Halos Heaven

i dont know about the soth, but he's certainly MINE

ihearhowie2.0 - November 5, 2009 reply

He is one of our biggest fan favorites

Alot of fans will be boycotting the team if Quinlan leaves.

ryanfea - November 5, 2009 reply

Both of you?

George Kaplan - November 6, 2009 reply

That would be

Aybar

jjackflash - November 5, 2009 reply

So Aybar is Soth's and Arte's favorite player?

Just Guessing

re: Soth, but he’s certainly pretty effusive with his praise for the Admiral.

jjackflash - November 5, 2009 reply

I'm pretty sure

Mathis is his favorite player.

dmhead - November 5, 2009 reply

Yes

I would guess this too. Maybe before Quinlan, too!

Though after this postseason I do loves me some MATHIS.

Except hopefully he doesn’t betray us like the Mathis in James Bond Casino Royale did!

MidwayCityLivestock - November 5, 2009 reply

Thats Rob Quinlan

Who's that?

I do like Robb Quinlan, though.

;-D

Yes.

The question is do we want to pay it…for him.

NoDakHalo - November 5, 2009 reply

If he is asking for 5/50, then...

that means that he would probably accept 4 years at around 36 mil.

I think for a player of Figgy’s caliber — Gold Glove 3b and one of top 3 leadoff men in the game that is an absolute steal!

Not only should the Angels sign Figgy, but they NEED TO SIGN HIM.

Other than Hunter, Figgy is the most valuable Angel.

Jack Frost - November 5, 2009 reply

I thought 3/27 was going to get the Figgy deal done.

I think there will be many teams trying to outbid each other for him

like the ChiSox, Yanks, etc…

Aybar is ready to step into his role and if not then Bobby would do a decent job in the mean time.

Agreed...

I think Chicago gets him, imho.

I love figgy but he is going to be expensive

i wish him the best of luck wherever he goes.

As long as he doesn't go to the Yankees

jessthelion - November 5, 2009 reply

He would choke for them in the playoffs

so maybe it’s a good thing.

Wait, like Tex? Or like ARod?

These are the two best examples that past postseason performance does not always equate to future post season performance, even with significant sample sizes.

Me, too.

Career .172 Post Season Batting Average (122 AB's)...

God no, he’s isn’t worth 5 years at $50M. Aybar can do what Figgins can do in the leadoff spot, and he’ll be 6 years younger than Figgins when next season starts. Let Figgins go and collect the 1st round pick.

Great signing in Abreu.

I’m also in favor of bringing back Lackey, and Oliver… and that’s it. We have Jered Weaver, Joe Saunders, Jeff Mathis, Mike Napoli, Howard Kendrick, Erick Aybar, Maicer Izturis, Reggie Willits, all up for arbitration this year. Significant pay raises in my opinion going to Weaver, Saunders, Aybar, Kendrick, and Izturis. Mathis and Napolis will be moderate. Willits… does anyone really care?

The decisions being made have to be the possibilities of bringing in Matt Holliday or Jason Bay. Outside of that, we may be looking at Mathis as a full-time Catcher and Naps taking the full-time DH. I guess that means we’ll be carrying 3 catchers next year and it will be Bobby Wilson. Still a solid line-up.

1. Aybar SS
2. Abreu RF
3. Hunter CF
4. Morales 1st
5. Rivera LF
6. Napoli DH
7. Kendrick 2nd
8. Mathis C
9. Wood 3rd

With a Bay or Holliday:

1. Aybar SS
2. Abreu DH/RF
3. Hunter CF
4. Morales 1st
5. Holliday/Bay LF/RF/DH
6. Rivera RF/LF/DH
7. Napoli C
8. Kendrick 2nd
9. Wood 3rd

Pretty solid all the way around.

matt92130 - November 5, 2009 reply

Napoli is gone IMO.

but would be nice to see him shock the world with 60 HRs :)

Where is he going to go? Why would the Angels trade him?

Suboptimal - November 5, 2009 reply

I think Soth doesnt likes him that much.

It isn't that Scioscia doesn't like him

I think it is for the reasons outlined earlier:

1) the callup of Wilson and adding him to the post-season roster, may have indicated a belief in the front office and coach staff that he’s ready for the bigs.

2) it takes quality to get quality, and Napoli could find himself as a key player in a trade this Winter. Face it, every hare-brained scheme posited here has the Angels trading GMJ for Danny Haren or Halladay, but it doesn’t work that way. If the Angels are serious about one of those two players, a guy like Napoli or Kendrick will have to be part of the deal, along with some of the best of our pitchers in the minors.

