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Angels Notes: Scioscia, Dipoto, Trout, Pitching

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As noted earlier today, the Angels' acquisition of infielder Grant Green from the Athletics looks to be a sound move thus far, but the team still has plenty of holes, namely in the pitching department. Here's more on the Halos…

  • Asked by Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times whether or not GM Jerry Dipoto and manager Mike Scioscia would return next season, owner Arte Moreno declined comment. Not surprisingly, Scioscia told Shaikin that he wants to remain with the Angels. He says he has not given any thought to one day managing his hometown Phillies now that Charlie Manuel has been fired.
  • One general manager told Peter Gammons of the MLB Network that the Angels have the two most unmovable contracts in baseball in Josh Hamilton and Albert Pujols. The same GM added that they "have no farm system" after trading for Zack Greinke and forfeiting their 2013 first-rounder to sign Hamilton, and they've wasted the inexpensive years of Mike Trout's career.
  • Dipoto failed on his four offseason pitching acquisitions, writes Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times. Ryan Madson, Sean Burnett, Tommy Hanson and Joe Blanton have contributed very little for the Halos, which Dipoto himself acknowledged. The team is confident that Burnett will be healthy for 2014, but DiGiovanna writes that Blanton could be released in the offseason and Hanson non-tendered. The thin market for free agent pitching might ultimately lead the Halos to consider trading Mark Trumbo, Peter Bourjos, Erick Aybar or Howie Kendrick for young, controllable pitching help.

Yankees And Angels Notes: Wells Trade, Bourjos

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The trade of the Angels' Vernon Wells to the Yankees appears to be on a path toward becoming official. Jon Heyman of CBS Sports has tweeted that the two teams are in agreement. Wells himself has acknowledged the trade, and has cleaned out his locker. Here are some notes on the deal.

  • For the Yankees, the trade is a sign of desperation, Yahoo! Sports' Jeff Passan writes. "The reaction to the deal across baseball was a mix of wonderment and criticism," Passan reports, taking note of Wells' declining batting average and on-base percentage. Passan also writes that the Yankees' dependence on aging players such as Mark Teixeira, Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter and Curtis Granderson led to the rash of injuries that motivated their interest in Wells. The Yankees have alternatives in their own system who are better than Wells, Passan argues, including Melky Mesa and Zoilo Almonte.
  • Richard Justice of MLB.com calls the Wells deal "a puzzling move," noting that the price the Yankees will pay — likely somewhere around $13MM for two seasons — is "no bargain." Wells "might not even be an upgrade over Brennan Boesch," Justice says. Ultimately, however, Justice describes Wells as "a gamble worth taking," thanks in part to his ability to play all three outfield positions.
  • The trade would give the Angels' Peter Bourjos more breathing room, Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com writes. Bourjos was already the Angels' starter in center field, but with Wells gone, there will be less of a threat Bourjos will be replaced if he doesn't have a good start to the season.

Chicago Notes: Garza, Marcum, Bourjos, D’Backs

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ESPN Chicago's Bruce Levine opened up his latest online chat to reader proposals for trades that would send Justin Upton to the Cubs and Jason Kubel to the White Sox, which led to no shortage of creative ideas from fans.  Amidst these plausible-to-very implausible trade proposals, Levine also shared a few hot stove items about both of Chicago's teams…

  • The Blue Jays and Rangers have been Matt Garza's most ardent trade suitors and could again be interested in acquiring the right-hander if Garza shows he's in good health during Spring Training.  I'd think that Texas might still be in the mix but Toronto's rotation seems set unless the Jays don't think Ricky Romero can return to form.
  • If the Cubs have concerns that Garza won't be ready for Opening Day, Levine thinks the Cubs could try to sign a free agent starter like Shaun Marcum.
  • Before the Cubs and Angels settled on the eventually-abandoned Carlos Marmol-for-Dan Haren trade, L.A. turned down the Cubs' offer of Marmol for Peter Bourjos and an infielder.
  • The Cubs have "genuine concern about holding [their] fan base" given the team's recent struggles and rebuilding process, which Levine feels may have been the impetus for the Cubs' signing of Edwin Jackson and its pursuit of Anibal Sanchez.
  • The Diamondbacks have interest in some White Sox prospects, which could be a hint towards a possible Kubel trade.  We heard earlier this week that the Sox and D'Backs had discussed both Kubel and Upton in potential deals, though Kubel is the likelier of the two outfielders to be moved.
  • While Gavin Floyd has again been the subject of trade rumors, Levine believes the White Sox won't look to deal Floyd until they're sure that John Danks is healthy.

