Mound Talk

The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim finished first in the AL West but they went into the playoffs banged up. Vladimir Guerrero was limited to the DH role, Gary Matthews Jr. and Bartolo Colon had to be left off the playoff roster and Garret Anderson had to be taken out because he was unable to see out of one eye. With all of their injuries the Angels were overmatched in their playoff with Boston.
Throughout the season the Angels had many of their prospects step up and fill in for starters who went down due to injury. The most important emergence may have been Reggie Willits who proved to be an important spark to their offense. Casey Kotchman solidified himself at first base and Maicer Izturis proved he could handle playing several positions.

The Angels payroll was at $109 million this past season and barring a significant signing…A-Rod…their payroll is unlikely to increase significantly. They will have $23.25 million coming off their books but after pay increases they will have roughly $8 million to spend if they keep their spending at its current level. Their biggest need is to acquire a big bat to hit behind Vlad, which is why there is much speculation that they will make a push to sign Alex Rodriguez. Their starting lineup is set at the moment so if they were to bring in a proven bat they will likely trade one or two of their younger players that they have heavily guarded for so long. The other option would be to allow their talented prospects a chance to play everyday and develop further. Brandon Wood could be the power hitter they have been looking for but until this point they have not found a position for him because they continue to sign free agents. Their other need, like every team would be to upgrade their starting rotation. They could trade away Chone Figgins, Wood, Dallas McPherson or Howie Kendrick to acquire the pitcher or hitter that they need.

Potential players leaving

Bartolo Colon (SP) - $14 million

Hector Carrasco (RP) – $2.75

Shea Hillenbrand - $6.5 million (ended season with Dodgers)

The Angels will let Colon walk and look to fill his spot through free agency or trade. If you look at their track record they will fill through free agency even though trade will likely land them a better and possibly cheaper option. If they do go through free agency it wouldn’t be surprising to see them target Curt Schilling to give them another veteran presence on the mound who would only require a one year contract. The Minnesota Twins could be a good trade partner for them as they have some young starting pitching (Scott Baker, Boof Bonser, Kevin Slowey) that is ready for the majors and a need to fill several spots in their lineup, most notably at third base. The Marlins also have several young arms (Scott Olson, Sergio Mitre, Anibal Sanchez) that they could part with to bring in more offense for their young team.

Strengths

Talent and depth at all positions – While they did not look impressive in the playoffs the Angels lineup when healthy is very talented at every position. They also have several players ready to play in the majors who are also very talented. Much of their talent is young and needs to continue to develop but their lineup will be set for years to come.

Solid Pitching Staff – The top of their rotation is very strong with John Lackey and Kelvim Escobar. Escobar really emerged this season by staying consistant and healthy. Jered Weaver and Ervin Santana continue to develop and have shown flashes of becoming very good starters. They could use one more starter because of doubts if Santana can learn to pitch on the road(his home/away splits have been well publicized).

Weaknesses

Lack of Power – Besides Vlad their lineup is devoid of a power bat. They have attempted to fill this hole for several years but have been unable to make the acquisition. The Angels owner has said in the past that devoting a quarter of your payroll to one player is bad business and if he holds to that they will not be signing Alex Rodriguez, but it would not be very surprising to see him change his stance to get what could be the last piece of the puzzle for this team. The current lineup is full of guys who hit for a high average and have lots of speed. While this has proven to work for the season it doesn’t help them in the playoffs when they go against top pitching. If A-Rod is not in the picture they will likely go after Mike Sweeney to take on the DH role. There have been rumors of them trading for him for several years and now he is available to sign as a free agent. Mike would likely go west for a lesser price because he grew up not far from where the Angels ballpark is located.

Off-season Priorities

They will make some attempt to sign Alex Rodriguez to fill their power need. If they loose out on the A-Rod bidding they will go after someone like Mike Sweeney, Mike Lowell or Geoff Jenkins.

A veteran pitcher could help anchor their pitching staff. With their young pitching they should target a pitcher they can sign for a one or two year contract. Curt Schilling, Livan Hernandez or Kenny Rogers would be a nice fit for the Angels because none of them would be required to be the ace or even the number two.

The Angels will be in the middle of the biggest free bidding of the off-season he might not be the answer they are looking for. They have a lot of young talent that could turn into the power they are seeking if given a chance. They would be better served bringing in a veteran pitcher and a guy like Mike Sweeney to go along with their young talent (Check out the Angels Top 10 prospects).

.