3) If Wilson vacates SLC, then Conger can move up, but there is no reason to keep three catchers in Anaheim unless (A) Napoli is going to DH most of the time [a very unlikely proposition], or (B) he or Mathis is traded away.

George Kaplan - November 6, 2009 reply

...

Dan Haren? Do you think the D’backs would give him up, its a new year and every season is different. But Dan Haren would be nasty. And you think HK can be moved as well? Isn’t he our future “Jeter”, he would have more value than Mice Tits. But I don’t know man, I just have a feeling that Soth doesn’t like Napoli.

SenorChuckles - November 6, 2009 reply

giving figgy 5 is insane.

32 years old, depleting speed, this would be laughably bad.

clover_black - November 5, 2009 reply

typo?

You mean sign Lackey, right? ;)

BigSnyan - November 5, 2009 reply

Worth whatever they gave him.

Keep in mind that he is not only our right fielder, but hitting coach is well.

NoDakHalo - November 5, 2009 reply

Yeah, this should free up Mickey Hatcher for a trade.

He will be easier to trade than GMJ

Hatcher for Halladay straight up.

I'd be happy with a cheeseburger or two.

So would CC

Ha!

Where to now?

Do we still pursue Holliday/Bay with 32M we have left to spend? Or do we go after a sub-player like a Marlon Byrd or Nick Johnson? Or Lackey?

SMUangelFan - November 5, 2009 reply

With arbitration and scheduled raises, it's more like ~$20 mil

Unless Arte is willing to bump up payroll

it is 23.5 million to keep it at the 2009 level according to this oc register article

Kazmir, right, forgot about that.

Lackey

NoDakHalo - November 5, 2009 reply

+1

You think our playoff runs were subpar in 04, 07, & 08? Imagine if our Game 1s were Sabathia/Lester/Beckett/Verlander/Lee/Wainwright/Carpenter vs. Weaver/Colonel! We must keep Lackey. His recent forearm problems actually have kept him more fresh for the postseason.

BigSnyan - November 5, 2009 reply

Holliday is out.

Boras already laughed off the Cardinals’ opening gambit of $96M/six years. He wants Teixeira money.

You want to pay $20M per year over 7-9 years for a 30-yr-old player who held a .792 OPS while in the American League?

.831

and he got hot after he made some mechanical adjustments, before his departure for St. Louis, where said success continued.

Nevermind that, as I discussed at some length in another section of this blog, the idea that moving to the A.L. means that someone is suddenly going to hit significantly worse is just total B.S.

I'm supposed to be stoked about an .831 OPS...

…for a player in his thirties who is toying with his swing to adjust to a new league?

I understand the jones that fantasy baseball strikes into men, but Holliday doesn’t do it for me. He hit .792 before the All Star Break, then he got traded a couple weeks later to the NL to hit behind Pujols, and little surprise, his performance improved.

Hitting in the NL made Ibanez, a fundamentally mediocre player, look awfully good as well this year. Matt Holliday isn’t worth $20M a year.

Who said he was 'toying with his swing?'

These players are human beings. They have and make mechanical flaws. He had one. He adjusted it. After he did so, he began to rake.

I’m not saying he’s worth a nine-figure contract. I’m just saying it’s horseshit to say that changing leagues makes someone, invariably, a better or worse player.

And Ibanez? Really? A guy who OPS+’d 123 in his last three years with Seattle is a ‘fundamentally mediocre player?’ Then this year, he suddenly goes up to 130 in a band-box stadium, and that’s because the National League made him look good?

Why didn’t Jason Bay struggle in his change? Miguel Cabrera tore up the league this year for Detroit. Our own Abreu has done fine since coming to the A.L., albeit he’s regressed with age.

Unless you wish to insist there is some inherent flaw in the National League that makes all sixteen teams more prone to drafting lesser players from the same draft class, teaching lesser mechanics to their prospects, and something in the drinking water in National League cities that causes a LEAGUE-WIDE meltdown in offensive abilities, then you’re insane. You really think that there’s some NL/AL barrier in which the National League’s best will, invariably, fail at over here? That despite drawing all their talent from exactly the same source, and competing in the same games agains the same opponents, they will always be lesser players? Hogwash.

Wow, this is a sore point with you.

You said “making some mechanical adjustments”, I said “toying with his swing”. It would take some serious Clintonian parsing to insert miles of daylight between two phrases meaning nearly the same thing.

Your point is academic. I’m not making a generalization about AL and NL, so you’re fighting someone who is not here with you. Maybe a ghost from flamewars past? I’m making a point about a specific player: Holliday. He didn’t adjust well to this league in limited time in it.

