SB Nation Los Angeles: All Posts by Mat Gleasonhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48949/la-fave.png2012-03-13T16:28:58-07:00https://losangeles.sbnation.com/authors/mat-gleason/rss2012-03-13T16:28:58-07:002012-03-13T16:28:58-07:00Angels Ace Race Up For Grabs
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<p>With the track record of <span>Jered Weaver's</span> successful regular seasons juxtaposed with his terrible Spring Training track record, fans can be forgiven for still considering him the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.halosheaven.com/">Angels</a> ace as he slowly works out the winter rust with lackluster spring starts. Weaver has allowed 7 hits and 3 ER in 3.2 IP this Spring. He was pulled after exceeding a pitch limit in the second inning of his second start.</p>
<p>The same sympathy need not be applied to <span>Dan Haren</span> who struck out 7 batters in his 3 IP against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.azsnakepit.com/">Diamondbacks</a> on Tuesday. That makes 10 K in just 5 IP this spring.</p>
<p>While <span>C.J. Wilson</span> has had more of a pitch to contact Cactus League, like Haren he has yet to allow a run this Spring.</p>
<p><span>Ervin Santana</span> makes his second start of the season on Wednesday. Don't count him out for three good innings as the peer pressure may me more intense than the gameday butterflies.</p>
https://losangeles.sbnation.com/los-angeles-angels/2012/3/13/2869139/angels-ace-race-up-for-grabsMat Gleason2012-02-16T13:28:18-08:002012-02-16T13:28:18-08:0012 Questions For Angels In Spring Training 2012
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<p>After signing Albert Pujols and C.J. Wilson, the Angels questions center mostly around depth, a luxury for an 86-win team to have.</p> <p>What might turn out o be the greatest offseason in <a href="https://www.halosheaven.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Angels</a> franchise history will transition into Pitchers and Catchers reporting to Tempe this Sunday morning. Many 86-Win teams don't bother with anything but window dressing. Arte Moreno, though, poured a new foundation with the signing of <span>Albert Pujols</span> and <span>C.J. Wilson</span>. The improvements still leave the team and fanbase with questions. Here are the Top 12 you may come across on the blogs during this Spring.</p>
<p><b>1. Will <span>Mark Trumbo</span> Appear at 3B?</b></p>
<p>If last year's ROY runner up can provide even serviceable defense at the hot corner, the Angels lineup will have firepower to spare. Trumbo's short career has so far been a delightful dousing of doubters. The club is in no hurry to trade anyone and the switch-hitting <span>Alberto Callaspo</span> is a suitable 3B solution in a Righty-heavy lineup. But the thought of Trumbo and Pujols in the same lineup makes any fan with outfield seats excited about the free souvenirs sailing their way.</p>
<p><b>2. Is Team Depth Measured by the Health of <span>Kendrys Morales</span>?</b></p>
<p>Last seen falling all over himself at home plate and subsequently singing Billy Idol's <i>Catch My Fall (If I Should Stumble)</i> for a year and a half, a healthy Kendrys Morales is guaranteed playing time at DH. But the term "healthy" is not subjective. If Morales cannot perform tasks as basic as making the turn at 1B on on a single up the middle, the Angels are out a switch hitting MVP-caliber bat. A full recovery would see K-Mo in the field at 1B and maybe even LF on occasion. The more thorough his recovery from the most self-inflicted freak injury of the decade, the deeper the whole club becomes.</p>
<p><b>3. What Playing Time is due <span>Bobby Abreu</span>?</b></p>
<p>The Angels lineup is as starved for left-handed hitting as much as OBP and great baserunning. One would think the team would welcome a senior citizen who brings all this on his resumé, but Abreu is buried in the depth chart and might be worse at playing a corner outfield spot than nearly every Angel player, pitcher and peanut vendor.</p>
<p><b>4. When is Cutting <span>Vernon Wells</span> the Bargain?</b></p>
<p>Outfielder Vernon Wells is owed over $60 Million and had the worst offensive season by a major league outfielder as measured by OBP since the Roosevelt administration... the TEDDY Roosevelt administration. His mere presence in the outfield blocks <span>Mike Trout</span>. His right handed bat at Designated Hitter is less desirable than Abreu batting Left or Morales switch hitting. His speed, range and arm are subordinate to fringe fifth outfielder <span>Jeremy Moore</span> and everyone above that on the depth chart. It is really that lousy.</p>
