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December 26, 2006
Angels: Rivera scramble
Juan Rivera's broken leg is making the rumor mill churn, as expected. A rumor on Sports Illustrated's website has the Angels interested in first baseman/designated hitter Shea Hilenbrand, who is a free agent. Somebody more adept at playing outfield would be a better fit but a run producer definitely is needed.
Posted by Doug Padilla at 09:42 AM | Comments (0)
December 22, 2006
Angels: Helton rumor persists
With the broken leg suffered by Juan Rivera in winter ball Friday, perhaps the Angels will step up their efforts to improve the offense. A report in the Denver Post says the Angels will start up serious trade talks with the Rockies in an attempt to acquire first baseman Todd Helton if the Rockies agree to assume a healthy chunk of his salary.
Helton has $90.1 million remaining on his contract, including a salary of $16.6 million next season. Helton is a career .333 hitter, who batted .302 last season with 15 home runs and 81 RBI. He had career highs in home runs (49) and RBI (146) during the 2001 season.
In other Angels-Rockies news, Darin Erstad might be headed to Colorado on a free-agent contract.
Posted by Doug Padilla at 08:18 PM | Comments (0)
December 21, 2006
Angels: Top 10 prospects
Not sure how last week's acquisition of Phil Seibel would have changed things but Baseball America released its American League West top 10 prostects list before the deal went down with the Boston Red Sox. The list, along with comments and 2006 stats for each player, is available in the publication's current issue. (The information only is available online to subscribers)
Here is the list:
10. Tommy Mendoza, left-handed pitcher
9. Sean O'Sullivan, right-handed pitcher
8. Sean Rodriguez, shortstop/second base
7. Jeff Mathis, catcher
6. Hank Conger, catcher
5. Stephen Marek, right-handed pitcher
4. Young-Il Jung, right-handed pitcher
3. Erick Aybar, shortstop
2. Nick Adenhart, right-handed pitcher
1. Brandon Wood, shortstop
Remember, the list isn't broken down by who are the most major-league ready players, but instead those who have the highest potential ceiling in the big leagues. Therefore, Wood has not necessarily passed Aybar on the depth chart just yet. Expect the two to have an interesting battle in spring training where one could make the major-league roster as a reserve and the other should gain the starting spot at Triple-A Salt Lake. That, of course, assumes Aybar isn't part of a trade before camp opens in Tempe.
Posted by Doug Padilla at 11:18 AM | Comments (1)
December 15, 2006
Angels: Donnelly traded to Red Sox
Reliever Brendan Donnelly was traded Friday to the Boston Red Sox in exchange for left-hander Phil Seibel, a 27-year-old Orange County native.
Donnelly, 35, was 6-0 last season with a 3.94 ERA. He is 23-8 lifetime with a 2.87 ERA in five major-league seasons.
Seibel had Tommy John surgery on his left elbow following the 2004 season. He had a combined 6-3 record with a 1.25 ERA at Single-A Greenville, Double-A Portland and Triple-A Pawtucket last season. He appeared in two games as a reliever for the Red Sox in 2004, giving up no runs in 3 2/3 innings.
Seibel is a graduate of Cypress High School and appeared in the 2000 College World Series with Texas.
Posted by Doug Padilla at 12:22 PM | Comments (0)
Angels: Fans still waiting
By now, it would seem that owner Arte Moreno must be regretting his bold September promise when he guaranteed an impact offseason acquisition. Looking at their offseason transaction list, that move obviously has yet to be made.
Forgetting about the money for a second and Gary Matthews Jr. does offer an upgrade in center field. But is Matthews that impact move? Not for the majority of Angels fans.
Pitchers and catchers don't report for exactly two months so we'll give them the benefit of the doubt and assume that impact roster move still is to come. Signing Barry Zito would lead to a pitching surplus that could be sued to land an impact offensive piece. Remember, along with the promise of the major offseason move, Moreno stated money was no object.
If no other move is made, though, Moreno might have some explaining to do. He would have gotten the Angels community all excited for nothing. We would blame him for stretching the truth in order to sell tickets but Angels tickets already move at an impressive rate. The more likely scenario is that he misjudged the market this offseason and was not prepared to spend the obscene amounts that have been offered.
As for the future, you can just hear the collective yawn coming the next time Moreno promises something big to happen.
Posted by Doug Padilla at 09:46 AM | Comments (0)
December 13, 2006
LaRoche to the Angels?
