Where does the youth movement play in 2012?

AAA, not just for Lucha Libre anymore. I think the Angels would actually benefit quite a bit if they put a few of the up and comers in the Minors to start the season.  Probably not a popular thought. Especially considering that I want to see the young guys come up, succeed, and make an impact.  Without a serious trade, there is just not enough At Bats to accommodate the Halo Depth.  A quick look at the assumed starting positions in 2012 and you lose a few guys who made 2011 special.  There are quite a few log jams on the diamond and only a few pieces that have the options to spend some time in Salt Lake City.

Obviously the first candidate is one of the Top Prospects in all of Baseball.  However a huge obstacle was placed in front of him when the trade for Vernon Wells was made.  Mike Trout just doesn’t have the room to get regular at bats to start the season. Borjous was ready first and has a very positive impact in the center field.  Torii Hunter until December 8th 2011 has been the face of this franchise since he was signed to a contract at an undisclosed Del Taco location.  This is his final contract year with the Angels and unfortunately just good enough to stay in the line up, everyday.  And of course Vernon Wells, I doubt anyone could have predicted how poorly he would have been in Anaheim last year.  However as many GIDP or pop flys, he still pulled off a very respectable 25 dingers, plus he's owed way to much money to sit on the bench.  An Injury or trade could change that very quickly, but I think the right idea is to let Trout see pitches every day. When an opportunity presents itself at the Major League Level he can be plugged right into any outfield position and carry the load.  Hunter and Abreu are both free agents in 2013.

Mark Trumbo is the other man who should probably start the season in AAA. We have a very decent to good third baseman in Alberto Callaspo and clearly won't get starts over Albert Pujols. Which means… if Morales is healthy, there won’t be many at bats between Kendrys and Bobby Abreu. Besides, do you really want Trumbo learning on the job at the Major League Level. Better to have him develop the defense of skills, whilst it doesn’t affect the major league wins and losses.  In the interim, first base will be dominated by AP with the occasional start lobbed to Morales or even Jorge Cantu can be brought up from his minor league deal.  If the Angels are committed to making Trumbo a serviceable everyday Third baseman, repetition and opportunity will take him there.  Otherwise, trade him now while his value is high, because there isn't enough room in the outfield or playing first.  

Lastly Hank Conger. I know blasphemy, right, Conger is one of my favorites.  He seems like a real cool guy, plus gave me an autographed bat.  (Well full disclosure gave my friend an autographed bat, who gave it to me, but clearly the intent was there.)  But if Conger starts the year in AAA, he’ll see regular at bats. Ianneta so far is on a one year contract. No telling if he’ll be extended. No telling how he’ll interact with the Major League Pitching, no telling if he’s truly a fit. And with Wilson out of options and being Santana’s personal catcher, it doesn’t look like he’s going anywhere. If at any point in the season. No reason to let Conger sit on the bench. Let him play ever day in AAA and wait for a call up.

There is a lot of reason to be excited about 2012 for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.  Clearly there are some tough decisions ahead for DiPoto and Scioscia.  But ultimately the youth movement might have to wait one more year before they're allowed to take the next level of this ball club.

Go Halos...

& Bees!!!

Who ever came out of the 19th Round any how!?!

MLBTradeRumors recently reported that the Angels will lose the19th overall pick to the Cardinals, who also obtain a supplementary first rounder, when they locked up the 'Machine' Albert Pujols.  At first I scoffed, I mean really did anyone good ever come out of the 19th Round of the MLB Draft?  After a little snooping around I stumbled across this little gem.

 courtesy of mymlbdraft.com

Going back 31 years, I didn't see to many interesting names, with the exception of Roger Clemens.  Gadzooks!  Roger Clemens, even before the alleged steroids abuse, he was an awesome pitcher.  But out of 31 years there was only Hall of Famer.  I mean Alex Rios was good-- but I don't see him going into the Hall of Fame.  If you go back a few more years our very own Mike Scioscia was drafted 19th Overall by the Dodgers.  So what am I getting at?  Bottom line-- I'd be more than happy to gamble on the fact that Pujols will do more for this team then whomever the Boston Red Sox draft for the 19th Overall Pick.

Trumbo is trade bait...

