Angels Official Website: 10 questions facing Angels in 2014

[AngelsWin.com]

After many things went wrong for the Angels last season, Mike Scioscia and Co. look to bounce back in 2014. Here are the 10 biggest questions facing the Halos in the coming year.

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[Tyler]

Much better game plan this offseason.

[Docwaukee]

It's funny because the season ended with a bunch of relative unknown's producing on offense and my general thought was that they need to spend the offseason getting as much pitching as they can.  Then when the actual off season came, I was in the 'sign a couple of guys' mode and less inclined to want to see the existing offensive core broken up.  I feel like I have come full circle as I now want to the team to get as much pitching as they possibly can and sort it out later.  Trout and a bunch of scrubs could make the offense middle of the pack.  Solid seasons from the likes of Pujols, Hamilton, Calhoun, Conger, Ianetta, Freese and others makes them the best offense in the league.  Solid seasons from half of those guys will make them very good. 

 

You make have noticed I left out Aybar and Kendrick.  If you can get Tanaka, those guys should be safe for now, but if you can't, they need to move one of them for that missing piece of the rotation.  Probably should anyway.  It's always easier to find a position player to fill a spot than a young pitcher. 

[GregAlso]

They couldn't get Santiago for Howie straight up. Doubt they'd get a Santiago-type for Aybar straight up. Those two just don't have that much value out on the market right now.

[Halos of Anaheim]

They couldn't get Santiago for Howie straight up. Doubt they'd get a Santiago-type for Aybar straight up. Those two just don't have that much value out on the market right now.

It probably had more to do with the fact that the White Sox didn't need a 2B. There are plenty of teams that would want Howie, and a Santiago type (maybe not for the same years of control though) shouldn't be too hard to acquire. We'll most likely ship him out come the trade deadline if we're like 10 games or something.

[SoWhat]

They couldn't get Santiago for Howie straight up. Doubt they'd get a Santiago-type for Aybar straight up. Those two just don't have that much value out on the market right now.

You mean Quintana, not Santiago.

[edgur1995]

I'm willing to budge on trading Aybar for some pitching then addressing the SS some other time. I would consider it now as Drew is a very interesting player.

[Brent Maguire]

You mean Quintana, not Santiago.

Quintana for Kendrick would've been very nice.

I can see why the White Sox didn't want to go there though.

[wopphil]

It's funny because the season ended with a bunch of relative unknown's producing on offense and my general thought was that they need to spend the offseason getting as much pitching as they can. Then when the actual off season came, I was in the 'sign a couple of guys' mode and less inclined to want to see the existing offensive core broken up. I feel like I have come full circle as I now want to the team to get as much pitching as they possibly can and sort it out later. Trout and a bunch of scrubs could make the offense middle of the pack. Solid seasons from the likes of Pujols, Hamilton, Calhoun, Conger, Ianetta, Freese and others makes them the best offense in the league. Solid seasons from half of those guys will make them very good.

You make have noticed I left out Aybar and Kendrick. If you can get Tanaka, those guys should be safe for now, but if you can't, they need to move one of them for that missing piece of the rotation. Probably should anyway. It's always easier to find a position player to fill a spot than a young pitcher.

I agree with this. I wouldn't be bothered if Aybar were traded for a young arm (another Skaggs type). It would be really nice to just load up on good arms and then let the guys who perform the best take the starting positions.

[wopphil]

But it also seems there is no market for shortstops. Drew, for example, is a great player and yet you hear almost nothing about any team being interested in him. It makes me think Aybar's trade value is far lower than was Trumbo's.

[Docwaukee]

Drew, morales, ubaldo, santana are all non premium yet mid to upper tier free agents tied to compensation. It's the biggest flaw in a non tiered system. I think the market for aybar would develop if he were made available. A Skaggs type player plus a lower level guy for aybar gives the rotation depth now and for the future. Sign capuano or hammel, a reliever and call it a day.

Of course this is if we don't sign tanaka. If we do, you could still consider the above minus the capuano/hammel signing. Adding tanaka, a reliever and a major league min salary pitcher minus aybar probably also gets us below the Cbt.

[Bruce Nye]

I don't disagree with the 10 items, but I wonder what the ordering means.  Scioscia and Dipoto getting along, etc as No. 1?  I would place the Angels pitching as No. 1.

[Brent Maguire]

I don't disagree with the 10 items, but I wonder what the ordering means. Scioscia and Dipoto getting along, etc as No. 1? I would place the Angels pitching as No. 1.

Yup.

This team is going absolutely nowhere without some of the young starters stepping up.

[Second Base]

I know this is going to piss a few of you off (and understandably so), the Angels plan to go fully in on Garza if they cannot get Tanaka. The price hasn't been where they're comfortable yet and the timing hasn't been right, but there's mutual interest on both sides. Angels feel he can be a very good #3 in their park with their defense and Garza wouldn't mind returning to the West Coast.