Here is a rumor that refuses to die, which gives it more credence than other Angels scenarios tossed around. A colleague from Atlanta has e-mailed to say that he still is hearing grumblings that Braves first baseman Adam LaRoche could be headed to Anaheim soon.
Hey, LaRoche was born in Orange County so it would be a little bit of a homecoming. His birth site really has more to do with his father Dave pitching for the Angels at the time. Adam went to high school in Kansas.
The Angels would have to part with Casey Kotchman and Chone Figgins to make it happen. That scenario would have to please the Angels. No pitching is involved and Figgins is sort of expendable with Gary Matthews Jr. taking over the leadoff spot. Kotchman wouldn't be needed (even if he was healthy) because LaRoche would play first.
The Angels certainly could have used LaRoche's 32 home runs and 90 RBI last season. Figgins would be the leadoff hitter the Braves are searching for.
All that leaves is the question of what the Angels will do with third base. Can Dallas McPherson stay healthy enough to provide the answer? Is Maicer Izturis a legitimate Opening Day third baseman?
This deal would only mean the Angels still had some work to do.
Posted by Doug Padilla at 05:57 PM | Comments (0)
December 08, 2006
Angels: Guerrero's tough year continues
A trying 2006 became even more difficult for the Angels' Vladimir Guerrero as good friend and former major leaguer Jose Uribe was killed in a car crash. Guerrero led a procession in Uribe's honor Friday. In spring training earlier this year, Guerrero mourned the death of three cousins, also in a car crash. Because he was not in the proper frame of mind, Guerrero backed out of the innagural World Baseball Classic. Both deadly crashes occurred in the Dominican Republic.
Posted by Doug Padilla at 05:22 PM | Comments (0)
December 07, 2006
Angels: Lots of talk, no action
The winter meetings have pretty much come to a close in Orlando and the Angels were involved in plenty of rumors. Whether all/some/one of those rumors comes to fruition remains to be seen. The free-agent pool has all but dried up and there is no reason to rehash the Angels' reluctance to make trades. That would seem to mean that the Angels are pretty much set for the 07 season, but as they say, stranger things have happened.
Here is a summary of the published rumors involving the Angels:
A recent Braves trade with the Mariners could revive talks between the Angels and Braves regarding Adam LaRoche.
A report on yahoo.com says that Todd Helton was being considered by the Angels. The potential deal fell through. The Denver Post talks about it too, as does the Rocky Mountain News.
yahoo.com also says that Brendan Donnelly and Jose Molina could be used to obtain a left-handed reliever, although recently-acquired right-hander Justin Speier is adept at retiring lefties.
If you're an ESPN.com insider subscriber, a Peter Gammons blog doesn't have flattering things to say about the Angels' offseason. Who has been kind, really? If you don't subscribe, questions were raised as to what the Angels have been thinking. Not a shock.
In another ESPN.com insider report, the Angels are said to have interest in Shea Hillenbrand, Vernon Wells and Barry Zito. Just guessing their interest is not in that order.
Any chance the Angels might still land Manny Ramirez? ESPN.com says to forget about it.
Owner Arte Moreno is quoted by the Chicago Tribune as being shocked Alfonso Soriano was able to sign for so much.
Posted by Doug Padilla at 05:00 PM | Comments (0)
another year, another winter meetings ...
... and this one was anything but routine for the Dodgers.
While these were the quietest meetings in years, the Dodgers were among the busiest teams, adding free agents Mike Lieberthal, Jason Schmidt and Luis Gonzalez. But it wasn't hard to identify Ned Colletti's greatest coup.
Colletti was able to vastly improve the club without trading any -- not ANY -- of the team's vaunted prospects. Not Matt Kemp. Not Chad Billingsley. Not James Loney. Not Andy LaRoche. Not Jonathan Broxton. And while it is clear Colletti plans to try to trade Brad Penny for another power hitter, it is equally clear that the Dodgers already are equipped to win the National League West and perhaps go deep into the postseason even without such a move.
Already this offseason, Colletti has vastly improved the atmosphere in the clubhouse by replacing the surly Kenny Lofton with gregarious Juan Pierre and adding the calming, veteran influence that Gonzalez, Lieberthal and Randy Wolf figure to bring. And he has built what should be one of the best starting rotations in the league with Schmidt, Derek Lowe, Wolf and (perhaps) Penny.
Posted by Tony Jackson at 10:10 AM | Comments (0)