All of this information is second hand.  I can't vouch for the validity of it.  But I found it terribly interesting.  A friend of mine found himself on a golf course this afternoon with a current member of the Los Angeles Angels.  Now I cannot disclose which player it is but he was someone who played last year.  Apparently this player thinks that Mark Trumbo may be on the trading block.  That Trumbo has had zero time to prepare for a position change, because he is still rehabilitating from a foot injury.  And this player tends to think that with Albert at First and Alberto at Third that Trumbo just doesn't fit.  And with such a successful Rookie Season there is reason to believe at Trumbo will be moved.

Of course, my friend who just so happens to be a Red Sox Fan (I know it doesn't seem fair), was kind of taken back by these admissions.  I tried to tell my friend that the Angels are in a position of depth, that Trumbo has options (in a worse case scenario), that Trumbo could replace Wells in the not to distant future, that Morales is still an unproven commodity in 2012.  But the player suggest moving from First to Third (see what I did there), isn't as easy as we all guess, especially while recovering from injury. 

This does not sit well with me.  I really like this unnamed player, but I hope he is wrong.  Trumbo is cheap and under team control, what would be the benefit to trade him, unless it was a haul that just couldn't be passed up. DiPotto, don't do it.

Go Halos

Dodger Fans hate you Albert Pujols

In another forum, I was recently baited by a True Blue Dodger Fan. First and foremost, you never feed the trolls. Haters are going to hate. And Dodger Fans aren't a very happy bunch. The biggest 2 acquisitions the Dodgers made this off-season outside of extending Matt Kemp and signing Chris Capuano. Now the Dodgers for all they have been through aren't an awful team and with a few minor tweaks could be very competitive next year, but I had to share this hate.

That Albert Pujols signing was awful. LOL@those of you who think signing a guy with declining stats to a $200+million contract for 10 years is something to be happy about. I always thought/still think that Frank McCourt is an idiot, but Arte Moreno is an even bigger idiot for shelling out all that cash for a guy in his mid-30's (you're tripping if you think he's younger than 33).

Dodger fans, are you honestly telling me that you'd prefer James Loney and his paltry contract to Albert Pujols?  Are you also telling me that you wouldn't want an owner like Moreno over McCourt?  Lets see a guy who continues to spend, increasing pay roll, keeping concessions lower, parking reasonable, and over all one of the best sporting experiences in the country, or a guy who charges you $20 to park to sit at a dinosaur of a ball park and watch a sub-par baseball team?  When was the last time the Dodgers were in the playoffs?  When was the last time they won a World Series?  When was the last time Los Angeles Dodgers were relevant?

...but that doesn't matter and the fact remains that Albert isn't going to help the Angels win, his numbers will continue to decline (and when they do, attendance will decline too) and he's still going to be owed tons of money for a number of years. It's a terrible investment because that means less money for other free agents, international signings, and less money to spend on top draft picks.

Not only that, but the appeal of Albert is going to die once the Dodgers get new owners who will be willing to spend money on talent to go along with Clayton Kershaw and Matt Kemp (the real NL MVP, fuck Ryan Braun).

Pujols isn't going to help this team win?  I'm not saying the Angels are favorites to win the World Series, or even the West, but that has to be the stupidest comment with regards to this signing I have ever read.  I'm really starting to doubt this fans credibility.  My only response to this was this picture...

I'm not mad. I'm just wondering why people think that all this money invested in an aging veteran who was an obvious steroid user is such a great thing? I'm happy with having Matt Kemp, a guy who hasn't even reached his prime and is still young, and Clayton Kershaw (when he gets his contract) become the next Sandy K.

I won't lie, I like the CJ Wilson signing, but the Angels have fucked themselves.

Here's how I replied: 
"Obvious Steroid User" You are trying to hard. You are aware that that "idiot" Arte signed a big boy television contract, right? 3 Billion Dollars. And season ticket sells are through the roof.

What's gonna happen in 2-3 years when Albert is batting .250 and hitting 15 homeruns a year? Will season ticket sales still go through the roof?

It's cool though. Arte spent a lot of money on a player who is past his prime and won't help the Angels. I guess he and his fans are more concerned about image and what massive world record publicity stunt they can pull off at that rat infested stadium.

The Moral of the Story, don't feed the trolls.  Just enjoy their frustrations as they implode.  No MLB World Series was won in December.  Or January.  But Certainly, the Angels have addressed a lot of the question marks they had at the end of the season.  They needed an upgrade behind the plate.  Iannetta is an upgrade over Mathis.  They needed additional bullpen depth, Hawkins adds depth.  They needed to added another bat in the line up and Pujols is the most prolific hitter in our era.  