Many players can adjust, and maybe Holliday could as well given a couple seasons. But I hope the Halos don’t pay him nine figures to experiment.

As for Ibanez, in 10 yr s with Seattle, he put up a line of .284 avg .346 ops .464 slg .810 ops as a corner outfielder. We can quibble over whether that’s “nice” or “mediocre”, but it’s not “rather good” or “great”.

Wow, this is a sore point with you.

You said “making some mechanical adjustments”, I said “toying with his swing”. It would take some serious Clintonian parsing to insert miles of daylight between two phrases meaning nearly the same thing.

Your point is academic. I’m not making a generalization about AL and NL, so you’re fighting someone who is not here with you. Maybe a ghost from flamewars past? I’m making a point about a specific player: Holliday. He didn’t adjust well to this league in limited time in it.

Many players can adjust, and maybe Holliday could as well given a couple seasons. But I hope the Halos don’t pay him nine figures to experiment.

As for Ibanez, in 10 yr s with Seattle, he put up a line of .284 avg .346 ops .464 slg .810 ops as a corner outfielder. We can quibble over whether that’s “nice” or “mediocre”, but it’s not “rather good” or “great”.

Why do you keep posting twice?

And no, there IS a substantial difference between the two statements: yours implies intent to make a change in his approach, mine implies that, as a human being, he erred in his mechanical approach. If you don’t see the difference, that’s between you and yourself. The simple fact remains that after said adjustment, he statistically improved immensely…while STILL IN THE AMERICAN LEAGUE. Nevermind that the A’s offense was anemic, Holliday was probably someone discontent with his circumstances, and that he almost never had to get a decent pitch to hit…and that in a lineup such as our’s, that would not be the case. Say what you will about your cherry-picked .792 OPS (which was just plain wrong), but he also OPS’d .957 for a MONTH before being traded away. Why, when this came after he made adjustments, should this be ignored? Miguel Cabrera hit VERY similarly for his first few months in the American League. He adjusted to the new league, and now he’s as good as he ever was in the NL. Matt Holliday, based on a 3 month sample, can’t hit American League pitching? Bullshit.

And you did make a generalization about both leagues. Why else would you bring Ibanez into the discussion? Twice stating in the same post that moving to the NL (note you did not just say ‘changed leagues,’ but that you actually stated that the NL move was responsible) made someone a better hitter implies some fundamental difference between the two leagues, or that some factor in switching leagues (a negligible difference at best) causes a player to become lesser.

There’s nothing to ‘quibble’ about regarding Ibanez. Mediocre implies average, or in the ballpark of average. OPS+’ing 115 is not average, or even close, by the very definition of it. Gary Carter, Barry Larkin, Paul Konerko, Robin Yount, Doug Decinces, Aramis Ramirez, Ryne Sandberg, Robin Ventura, Steve Garvey, Roberto Alomar. Know what they all have in common? They are all, according to you, “fundamentally mediocre.” All OPS’d either 114, 115, or 116 for their careers (or their careers-in-progress). That’s the same as Ibanez’s American League tenure. Now I don’t know if you just didn’t follow the guy very closely or what, but in the years IMMEDIATELY PRIOR to his move to Philly (the years most relevant to gauging how good he will be in a following year), he OPS+’d 123. He then moved to what is renowned as one of the top 3 hitting parks in all of baseball, and the number went up to 130. If you want to make this into “the NL made Ibanez ‘awfully good’”, then fine. But not only does it mean you’ve ignored what he did before he went to the NL, but also that you completely ignored park factor as well.

I never said he should be given nine figures, so don’t make that part of my argument if you would have…I merely stated that it’s rubbish to say he can’t hit AL pitching because of a 2 month window where he didn’t, and a one month window where he did. And when you defended this with examples such as Ibanez, I took that to task, as well.

ummm

is this Holiday’s mom?

Who the hell are you?

his ftaher

Say that in the Darth Vader voice.

I did...even though I spelled it wrong. :)

No, you say it in a Goldmember voice

“his Fazha!”

Im all for signing Holliday if the price is reasonable

His OPS was actually .909 his wOBA .390 is slightly below his .400 career mark. I don’t think he will repeat his 06-07 performances but he is still a great hitter.

With Boras as his agent...

… the words “price” and “reasonable” will polar opposites.

Hoppity Hooper - November 5, 2009 reply

No dude, you are just wrong.

That is all.

PhiSlamma - November 5, 2009 reply

If Holliday gets Teixeira money, then next year Mauer will be making A-Rod money.

