The following Angels will become free agents after the 2009 season - will they be playing like their wallets depend on it next season, or is it time to dump the deadweight in a trade right now?
Garret Anderson (club has option for 2009, he may not even be here next season) - He turns 37 at the end of June.
Kelvim Escobar - He turns 33 just after opening day 2009.
Chone Figgins - He turns 31 this January
Vlad Guerrero - He turns 33 this February
John Lackey - He turns 30 next week
Robb Quinlan - He turns 32 during Spring Training.
Tell the Angels WHAT TO DO...
0 recs | 46 comments
It Depends For Each...
GA should be bought out and brought back at market value, 2-4 years.
With Escobar, it really depends on whatkind of pitcher he is when he comes back. It’s still kind of frustrating to think of how much time he wasted rehabbing because he didn’t want surgery when with surgery he’d be back around season’s start.
Figgins is a good player, but sometimes I wonder if he’s going to stay healthy and productive for a whole season. Bring him back, though; you have to. 2-3 years.
Vlad needs knee surgery desparately, and if he refuses to do something proactive to repair his ailling joints, the Angels may have to let him find other teams to bounce around with.
John Lackey must be brought back for 4-6 seasons.
Quinlan can go.
Kernel - October 16, 2008
Vlad's age?
Anyone else think he’s a little older than 32?
Chompo - October 16, 2008
You make a good point
He does “play” older than 33 and some have been know to fib about their age (Miguel Tejada).
WiHaloFan - October 16, 2008
I bet he'll play & feel younger than 32
if he gets his knees fixed.
TheTypingFiend - October 16, 2008
I thought he said he was 33 in a newspaper article
Was it by accident or is that his true age?
stolenbases - October 18, 2008
I'm 33, what are you trying to say, Rev?
Keep Chone, John, and Vlad. Escobar, we need to see what he has first. GA, whatever he feels like doing, we owe it to him.
Chone's Chonies - October 16, 2008
Hell, I am 34
but if you put me out there, I would play like a senior citizen (well, seniors would mostly kick my ass on the diamond).
matthiasstephan - October 17, 2008
eh
Im willing to turn a new page. if that means losing GA and figgins to create more payroll flexibility, than so be it.
Figgins before 2007 was average and he was average in 2008. Theres no point in rewarding a small speedster who will only decline and get slower and have even less power than he has now in the future.
Vlad depends on teixeira in my opinion. 33 isnt that bad, but vlad doesnt play 33 years old and he seems to be aging pretty poorly.
what if teixeira was signed, vlad, figgins and GA were gone, and that extra payroll went to oh, say, matt holliday.
matt holliday + mark teixeira > Vlad, Ga, figgins right?
pipedream i know, but im just saying there will be opportunities to replace the kind of production vlad will have when hes 35+ years old and even improve upon it.
it also wouldnt hurt to get some more “true” sluggers in the lineup, and cut down on free swingers a tad
ihearhowie2.0 - October 16, 2008
Matt Holliday
His numbers away from Coors seem to be solid, but not spectacular. He seems to be a .290 20-25 homer guy away from Coors which isn’t bad, but isn’t worth the money he will be commanding.
stolenbases - October 18, 2008
Vlad makes Mickey Rourke look youthful
He’s 33 alright ……… 33 months ago.
PieceOfAase - October 16, 2008
How about...
Make Willits a starter and trade Figgins. I think Willits is a better lead-off guy anyway.
Let Vlad, Anderson, Quinlann, and Figgins go.
Sign Teixeira at first.
Then your lineup looks like (swap some guys around if you want):
1. Willits RF/DH
2. Howie 2B
3. Teix 1B/DH
4. Hunter CF/DH
5. Rivera LF/DH
6. Moralas DH/OF
7. Napoli C/DH
8. Wood 3B
9. Aybar SS
If we can find a better corner outfield option for Rivera, we can let him go as well.
thetooth - October 16, 2008
Willits sucks
Hunter will be older, providing NO protection for Tex, and Napoli shouldn’t be batting 7th. he should be at 5th, at least.
howiestheman - October 16, 2008
I disagree with Willits. I thought he was great in the leadoff spot when he was given some consistant playing time.
I agree with Hunter not being great protection for Teix, though I don’t think he’s any worse than Vlad in that respect. As it was this past season, other teams didn’t mind walking Teix to get to Vlad. I guess we’d have to hope for another outside bat to protect him.
I agree Napoli could be hitting higher.
thetooth - October 16, 2008
Willits WAS a great leadoff hitter
Then the league figured him out and he hasn’t been the same since, in decline since midseason last year. His whole problem is that he isn’t adjusting to what they are doing to him. If he were to make the necessary adjustments, like say not EXPECT to be walked everytime he comes to the plate, then he could probably blossom into a fine leadoff guy. However, until then, I have my doubts.
halofan4life - October 16, 2008
willits is bad
pinch runner is it. he’s a 24-25th bench guy at best.
defensively he’s below average as well.
