What Were The Yankees Thinking?

Though they are getting him at a discount, will Vernon Wells really be the answer in the big apple?

It was one of the quieter Angels pre-seasons in memory up until yesterday.

The regulars were playing well, our pitching looked solid (if not a step down from last year's rotation), and although we didn't have a good spring record, the Angels were playing well together.  Even Vernon Wells was having an out-of-ordinary Arizona Performance.  4 Homers, a Dozen RBI, and an impressive 1.112 OPS.  It looked as though he might continue to steal playing time from Peter Bourjos.

Then, out of the blue, reports were coming in that the Yankees and Angels had agreed on terms to send the aging outfielder (who already announced his plans to retire after the 2014 season), and at least a chunk of his remaining 42 Million Dollars to New York.

This probably made me happier than it should have.  Vernon is a nice guy, a REALLY nice guy, actually.  He is one of the best locker room guys on a team full of good locker room guys.  But lets face it, his performance on the field has left something to be desired, to say the least.  Trading away fan favorites Mike Napoli and Juan Rivera to pick up around $80 Million in Payroll is probably not a team's best move, but after getting snubbed in the free agent market, the Angels front office was desperate.  This move basically led to the forced resignation of then Angels GM Tony Reagins, and brought upon the Jerry Dipoto era, along with overpaying for Pujols, Wilson and later, Josh Hamilton.

Even after all that, Vernon Wells was still guaranteed 42 Million Dollars over the next two seasons, of which he would probably spend a majority on the bench, being a good locker room guy.  It didn't stop owner Arte Moreno from continuing to spend, so Angels fans didn't really think much of it.  We would essentially have a really expensive pinch hitter, or someone to (hopefully) pressure Peter Bourjos into playing better and guarantee his starting spot in Center Field.

Then the Yankees lost 201 of their Home Runs from 2012.  Between Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, Mark Teixeria and Curtis Granderson (as well as guys like Raul Ibanez and Russell Martin, who left in free agency), injuries were going to take their toll on the 2013 New York Yankees, especially for the first 2-3 months of the season, while those perennial All-Stars figured to be out of action.  The Yankees outfield figured to be some combination of Ichiro, Brett Gardner (himself returning from an injury that forced him to miss 150 games in 2012), rookie Melky Mesa and Juan Rivera.  Yes, THAT Juan Rivera.

So that ended up forcing the Yankees hand into finding some pop for their lineup, as Rivera, Ichiro and Gardner hit a combined 18 Home Runs in 2012 (for comparison, Curtis Granderson hit 43 playing Centerfield for the Yankees last season).  In comes Vernon Wells.  They knew getting him would just be a matter of taking on enough of his contract, and that number was around $13 Million.  Vernon Wells (and his no-trade clause) approves the deal, and wham-bam-thank-you-maam, the Vernon Wells era is over in Anaheim.

I truly believe this is an "everybody wins" kind of deal.  Even when Granderson comes back to the Yankees lineup this summer, that team of creaky old men will no doubt lead to more time on the DL than any other big league squad this year.  That will likely mean Vernon Wells will play in about 140 games this season, or roughly double what he saw in 2012 with the Angels.  He will get to play again, and he will be doing so in a good hitters park.  His numbers (and likely his confidence) will rise, and the Yankees will get a solid-hitting outfielder to fill in for their myriad of injuries.

The winners on the Angels side are not only Arte Moreno, who makes a cool $13 Million on the deal (after just assuming he would have to eat the rest of the $42 Million Tony Reagins Mistake), but Peter Bourjos is the big winner.  He now can comfortably play every day in Centerfield, knowing he can grow into being a capable hitter without an 11-year veteran breathing down his neck.  If he starts the season hitting around .200, it doesn't matter, because new 4th outfielder Kole Calhoun isn't going to be stealing anyone's job anytime soon.

Thoughts From The Last Two Weeks

My absence from posting the last few weeks hasn't gone unnoticed, and I'd like to preface by saying: I HAVE been watching the games (or most of them at least), and they have still been winning, so that's a relief.

So, what do I think of the last two weeks, including today?  Well, brace yourselves, I have the answer to that question no one wants to know the answer to.

Regarding the Angels:
- Watching Ernesto Frieri right now is what I remember watching Francisco Rodriguez in 2002 was like.  He came into the game, and you knew two things: no one was getting a hit, and more importantly, you were going to see one or more strikeouts (usually more).  He is dominant in a way that I would have never expected.  I'm really glad the club has the rights to him for the next few years.