Yikes!

hope he stays with the Twins.

Is it Mauer and Pujols as FA next year?

They will both get contracts higher than A-r*ds and the yankees can afford it.

I'd take Pujols!

lets start saving up!

Didnt Holliday say he would like to play in Anaheim?

Oh???

jessthelion - November 5, 2009 reply

Yes the Angels are among his top choices to play

according to Heyman, but it’s Heyman so take it with a grain of salt. CC said he wanted to stay on the West Coast last year then the Yanks came and offered him 20 more burgers than we did.

Maybe C.C.

decided to play in NY so he can pay the Red Sox back for that horrible 07 ALCS.

I have a bad feeling about John Lackey this offseason

The Yankees have the resources to make him an offer no team can match without severly crippling their organization for years. They certainly need more pitching depth and Lackey happens to be the best free-agent pitcher available. SOB’s

Maybe the Phillies, if they can get the money together.

Nobody can match what the Yanks are willing and able to pay

If they really want to acquire someone they usually do. The only hang up for them is that sometimes a player doesn’t want to play in New York and no obscene amount of money can entice them to go there, but most players are easily wooed by the $$$ and Lackey wants to get PAID.

But if he were to sign with philly

not only would he have a nasty line up he would also have an easier path to the WS. Not saying it would be a cake walk but easier for sure…

Can you imagine the Yankees adding Lackey?

If that happens I may have to boycott all of baseball. Selig needs to do something about the competitive imbalance that favors the Yankees. (Like that will ever happen.)

10 27 02 - November 5, 2009 reply

they add lackey

we add Holiday/ Bay and Halliday. I wouldnt mind that :)

CEEEELLLLLLL_E-BRATE GOOD TIMES C'MON!

Very happy.

There is a vesting option for 2012

According to John Heymans Twitter

Not a fan of vesting options, but it's probably a good hedge against injuries.

Vesting Option?

Explain….

SMUangelFan - November 5, 2009 reply

If Abreu reaches a certain number, usually at bats over the contract

the option vests. Meaning the Angels have to pick it up

Just read the press release and it says club option

I noticed that too.

Club option is preferable, but I’ll take it either way.

Definitely

yeah but

if he reaches 550 PAs in the 2nd year then the 3rd year is gauranteed. or if he reaches 1100 PAs over the first 2 years.

Yay!!

Good move. Abreu is a nice piece.

waters96 - November 5, 2009 reply

WTF!

Where is Reggie Willits going to play in the outfield?

cupie - November 5, 2009 reply

He's gonna be the full time rock pile dancer

Good 'Ol Days...

Hahaha! That's just so wrong.

and .294? If only.

That .294 is probably his slugging percentage.

5 for 17

and 3 walks....

I still think Willits is a better leadoff option than Aybar…

I’m ducking now…

jimmuscomp - November 5, 2009 reply

No need to duck.

He’d be absolutely stellar at lead off though if he would remove the bat from his shoulder once in awhile.

halofan4life - November 5, 2009 reply

And if he decided not to use that kid's souvenir bat everytime he was up

linkbruin - November 5, 2009 reply

That kid's souvenir bat is probably why he leaves it on his shoulder

halofan4life - November 5, 2009 reply

And Abreu is better than both

OF Abreu
2B Kendrick
OF Hunter
1B Morales
DH Vlad
OF Rivera
C Napoli
SS Aybar
3B Wood

Yeah, but...

I doubt that Scioscia is going to start Abreu at leadoff. If he does, he is a more open-minded manager than I think.

jimmuscomp - November 5, 2009 reply

My god that lineup sucks

Was just about to say the same thing

Good Lord.

That lineup could beat the Yankees

Who was Brown? My memory is failing me here.

Matt Brown IF

#16!

miss him

what happened to Matt Brown?

I looked him up.

He played for the American Olympics team in 2008. I think he’s in the Angels minor league system, somewhere but I haven’t located that info yet.

He was lightning hot in Spring Training this year

And then fell off at Salt Lake, apparently.

Had a rather mediocre year in Salt Lake City

13 HR 69 RBI, .245 AVG

Quad Fin Rider - November 5, 2009 reply

Damn, I thought he would be competing for 3B next year.

to give Wood a run for his money.

Whoa

I remember that lineup. Anderson, Kotchman. And wtf Willits, Brown and Mathis??

Was EVERYBODY on the DL at that time?

TheAntiSox - November 5, 2009 reply

whats that on his lip

According to Ed Price on Twitter:

#Angels signed Abreu for $19 million: $9 M each in 2010-11, $1M buyout on $9M option for 2012 that can be guaranteed base on plate app.