Four Ts - October 16, 2008
Wow, that lineup is weaker than what we had this year
Big Bad , "VLAD"! - October 16, 2008
Willits is terrible.
As a corner outfield he has negative value.
hauldog - October 16, 2008
Willits is our worst option
Look, the guy can pinch run. He is a below-average fielder and plays positions in the field where is you do not have power you require having power hitters playing rare positions – plus he hits only singles, really.
At least Eckstein played a premium position with league average defense for a few seasons, and there is just NO way that Willits rises to Eckstein’s abilities with the bat.
The league figured out Reggie and, now scouted, Reggie just cannot catch up to the league. Legs – yes, glove – no, bat – no, get a bunt down? oh, okay I guess. The dude should really into have a roster spot if there are even halfway decent options out there.
Rev Halofan - October 16, 2008
let's see....
GA – gone. hopefully he won’t be around for 2009.
Kelvim – i guess that depends on what happens in ‘09. if he’s effective and can still pitch, sure keep him around for cheap.
Figgy – He should go, too.
Vlad – Let’s see how ’09 goes before we break the bank, hm? If he gets the knees scoped, things will probably get better.
Lackey – yes please. long-term signing… keep him til he’s 35-36.
Quinlan – does it really matter? the Soth loves him, but he hasn’t done much since 2006. I say let him go and let Brown take the Q’s job.
howiestheman - October 16, 2008
RE: Vlad; What is taking him so long to get to work on the knees?
Day after the season ended, I would have been on the MRI table.
Downing Rules - October 16, 2008
i have no clue, but it's irritating
Griffey Jr. just got his done today, and he’s a FA!
what’s Vlad’s deal?
howiestheman - October 16, 2008
Probably growing up with poor healthcare
I bet he’s scared of the doctor/undergoing surgery.
That said the club really needs to convince him that getting surgery is the bee’s knees.
TheTypingFiend - October 16, 2008
With Q we know what we'll get, and it will be pretty cheap.
Or let him go and promote from within, and hope for something better than .203 HCchh Hcchhh S-Rod/Wood
The only thing these two have proved is they can catch the ball and strikeout.
Big Bad , "VLAD"! - October 16, 2008
and Q has a QT wife.
Downing Rules - October 16, 2008
Good point!
Big Bad , "VLAD"! - October 16, 2008
When Figgy's right he's really good. Let's see how 2009,
Actually Figgins is a average at worst, to a top 10 leadoff hitter at best . . . This seems to be health dependent, His career .290 , .350 OBP is good. and his OBP has only gotten better the last two years. This year was definitely a down year, so we’ll likely see a good rebound next season, It is a contract year afterall, I think it would be foolish to trade him now. It makes much more sense given his super utility nature to keep him onboard, even if he struggles at leadoff. Beside’s he’s a fan favorite.
His Postseason this year ;
08 Los Angeles Angels 4 21 2 7 1 1 0 1 10 0 6 1 0 .333 .476 .333
Decently good numbers.
Kelvim probably will cost too much, and will be too great a risk, health and age wise. Unless of course he comes back and rules it. Then a several year extension could be a beneficial situation.
Big Bad , "VLAD"! - October 16, 2008
Dump Figgy for prospects PLEASE
the fizzle has no shizzle.
Rev Halofan - October 16, 2008
agreed
he’s still got value, I’m sure… it can’t hurt to dump him and make Wood the 3B.
Izzy can lead off, can’t he?
howiestheman - October 16, 2008
Wood for SS. Izzy and Aybar blow.
snowhor - October 16, 2008
ditto
Figgy needs to go. In addition to stealing less bases and losing some speed, he hardly hits triples anymore and has become even more of a singles hitter. Though his. OBP has improved and his SO per AB have seemed to decline, like Rev mentioned down below he is 30 and has already peaked.
We might as well get some prospects for Figgy. I believe the Cubs were interested in him earlier in the year. I wonder if they still are and wonder if they have any good prospects to offer. The Cardinals I believe could use him too.
stolenbases - October 19, 2008
The fizzle may lack some shizzle, but who would lead off for us?
At least Figgy’s .367 OBP is respectable. Do we replace it with Izturis’s .329 or, even worse, Aybar’s .314?
Say goodbye to Tex right now if he’s faced with the prospect of hitting behind one of them and GA (.325 OBP). Why would he stay here to hit with the bases empty so often?
snowhor - October 16, 2008
IT IS THE AGE FACTOR
Players tend to improve before they hit 29 and decline after – Figgy is over the hump, Izturis is on the hump, but Aybar has a lot of ceiling potentially ahead of him.
Rev Halofan - October 16, 2008
I AGREE WITH THE AGE FACTOR
If we can find a younger and better leadoff guy than Figgy, then great. Izzy’s not going to be that person. Aybar won’t be that person so soon (or maybe ever if he doesn’t learn to take a pitch every now and then).
