rookie season in the history of the game. Time to ship his worthless rump out of town. Makes sense!
if only we had more data on trumbo..unfortunately he went straight from little league to the majors, so no one really knows what hes going to do in the future..
or no wait. he did player in the minors, where he posted a below average .330 obp in 5 MiLB seasons.
but he’ll totally all of a sudden learn pitch recognition, how to control the zone and how to work a walk at 26, despite the 5 seasons of minor leagues where he failed to do so..
totally reasonable assumption
Don’t bother. It’s clear that some people are wearing rose-colored glasses when it comes to Trumbo.
He could remain a somewhat-valuable player, but some Angels fans who think he’s magically going to develop plate discipline after a career of showing NO plate discipline are foolish.
Chances are the league will figure him out next year and reality will hit hard. Look at Tyler Colvin.
If the Angels brass thought Trumbo was THAT good, why would they have went out and acquired Pujols?
It wasn’t just his rookie year, he only put up an even respectable OBP once in the minor leagues. His BB% last year was only slightly lower than his minor league average.
“NO protection behind him.”
protection would have decreased his walks. so your list is down to “he has a big swing and was a rookie”
if it were true that all rookies get better, that might be interesting. but they don’t. and trumbo’s particular profile (power, no discipline) is terribly common among AAAA types
that’s not a prediction that he’ll be an AAAA type — i don’t have a dog in this fight — it’s just a reality check to be balanced against that “rookies get better!” dogma
LOL. Not only does protection in the lineup matter, but it applies to players who are well below league average. Okay.
Is he also a gamer who’s loved in the clubhouse and who also comes out and gives 110% each and every day?
My God, they really want us to trade soemone dont they, were gonna need alot for it tho
I can see the Dodgers being in the mix for Morales, but not before May.
It appears on the surface that the Angels would be selling high on Trumbo, but I’m not sure other organizations are that high on him. I feel if that were the case, I think we’d have heard alot more action from other clubs already. I just don’t think he’s going to get the return right now that would make the Angels push the button on a deal this early.
should put together a package of trumbo, and other pieces for david wright. atleast in a perfect world. we would only get him for a year, but i think he would resign
The Mets have enough 1st baseman, and at least three of them are better than Trumbo. No thanks.
That’s actually not a bad move for both teams, especially the Mets who need to reduce payroll. Trumbo’s power wouldn’t play up very well at Bailout Park, though.
One’s coming off a near career-ending injury. The other has showed great power but his OBP leaves alot desired. And the last is past his prime and slowly in decline. I think we NEED the logjam, even if it’s just an insurance policy.
I say trade Trumbo because his value is likely at his highest. I always expect guys with high K’s and low BB rates to deteriorate, and the coaching staff will probably give him less attention with that huge jam of guys. Morales is at his lowest value and showed how valuable he is in a full season. The only thing I truly like about Trumbo is his monstrous 40 homer power potential, but again who knows if he’ll get there if he keeps doesn’t improve his patience
My feeling is, though, that if Trumbo was seen as having any real potential..teams would already be onto him. He just doesn’t seem to draw much heat. I think the idea of him being compared as to trade value with Morales is a little telling..given the value of young controllable players.
I’m wondering if Baltimore would be a fit?
Trumbo feels to me like the power hitting DH/1B for a second division club.
How about the Phillies as a trade partner – IF….IF Trumbo shows he can handle 3B?
Why? Polanco is gone after this season, they need someone to fill in for Howard while he rehabs, Trumbo can also be a spare OF when Howard is back and then take over for Polanco in 2013.
Also, the Phillies have a number of young, bullpen power arms that might interest the Angels.
That’s never going to happen. You’re just throwing teams out there to trade with. Right now the halos should try to add one RP before the season, and then sit tight. Morales has no trade value right now because of his uncertainness of his injury, so idk why every wants to trade him. Also if Morales does ever return back to full strength you guys are underestimating his abilities. The halos would have two of the top 5 hitters in the AL in their lineup. They would have the best righty lefty hitting tandem in the MLB now that the Braun-Fielder duo is split.
Not at all. Phils will have a future need at 3B.
