DMVol

VLAD Number one  - not too much debate about this.
 
BAYLOR a close second -- wasn't a Halo very long but what an impact during his time here.
 
GRICH -- turned out really well.
 
HUNTER -- solid each year for the Halos
 
ORLANDO CABRERA -- wasn't here long but won a Gold Glove and played well for us.
 
Honorable mention -- Bartolo Colon -- he did win a Cy Young Award during his time here. I think we only have two -- Dean Chance and Colon (No Nolan Ryan?? That's hard to believe).

Vlad is the one that sticks out the most as having been exactly what we hoped we were getting from day 1.

Rutledge is your current backup SS

"Other injuries" has always been the concern to me...you just don't see pitchers have this kind of injury....the arm is fine but how will his mechanics be effected?  I know it's ancient history, in a different time with different medical resources, but Dizzy Dean broke his toe, came back fine and then hurt his arm because of altered mechanics....that's always been the concern, at least to me...

Doesn't "42" belong here somewhere?

sign
 
 
 
 
moncada

I am very happy with this signing, but still want Moncada in the fold as well.

Hamilton for Howard

In 89 games last year he had a 1.1 fWAR, a 1.5 rWAR - so "3-4 win" is a bit exaggerated.
 
In the end, Hamilton is what he's actually produced: 3.1 fWAR or 3.0 rWAR over 240 games, which equates to 2.1 or 2.0 WAR per 162 games. That's pretty much the definition of AVERAGE, not "good."
 
The problem with last year is that he was great for that first week or so before getting injured. After coming back he hit .248/.310/.386 in 348 PA. Again, average.
 
In other words, in terms of what he's actually produced as an Angel over two seasons, Josh Hamilton = an average player.

I'd love to see Green turn into a serviceable 3bman.  I think if the halos thought that was in the cards they would have moved forward differently. 

I think people will be pleasantly surprised with Tropeano and he'll have solidfied his spot in the rotation by then.

Angels would have nothing to offer to get Hamels

After Hamilton and Wells, I've been dreading a big move....

Yep....pretty sure I know who DiPoto was talking about with this quote....

I like Shields but not at the price he will command.
 
the Angels are sort of in a quandary -- if you sign a guy like Shields to a huge deal -- how do you explain that to Jered Weaver and what do you say when he says, 'hey you gave that a guy a huge deal, can we re-negotiate MY contract?"
 
I don't think we'll be in the running for the kind of money Shields is going to command........money plus years -- I'd say he looks for a four year deal, maybe a three plus one with club and player options.

Other than you (I'm sure) and Jerry DiPoto, who was on that long list of folks who thought Shoemaker would be a good ML starter?....

If it doesn't count toward the luxury tax, he has family near Anaheim and is the last major prospect they'll be able to sign for the next two years, you might as well do it.  The Angels won't be getting another chance to assemble a farm system like this.  98 wins is great, but in a couple of years, the Angels will look awfully old and they'll need elite prospects like Moncada, Newcomb and Baldoquin to infuse the team with young talent.  
 
Think about it like this, the Cardinals run should've been over in 2008.  But they have signed, drafted and developed so many outstanding prospects that it's a forgone conclusion they'll be in the playoffs.  That's what the Angels have a chance at building. 

There is absolutely no reason to put Ichiro on the Angels roster. No reason to collect washed up outfielders, pay them money better allocated to developing their young players and then have to DFA them like with Ibanez.

Did the Angels completely forget about what Raul Ibanez did for them last year? Stay away from these 40 year olds

+1....You can give him a vote of confidence but we better sign or trade for another starter....have to have some depth in case he implodes again....

Angels GM gives him vote of confidence....will sign a starter in the offseason anyway IMO

Moncada and/or the Japanese or South Korean pitchers who may be posted....

Most Angels rumors end up being false--any big move that this team has made under Arte has been under the radar.  
 
There is only one tax threshold we should be blowing past and that is the international tax for Moncada.  

If you want to restock the farm system and put your team in a position to succeed in the future, this is the way the Angels will need to do it. I don't anticipate them finishing in the bottom half of the standings any time soon and thus don't expect any high draft picks. Picking up Newcomb when they did was a tremendous blessing.
Picture him, Moncada and Baldoquin all in the farm system and all within two years of being on the big league team. Folks would suddenly go from talking about how empty the cupboard is to how full it looks.

We need pitching. Where are we going to get that