WiHaloFan - November 5, 2009 reply

That's fair IMO. Wonder how many plate appearances are needed?

Not a bad deal

Completely reasonable.

This is a good deal for us and Bobby.

Of the seven free agents, he was the #1 retention priority on my own list. Nice start.

Is Power Q! number two?

nah hes not even priority.

it was automatic once the WS was over. Power Q will remain an Angel for years to come!

I thought

2 year $16 mil was fair, but thats not bad.

TheAntiSox - November 5, 2009 reply

I would have been fine with the price

if he was getting an extra 3 mil per year, frankly.

As is, it’s an amazing deal. Awesome that they got this out of the way…and still lots of money yet to spend should we want to.

+1

To think he’s getting less money than Gary Matthews, Jr is ludicrous.

You bring up an interesting point...

Was talking to a friend of mine earlier and offered up the possibility of GMJ, Rivera and possibly a couple of prospects to Toronto for Halladay. Too tough a sell? I mean, GMJ’s contract is like a lead weight around our necks, but how hard will it be to package it?

Toronto already has enough lead weight contracts

they don’t need another.

Good point...

I always forget about Vernon Wells. His deal makes GMJ’s look like the steal of the century.

And to think the Angels considered signing him in his FA year

I think Wood, Rivera, Napoli/Conger, Reckling+ another prospect

would be reasonable because they need a SS, LF, C, and young talented pitching is always at a premium. I think that package would get their attention.

As far as GMJ goes I think his contract will be reworked a la Andruw Jones. So he can try to stick with another team and the angels can spread out the cost of his contract over several years thus allowing the team to spend more money now.

Swap Wood with Peter Bourjos

and slip in SP will smith.

On Bourjous, I don't think he has a lot of value right now

but MAN! is he fast.

Yeah I dont know much about him.

but there were rumors that the Jays were asking for him, along with Saundo, Weav, Reckling.

I hope to see this dream rotation next year

1.Halladay
2.Lackey
3.Weaver
4.Kaz
5.Santana

Exactly...

Kaz would lessen the blow of trading Saundo. But Lackey and Halladay, thats like Kobe and Jesus!

or

Lebron and Mohammed

I've come around on Bourjos since last offseason

His defense alone makes him very valuable. I think he’s a big leaguer, even if the bat doesn’t develop enough to make him more than a super 4th OF

So is he a future OF or a role player?

Every year he gets better

So I’m not going to put a ceiling on him. Right now he’s a marginal starter/good role player, but a lot of teams are forced to pay significant money to acquire that. I think his career will develop in stages – starting as defensive sub/pinch runner while spelling Hunter more and more in centerfield, until he works his way into a starting job. We’ve had good luck with those kind of athletes ( think Figgins and Aybar).

Good shit.

because I hear alot about the future angels infield but never the outfield :(

Hey rghan one question

does Bourjos or Pettit have more upside?

Bourjos

His defense is really, really good, and his bat gets better every year.

Pettit’s value is primarily in his bat, which is very good, but he’s handicapped by a significant, persistent platoon split against right-handed pitching, which might keep him from becoming an everyday player. I think he’s a good fourth OF.

Bourjos also had a significant platoon split this year, but it hadn’t been an issue in previous years. With his wrist injury, I’ll give him a mulligan. And again, the guy plays a beautiful, beautiful centerfield, which is tremendously valuable for a team.

awesome thanks

Quinlan's Goofy Swing - November 5, 2009 reply

How about no

Weaver would be the start of any talks.

Wood would almost definitely have to be included.

Who the hell would want Rivera and Napoli for an Ace pitcher, what is wrong with you people?

PhiSlamma - November 5, 2009 reply

? about Weaver

Being a Boras client, what’s the chances of him signing long term without testing the market? I think he has like 3 yrs of ARB. don’t you think he would be ideal to trade if we go after a guy like Halladay? Closer he gets to FA, lesser his value, right?

HALO_86 - November 6, 2009 via mobile reply

bye bye figgy

although i’d like more power out of bobby, if jeter can be a leadoff hitter so can bobby. Great deal, great guy, and although i’m not sure how much he actually teaches the younger guys, his at bats have to be a calming unfluence on them at least.
free wood … but i see a maicer wood platoon coming

I think you may be counting chickens.

The extremely rational cost of this deal leaves the Angels open to two moderately pricey purchases. I could definitely see them fielding an offer to Figgins and/or Lackey.