- Garrett Richards is the real deal, and is ready to make a permanent impact on this team NOW.  If we spend the next few months (probably the rest of the season) yanking him back and fourth between Anaheim and Salt Lake, trying to decide if we really trust Ervin Santana to look like June 16th Ervin or The Rest of 2012 Ervin, its only going to blow his confidence and then we have another Brandon Wood/Dallas McPherson/Kevin Jepsen on our hands.  No one wants that.  Either trade Santana or send him to the bullpen.

- Mike Trout deserves all the love he gets, from me and from anyone else giving it to him.  His numbers make him an All-Star (should be a starter, but missing April will probably kill that chance), and god forbid he goes on another stretch like he did in May.  He could be an MVP candidate at the end of the season.  Oh yeah, and he will win a Silver Slugger and Rookie of the Year too, just because he can.  When the Angels slim their salary this offseason (by either trading away/releasing Vernon Wells and Ervin Santana, plus re-signing Hunter at a huge discount), they need to focus on two things: giving Frieri support in the Bullpen (assuming Downs leaves as well), and saving up to give Trout the huge Evan Longorian contract extension he already deserves.

- On a more somber note, I want to see Peter Bourjos play everyday in a Major League lineup.  If that has to be in Washington, or Houston, or wherever it has to be, he deserves to play.  Sitting on the bench 85% of the time isn't going to warm up his bat.  We can get some of that bullpen help now, or even a more capable defensive 3rd baseman than Alberto Callaspo.  I know Callaspo doesn't commit errors, but I think that is more because of his lack of range and athleticism than his skilled defensive prowess.

Regarding the Rest of Baseball:
- The Washington Nationals are the real deal, people. They are going to make some deal at the deadline and run away with this division.  The Phillies are dead in the water and neither the Mets nor Marlins are talented enough to make a serious run, in my opinion.  The Braves could give them a scare, but they will likely choke it away.

Regarding the Rest of the Sports World:
- I'm happy for the Los Angeles Kings, and their devoted (read: not bandwagon) fans, but I'm still a bitter Ducks fan who won't be happy until their "dynasty" has dissolved and they are back in the draft lottery with us.  That being said, its only two months until Training Camps!  The Ducks have made a number of positive moves this offseason, I hope that can equate to the 3-4 extra wins they would have needed to be the 8 seed in the West (the seed the Kings were, and rode to the Stanley Cup).

- It looks like the NBA Finals isn't going to be as good as we all hoped.  Lebron and the Heat seem to be running away with things (now up 2-1 after winning Game 3 in Miami about 15 minutes ago).  Oh, and the next two games are in Miami too.  With the way Kevin Durant and the Thunder have been choking away opportunities, I'm guessing its going to be a 5 game series and Lebron will finally get his ring.

Blowpen Issues Aside, Halos Need New-Look Lineup

Yes, yes, its a bit silly to argue for a re-arranged lineup after a 9-run outing against the Minnesota Twins, but there is still so much room for improvement in that area.  I'm going to go down the lineups and examine the problems with where guys are hitting, and try to figure something else out.

Leadoff - Erick Aybar
If you have been reading this blog for longer than a few weeks, you know my sour opinion of our gold-glove shortstop.  Since his outrageous 2009 season, he has cooled off quite a bit at the plate.  A .266 Batting Average, a .313 On-base Percentage, and an average of 75 strikeouts (already has 3 this season in 5 games).  Those aren't good numbers for a lead-off hitter on an elite team (for example, Ian Kinsler has a .366 OBP and averages about 10 few strikeouts, plus more power, per season in that span), and Aybar has never been the most patient hitter, and when he tries to be, he ends up striking out even more.  The Angels don't really have a true option here (Peter Bourjos is also a bit of a free-swinger, but has better speed).

2nd - Howie Kendrick
Yeah, this is about as appropriate a spot as any in the Angels Lineup.  Kendrick has a good mix of speed, power and patience to be a perfect 2-hole hitter on this club.  It's pretty clear now he won't be winning any batting titles in the near future, but he is still a great guy to have on a club, and hitting in this spot.

3rd - Albert Pujols
The best hitter in baseball should probably hit where the best hitter on your team is supposed to hit.  Especially with the early power outage, if Pujols can just get on for Hunter and Morales behind him, this is going to be his best spot.

Clean-up - Torii Hunter (Lefties)/Kendrys Morales (Righties)
Here is my problem with the current Angels lineup, they have 3 #5 hitters, and a guy who gets paid like a Clean-up Hitter, but hits like a #8 hitter.  Hunter shouldn't be the source of power and protection for Pujols. There is nothing that strikes fear into a pitchers eyes about Hunter.  I love having him on the team, and he is a great clubhouse guy, but he should never be the clean-up guy, especially at his age.  Morales seems like the clear choice here, but his struggles against lefties can be a concern.  I say leave him in to clean-up against everyone, and on his day's off, have Trumbo DH and hit clean-up, just to see what he can do in that spot.