Angels are looking for bullpen help. The Phillies have some young power arms
(Stutes & De Fratus are just two of
them.) Some of the questions are a) would the Phils even be interested (they
value defense and we don’t know if Trumbo can play 3B), b) would the Angels be
interested in any of the Phils young arms, c) would the Phils even be
interested in moving one or some of those arms for a defender like Trumbo, d) are
the Angles even considering trading Trumbo – especially if he can adequately
play 3B. If he can’t play 3B, I’m pretty
sure the Phils wouldn’t have any interest anyway. They have Howard at 1B, and are pretty well
set in the OF for the next couple of years….and, they do value pitching.
You must be talking about AGonz and Youk!
morales a top 5 AL hitter? lolwut
morales a top 5 AL hitter? lolwut
If he can play 3rd the Angels would just keep him
Yep, that’s a possibility. A suggested trading partner is not a determination of a perfect fit.
It’s not a possibility. IF Trumbo can play 3B, he is the Angels regular 3B end of story. If you said that Phillies could use Trumbo as a Howard replacement when hurt and then put him in LF, i would have maybe agreed. Don’t see them as a potential fit.
Keep them both. Morales is not certain; Hunter and Abreu are a year older; Trumbo might not even be 100%. Too many IF’s and there will likely be an injury to one or two of the veterans. The depth the team has is the depth the team will need come July and August. The Angels can still sign a reliever to a one year contract, or just wait until Madson’s market dwindles to the point where he’s at 1 or 2 year status as either set up man or closer. I think trading anyone right now is premature, especially with all the free agents the Angels have next offseason.
If the Angels are going to trade someone, they should trade Wells for pennies on the dollar and run Trumbo out there in LF. Playing with Bourjos in CF and Trout in RF will help make up for Trumbo’s expected lack of range.
They need to talk to the commissioner’s office right now and get permission to include the cash to pay 85% or so of Wells’ awful contract and move him somewhere. Anywhere.
Or, they can trade Morales to my Orioles for Kevin Gregg. 🙂
They need to talk to the commissioner’s office right now and get permission?
What and disturb Selig during Nap Time on Alphabet Pillows or Coloring Book Afternoons? Why would the Angels have to ask permission? Just be like Theo Epstein and do what you want, when you want. Permission! Ha!
On a more serious note, I was thinking the O’s could get Dan Haren for Guthrie and Gregg. Oh wait that isn’t serious…. hmmm I don’t know. Maybe this will work, the Orioles should just disband and divset all assets, so we can get rid of Angelos!
I would take a flyer on Morales if I could- even if I had 1B filled I’d give him a shot in left.
Left field is a great place for a guy to rehab his shattered ankle.
I’ll try to make sense of this all.
1. Peter Bourjos will not be traded. He’s the best defensive CF in baseball and an OF defense with him and Trout in it would be unparalleled.
2. The likelihood of the Angels dealing Mark Trumbo is slim. He’s a native of Anaheim, is cheap, athletic and can play 1B/RF/LF/DH and may add 3B to that list before long. Low OBP aside, it’s hard to replace 30 HR’s in your lineup. Plus he did that as a rookie, who’s to say in 2-3 years Trumbo won’t be hitting 40+ HR’s a year?
3. Morales shouldn’t and won’t be dealt this year. The angels would be selling extremely low. Plus if he’s healthy, he’s the only player on the team worthy of hitting behind Albert Pujols. Paying 3 million a year for potentially .300 and 30 HR’s is a risk the Angels are perfectly willing to take.
4. The logjam is a very temporary phenomena. Hunter and Abreu will both hit free agency or retire after the season. That opens up RF for Mike Trout in 2013. If Trumbo and Morales are both healthy and hitting the hell out of the ball by then and Trumbo’s unable to play 3B, THEN you can trade him. But until then you keep Trumbo.
5. The Angels don’t have any glaring weaknesses right now and are primed to make a run at the World Series. They don’t need to make a trade and thus should only trade if they are blown away by someone’s offer.
Are you Trumbo’s agent? No one has ever ever ever referred to that guy as “athletic”. He’s never played LF either and was a total butcher in RF. His ceiling defensively is league average 1B and his floor is a bad one. His value wont ever be as high as it is now, as he’s too much of a free swinger and those types dont often last too long unless their name is Alfonso Soriano. Trumbo looks too much like Mike Jacobs right now to bother looking at him as a keeper.