And I wouldn’t put it past the organization to view pieces like Wood and, say Rivera, as trade chips. There are a number of players entering the final years of their contracts, who will be cheaper in trade now than a year ago. Think Roy Halliday. Or Carl Crawford.

But is C.C. a real option?

anyone know whats up with Ben Sheets?

Sheets has been convalescing from elbow surgery earlier this year

currently throwing off flat ground and expects to be ready to pitch again by the start of spring training. He’s still interested in the Rangers, who signed him last year but voided his contract when problems with his elbow were reveled during their physical. Red Sox are also said to be showing a strong interest in signing him, especially now that he is no longer a Type A free agent.

Quad Fin Rider - November 5, 2009 reply

The Organization views WOOD as a lot more than

a chip.

Rev Halofan - November 5, 2009 reply

How much Wood

would a Brandon Wood chuck if a Brandon Wood could chuck wood? A chip? More?

Per Awesom-O

the answer is 17.

Clip Show - November 5, 2009 reply

Ok, a trade charles then.

But I suspect, given the right target, even the tetchiest shoulder will shake that chip right off.

adirondackangelfan - November 5, 2009 reply

welcome back, bobby

nothing like good angel news to perk up your day!!

Alright!

Very reasonable deal for what he brings to the team. Great start to the offseason!

Spird - November 5, 2009 reply

I like it...

Abreu is a glue player. His contributions go beyond his individual stats. I’m REALLY glad Arte was proactive on this.

waters96 - November 5, 2009 reply

Good deal

The Ninja moves quickly- Pujols should be here by Saturday.

Rusty Carew - November 5, 2009 reply

That is only the beginning

I heard Ninja is working on trading for Lebron James

SalmonStream - November 5, 2009 reply

Kobe is going to be mad!

And Sydney Crosby is meeting him at Del Taco next week

I just got the email announcing this. I'm happy about it.

I like it. He brings a lot to the table.

This will be espn front page news for days to come.

RexTookMyStash - November 5, 2009 reply

Love this deal

Very reasonable.

gilbert - November 5, 2009 reply

Is the writing on the wall that Vladdy is gone?

linkbruin - November 5, 2009 reply

The only question:

Was the writing spray-painted on or written in marker?

I'm happy about this...

angelsfan777 - November 5, 2009 reply

This does nothing more than reiterate that Girardi looks like skeletor.

grow up Tom Reagins

RexTookMyStash - November 5, 2009 reply

we luvs our bitter

taste of paid-off ump stains our teeth!

Rev Halofan - November 5, 2009 reply

Only Angels player with 30 steals and 100 RBIs in a season?

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/bondsbo01.shtml

Bobby Bonds says hello

1977 41SB 115RBI

So he's not even the first Bobby Angel to reach that milestone! :)

Thats's what I thought.

BryanHarvey'sMoustache - November 5, 2009 reply

Bye Bye Vladdy

Abreu will DH part-time…Angels will seek other options in the OF….no doubt.

I wonder where Vlad will land?

Anyone need a full-time DH in his twilight?

I wonder if he’d play for Oakland

RexTookMyStash - November 5, 2009 reply

Nah, I hear the already signed Andre Dawson for that

next year they’re scheduled to sign Richard Hidalgo, and 2012 will be Jim Thome.

Edgar Martinez in 2013!

Frank Thomas in 2014

Already did that

No repeats!

So? They signed Giambi last year.

Yeah, but the first time around he was actually legitimate

or, as legitimate as a roider is gonna be.

We need someone more in the Thomas/Piazza mold to continue the tradition!

Cecil Fielder & Albert Belle...

cant wait !!

Juan Gonzalez 2014

the rays :)

Lackey or nothing now.

Though maybe Johnson

Monkeyspanked - November 5, 2009 reply

Randy Johnson?

Nick Johnson.

Nick Johnson is no better than Vlad at DH.

and is probably worse. That move makes no sense.

Nashdiesel - November 5, 2009 reply

Howard Johnson

Gabby Johnson

We need some authentic frontier gibberish

Larry Johnson

we need more ‘faggot’ in our clubhouse.

I lol'd

Was going to counter

with Jimmy (or Jimmie) Johnson, but I can’t top that…a tip of the cap to you, sir.

ohhh THAT Larry Johnson...

eff him.. .lets go after Grandmama !

princeton11loveshalos - November 5, 2009 reply

South Park's definition

2 years, $9 mil each

With a vesting option for ‘12 at another $9 mil if he reaches 550 plate apps in ’11 or 1200 between ’10-’11.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=4626679

This is a good, aggressive move! I will always remember that double off the wall in Fenway and him missing the high 5 and smacking Figgins in the face hahaha!