5th - Vernon Wells/Mark Trumbo/Torii Hunter/Kendrys Morales
Vernon Wells should never see the top half of the lineup ever again, even with his solid game offensively today.  If you've been watching him all season, you know that is going to be the exception, not the rule.  Mark Trumbo seems like a natural fit to hit 5th in any lineup with that mammoth power (and tendency to strike-out).  My problem with Hunter hitting here is that, again, he doesn't quite have the power to put any fear into the pitcher.  You can just put Morales on and wait for Hunter to strike out or ground into a double play.

6th - Mark Trumbo/Vernon Wells/Kendrys Morales
This spot can go a number of ways, the Angels haven't been getting a ton of production out of the 6 spot (with the exception of the few times Morales has been there), and that could change if you slip Torii Hunter down here.  He isn't going to win any batting titles or silver sluggers, but Hunters still a solid hitter who could give you .275/20 HR/75 RBI hitting in the right situation, I think that situation is 6th.

7th - Alberto Callaspo/Mark Trumbo/Vernon Wells
If you are going to have Callaspo in the lineup, this is the perfect place to have him.  The Angels likely want to continue to use him on a pretty regularly basis, and with good reason (Trumbo has had his fair share of struggles defensively at third base).  His bat can be a bit streaky, but knows how to hit with guys on base.  Vernon Wells should probably hit here if Callaspo is getting the night off.

8th - Chris Iannetta
Yeah, this seems pretty perfect.  Iannetta isn't going to rock anyone's world, but he has probably been our best hitter with RISP this season, and hitting 8th, there is a good chance you will have plenty of guys on base throughout the course of the season.

9th - Peter Bourjos
Again, I can't complain too much here.  He had 124 strikeouts this year, but he also can also round the bases in 14 seconds (in a home run trot from home to first, mind you).  He has the speed of a lead-off hitter, but until he learns the patience of one, he is perfectly suited in the 9th spot.

Now, in a perfect world, here is what he Angels lineup will look like when take on the Minnesota Twins again in the beginning of May:

SS - Erick Aybar
2B - Howie Kendrick
1B - Albert Pujols
DH - Kendrys Morales
3B - Mark Trumbo
RF - Torii Hunter
CF - Peter Bourjos
C - Chris Iannetta
LF - Mike Trout

Yeah, that would be pretty outstanding.  The Angels will have cut or traded Bobby Abreu, moved up Mike Trout from AAA (where he is hitting over .400 with a Home Run, a Triple, 4 RBI and gets on base in nearly half his plate appearances.), and have him in the starting lineup over Wells, who becomes the new 4th outfielder.  Bourjos moves up thanks to his ability to hit into the gaps (and occasionally out of the park) and Trout will hit 9th until he shows he can put up those all-star numbers in the bigs.

Now, if we can get a decent bullpen, we might actually be able to hold the leads that amazing lineup would put up.

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Things might be getting worse for the Bullpen.  Scott Downs, who left today because of an injury to his left ankle, and is one of our more consistent relievers, might be missing some time.  Nothing wrong internally (so it seems so far), but he was walking around with crutches.  Likely will be seeing some time on the 15-Day DL.

Vernon OhWells

Its the second week of April, which can only mean one thing: It's time to overreact to how well/poorly your favorite baseball team/players are doing!  Here are a few of mine:

- The Kansas City Royals are clearly the best team in the AL Central.
- Bruce Chen and Luke Hochever are clearly early Cy Young favorites.
- Yoenis Cespedes is going to break Mark McGwire's Rookie Home Run Record.
- Barry Zito = All-Star Game?!?!
- Kendrys Morales is probably going to hit .400 this year.
- Vernon Wells might be going for the strikeout record if he doesn't lose his job to Mike Trout in a month.

Actually, that last one might not be too far off base.  In 14 plate appearances this season, Wells only has 2 hits (one of those being a meaningless solo home run in garbage time of Sunday's loss to the Royals) but already has 5 strikeouts to his name.   They aren't pretty either.  The Royals were throwing eye level pitches that Wells was swinging at.  It's kind of a bummer.  I was actually rooting for Wells.  I wanted him to do well this season, now that Morales and Pujols are in the linuep, he wouldn't have hardly any pressure, but he keeps finding ways to disappoint.