Thanks for making sense of it all, halowood.
Trade Trumbo while his value is at it’s highest, even though it shouldn’t be very high.
The Braves would like to upgrade at LF and possibly 3rd for next year after Chipper’s retirement starts (hopefully) . We also have some trade chips available . Sounds like the Angels could use an everyday 3rd baseman and a hard thrower for their pen . Would a deal for either Prado or Vizcaino straight up get a deal done for Trumbo ?
The Angels would definitely bite if the Braves offered up a prospect of Vizcaino’s upside.
Vizcaino for Trumbo is a fail for the Braves.
Doubt either of them are moved. I would hope that DiPoto can find something for Abreu, even if it’s just to save $2-$3 mil. Morales and Trumbo’s combined salary this year will be right in the $2-$3 mil range. I think that’s a pretty low risk for the potential high reward if Morales can come back healthy and Trumbo can play an adequate 3b.
Trumbo will not be able to do much until spring training starts. If he recovers quickly and can prove he can play 3b, then that is ideal. if he comes back a little later in ST but shows that he can handle a little bit of 3B, i expect him to go to the minors for a few weeks, a month tops, and then return. It is also very possible that he comes into ST, can’t play 3b, and is relegated to OF and DH. Then we could see some action.
This all depends on how Trumbo and Morales come back from their injuries. If Morales does not come back, there is no logjam. If both come back and are healthy and Trumbo cannot play 3b, i would trade Trumbo.
I would like to see Trumbo in an Indians uni. We NEED RH power! I know some of his stats aren’t good, but I’d take them over LaPorta!
Look for an Alex Gordonian rise in LaPorta’s stock this year.
Angel fans, what do you say about this?
Wade Davis to give you a SICK 1-5
Kyle Farnsworth who found his potential finally last year and would be great in Anaheim
Tim Beckham – Aybar wants a lot, future SS right here
for Trumbo and Bor…your CF, I can’t spell his name.
Doubt Angels trade Bourjos. I might do Trumbo and Bourjos for Shields but that isn’t happening either haha
Doubt Angels trade Bourjos. I might do Trumbo and Bourjos for Shields but that isn’t happening either haha
We’ve all been seeing Farnsworth finally find his potential for year now, Wade Davis isn’t good, and Beckham was dangerously close to being called a bust, and the Angels can afford Aybar if he does want a lot. I could see Trumbo being traded and maybe Bourjos if the price is right (doubtful), but this just sucks.
The thing that’s hard is if you keep Trumbo your keeping someone who hit 30 bombs (fluke or not) in a part time position until the old guys are gone. So your rewarding a guy who jn a rookie yearled your team in hrs by trading him or demoting him…
Might as well trade him and get another piece you need
This is the best Angels lineup, IMO
1B: Albert
2B: H. Kendrick
SS: E. Aybar
3B: A. Callaspo
C: C. Iannetta
LF: M. Trout
CF: P. Bourjos
RF: T. Hunter
DH: ?
Bench: V. Wells, H. Conger, M. Izturis, ?
That leaves Wells, Abreu, Trumbo, Morales for DH. Presumably Wells just becomes an expensive 4th OF (and he’s actually a decent option as a 4th), so that leaves Abreu, Trumbo and Morales battling for the sole DH spot. Due to whats happened the past, you would think Morales has the highest ceiling of the trio and thats who should be kept, but having Abreu around for another year couldn’t hurt, as to help give Trout another excellent veteran mentor along with Hunter. DH isn’t a difficult position to fill anyway. Defensively, the above unit is outstanding, and that’s whats most important here.
Conclusion: Unless they want to come off the bench, Trumbo and Morales really have no home with the Angels anymore and should be traded for more pitching depth.
Hoping Friedman breaks his “prospects are too valuable” and “we cant overpay” golden rule and gives whatever it takes to Trumbo. Not only do we need that bat but hey, kinda cool to have the 2011 ROTY and runner up on the same team with Moore the favorite for the 2012 ROTY.
Trumbo’s not the type of player you give whatever it takes for. He’s really not that good.
Trumbo is probably a better DH than Abreu, who should probably be DFA’d or benched at this point.