<p><b>5. Is the "<i>Future</i>" in <span>Howie Kendrick's</span> "<i>Future Batting Champion</i>" Now?</b></p>
<p>Angels 2B Howie Kendrick gave the team a discount in signing a four-year extension and must have seen something through the lens of his ever-present camera as clearly as the dead-red fastballs that are coming his way when he bats in front of El Hombre. This might be the year all the predictions of Kendrick's potential manifesting as greatness come together.</p>
<p><b>6. Will <span>Chris Iannetta</span> behind the plate bridge the Mathis - Napoli divide?</b></p>
<p>The Angels finally jettisoned the favorite subject of MLB.com dinosaur scribe Lyle Spencer, the otherwise universally-loathed catcher <span>Jeff Mathis</span> and traded for Colorado backstop Chirs Iannetta. Your grandmother's mailman could outhit Mathis, no doubt, and so the expectations for Iannetta start out quite forgiving. But can the veteran produce enough with his bat to make up for some of the offense that former GM Tony Reagins flushed down the Los Angeles toilet of Anaheim when he sent <span>Mike Napoli</span> and Juan Rivera to Toronto for Wells?</p>
<p><b>7. Who will the #5 Starter Be?</b></p>
<p>The Angels avoided arbitration with reclamation project <span>Jerome Williams</span> <i>(a rare feather in the Reagins cap)</i> and he seems to be the favorite to take the #5 spot in the rotation. But the team also acquired Brad MIlls form Toronto for Mathis and prospect <span>Garrett Richards</span> would be the #4 or #5 on more than half of the big league clubs in baseball so it seems a waste of his arm to keep him at AAA Salt Lake. The ANgels are paying quite deeply and dearly for the luxury of a great front four, but there is talent bubbling over for the #5 spot as well and making the right choice for those starts could mean a lot if the division race is a tight.</p>
<p><b>8. Is the Bullpen Set?</b></p>
<p>Perhaps the absence of <span>Fernando Rodney</span> will be a plus and the addition of <span>LaTroy Hawkins</span> can hardly hurt, but other than <span>Scott Downs</span> having one of the great setup-men seasons ever, the 2011 Angels bullpen stunk. Closer <span>Jordan Walden</span> is on the the hot seat to improve or move but unlike almost every other position on the team, there is no heir apparent or obvious replacement in waiting.</p>
<p><b>9. Is <span>Maicer Izturis</span> the Greatest Utility Bench Threat in Baseball?</b></p>
<p>Yes.</p>
<p><b>10. Is <span>Erick Aybar's</span> contract year a distraction or motivation?</b></p>
<p>After the Kendrick extension, Erick Aybar's negotiations seemed to go nowhere. In eight months, the Gold Glover is a free agent who is going somewhere and 2012 might be the type of season that inspires some other team to sign him for performing well in Anaheim this year.</p>
<p><b>11. How Does Mike Trout Get Playing Time?</b></p>
<p>Blocked by a still-nimble <span>Torii Hunter</span>, a still-developing <span>Peter Bourjos</span>, an overpaid Vernon Wells and three Designated Hitters <i>(Abreu, Morales and Trumbo)</i>, the maddening inevitability of the game's most exciting prospect giving his all for the Salt Lake Bees looms as the dark side of depth.</p>
<p><b>12. Will Dennis Kuhl dump "Buttercup"?</b></p>
<p>The Angels chairman is rumored to be the Yankee-loving source of presenting <span>Derek Jeter</span> with a gift oil painting on behalf of the Angels after the <a href="https://www.pinstripealley.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Yankees</a> shortstop recorded his 3,000th hit. But to add loathing to incredulity he is also rumored to be the amateur disc jockey responsible for replacing the second chorus of <i>Take Me Out To The Ballgame</i> during Angel Stadium's Seventh Inning Stretch with the 1960s bubblegum screecher <i>Buttercup</i>, whose lyrics concern the acquiescence to a subordinate loser status, none of which is lost on halo fans everywhere. It is a pretty awesome sign, though, that the stadium experience dominates Angels blogging discussions when Arte Moreno has so improved the on-field product to compete in 2012 and beyond.</p>
https://losangeles.sbnation.com/los-angeles-angels/2012/2/16/2802650/los-angeles-angels-2012-spring-training-12-questionsMat Gleason2011-12-09T05:01:24-08:002011-12-09T05:01:24-08:00Which Current Angels 'Got To Go' With Albert Pujols & C.J. Wilson In Anaheim?