Commander_Nate - November 5, 2009 reply

Wow, thats awesome, and a great first step to avoiding free-agency. Let’s hope Reagins can work wonders with Lackey, Vladdy and the rest of our FAs

wildwill - November 5, 2009 reply

Chhers

Jay Cal - November 5, 2009 reply

or Cheers even.

Jay Cal - November 5, 2009 reply

I like the deal, especially the length.

I think my favorite part is that the third year is a club option.

Welcome back, Bobby. I really hope you don’t turn into a 45-year-old fatty over the winter.

bc56274 - November 5, 2009 reply

Does Tony read this site?

Eerily close to what we guessed

Arte wants fewer years, Bobby wants guaranteed money
Both sides can win this:

1st year = $8MM
2nd year = $8.5MM
3rd year = $9MM team option with a $1.5MM buyout

Or something like that.

Bobby is guaranteed at least $18MM, and could make as much as $25.5MM. Not bad for an aging outfielder.

Arte is guaranteeing $18MM, but is only on the hook for two years. If Bobby maintains his productivity (youneverknow), he is rewarded handsomely, and properly.

I’m not sure either party could find a better deal this winter.

johnnyangel101 - November 5, 2009 reply

Great point.

Arte willing to shell out the bucks at the outset of the deal, nice.

Yes he has a profile here

and ends all his posts with

vr,tony

Hahahahaha, WIN

I'm okay with this

I still say there is room to re-sign Vlad if all parties could agree on reduced pay and reduced play. But its far from a sure thing.

I hope Abreu can do his voodoo on B-Wood.

Jay Cal - November 5, 2009 reply

Yeah its hard to see Vlad come back now :(

maybe he can go to the Rays or Twins :)

Vladdy will stay:)

…..right?:(

I can only hope...

Abreu's locker should be sandwiched by 2 next season...

Aybar and HK… and those 2 should be soaking up every bit of knowledge they can… and yes.. wood shouldnt be far from them either

So...

there goes my plan of forcing bobby into retirement, firing mickey hatcher, bringing in jason bay, and crowning abreu as the new hitting coach.

clover_black - November 5, 2009 reply

Know hope: Player-Coach.

Yep

That’d be great! Though I don’t knock Hatcher too much…

I would do more of it if I thought it would do any good.

But there is no way that Sosh, with his level of loyalty, sends Hatcher away.

Bobby will replace him when his deal ends.

They won’t even tell Hatcher he is fired, they will just change all the locks to the stadium.

This is good news

I for one welcome our new OBP overlords.

Suboptimal - November 5, 2009 reply

+1

PitPerc - November 5, 2009 reply

rec'd

Nick Johnson next?

Thank you Kent Brockman

Is there any rule against an active player buying a % of the team he's on?

Yes

I can’t tell you specifically what rule, but one cannot be both an owner and a member of the players’ union. Imagine if there was a labor dispute: he would have to strike against himself, or alternatively he’d have to lock himself out.

jjackflash - November 5, 2009 reply

Makes sense.

I was just thinking maybe GMJ could invest some of his inflated contract as a % owner and help the team pick up a little more talent. HA HA!

But, on the other hand,

if he disagrees with himself, he cannot walk away from his other side at the bargaining table. He has to negotiate in good faith because he already knows what he is thinking. And if he still fails to come to terms with himself, he has only himself to blame.

+1 for the comedic value of this post.

Head asplodes

MidwayCityLivestock - November 5, 2009 reply

Dizzying

wasn't that in arod's contract?

or zitos (whoever posted it a few weeks ago)

Halos in DE - November 5, 2009 reply

Good Signing

Congrats on this signing. Although I’m not an Angels fan, I am an Abreu fan. For a guy who hits .300, walks a lot and has a little bit of power and a good arm he has always seemed to me to be underappreciated.

A raise for him, good value for the ballclub, length of contract is age-appropriate. Well done all around

d_c_guy - November 5, 2009 reply

Well that didn't take long

Figgi4life - November 5, 2009 via mobile reply

Good job Tony and welcome back Bobby!

I was surprised that a deal happened this quickly. Not that I didn’t think that there was mutual interest but because given the year Bobby had and given that he is a great fit for many teams out there, I thought he was going to wait it out and wait for the market to materialize more. Though to be fair he did that last year and that didn’t necessarily work out the way he would have hoped. But I honestly believe that if he tried that again this year, there would be more suitors for him.

