Winter Meetings Recap Part 3: Everything Else.

Before Arte broke the bank on deals to Albert and CJ, before Jerry Dipoto locked his name into SoCal sports folklore a month into the job, there were a few moves that would have made Anaheim a better team in 2012, even without King Albert and Mighty CJ.

Move 1: Jeff Mathis traded to Toronto for Brad Mills

It could have been Jeff Mathis to Toronto for more of Vernon Wells' contract (I'm sure he has more hiding somewhere). Hell, it could have been Jeff Mathis to Toronto for a bag of baseballs and a hoagie, this was a great deal for the Angels. Even if Brad Mills never steps on the mound at the Big A, neither will Jeff Mathis (at least in Angel red). I liked Jeff Mathis, I really did, and he was a nice guy, but his bat was a cancer to the team. Its unfortunate Hank Conger didn't have a stellar 2011, because he probably could have muscled a few starts away from him. Simply taking away Mike Scioscia's ability to start Jeff Mathis for 100+ games in 2012, I knew I already loved Jerry Dipoto as a GM.

Move 2: Tyler Chatwood traded to Colorado for Chris Iannetta

Is Iannetta the worlds best defensive catcher? No. But lets face it, neither was Mathis. I like this deal for a couple reasons. I don't think Chatwood is quite up to par to be a solid big league starter in the American League, at least not right now. I love the step up from Mathis to Iannetta in terms of On Base Percentage (.220something to .357 over their careers). Plus Iannetta has some pop in his bat, not as much as Napoli did, but he is a 20 HR guy. With Iannetta in the lineup, the only weakness offensively is really Vernon Wells, and considering he hit 25 homers in 2011, that isn't a bad thing.

Move 3: Angels sign Right Handed Reliever LaTroy Hawkins for 1 year, $3 Million

Adding a great right-handed compliment to Scott Downs in an improving Bullpen was a great move on its own, then you throw in the fact that he is a long-time friend of Torii Hunter and a fantastic clubhouse guy? This was a steal at $3 Million. The signing was overshadowed by the signings of Pujols and Wilson (which happened only hours later), but it could just as important in bringing the Angels a World Series title in 2012.

If the Angels don't do anything else this off-season but re-sign all the arbitration guys (Kendrick, Aybar, etc), they are already primed to be among the top contenders in the American League. With the Yankees and Red Sox getting older, and the Rangers pitching in question, it could be a perfect storm for the Angels this October. But lets hold off on any World Series talk until this team wins a few games. Still no reason not to be excited for baseball to return. Only 67 days until pitchers and catchers report!

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.

Jered Weaver: The Greatest American Hero

Jered Weaver is the best, around... nothings gonna ever keep him down. Facing down against a four game losing streak, and potentially falling even further back in the West, Jered Weaver brought his "A" game (no pun intended) for the sixth time this season. Solid Offensive contributions from Howie Kendrick and the gang led to an early 5-0 lead, which was more than enough for Weaver.

After Weaver's complete game shutout, his ERA dropped to 0.99. Silly. If there is anyone who will try to argue that Jered Weaver isn't the best pitcher in baseball right now, they clearly have a massive East Coast Bias, and that person should be ignored anyway.

He also struck out 10, and made most of the A's hitters look downright silly. If Weaver can pitch even close to this level for the rest of the season, he is a lock for the Cy Young Award, and hell, maybe even some MVP consideration. He is easily our most valuable player right now, and without him (and Dan Haren), this would likely be a losing ballclub.

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Brandon Wood Update!

Yesterday in Pittsburgh, Brandon Wood finally got to put on a Pirates uniform and start (at third base) for the first time on another club. Wood looked GOOD. Although he was only 1-4, he looked really good in his at-bats, stretching nearly all of them to 3-2 counts, showing a ton of patience and usually getting good wood on the ball. That one hit though? It was a 2-RBI Double that scored the eventual winning runs for the Pirates.

I know its only a coincidence that we are 2-4 since letting him go, but I'd be an awful fake-journalist if I didn't at least point it out.

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Tyler Chatwood, perhaps our third best pitcher at the moment, takes the mound tonight against the A's. He is facing off against Brandon McCarthy, who is 1-1 with a 2.10 ERA this season. It should be a good matchup, and if the Angels can get the win today, a sweep is likely with Dan Haren on the mound tomorrow.

Vernon Wells to the Rest of the League: "Playtime is Over"

No idea if he actually said this verbatim, but its essentially what he said with his bat last night, finally hitting his first home run of 2011 (and first as an Angel). If Wells can ride this good night into a hot streak, the Angels are going to be damn near unstoppable. As is stands, the Angels are 11-3 in their last 14 games, even though they are getting next to zero production from Abreu, Hunter and Wells, their 3, 4 and 5 hitters.