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<p>The acquisition of Albert Pujols and C.J. Wilson make some current Angels expendable. Let's rundown the likeliest scenarios in this expensive game of musical chairs.</p> <p>Bombshells are not without shrapnel and collateral. The acquisition of <span>Albert Pujols</span> and <span>C.J. Wilson</span> <i>(not to mention <span>LaTroy Hawkins</span> in the bullpen)</i> spells the end of someone's <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.halosheaven.com/">Angels</a> career and more than just a handful of players from the 2011 squad. Here are my odds for likelihood of each current Angel player possibly being traded or released by opening day, 2012:</p>
<p><span>Bobby Abreu</span>: <b>Even Money</b></p>
<p>Abreu's tenure as DH/4th outfielder for Anaheim is over and it is just a matter of finding the club that flip a low priority prospect to take on Bobby's $9 million salary. The only thing that keeps him in Angels red is a blockbuster deal of other players leaving and the Angel have probably had too much of that for one <strike>offseason</strike> decade in one week already.</p>
<p><span>Maicer Izturis</span>: <b>2-1</b></p>
<p>The Mice Man might have to goeth as the price tag for utility infielders is a little higher this offseason and his one year contract makes him an ideal acquisition for any team looking for back up help while unsure of its own infielding prospects.</p>
<p><span>Alberto Callaspo</span>: <b>4-1</b></p>
<p>Callaspo has two years of arbitration left and could bring in a better prospect than Izturis. It will take a little more to pry him loose though as any experimenting with nontraditional 3B-men will require heavy "backup-in-waiting".</p>
<p><span>Erick Aybar</span>: <b>7-1</b></p>
<p>A favorite of Mike Scioscia, but in his final year of arbitration before free agency, it is not like his 2011 Gold Glove is going o be the lead advertisement in any billboard campaigns now. Will likely get $5 million in arbitration and a healthy spring by <span>Jean Segura</span> or <span>Alexi Amarista</span> could inspire Jerry Dipoto to save 1/5 of Albert's salary and restock the farm.</p>
<p><span>Kendrys Morales</span>: <b>8-1</b></p>
<p>The logjam at 1B would make this a no-brainer except for those pesky medical reports. With two more years of arbitration ahead, Morales serves as a great insurance policy for any Albert downtime. And yet, his agent is Scott Boras who wants him showcased in 2012 and 13 to showcase his free agency. A dominant spring training might deliver some team taking a gamble, or if he is not healing well, the team might just cut their losses and release him.</p>
<p><span>Hisanori Takahashi</span>: <b>9-1</b></p>
<p>The signing of Lefty Hawkins makes the $4.2 million salary of Takahashi expendable and something that could bring in a prospect or two.</p>
<p><span>Mark Trumbo</span>: <b>10-1</b></p>
<p>On the surface an obvious move, and yet the sheer affordability of Trumbo for the next few seasons (he is not arbitration eligible until after the 2014 season) begs his integration into the lineup. Unless he absolutely fails at a tryout at 3B, the Angels will give him every chance. A healthy and resurgent Morales could tempt the team to sell high on his scary .291 OBP, though, so don't rule anything out.</p>
<p><span>Howie Kendrick</span>: <b>11-1</b></p>
<p>It is Howie's contract season and with an arbitration hearing sure to get him at least $5.5 million if not more, the Angels may try to get prospects and at least 1/5 of Albert's 2012 paid for. Howie is immensely popular and might actually deliver more long-term value to the club with a good season and free agency giving the Angels someone else's 2013 draft pick.</p>
<p><span>Scott Downs</span>: <b>20-1</b></p>
<p>The former Blue Jay is owed $10 million over the next two seasons which is more than 1/3 of what Albert will make in 2012. After delivering perhaps the greatest single set-up season in club history, Downs will never bring more back to the Angels than this offseason. But his odds of leaving are high because of a simple concern: Can Butcher's bullpen survive without him?</p>
<p><span>Ervin Santana</span>: <b>30-1</b></p>
<p>Jerry Dipoto sounded as committed to Ervin as to any pitcher in his post-press conference comments, but with an $11-million-plus 2012 salary and an option for 2012, his half-Albert salary is sure an expensive rotation insurance policy.</p>