You don’t spend 300MM+ on free agents in one offseason and then NOT field the best team.
Of course, this is Mike Scioscia, who gave lots of PAs to Jeff Mathis, so Trumbo is best off traded.
this poll if flawed, it should have a ‘Trade Pujols’ option
You obviously know nothing about how baseball works. “Most Knowledgeable Fans in Baseball”…ha.
Get over losing Pujols.
You obviously know nothing about how sarcasm works.
Get over not passing third grade.
Morales should go trumbo played a lot better
Angel fans, fans of other teams, I would watch out. There is a reason everyone calls Friedman a genius and it’s because he always makes a great move out of no where and he says a cryptic line right before he does so. Well, the cryptic line was just said, start your clocks.
#Rays Friedman: Confident we’ll get 2 hitters who “complement our existing offense and fit in very well.” Trades + FA still in play
Lefty and a Righty to complement each other
Trade for Trumbo
FA is Damon
Calling it.
Awesome! We’ll take Price and Shields.
yah baseball cards maybe
Angel fans, fans of other teams, I would watch out. There is a reason everyone calls Friedman a genius and it’s because he always makes a great move out of no where and he says a cryptic line right before he does so. Well, the cryptic line was just said, start your clocks.
#Rays Friedman: Confident we’ll get 2 hitters who “complement our existing offense and fit in very well.” Trades + FA still in play
Lefty and a Righty to complement each other
Trade for Trumbo
FA is Damon
Calling it.
i’d like 2 see the cards get in on morales. they have berkman at 1st now so no rushing kendry to everyday but berk is gone after this season. plus the cards showed they had some pretty good live young arms in the postseason.
I don’t even see why it comes down to Morales or Trumbo. I think a young bomber like Trumbo is much more enticing then old bomber Morales. I think either one could get a decent return
there is a 2 year age difference and morales hit 5 more hr’s, hit for .50 more points in avg., and had .60+ higher OBP., in his first full year at 1st Base… Morales is much better. How can u protect Pujols if you keep striking out behind him.
As much as I want one of the Angels 1B on the Rays, it would be interesting if the Cardinals wound up with a former Angel at 1B. Make it look like the worst deal ever, Pujols for Morales (let’s try to forget salaries in this scenario…)
i wouldn’t mind that at all except there would be absolutely no where to put him, i mean yeah, he could be a good backup, but that would be a waste of talent for the trade
If the Angels are looking for a backend power pitcher than the Cubs should trade them Marmol for Trumbo. This could give the Cubs a nice corner infield of Rizzo and Trumbo for the future, plus Trumbo could compete for 1B this year with Rizzo and Lahair. The Cubs could always move Stewart over to 2B if Trumbo played 3B.
If the Angels are looking for a backend power pitcher than the Cubs should trade them Marmol for Trumbo. This could give the Cubs a nice corner infield of Rizzo and Trumbo for the future, plus Trumbo could compete for 1B this year with Rizzo and Lahair. The Cubs could always move Stewart over to 2B if Trumbo played 3B.
I swear everyone thinks they’re Billy Beane because you watched Money Ball. Trumbo showed great potential at 1st as the season went along. He also showed patience with the outside slider after the all star break. The kid is a rookie that had all the pressure of carrying the Angels his first season. He will be a solid player for years to come. I’d rather keep him until the all star break, just to make sure Kendrys is at least 80% to where he was in 09. If Trumbo could transfer to 3rd base with an average ability to play the position, that power would be perfect. K Mo, Trumbo and the Pujols in the same line up would be frightening to other teams.
Trumbo is a free swinger with a below average ability to make contact and very little ability to walk. The fact that he’s shown a low walk rate throughout his minor league career means he’s not likely to approve that at the major league level. About the only the only plus he has is power; pretty much every other part of his game is below average. People can go on and on about his power, but even with it, his wOBA was .327 (105 wRC+). That’s replaceable production. Sure, he could improve, but he doesn’t have a high ceiling. The Angels would be smart to sell high if there’s a buyer.
that Vernon Wells trade is really handicapping the Angels now. You almost have to start him because hes getting payed all that money. If you didnt have him, you could have simply traded Abreu for scraps, move Morales to RF, and penciling in Mark trumbo at DH. You have an OF of Torri, bourjos, and Morales, with Trout in the background of things.