Should Vernon continue to struggle, its very likely that his tenure as the starting left fielder could be very short, and that the Angels will either bring up Mike Trout, or risk Bobby Abreu's poor fielding for a better OBP in the lineup (Abreu, as much as I wanted to see him go, has a .429 OBP and 3 RBI in two starts this season).

If you are going to start Abreu, you need to have Bourjos in center field as a bit of a crutch for the aging slugger.  That game on Saturday with Bobby in left and Vernon in center was a disaster waiting to happen.  If Abreu continues to produce like he has the first couple games this season, I don't mind seeing him in the lineup everyday, but if he goes back to the old Walk-or-Strikeout-Looking Abreu of 2011, I'd rather take my chances with the youngster.

Just Ammy Being Ammy

That's right, you heard it here first... the official nickname for Alexi Amarista is "Ammy". Lets hope this catches on, and I can get some credit for it. But beyond my own personal gain, Alexi Amarista was phenomenal in his first big league game. His first at-bat was a 2-RBI Double, scoring Howie Kendrick and Peter Bourjos (who scored from First, and later had his second triple of the season). Ammy is just the next in a long line of AAA prospects who have actually panned out for the Angels this season, following Bourjos, Trumbo, Conger, Walden and Chatwood (who pitched tonight, and was once again effective).

This youth movement the Angels are going through right now is pretty fantastic. It makes us all forget about bad decisions like Rodney, Downs and Kazmir... at least while they are showing us what all those Angels scouts saw in them years ago. Even if this season isn't successful (as in it doesn't end in a Championship of some kind), its still going to be fun to watch this club who will make us perennial contenders from 2012 onward.

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You can now vote for the 2011 All-Star Game, and the Angels chose to put Jeff Mathis on the ballot over Hank Conger... bummer...

You can also vote for who you'd LIKE to see in the 2011 Home Run Derby, although it has no real effect on the outcome, its still fun to dream, and I spent about half an hour today voting over and over again for my write-in nominee, Mark Trumbo. You should do the same.

Worst Case Scenarios

Angels Fans love to reminice about a time when we were Three-Time Defending Division Champions... or had won 5 of the last 6 Western Division titles. I remember like it were yesterday. Always having something to brag about to my friends who were Rangers, A's or M's fans. I loved always being a champion (even if it meant getting slaughtered by the Sox in October). But, as much as I'd love to relive those glory days, it doesn't mean I'm on the same boat as other Angels fans, who seem to want to bring back Vlad, Figgins, etc.

Don't get me wrong, Vlad seems like a decent fit, but his power numbers only went up last year because he played in a hitters parks, the opposite of what Angel Stadium is. Chone Figgins had, by far, his worst statistical season last year. He had career lows in Runs, Home Runs, Batting Average and Slugging, and career highs in Errors and Strikeouts. Not to mention he grounded into 19 double-plays... that's more than twice he ever had in any other single season to date. Mind you, the Errors would probably decrease when he moves back to Third Base (to make room for Brendan Ryan), but the numbers don't lie. Figgy is not the lead-off hitter he used to be, nor should he be considered for the job.

But the Angels need someone, don't they? Well, someone at the OC Register today kicked around the idea of trading Arbitration eligible Alberto Callaspo and AAAA Player Brandon Wood to the M's for Figgins. I suppose in a worst case scenario, Figgins would work, but we wouldn't be a playoff team. At this point, I'd rather have Erick Aybar (*shudder*) or Peter Bourjos (He can't hit .204 forever, can he?) lead off for the Angels. Don't get me wrong, I'd welcome back Figgy with open arms, and I'd cheer for him whenever I made it out to the ballpark, but I don't think the right move for this team is to revisit the past with players past their prime.

Angels Ride Their Future Into Second Place.

The postseason hopes might be done, but the season is far from over. With a win against Oakland last night, the Angels moved into a tie with the team for second place in the West at 77-80. Bragging rights for the second best team in one of the worst divisions in baseball might not seem like much, but its not so much why we are doing it, but who.

Guys like Peter Bourjos, Hank Conger, Mark Trumbo, Jordan Walden Howie Kendrick, and Jeff Mathis have all played integral parts in the teams first two wins against this Athletics club. This is a great experience for these guys who, while they may not be on the 2011 Opening Day Roster, will play important roles in the Angels quest to reclaim the West Title.

A nice winning streak, a second place finish and a .500 record to end the season will go a long way to establishing confidence in these young players, not to mention the veterans who will be looking forward to the early vacation this year to help rest their bodies and minds.

I'll go further into the 2011 Angels later, but for right now, lets enjoy the last 4 1/2 games of the season (the Angels are currently tied with the A's 1-1 in their last home game of the year), wish our compadres in Texas well, and enjoy baseball while its still around.