<p>Beyond this point there would seem to be only untradeable players <i>(but read on for <b>"Twilight Zone"</b> scenarios)</i>. There are players that are too affordable to trade, too expensive to trade and too important to trade.</p>
<p><b>TOO AFFORDABLE: </b>Alexi Amarista, <span>Trevor Bell</span>, <span>Peter Bourjos</span>, <span>Bobby Cassevah</span>, <span>Hank Conger</span>, <span>Kevin Jepsen</span>, <span>Michael Kohn</span>, <span>Jeremy Moore</span>, Garrett Richards, <span>Andrew Romine</span>, Rich Thompson, <span>Mike Trout</span>, <span>Jordan Walden</span>, <span>Jerome Williams</span>, <span>Bobby Wilson</span>.</p>
<p><b>TOO EXPENSIVE:</b> <span>Torii Hunter</span>, <span>Vernon Wells</span> <i>(Hunter being too important if you believe in intangibles, chemistry and fairy dust)</i></p>
<p><b>TOO IMPORTANT: </b><span>Dan Haren</span>, <span>Chris Iannetta</span>, <span>Jered Weaver</span> <i>(Iannetta being important insurance over Scioscia demanding his CERA style of baseball be catered to. If Mike's not happy, nobody's happy)</i></p>
<p><b><i>TWILIGHT ZONE SCENARIOS:</i></b></p>
<p>There could be dream opportunities for the Angels to have a better payroll by trading away Vernon Wells. Huh? A crafty GM somewhere may covet an Angels player or three and agrees to take on all or some of Vernon's monster contract if the right package is offered.</p>
<p>Suppose Garrett Richards is dominating in the 5th spot of the rotation midseason and a club offers a prospect or two for Damn Haren and Vernon Wells with the Angels paying half of Wells' salary. Do the Angels ditch a Haren for $40 million+ in salary relief?</p>
<p>What about a February offer of a lower few prospects for Conger, Trout and Vernon Wells and all of Vernon's slary? Sure Dipoto says no, but substitute Segura and Richards for Trout and the Angels only paying 25% of what is owed to Vernon, are you on board yet? Is Jerry?</p>
<p>We know for sure that Pujols and Wilson squeeze somebody out. Will Dipoto prove as apt at player expulsion as he is acquisition?</p>
https://losangeles.sbnation.com/los-angeles-angels/2011/12/9/2622418/los-angeles-angels-albert-pujols-cj-wilson-roster-movesMat Gleason2011-10-26T12:22:31-07:002011-10-26T12:22:31-07:00World Series Memories: The Scott Spiezio Game, Halloween Mojo?
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<figcaption>Former Angel Scott Spiezio had an epic night nine years ago Wednesday, on October 26, 2002.</figcaption>
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<p>A look back on the Scott Spiezio game nine years later and the role bad mojo on the part of the Giants played in the greatest Angels victory.</p> <p>Wednesday, or more accurately Wednesday night, is the ninth anniversary of the <span>Scott Spiezio</span> Game. Every <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.halosheaven.com/">Angels</a> fan knows what you are talking about. Few games get labeled after one person and it is as often a reference to tragedy as to glory. Yesterday was the 25th anniversary of the Bill Buckner Game. A week and a half ago was the quarter-century mark for the Donnie Moore Game. The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.vivaelbirdos.com/">Cardinals</a> in the World Series this season reminds us of the Don Dekinger Game. The way <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.lonestarball.com/">Rangers</a> fans were whining after Game 3 you might have placed a bet on this being remembered as the Ron Kulpa Series.</p>
<p>The Angels were down 5-0 with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning. Their win expectancy was three percent. <span>Troy Glaus</span> singled to RF. <span>Brad Fullmer</span> hit <span>Russ Ortiz</span>' 98th and final pitch to short right to put two on. Those were the third and fourth hits of the game surrendered by the San Francisco starter.</p>