Quick Hits: Mets, Anibal, Brewers, Bourjos

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MLBTR’s Ben Nicholson-Smith and Jason Martinez of MLB Depth Charts discussed the R.A. Dickey trade, the Josh Hamilton signing, the Anibal Sanchez deal and the latest rumors on todays’ edition of the Rosters & Rumblings podcast. Click here to listen in, and continue reading for the latest from around the league…

  • The Mets are closing in on adding an outfielder, according to Mike Puma of the New York Post. Puma's source tells him that the player hasn't previously been linked to the Mets (Twitter links). Puma doesn't specify if the acquisition would come via free agency or trade. New York has previously been linked to Cody Ross, which seems to rule him out.
  • Sanchez's agent, Gene Mato, told Anthony Fetch of the Detroit Free Press that Sanchez left a larger offer from an unnamed team on the table at the Winter Meetings. The right-hander didn't want to make his decision based solely on money but also on where he felt comfortable.
  • Brewers general manager Doug Melvin told Jim Bowden of MLB Network Radio on Sirius XM that his team is interested in Jon Rauch, Jason Frasor, Kyle Farnsworth and Mike Gonzalez (Twitter link).
  • Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald tweets that the Marlins aren't particularly interested in Peter Bourjos because they'd prefer a better hitting outfielder. Earlier today it was reported that the Fish may be interested in Bourjos.
  • Some teams aren't convinced that Hiroyuki Nakajima's glove is good enough to play shortstop at the Major League level, tweets Buster Olney of ESPN. The Japanese slugger signed with the Athletics earlier today.
  • Former Cubs coach Pat Listach has been hired by the Dodgers as the team's new minor league infield coordinator, according to Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune (on Twitter).

Trade Notes: Hochevar, Athletics, Bourjos

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The latest on some potential trade scenarios from around MLB…

  • The Royals called the Rockies about Luke Hochevar, but nothing has materialized, Troy Renck of the Denver Post reports (on Twitter). The Royals tendered Hochevar a contract before acquiring James Shields and Wade Davis from the Rays, which means they’re responsible for his projected $4.4MM salary. Hochevar would have been a better fit in Colorado if he had hit the open market as a non-tendered player.
  • The Athletics are likely to explore trade options to acquire a shortstop now that Stephen Drew is off of the market, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports (on Twitter). The Red Sox agreed to sign Drew for $9.5MM, which is “quite a bit more” than Oakland offered, according to Slusser. Jed Lowrie, Asdrubal Cabrera and Dee Gordon are among the shortstops who could be traded in my view.
  • The Marlins would have interest in a Ricky Nolasco for Peter Bourjos type of deal, Jim Bowden of ESPN.com and MLB Network Radio reports (on Twitter). The Angels seek pitching depth and the Marlins are willing to trade Nolasco. Joe Frisaro of MLB.com wrote today about the possibility of a Nolasco-Bourjos swap, noting that Miami has longstanding interest in the Angels outfielder.

Angels In Contact With Tigers About Rick Porcello

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The Angels have been in contact with the Tigers about Rick Porcello, reports Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com. The Pirates, Padres, Rangers, Phillies, Twins, and Royals also have interest in the right-hander, though Knobler says Detroit doesn't have interest in Pittsburgh closer Joel Hanrahan.

Drafted 23rd overall in 2007, the 23-year-old Porcello zoomed to the big leagues after just one season in the minors. He owns a 4.55 ERA with 5.0 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9 in 120 starts and 691 2/3 innings. His 52.3% ground ball rate helps make up for the lack of strikeouts. Porcello earned $3.1MM in 2012 and projects to earn $4.7MM in his second trip through arbitration this winter. He's a Super Two and will be eligible for free agency after 2015.

The Tigers re-signed Anibal Sanchez a few days ago, rounding out a stellar front-four that includes also Justin Verlander, Doug Fister, Max Scherzer. Porcello and Drew Smyly are the front-runners for the fifth starter's spot. The Angels have acquired Tommy Hanson and signed Joe Blanton this winter, but they're still looking for rotation depth behind Jered Weaver and C.J. Wilson.

Angels Likely To Trade Outfielder

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The Angels have a surplus of outfielders following their agreement with Josh Hamilton, and there’s reason to believe GM Jerry Dipoto will make a deal to balance out his roster. The Angels are “very likely” to trade an outfielder such as Peter Bourjos or Mark Trumbo for a pitcher, Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter). Depending on the return, either player could be moved. Trumbo seems less available than Bourjos, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter).