Dipoto went after Garza the same way he did Wilson 2 years ago. Garza's going at it in a completely different fashion than Wilson did though. Wilson made his preference known and didn't want to play the FA game. Garza's a lot more interested in money and is willing to play this FA game for as long as it takes.

If the Angels do end up landing Garza, it will be for much less than he's asked for though. Interestingly enough, I'm told Dipoto is 100% committed to putting Skaggs in the rotation and keeping him there. So if they sign Garza, that likely moves Santiago to the pen, which would be odd given his success as a starter.

[Angel Oracle]

I'd rather have Santiago and Skaggs in the rotation, than Garza and Skaggs.

[wopphil]

I know this is going to piss a few of you off (and understandably so), the Angels plan to go fully in on Garza if they cannot get Tanaka. The price hasn't been where they're comfortable yet and the timing hasn't been right, but there's mutual interest on both sides. Angels feel he can be a very good #3 in their park with their defense and Garza wouldn't mind returning to the West Coast.

Dipoto went after Garza the same way he did Wilson 2 years ago. Garza's going at it in a completely different fashion than Wilson did though. Wilson made his preference known and didn't want to play the FA game. Garza's a lot more interested in money and is willing to play this FA game for as long as it takes.

If the Angels do end up landing Garza, it will be for much less than he's asked for though. Interestingly enough, I'm told Dipoto is 100% committed to putting Skaggs in the rotation and keeping him there. So if they sign Garza, that likely moves Santiago to the pen, which would be odd given his success as a starter.

Interesting. I have to believe that Garza's market is far more limited than what we thought at the beginning of the off season. If the Yankees get Tanaka, which teams will really be willing to spend $60 mil plus on Garza? I just don't see the market. Wouldn't surprise me if we ended up getting Garza at 4/64.

[mtangelsfan]

I know this is going to piss a few of you off (and understandably so), the Angels plan to go fully in on Garza if they cannot get Tanaka. The price hasn't been where they're comfortable yet and the timing hasn't been right, but there's mutual interest on both sides. Angels feel he can be a very good #3 in their park with their defense and Garza wouldn't mind returning to the West Coast.

Dipoto went after Garza the same way he did Wilson 2 years ago. Garza's going at it in a completely different fashion than Wilson did though. Wilson made his preference known and didn't want to play the FA game. Garza's a lot more interested in money and is willing to play this FA game for as long as it takes.

If the Angels do end up landing Garza, it will be for much less than he's asked for though. Interestingly enough, I'm told Dipoto is 100% committed to putting Skaggs in the rotation and keeping him there. So if they sign Garza, that likely moves Santiago to the pen, which would be odd given his success as a starter.

 

Their defense sucked last year and it got worse with Freese at 3B.  If they trade Kendrick, it will be even worse yet. 

[Second Base]

Their defense sucked last year and it got worse with Freese at 3B.  If they trade Kendrick, it will be even worse yet. 

 

 

Interesting. I have to believe that Garza's market is far more limited than what we thought at the beginning of the off season. If the Yankees get Tanaka, which teams will really be willing to spend $60 mil plus on Garza? I just don't see the market. Wouldn't surprise me if we ended up getting Garza at 4/64.

 

The defense did suck last year, but was also much better the year before.  These performances fluctuate so it's best to look at a defense across a 3 year period if you can (sometimes roster turnover makes this quite impossible).  Overall the Angels should have an average infield with an outstanding defensive OF.

 

I really have no idea what Garza's market is right now.  His agent made it clear that he wouldn't be a pre-winter meetings signee like many free agents were unless some team offered him around 110 million.  Clearly every team wasn't interested in that. Then at the meetings it was 5/6 and around 95, and that's when Dipoto stopped bothering.  He checked in again around a week ago (before Tanaka was posted) to see if they can begin speaking with Matt himself and were told they were going to wait on all of that and let the market play out.  

 

By the way they've went about things so far, it would appear money is more important than location and the Garza camp is banking on desperation.  This doesn't work in the Angels favor as their desirable location and pitching environment won't give them a leg up and after the Trumbo trade, they aren't desperate.  So if he does come I get the feeling it'd be 4/66 with a team and player option for a 5th year at 17 million. 

 

Still, that'd be 5/83 at the most (highly likely that option would be declined when he's 35 but you never know).  If he still thinks he's going to get over 90 and 5-6 years then it won't be from the Angels. 

[Schildog]

3. How many prime Pujols years remain?

If ever the Angels were going to get an MVP-caliber season out of Pujols, this is the one. In 2012, he was adjusting to new surroundings and the expectations of a $240 million contract, going homerless in his first 27 games before rebounding profoundly. In 2013, he dealt with plantar fasciitis and batted .258/.330/.437 before his season ended after 99 games. At full health, the Angels expect Pujols to be among the game's best hitters once again in 2014. They'll deal with the seven other years -- and the $189 million he'll be paid throughout -- one at a time.

 

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