The Angels might be the best team in baseball after the moves they have made, I would look to trade Trumbo for a pitcher.
Trumbo is the clear favorite to get traded. There is no place for him on the field for the Angels. Instead of benching him or sending him back to AAA, he should be traded for some prospects or a BP arm. Morales has much higher upside, he was top 5 in MVP voting, that means one of the top 5 players in AL when healthy, you cannot say the same for Trumbo. And with both of them coming back from injury, they are both on the same boat.
Top 5 in MVP voting doesn’t actually mean hes one of the top 5 players when healthy.
He wasn’t then (3.4 WAR come on), and he certainly isn’t now after missing 2 seasons with injury.
Hes better than Trumbo with his terribad K/BB rates though. Trumbo = Chris Davis II.
Trumbo, because you get more value for him.
He’s young and cost controlled and coming off a great year (albeit a low OBP).
He’s likely to decline in future as indicated by his MiLB numbers.
Morales overall has more upside and has the bonus of being a switch hitter. Besides, if he doesn’t pan out the Angels still have that Pujols guy.
Someone WILL overpay for Trumbo (sell high), whereas to move Morales, you’d most likely have to sell low.
Simple baseball economics.
They’re both cheap and have potential questions marks, I don’t understand why you would trade either. Trumbo only has a lot of value if he can play 3B, and in that case we’d probably keep him. Same with Morales; he only has value if he bounces back from this very long injury problem and if he does we’d probably keep him around.
As things stand now, we probably wouldn’t get much from either of them unless some type of bidding war ensues for prospects.
SS Aybar .280 10 60 35sb
2B Kendrick .290 20 70 20sb
1B Pujols .300 35 120
DH Morales .270 30 100
3B Trumbo .260 30 90
RF Hunter .280 20 70
CF Bourjos .280 10 55 30sb
C Ianetta .250 15 60
LF Wells .250 20 60
SP Weaver 2.60ERA
SP Haren 3.10ERA
SP Wilson 3.00ERA
SP Santana 3.20ERA
SP ???
CL Walden 2.80ERA 40sv
That rotation is almost better than Halladay/Lee/Hamels/Worley.
95-67?
Give Jerome Williams the 5th rotation spot, i liked what i saw from him last season towards the end. Also i’d have Bourjos in the leadoff spot, with Wells at 7 and Aybar at 9, Bourjos has more speed than Aybar, should hit for a similar average and slightly more power, plus I get the sense that he breaks out and hits closer to .300 this season.
And yeah it looks good on paper, but so did Boston’s team this year… So I wouldn’t say 95 wins just yet, or even a guaranteed playoff spot. Texas are still a very competitive team.
Morales. Hes so much money
Trumbo is a beast player for when pujols is down
Trade Abreu
He’s alot of bucks
Keep Trumbo, he’s cheap/under team control while Morales is coming off an injury and would cost more
I would package Trumbo for any plus reliever I could get the second I know Morales can run again.
The Angels usually do their best to get the least amount of value from their overpaid players. So I figure they keep them all, then sign Prince Fielder for $325 mil, guaranteed over 6 years.
Andre Ethier for Kendrys Morales and Bobby Abreu?
Solves the Angels need for a LH bat, one with a heck of a lot more upside than Abreu.
Gives the Dodgers a stop gap for outfield and potentially a long term solution at 1B (over Loney).
Salaries should be about even.
The second best position player on a team for an unproven-back-from-injury player and a no-defense aging DH….
Abreu would obviously just be filler to make the salaries even up and he’d take over RF for Ethier.
The prize for the Dodgers would be Morales, who could solidify 1B for them for a couple of years.
The Dodgers aren’t going to seriously contend in 2012, and Ethier is gone after the season. After his down year in 2011, a couple of years of Morales would be a decent pickup for one year of Ethier.
Then the Angels stick Ethier in RF (at least vs. RHP), Trumbo at DH, Wells/Bourjos/Hunter fight it out for CF/LF… Ethier is an obvious upgrade for the Angels OF over the odd man out of that mix.
I would say trade Morales because when he jumps up and down, his legs shatter.