Pujols is an Angel - Mind Blown.

Nearly eight days ago my mind was completely blown.  Like some sort of sonic ray gun zapping my brain and exploding like Mt. St. Helen, Albert Pujols became an Angel.  I closely monitored websites like Halos Heaven and MLB Trade Rumors to see what went down at the Winter Meetings.  Truth be told in the past few seasons the Winter Meetings were a torturous experience.  Hearing the Halos linked to every top deck free agent, only to settle for coming in 2nd place.
Jerry DiPoto didn't leave me disappointed.  When the name Pujols was being tossed around as a potential Angel, I kind of laughed but deep down I hoped he would be.  I've eluded to my affinity for the first baseman in other posts.  Prior to the Wells deal last winter, I had hopped that the Halos would be saving up to make a serious bid to the multi-time MVP.  But never in my wildest dreams would the most prolific hitter in all the land would be suiting up in our colors for my team.  Just wasn't going to happen.  But it did.

Arte Moreno stepped up to the plate.  And the infomercial for season tickets last Saturday is a testament to the gratitude the Halo Faithful should share for the boss.  You wanted the best, he got you the best. Starting at first base for your Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim #5, the Machine, Albert Pujols.  I've heard a lot of rhetoric from Dodger fans.  I'm going to chalk that up to jealousy. 

1. You over paid:  #5 had offers from the Marlins for just over 22M more that were left on the table.  When you begin to adjust the market for inflation in the next ten years, with ever increasing contracts and no salary cap, this contract could be a bargain in 3-4 years.  If the Halos win the Series
2. He won't be the same hitter in year 10:  Will Jeter, A-Rod, or really any of the premium players being the player they were at the end of the contract as their were at the beginning.   No, they aren't.  AP won't be the same player he is when my Daughter is 17.  But he could be chasing Bond's Home Run record, 3000 hits, and Cooper's Town.  Could be the first Angel inducted into the HOF.  And sure he spent 11 years in STL, 10 years in Anaheim could mean as much, if not more.

'The Machine' hasn't yet to play 1 game in an Angels Jersey, but he's already being treated like a Rock Star.  World Series have never been won in December.  But Pujols gives the Angel an excellent opportunity to go back to the promise land.  So kudos to the Halos, Moreno, and DiPoto for landing the big fish and making that splash.

Go Halos

Memo to Dodger Fans

With Frank McCourt days being numbered as Czar of the Dodgers, the villainy and evil that has held Chavez Ravine hostage like a 1980 Hijacker taking a plane bound for Atlanta to Havana, will be coming to an end.  Now freedom, shout it from atop the Ravine, Freedom, now like William Wallace as they are cutting out your innards, FREEDOM, the Dodgers are now free from this terror.

But McCourt has kind of left you all with a ticking time-bomb so to speak.  Sure Matt Kemp is locked up and even bought out some of his free agent years... but what about Clayton Kershaw.  But unfortunately the opportunity to sign another game changer is slowly passing you buy.  With no real owner at the helm, there is no real money to spend.  No way to leverage Prince Fielder into first base.  No opportunity to seduce Jose Reyes to play short.  No big time free-agent, no significant off season signings this year.

So although the light is at the end of the tunnel, you've still got a long stretch of road before you get there...
Happy Thanksgiving!

Yours Truly,

First2Third.net

Halos Get it Done in Taiwan

It sounds as if the MLB All-Stars who played in the MLB-Taiwan All-Star Game just crushed the opposition.  Back in January 2010, I made the case for the Angels to start paying attention to the Taiwan market.  When the Halos signed Joel Piñeiro, I wanted them to pursue Chien-Ming Wang (glad I'm not the GM.)  Not just because of what I thought Wang could offer the rotation (which wasn't much), but because Wang was/is revered in his native Taiwan.  Taiwan loves baseball.  And this group of MLB Players going to Taiwan is great for developing the sport, getting more fans interested. I'm not sure how being crushed by the superior league of All-Stars helps... but it certainly brings a greater awareness.  

And if you're like me... going through some baseball withdraws,  you can watch the full games of the MLB-Taiwain series, on MLB's website with a valid MLB.TV account.