<p>For his efforts, Dusty Baker handed Ortiz the game ball as he left the pitching mound. It doesn't show up in the box score and there is no way to quantify it, but it was bad mojo for the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.mccoveychronicles.com/">Giants</a>. It was almost as eerie as the shot of Willie Mays pacing in the visitors' dugout holding a bottle of champagne. There are no stats for how many times a team have collapsed after forbidden behavioral mores that telegraph an unbeatable swagger are violated, but October 26, 2002 is a textbook reason as to why there is a deep lore of players self-policing their own when it comes to such displays of both casual and cocksure certainty.</p>
<p>Spiezio's epic at-bat with reliever <span>Felix Rodriguez</span> only increased the Angels win expectancy by 12%, taking the Angels from a seven percent chance of winning the game to a 19% likelihood. The always understated <span>Garret Anderson</span> would have a base hit in the middle of the next inning's rally that would increase the Angels chances by 27%, but with no RBI on the play GA's contributions are but an asterisk of the Scott Spiezio Game.</p>
<p>That is how the mojo bounces - Spiezio came in after the pitching the change, woke up the bats, hit what appeared to be a long fly ball based on the body language of Right Fielder <span>Reggie Sanders</span>. It carried and carried... and it is close enough to Halloween to ask if the bad mojo of that inning kept it that extra five feet high. For a franchise that had been as cursed as the Angels, it seems only fair to assume that another star-crossed team would have to bend over backwards in breaking unwritten rules for the cathartic floodgates to finally flood a parched Anaheim.</p>
https://losangeles.sbnation.com/los-angeles-angels/2011/10/26/2516689/world-series-scott-spiezio-angels-giantsMat Gleason2011-10-05T09:08:01-07:002011-10-05T09:08:01-07:00Tony Awards: Complete Tony Reagins Report Card
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<p>Every transaction under the management of Tony Reagins is recounted, analyzed and graded.</p> <p><b>Tony Reagins</b> served as <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.halosheaven.com/">Angels</a> General Manager just a month shy of four years. He inherited a team that had been to the playoffs in three out of the previous four seasons. He saw the Angels go to the playoffs the first two years he was in charge but as the Bill Stoneman era grew smaller in the rear view mirror, the Reagins stamp yielded no oomph and the Angels finished with 80 and 86 wins in 2010 and '11 respectively.</p>
<p><i>Let's look at the major moves over which Reagins presided...</i></p>
<p><b><i>TRADES:</i></b></p>
<p><i>Prior to the 2008 season:</i></p>
<p><span>Orlando Cabrera</span> for <span>Jon Garland</span> ...Garland wasn't really needed on a one hundred win team and Cabrera might have made a difference in the ALDS, but the major league experience it gave <span>Erick Aybar</span> makes this a good trade. <b>Grade: B</b></p>
<p><i>During the 2008 season:</i></p>
<p><span>Casey Kotchman</span> and <span>Stephen Marek</span> for <span>Mark Teixeira</span> ...They would have gone to the playoffs anyway without Teix and he hit like a girl in the ALDS, but the draft picks they got for Teixeira yielded them <span>Mike Trout</span> and <span>Garrett Richards</span>. Good Trade. <b>Grade: B+</b></p>
<p><i>During the 2009 season:</i></p>
<p><span>Sean Rodriguez</span>, <span>Alexander Torres</span> and <b>Matt Sweeney</b> for <span>Scott Kazmir</span> ...This was a testosterone swagger to put a strikeout starter in the playoffs. Kaz had a good September, sputtered in the 2009 postseason and was the worst pitcher in baseball in '10 and '11. Bad trade. <b>Grade: F</b></p>
<p><i>Prior to the 2010 season:</i></p>
<p><b>Gary Matthews Jr.</b> for <span>Brian Stokes</span> ...Managed to get a ten percent rebate on a bad contract in exchange for roster filler. Ehhh. <b>Grade: C</b></p>
<p><i>During the 2010 season:</i></p>
<p><b>Sean O'Sullivan</b> and <span>Will Smith</span> for <span>Alberto Callaspo</span> ...This trade was a pushing of the panic button on the <b>Brandon Wood</b> decline. Usually the panic button being pressed leads to more panic, but not this time. While Callaspo's ceiling was lower than that projected for Wood, he managed to actually reach it and contribute serviceable 3B for a season and a third. The chips we sent have not amounted to much in KC. Good trade: <b>Grade: B+</b></p>
