Hubs

If they fired Scioscia, which IMHO would be a bad decision, Dino Ebel is the likely candidate for the interim job. Butcher would likely be fired too. 
 
There aren't any candidates I'd rather have than Scioscia, who is regarded as a very good manager. 
 
Think about who the Dodgers have had since Lasorda retired. They had Walter Alston, Lasorda, then these guys.
 
Bill Russell (3), Glenn Hoffman (I), Davey Johnson (2), Jim Tracy (5), Grady Little (2) , Joe Torre (3), and now Mattingly (3).
 
In the same time frame the Angels had Marcel Latcheman (3), John McNamara (I), Joe Maddon (I), Terry Collins (3), Maddon again (I), then Scioscia (14). 
 
Stability is underrated in Managers. Scioscia is the 23rd manager (by tenure) in Angels history. Given that 5 of the other 22 have had multiple stints, (Mauch, McNamara, Lachemann, Rodgers, Maddon), that means only 18 guys have held that job.
 
Best Managers in the game have been there for many, many, years. Taking Scioscia's tenure out of the equation, the other 17 have then covered 35 years. Which is just over two seasons per guy. 
 
Seeing as a lot of these guys lasted less than a year or were interim managers, you really have eleven guys helming the club for more than two years.
 
Scioscia is in his 14th season.
Rigney had 7 1/2 seasons.
Mauch had 4 1/2 seasons.
Lefty Phillips had parts of three.
Dick Williams had parts of three.
Fregosi had parts of three.
Doug Radar had parts of three
Buck Rodgers had three.
Marcel Lachemann had parts of three
Terry Collins had parts of three.
McNamara had two.
 
We're spoiled to think that there is someone better out there. 
 
Looking around the majors, after Sciocia, the longest tenured guy is Gardenhire in Minnesota. Then in the AL, you have guys hired for 2006 in Joe Maddon and Jim Leyland. Then guys for 2007 in Ron Washington and for 2008 in Joe Girardi, 
 
Everyone else has been replaced in the last three years.
 
In the NL, Charlie Manuel has been leading the Phillies since 05. Bruce Bochy and Bud Black since 07, and Dusty Baker for 08. 
 
Everyone else has been replaced in the last three years.
 
Do you want to replace a manager every three seasons, as is the evidence for the trend in baseball?
 
How many guys have World Series rings in the group who has lasted more than three seasons?
 
Manuel, Bochy, Scioscia, and Girardi. That's it. The Tigers have been there and lost. Gardenhire never has been. Baker has been and lost.
 
If they aren't going to upgrade to a better manager, it's best if they just hope Scioscia pulls something out this year, or we'll end up in a manager search every three years.
 
I don't want that.

Pujols looks like he can only play 1B for 50 or less games this year. Where was morales suppose to hit?
He really can't play the field due to his ankle. The mariners apparently agree as he's only played 1 game at first.
Morales was the only logical piece to move. People wildly inflate his trade value this last season.

Well thought-out reply, hubs. That's all this thread was about; Kennedy being on the radar for a package centered around Bourjos. The more I think about it, Trumbo probably wouldn't be the other piece in the trade because of the dumb contract to Ross.
 
Thanks for the response!

And just what do we do about DH and CF then????

Yeah, we've really been spoiled by the Angels bullpen of the recent past. A huge part of those consecutive playoff appearances was the bullpen (especially Scot Shields). Anyway, what you are saying is not only true of 2002. Almost every year it takes until about the ASB to form a cohesive pen. It was just as true when we signed Romero and Oliver, as when we traded for Frieri.
 
Still, I'm more excited about this year's pen than any in the recent past. Frieri, Downs, and Jepsen is a shutdown pen. Add Burnett and you have 4 guys who have proven they can get the job done. Then Madson will come back. Be patient; it will probably take him a while to return to form, even after he returns to the mound. But, then we'll have yet another arm to slot in the closer's role, moving everyone down an inning.
 
Williams will be just fine in long relief and you have Richards as a wild card.

5 Even BOLDER Predictions
 
1. Trout (75), Bourjos (40), Aybar (35) combined will steal 150 bases.
 
2. Trout, Pujols, Hamilton, Trumbo will each hit over 40 Home Runs. 
 
3. Each of the following Angels single season records will be broken, some twice: Total Bases (Trout), Doubles (Pujols & Trout), Triples (Bourjos), HR (Hamilton), OPS (Pujols & Trout), Runs Scored (Trout), RBI (Pujols), Stolen Bases (Trout), Wins (Weaver), WHIP (Weaver).
 
4. Weaver wins 25 games.
 
5. The bullpen blows less than 10 saves. 

You're wrong on so many levels.
 