I actually think that Abreu makes a whole lot of sense for the Cubs and I had all but accepted the fact that he was going to sign with the north-siders last offseason. They need a left handed impact bat (he could hit 20+ homers in Wrigley and we all know he can drive in 100+ runs anywhere) and they need speed (20+ SBs for the last several years and an even 30 last year). Abreu fits both of those needs. Also, a .390 OBP is a bonus for any team.

But oh well, fuck the Cubs. I’m glad he’s a Halo.

great move!

Bobby’s back on a short deal, but he got his raise. i dont think anyone here is arguing with $9MM/yr. that’s fair.

great move, Tony. now let’s get ourselves a pitcher!

howiestheman - November 5, 2009 reply

How about Rich Harden?

Given his health woes, he could come cheap. And when he’s healthy, he can be a dominant ace. A perfect low risk, high reward signing. And he was healthy for all of 2008 and the better portion of 2009.

I like Harden too

when he is healthy he is one of the best pitchers in the league, but therein lies the problem. I would take a risk on him if I were Tony

*chance

Id take Harden as well.

but just to take up the #5 spot in the rotation.

Not so sure

Kaz and Santana may tax the bullpen too much. The Halos need a guy who can go more than 5 IP consistently, and I’m not sure Harden’s that pitcher, no matter how many guys he K’s.

touche...

Grabow should be signed for our BP. All the more reason to trade for Halladay :)

I'd love that

Not sure that we could land him with what we’ve got on hand, but good lord would it be fun to see him take the ball every fifth day

Only one can dream...

If the Halos are going to take a gamble on a pitcher with health issues

Harden would be decent choice, but I think I’d rather go with Erik Bedard, since his ERA is lower than Harden’s the past two seasons and also to get another lefty in the rotation.

Quad Fin Rider - November 5, 2009 reply

Forgot about him.

He would be a nice low risk high reward option as well.

yeah, I applaud this deal. The guy was very important to us and I was impressed

following him from day to day. In the long term, we need to develop our own outfields (Trout and Grichuk are a good start) but for now we are going to have an old but good outfield.

tanana40 - November 5, 2009 reply

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO was my reaction

he will be worse the HGH. He did well in a contract year, he played to prove himself for not getting any offers last year. Rather see the money spent on younger guys – this team needs to get younger.

Halos in DE - November 5, 2009 reply

he's been putting these numbers up for a while now

contract year or not

SCHalo - November 5, 2009 reply

Re-signing Abreu is a no-brainer because we're no guaranteed to win the WS...

Unfortunately, as history has now shown us, it won’t be until he leaves the team.

Nashdiesel - November 5, 2009 reply

and no == now

Nashdiesel - November 5, 2009 reply

Great!

Seems like a perfect deal—hopefully it works out this way! Woohoo! PLATE DISCIPLINE FTW!

Some cool quotes.

“If you see this season,” Abreu said on Thursday, having agreed to a two-year guaranteed deal with the Angels, "the last three or four seasons have been [basically] the same [statistically]. This year I’ve been more recognized by the fans, and one of the reasons is the Angels let the people know what I’m doing here.

“It means a lot to me this year to have a lot of respect on the field. This is a team that gives you an opportunity to be in the playoffs. My first time with them, I was very close to the World Series. Why not stay?”

(source)

Hopefully his comments will help some of our other guys realize how good it is here in the sun.

Figgins, I’m looking at you.

Angelsrthebest101 - November 5, 2009 reply

If lackey goes to the bronx I lose all respect for him and will make me sick to my stomach

I feel the same

I will burn my Lackey jersey t-shirt

jessthelion - November 5, 2009 reply

I rebuke thee...

http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/ANA/ANA200210270.shtml

Lackey will be cheered by Angel fans no matter where he goes.

BigSnyan - November 5, 2009 reply

think brett favre

loved by everyone in green bay as a packer. Different story now that he’s a Viking

princeton11loveshalos - November 5, 2009 reply

Nah those fans are idiots...

I love the packers but still root for my boy Favre. If Lackey does sign with NY, I expect that we do something big to counter it.

princeton11loveshalos - November 5, 2009 reply

but i mean

they are upset they signed with a rival. I would be very upset with Lackey as well.

yeah they were upset alright.

but burn a jersey? thats some bullshit, and it doenst solve anything.

I won't hate Lackey

…..as long as he doesn’t sign with the Yankees, Red Sox, or Rangers.

Maybe I'm just dreaming

but I think/hope that Lackey has enough disdain for the Yankees in his body to never play for them on principle. You just know some guys out there actually feel that way, and maybe he’s one of them. I know I would be. But I also have a murderous rage inside of me that can’t be silenced.