I think Figgy has a couple more good seasons in him and would be worth keeping around if we can’t find an upgrade. Again, this leaves my question of who will leadoff?
Also, why does Figgy get the scorn of age factor at 30 coming off decent seasons while there appears to be an overwhelming sentiment at HH to bring 36 year old GA back coming off 1 mediocre and 3 poor seasons?
snowhor - October 16, 2008
GA isn't sniffing the leadoff spot...
hard to compare a declining speed Figgins to a GA who never really had speed.
290/15/85 over the last 3 yrs says bring GA back. Figgy isn’t going to approach those numbers.
Downing Rules - October 16, 2008
GA was in the 2 spot. I was talking about the hitters that would be in front of Tex.
snowhor - October 16, 2008
I was explaining the Figgins scorn and GA love
Downing Rules - October 16, 2008
You're saying that the above average leadoff hitter Figgins should go and the below average power hitter GA should stay because he gives the illusion that he's still got it?
snowhor - October 17, 2008
(waves white flag)
I can’t win…
Downing Rules - October 22, 2008
Snow said:
Also, why does Figgy get the scorn of age factor at 30 coming off decent seasons while there appears to be an overwhelming sentiment at HH to bring 36 year old GA back coming off 1 mediocre and 3 poor seasons?
You simply cannot compare Figgins and GA. That’s all I was saying. No, I was not saying to put GA in the leadoff spot. The two are not comparable. Not comparable means you cannot compare them. Hence, GA is a good piece to the puzzle (FOR ONE YEAR) in that he can go 290/15/85 relatively guaranteed, whilst Figgy is going to lose his legs and be crap (maybe next year?).
I am all for keeping everyone, I like figgins, but I am simply EXPLAINING the scorn you were asking why many people were thinking that way.
Downing Rules - October 22, 2008
Next season when Figgy is ruling the 1 hole, the post will be, I told you so. . .
Maicer and Aybar and Willits are lesser options at leadoff.
Figgins is proven. The major concern with him is health. If he stays healthy we’re good, if not, well than he’ll be average.
I always notice too how so many other announcers are scared of him getting on. and mention time and time again how he can disrupt the other teams game
Big Bad , "VLAD"! - October 19, 2008
I agree
that Willits sucks. I realized that he sucked before a lot of Halo fans so it’s good to see that I’m not the only one who thinks so anymore.
And Howiestheman, with all do respect, Napoli should NOT be batting 5th. Yes he has great power but he is not a great RBI guy and isn’t even that good of an overall hitter. If he didn’t go insano in September, he once again is a .240 hitter.
Chzburger Jones - October 16, 2008
Take a look at his OBP and SLG. He was our best offensive player this year aside from Tex.
And to say he’s not a great RBI guy is off the mark. You have to have runners on base in front of you to be a great RBI guy. It’s a stat largely dependent on other players and, therefore, not a good metric used to measure an individual’s performance.
I’ll take the OBP/SLG hitter over your BA/RBI hitter every day of the week. Sadly, the front office shares your line of thinking, which is why we have a pathetic offense year in and year out.
Sorry if my tone sounds harsh, but I don’t take no mess with trashing Naps.
snowhor - October 16, 2008
yeah... what he said.
howiestheman - October 17, 2008
I just don't like
the idea of a guy who would be on pace to strike out 170 times in a 550 AB season batting 5th.
So if you take OBP/SLG over BA/RBI, does that mean you take Adam Dunn over Vlad? I agree that OBP/SLG are sometimes overlooked but I also don’t like the idea of valuing OBP over BA. I mean look at the Oakland A’s. Their lineup is choc full of guys who hit barely above .200 with OBP’s well over .300. How did their offense finish again? Oh, that’s right. Dead last. Sometimes you need a clutch hit instead of a walk. That’s why I don’t buy into moneyball as much as some people do.
Chzburger Jones - October 17, 2008
Uh, Oakland had a worse OBP than we did, so I don't think your comparison makes any sense.
Look at the top two teams in runs scored in the AL. Boston and Texas. They were also the top two teams in OBP. They were also teams 1 and 3 in SLG.
Also, when people talk about the importance of OBP, this is not an attack on BA. A good BA is also a fine thing to have, as illustrated by Boston and Texas also being 1 and 2 in BA. It’s just when people scoff at players with lesser BAs, such as Napoli, Glaus, Dunn types, without taking into account OBP, you’re not looking at the complete picture. The same thing happens when you look at someone like GA and see he’s a .285/15/85 guy, you not looking at the complete picture.
As for the Dunn/Vlad comparison, Vlad’s hit .303/.365/.521 and Dunn hit .236/.386/.513. Looking at that, I’d say Dunn would be a great compliment to Vlad, but not a replacement. If you want to throw Tex in there, .308/.410/.552, you’ll see a great hitter with the complete package – a perfect #3 hitter.
snowhor - October 17, 2008
Oakland had an absolutely horrid SLG%
stolenbases - October 18, 2008
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