Angels

4/60 is the highest I would go for Garza...though I bet he gets more given the weak free agent class for pitchers. I'm hoping for Tanaka.

He's only valuable if used properly. Would we really trust Scioscia to use him properly?

I would pass on Mijares. He's only useful if you use him against lefties. Against righties? Forget it. A healthy Burnett makes this guy redundant.

If you use him primarily as a lefty specialist, he's useful. You just don't want him facing righties.

That's misleading, considering 7 of Cron's 16 walks from June-September were of the intentional variety. So that's 9 unintentional walks during the last 3+ months of the season, or an average of 3 unintentional walks per month. He had 5 unintentional walks (combined) in April and May. He took 16 unintentional walks all of last season. I don't really see a legit improvement...just an illusion. That said, hopefully he improves on that next year.

The Angels shouldn't just make a trade for the sake of making one. They can always decide to keep Bourjos if they're not happy with the offers they're getting. Or...they can also get creative and offer him in a package deal. Dipoto is going to need to show his worth this offseason. The Angels do need to win now, however. You don't sign Pujols and Hamilton if you don't plan on doing that. These guys aren't getting any younger. I don't think this M's package meets the "win now" criteria.

If the Angels didn't have Pujols, Hamilton, Weaver, etc. etc. and weren't in win-now mode, I'd probably agree. But the Angels do need to win now. We would be trading Bourjos for a starter who was pretty bad last season (although there is potential in him, but that's all it is...), a reliever with control issues, and a pitcher with potential who is a few years away. Would you be comfortable with sticking Ramirez in the rotation next year? Counting on him to help right the ship? Do we know what we would get out of him? Because he sure was pretty bad last season... Way too much "what ifs" and just not a lot of obvious immediate improvements here.

There was nothing solid about Erasmo Ramirez last season. He would be a nice player to have as depth...and of course he can actually improve as a starter... but if the Angels are going to enter 2014 relying on the likes of Erasmo Ramirez to fill out their rotation, don't expect great things from the Angels in 2014. That's a lot of "WHAT IF" without any real MLB success.

Nope. That's way, way too much for a declining pitcher with declining stuff. And he's only under contract for two more years (club option)...and he's not even a bargain. I would say that he's slightly overpaid. Also, he averaged just 5.8 innings per start this year. A tired and overworked bullpen isn't an effective bullpen.

This is even a debate? Trout by a country mile. Not even close.

I am beginning to think that Scioscia is starting to regain his power and influence. Not good.

The problem with those other stats you listed is that they don't accurately reflect what's going on. In Weaver's case, there's no point even bringing up FIP or xFIP. Those stats will always undervalue him. BABIP is not a skill according to those stats. According to xFIP, limiting home runs is not a skill. Both of those stats automatically give every pitcher in baseball a league average BABIP and xFIP automatically gives every pitcher in baseball a league average HR rate. Weaver's HR/FB has always been way, way below the league average. His BABIP has always been way, way below the league average. Those stats don't reflect that. His K/9 in 2013 was low compared to other years, but his SwStr% was the second highest mark of his career (2010) so he was still missing plenty of bats, even if it didn't show in his strikeouts. And his HR/9 was in line with his career marks. 2011 was the anomaly as far as that is concerned.

The Phillies from a few years ago had a peak Halladay, Lee, Hamels, Oswalt...that was a better rotation than your Dodgers' potential rotation. Didn't win the Phillies a championship. Besides, there are some warning signs when it comes to Price. Doesn't necessarily mean anything, but it also doesn't necessarily not mean anything. Also, Greinke was pitching over his head this year and will probably regress. Don't count your chickens till they hatch, K?

"Trout didn't seem to have too many memorable games this season." You're right. We've just been too spoiled watching him play that a 'regular' day for Trout seems to be a great day for a lot of other players. I guess when you're by far the best player in baseball, people expect the unexpected.

Someone brought up Jose Quintana of the White Sox. I'm not sure why the White Sox would trade him, but he's exactly the kind of pitcher the Angels should be targeting. Cheap and cost-controlled...good...young.

The next big-money player I want to see on the Angels is Mike Trout. Perhaps the Angels should focus on giving Mike Trout a big extension...and acquiring some cheap, good starting pitching instead.

Trumbo is who he is.

I wouldn't trade Bourjos or Trumbo for Hellickson. Hellickson's peripherals have always been scary and it seems to have finally caught up with him this year.

Dipoto inherited a terrible farm system. Also, the Angels lost a few first round picks and were/are cash-strapped thanks to Moreno's insistence on making some "big splashes." Not really sure how Dipoto is to blame for the lack of depth. The Angels can't even give Trout an extension at the moment because they don't want to go over the luxury tax. Whose fault is that? Moreno's.

Dodgers ST record: 13-20 Reds ST record: 13-20 Pirates ST record: 13-18 Cardinals ST record: 16-15 Rays ST record: 15-17 Rangers ST record: 17-17 Red Sox ST record: 17-17 Royals ST record: 25-7 Mariners ST record: 22-11 Astros ST record: 15-16 Twins ST record: 17-16 Marlins ST record: 13-16 Mets ST record: 15-15 White Sox ST record: 15-15 Phillies ST record: 16-17 Giants ST record: 16-15 Rockies ST record: 16-15 Etc. What do ST records mean, again?

Having a higher draft pick doesn't guarantee anything. Baseball is riddled with busts. However, the thing that I mostly wanted was that protected pick. And the higher the Angels pick, the more money they get to spend on the draft. It's not just about that one selection.

Notable players drafted 10th overall since 1984: Mark McGwire, Robin Ventura, Charles Johnson, Carl Everett, Eric Chavez, Jon Garland, Carlos Pena, Ben Sheets, Cameron Maybin, Tim Lincecum, Madison Bumgarner, Jason Castro (pretty good year as the Astros catcher), and Drew Storen (and too early to say from 2010-) Notable players drafted 15th overall since 1984: Royce Clayton, Chris Carpenter, Chase Utley, Scott Kazmir, and Stephen Drew

I know all about his shtick. I'm just having some fun with him.

"To claim that Trout is leaps and bounds better is laughable." You've already tried before (and failed) by saying WAR is the worst stat ever. So...disprove it. Tell us why Trout isn't on another level as a ballplayer? Waiting for you to enlighten us with some real, hard scientific data and evidence.

And yet you are doing nothing to disprove that notion. All you can muster up is "WAR is the worst stat ever." In other words, you got nothing.