Jered Weaver looked as un-hittable as ever, pitching a complete game for his 5th win of the season, taking back first place on the Major League Strikeout Leader-board from The Freaky Franchise, Tim Lincecum.

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Vin Scully is adorable. I was listening to the Dodgers game today and heard the following: "Nancy Bea Hefley serenading the crowd with 1940's music and believe me... what a relief from the music they normally play."

Dude is 83 years old, still doing what he loves, but you gotta feel for the guy. He has gone through such a culture shock the last 30 years or so. The way the players behave and ballpark etiquette have both changed so much. As much as it pains me to say this, I really hope the Dodgers can pull off another Championship before he passes, but with what is currently happening to ownership, that seems highly unlikely.

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Angels start a 4-game series with the hated Boston Red Sox in Anaheim tonight. The probables tonight are Josh Beckett and Tyler Chatwood. If we get the Chatwood we got in Chicago, this should be a great game, if not, we could be in trouble.

Realistically, with the team playing like it is right now, winning 3 of 4 should be an easy task, but for the Angels, playing Boston is never easy. Should be a fun weekend, hope you can make it out to the Stadium!

Halos Slide Past Sox for 4th Straight Win

Vernon Wells scored his 3rd run in 3 games. Hank Conger and Howie Kendrick left the yard. Tyler Chatwood held the Sox to 1 run over 7 Innings of work, for the first win of his big-league career. It was a solid day all around for the Angels, who beat the Sox 7-2 after a 130 minute rain delay on Saturday Afternoon.

The biggest story of the day might be happening behind the scenes, however. On Saturday, Conger made his third straight start (and his 5th start in the last 6 games), after the lineup was announced, former golden boy Jeff Mathis went right to the top and asked to have a behind-closed-doors meeting with Skipper Mike Scioscia. He said he wanted more playing time, then didn't talk to the press afterward. Scioscia said the meeting was positive and he liked that Mathis asked him to play more.

However, after a three-run home run by Conger in the 6th inning, he used his abilities to ask for more playing time. This contest to be the Staring Catcher could get interesting. Not only is Conger effective at the plate, he can also throw out runners. Something Mathis has struggled with in 2011. Mathis will block the plate a bit better, and some have said he calls a better game (Angels pitchers have still been solid in Conger's starts, so I don't buy that as a plus for Mathis), but Mathis is a liability at the plate. There are Pitchers with better hitting stats in the last season and a half than Mathis.

Should Conger continue to hit the ball well, Angel Fans should hope that gives Scioscia little choice but to play the Huntington Beach native. However, I think we all remember a guy named Mike Napoli who also hit the ball incredibly well, and lost significant playing time to Mathis. Lets just hope Hank Conger doesn't become Napoli 2.0.


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Random Thoughts:

-Chatwood looked incredibly solid against the Sox today. Could it have been the cold weather? Maybe. Lets hold off on any incredulous judgments until he gets to face the Sox on Thursday (in Anaheim)

-These are the ugliest promotional giveaway caps of all-time:












They are supposed to resemble a "rally cap", which is when you turn a hat inside out and place it on your head for a rally. Instead, they look REALLY stupid.

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Angels look to sweep the Chicago White Sox tomorrow when Dan Haren (3-0, 0.73) faces off against Mark Buerhle (1-0, 4.26). Haren is 0-1 with a 4.67 ERA in his career against Chicago, while Buerhle is 2-6 with a 4.38 ERA against the Angels. Haren hopes to get his 3rd win in 9 days.

Tyler Chatwood: Already a Bust?

Of Course Chatwood isn't already a bust. That's just silly talk. Granted, he gave up 4 runs in 5 Innings on Monday Nights loss to the flaming hot Cleveland Indians. But that's not really all that bad. Add an inning and subtract a run, that's a Quality Start! However, there is obviously room for improvement, and he shouldn't be the long term solution for the Halos in 2011, but its pretty clear that he will be a solid option for 2012 and beyond.

It didn't help that the offense gave Chatwood exactly zero runs of support (the Dan Haren Treatment, already?). The Offense looked as bad as it has all season, only coming up with 4 measly hits.

Scott Downs was solid in his return from the DL (and debut in an Angel Uniform), but in a game that was already over, did it really mean anything? Only time will tell. It was another good outing for the Bullpen, however. Zero Earned over 4 innings, one of their best performances of the season.

If nothing else, Chatwood can take this away from his first major league start: At least I'm better than Scott Kazmir and Matt Palmer.