First off, he landed a good starter to give us good innings unlike what Santana/Haren gave us last season.
 
Secondly, Morales can only DH and play 1B. We have too many of those types.
 
Thirdly, he's a goner at season end. No way we give him what BorASS would want for Morales.
 
Lastly, Trumbo is still coming into his own and will hit around .265 with 40 HR's and 100+ RBI this year. Morales may have a good season too, but that's not the point. We weren't going to re-sign him anyhow. Trumbo is younger and can play both corner OF spots and 1B. Hell, even 3B in a pinch. 
 
As a GM, it was the right move. Case closed. 

Aybar: Trout singles to lead off, takes off on 2nd pitch to Aybar who grounds a ball to the shortstop, since Trout was running, safe at 2nd, one out.  Pujols up, hits a deep fly to CF, Trout tags to 3rd, 2 outs.  Hamilton hits a double off high wall in RF (would've been a HR in Texas), Trout scores.  Trumbo strikes out.
 
Callaspo: Trout single, steals 2nd base.  Callaspo grounds out to 3rd, Trout unable to advance.  However, same result, Pujols fly, Ham double, Trumbo K, Angels score 1 run.
 
Kendrick: Trout single, Howie GIDP, Albert flies out to deep CF, end of inning.
 
Bourjos: Trout single, steals 2B, Boujros bunts him over to 3B, beats the throw, 1st and 3rd nobody out.  Pujols deep fly to CF scores Trout, Bourjos advances to 2B, one out.  Hamilton doubles, Bourjuos scores.  Trumbo strikes out, 2 outs.  Kendrick grounds out sharply to end the inning.
 
I like the Bourjos scenario.  

Cowart is struggling this Spring?  That's news to me.  The only guys that had an outside shot at making this team that are performing well enough to earn a spot are Luis Jimenez, Luis Rodriguez, Andrew Romine and Brendan Harris.  Young is doing well but he'd be way too redundant following Wells and Calhoun on the depth chart.  Conger is hitting well but his hitting was never the question.  Defensively he's left a lot to be desired and hasn't really earned a backup spot yet.  Neither has any other catcher. 
 
As far as minor leaguers go, our collection of AA hitters have done well (Lindsey, Witherspoon, Grichuk).  Alex Yarbrough has really opened some eyes this Spring (as I was fortunate enough to predict in this scenario) and may end up jumping to AA. 
 
As for Bill Hall, we'll see where he's at after he gets healthy.  My guess is he goes to AAA and serves as depth.
 
The real question here is who gets that final bullpen spot with Madson beginning the year on the DL.  Figure Frieri is the closer, with Downs, Jepsen and Burnett serving as middle relief.  Williams has the long relief spot locked up.  There could be one to two spots open.  Richards has been stretched out, so he'll be a starter in AAA.  So far. Kohn and Sisk have looked the most solid. 

I'll try to keep this short.
 
1. Kendrick in the 2-spot.  Are freakin' insane?  If your arugment against Aybar is that Trout won't get a chance to steal because his AB's only last 3 pitches then I wouldn't get excited over Kendrick's AB which last 4 pitches and will result in leading the league in grounding into double plays.
 
2. Aybar simply isn't a 2-hitter, we've tried it before and it doesn't work.  He tried taking pitches and becoming a 2-hitter in 2010 and it was a disaster before he was moved and reverted back to his aggressive style.  He's not the worst option, but I'd hope for better.  Still I get the feeling it'll end up being Aybar.
 
3. Callaspo is theoretically a good idea, right up until you watch him hit.  If he gets to 2B, he'll have a hard time scoring on a single, he's simply not fast enough and can't bunt.
 
4. Iannetta, see Callaspo.
 
5. Bourjos will swing and miss too much, but he's the ONLY one that offers the necessary speed, bunting ability and sees enough pitches to be a good 2-hitter.
 
6. Honestly, the best option is probably Kole Calhoun, he's left-handed, has patience, enough speed, can bunt....  Problem is, he won't be playing over Bourjos and because of our manager's idiotic tendency to favor veterans, he'll be firmly planted behind Vernon Wells on the depth chat.
 
Bourjos is clearly the best choice.  He'll see more fastballs, Trout would get enough time to steal second, Bourjos can lay down bunts that'll get Trout to 3rd, when Bourjos reaches base he too can steal and will always be capable of taking the extra base.  Without Calhoun, my vote is Bourjos, and it honestly isn't even that close.

If Trout is in LF his actual defensive performance would increase compared to the average. Theoretically his value will be decreased only by the fact that there are fewer chances in LF than CF. If he were to get the same number of chances he should theoretically perform at the same rate.