The Mets seem like a natural trade partner for the Angels given their willingness to listen to offers for R.A. Dickey and their need for outfielders. However, it doesn't sound as though Trumbo or Bourjos would be an ideal fit in a deal for Dickey based on reports out of New York yesterday.

Both Bourjos and Trumbo will remain under team control through 2016 and won't be arbitration eligible until after the 2013 season. Earlier today, Dave Cameron of FanGraphs explained that Bourjos closely resembles Cameron Maybin and suggested he’d be a worthwhile pickup for a team in need of a center fielder.

Olney On Hamilton, Tigers, Angels, Bauer

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Michael Bourn, Nick Swisher and the 2013 Angels will all benefit from Josh Hamilton's recent agreement with Los Angeles, ESPN.com's Buster Olney writes. However, Mike Scioscia, Torii Hunter and the Mariners probably won’t benefit from the deal, according to Olney. Here are some more reactions to the deal, and a look at the impact it will have. Now for some more of Olney’s notes from around MLB…

  • The Hamilton deal was made over the head of the Angels' baseball operations department, Olney reports (on Twitter).
  • Rival general managers had correctly predicted Anibal Sanchez would sign with the Tigers, Olney writes. The Tigers have made it known for weeks that they'd be willing to listen to offers for Rick Porcello, according to Olney. It now seems as though Porcello has become a trade candidate.
  • Peter Bourjos drew lots of trade interest in the first few weeks of the offseason, Olney reports. While Bourjos could be moved, the Angels have told teams they're keeping Mark Trumbo.
  • The Diamondbacks had talked to other teams about deals involving Trevor Bauer before this year's trade deadline, Olney reports.

Fallout And Impact Of The Josh Hamilton Signing

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Here's the latest on how Josh Hamilton's agreement with the Angels will affect several other players and teams all around the league, including how close some other teams came to signing the free agent slugger themselves…

  • The Rangers have told Geovany Soto he'll be their everyday catcher in 2013, but ESPN's Buster Olney wonders if the Rangers could now pursue free agent backstop A.J. Pierzynski.  Also from Olney, rival evaluators are speculating that the Rangers might now be the best fit for Nick Swisher (both links are to Olney's Twitter account).
  • The Mariners "badly wanted" Hamilton, which means the Angels disappointed two of their AL West rivals today, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter).  MLB.com's Greg Johns hears that the M's were heavily courting Hamilton and "had strong hopes" he would sign with them.
  • The Red Sox had interest in Hamilton but weren't willing to offer a contract longer than three years, reports WEEI.com's Rob Bradford.
  • The Phillies were similarly not interested in Hamilton at such a high price, writes Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer.  Hamilton's signing could increase interest in other free agent outfielders like Swisher and Cody Ross, thus possibly pricing the Phillies out of the market and forcing them to turn their attention to acquiring pitching instead.
  • The Marlins could reverse their stance on trading Giancarlo Stanton, opines MLB.com's Joe Frisaro, if the Rangers are desperate to add another big bat and were willing to offer Jurickson Profar or Mike Olt in a deal.  Frisaro also thinks Miami could be a trade match with the Angels as Peter Bourjos "has been on the Marlins' radar for a while."
  • Fangraphs' Dave Cameron breaks down the value of Mark Trumbo, Kendrys Morales and Bourjos both to the Angels and on the trade market.
  • Bourjos, for his part, tells MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez that he wants to remain in Anaheim and enjoys being an Angel, though he also wants to be an everyday player.
  • ESPN's Keith Law doesn't see Hamilton providing much value in the last two years of his contract, though his signing "makes more sense" if the Angels trade some roster depth to fill the holes in their rotation.  Law also notes that Michael Bourn appears to be running out of suitors, and speculates that Bourn could look for a one-year deal now and then look for a big multiyear contract next winter.
  • Early today, we looked at rumors concerning the possibility of the Angels and Mets working out a trade involving R.A. Dickey.

MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith also contributed to this post

R.A. Dickey Rumors: Thursday

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Josh Hamilton’s deal with the Angels will affect the market for many players, including Mets knuckleballer R.A. Dickey. Here are the latest Dickey-related rumors, starting with the possibility of a trade to Anaheim…

  • The Angels have shown interest in Dickey, Yahoo's Jeff Passan reported today (on Twitter).  
  • However, the Angels were not the team that jumped back in on Dickey earlier this week, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports (on Twitter).
  • Mark Trumbo to the Mets is unlikely, Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com reports (on Twitter). ESPN.com's Buster Olney reports that the Angels have said they are keeping Trumbo (on Twitter).
  • Newsday’s Marc Carig reports that Trumbo or Peter Bourjos would not be a fit in a trade for Dickey (Twitter link).
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