Carl Crawford Countdown: 74 Days.

Angels Get Nice Win; NFL Season Kicks Off

Although the Angels are still 9.5 games out of first place, and the Rangers magic number is down to 14, the Angels got a really big win last night, outlasting the Cleveland Indians in 16 innings. After a Torii Hunter double led off the inning, Callaspo moved him the third which set up the sac fly by Jeff Mathis to win the game.

The Angels still only had 6 hits in 16 innings, and their offense looks as abysmal as ever, but wins like this could propel them back into second place, and help finish the season with a winning record. Also, Peter Borjous hit his third major league Home Run last night. I cant wait to see what this kid can do in a 162-game season with major league time under his belt.

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The NFL Season Kicks off tonight with the Super Bowl Champion New Orleans Saints vs. the Minnesota Vikings (the team the Saints beat in the NFC Championship game to get to the Super Bowl).

I'd like to take this time to just throw out a few predictions for the upcoming NFL Season, and get some of you used to seeing football on here a bit more.

Playoff Teams:
NFC: Cowboys, Vikings, Saints, 49ers, Eagles and Packers.
AFC: Jets, Bengals, Colts, Raiders, Patriots and Steelers

NFC Championship: New Orleans Saints defeat Dallas Cowboys
AFC Championship: New York Jets defeat Indianapolis Colts
Super Bowl: New York Jets defeat New Orleans Saints

Yeah, its a homer pick, but part of the charm of the upcoming NFL Season is that no team is really a clear favorite. Every team has a number of weaknesses, and I think the Jets have the fewest weaknesses (even fewer is Mark Sanchez finally comes into his own as a great NFL QB).

Oh, and to be super cool, lets go ahead and add an NFL prediction section to this blog.

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Texas Rangers Magic Number (to Eliminate the Angels): 14
Carl Crawford Countdown: 94

NFL Opening Day Prediciton (Record: 0-0):
Saints defeat Vikings

The Angels Glass is Half-Empty.

The Rangers have lost 7 of their last 10, and only lost a game and a half in the standings. The just got swept by the East-Leading Rays, but have lost NO ground in their quest to take their first Division crown in a decade.

The Angels, on the other hand, have had their fair share of obsticles. Loss of offensive weapons Guerrero and Figgins to Free Agency, loss of Morales to injury, Brandon Wood, the inability to ever trade for a bat to replace Morales, and long cold streaks at the plate by everyone on the team.

Even so, this team has stayed around .500 all season long, and has never really fallen all the way out of the West race.

The only problem? They are playing like they are out of it.

When you watch the Angels play today, take notice that no one will wait for the right pitch. They will try to do too much with the junk that is thrown to them. Most of them will not have that extra spring in their step, and The Pitchers will sweat more than Roger Clemens in Washington. They are playing like a team that has nothing to play for, even though they only find themselves 8 games out with 41 to play (including 7 against Texas).

If the players are going to play like they are out of the race, I'm going to start writing like they are out of the race. Its all misery, all the time!

Personally, I cant wait for September 1st to get here, to see how the young players (who will more than likely get plenty of playing time) perform at a big league level. I've really enjoyed watching Peter Bourjos the last few weeks, and I'd like to see what guys like Mark Trumbo and Hank Conger can do against big league pitching.

Also, the Carl Crawford Countdown has begun! 115 Days till the free agency period begins! Oh, and by the way, the Rangers magic number is down to 35.

Start of an Era?

Tonight, the starting Center Fielder for the Angels won't be Torii Hunter. It wont be Reggie Willits. Its going to be Peter Bourjos.

Perhaps the best all-around prospect in the Angels Organization, Bourjos will be playing in his first major league game against Jeremy Guthrie and the Baltimore Orioles. He will be hitting ninth in the lineup and playing in Center Field, territory usually reserved for Torii Hunter. Hunter will be moving to Right Field, and Abreu will bring his defensive ineptitude to Left Field.

Now, you may recall that about a week ago, I made a post wanting to see this young man, along with Mark Trumbo, in the lineup for the series in Baltimore. Well, we're halfway there (woah, livin' on a prayer).

Bourjos brings a contact bat, speed and, perhaps most importantly, a new look to the Angels lineup. Now, I've been wrong about prospects before, and there is currently one taking up a lot of room on the 25-man Roster who hasn't even played for a few weeks (Brandon Wood), but as an Angel fan with still a small amount of hope, Bourjos brings a new life to this team, that I hope will trickle all throughout the lineup. Its almost to the point now where if you don't perform to expectations, the team is going to have no problem replacing you with a young face from Salt Lake.