<p><span>Joe Saunders</span>, <span>Tyler Skaggs</span> and <b>Pat Corbin</b> for <span>Dan Haren</span> ...At present a decent trade, but if Skaggs and /or Corbin reach their ceilings this might not look too fabulous mid-decade. No way the Angels contend in '11 without Haren although Saunders managed to hold his own facing pitchers batting in the National League. Good Trade: <b>Grade: B</b></p>
<p><span>Brian Fuentes</span> for <span>Loek Van Mil</span> ...Might turn out great, might turn out <i>"meh"</i>, but he got something for nothing. <b>Grade: C</b></p>
<p><i>Prior to the 2011 season:</i></p>
<p><span>Mike Napoli</span> and <b>Juan Rivera</b> for <span>Vernon Wells</span> ...Worst trade of the century. <b>Grade: F-</b></p>
<p><b><i>FREE AGENT SIGNINGS:</i></b></p>
<p><i>Prior to the 2008 season:</i></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px;"><span>Torii Hunter</span> ...Despite the naysayers, Hunter has earned his $90 million, become the face of the franchise and been a team player in situations like capitulating to <span>Peter Bourjos</span> taking over in CF. Signing Torii out of nowhere at a Corona Del Taco earned Tony the nickname <i>"Ninja"</i> for doing the unexpected. Grade: A+ and if you have any argument with that, do not forget the curse-ending impact of Torii's 3-run Game 1 2009 ALDS HR against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.overthemonster.com/">Red Sox</a>. <b>Grade: A+</b></p>
<p><span>Shane Loux</span> ...Ehh. <b>Grade:</b> <i>Incomplete</i>.</p>
<p><i>Prior to the 2009 season:</i></p>
<p><b>Brian Fuentes</b> ...A controversial reliever who had to live up to thirteen years of Percy/Frankie. <b>Grade: C</b></p>
<p><span>Matt Palmer</span> ...Every GM makes signings of players who had a sip of coffee somewhere else and want to prove they still have it. Palmer had a little skill and a lot of luck behind him. <b>Grade: C+</b></p>
<p><span>Bobby Abreu</span> ...We will get to his re-signing in a minute but Bobby did come in handy on a 2009 team that came to within two games of the World Series. <b>Grade: B+</b></p>
<p><i>Prior to the 2010 season:</i></p>
<p><span>Hideki Matsui</span> ...Vlad wanted two years, or so they say. Hideki sold a lot of jerseys and had a hot second half when the team needed it least. <b>Grade: B</b></p>
<p><span>Fernando Rodney</span> ...The F in F-Rod is for Failure. <b>Grade: F</b></p>
<p><span>Joel Pineiro</span> ...League average pitching and then below-league-average pitching all at the cost of not paying <b>Matt Palmer</b> league minimum. <b>Grade: D</b></p>
<p><i>Prior to the 2011 season:</i></p>
<p><span>Hisanori Takahashi</span> ...Not exactly a big splash, not a disaster. <b>Grade: C</b></p>
<p><span>Scott Downs</span> ...You want to dismiss this signing as luck, but it was more like hitting the lottery by playing it so many times. Still, you got to give the man the credit for the payout. <b>Grade: A</b></p>
<p><i>During the 2011 season:</i></p>
<p><span>Russell Branyan</span> ...Warning to the next GM who supposedly will not have Scioscia's heavy hand to consider: Mike may not use the parts you buy for the engine of the car he still shooses to drive his own often sputtering way. <b>Grade: B</b></p>
<p><span>Jerome Williams</span> ...Every GM visits the scrap heap as an unseen part of the job. When a diamond shines, though, they look more brilliant then a number four starter might actually be. <b>Grade: B-</b></p>
<p><b><i>EXTENSIONS:</i></b></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px;"><span>Darren Oliver</span> ...We will get to his not re-signing later, but this was great for the club. <b>Grade: B+</b></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px;"><b>Juan Rivera</b> ...Uninspired but competent. <b>Grade: C+</b></p>
<p><span>Ervin Santana</span> ...A slight overpay for an average starter, Ervin has at least been durable. <b>Grade: B</b></p>
<p><b>Bobby Abreu </b>...Was Yankee-loving Angels chairman <b>Dennis Kuhl </b>whispering in Tony's ear: <i>"Bobby wore the pinstripes, he knows how to win, if they fire you ,you can be my special assistant"</i> ? Now the Angels are stuck with a no-power DH at $9 million for 2012. <b>Grade: C-</b></p>
<p><span>Maicer Izturis</span> ...The greatest utility man in Angels history still producing with bat and glove at a bargain. <b>Grade: B+</b></p>
<p><span>Jered Weaver</span> ...He fought the Boras and he won! <b>Grade: A+</b></p>
<p><b><i>NOTABLE RELEASES and NON-TENDERS:</i></b></p>
<p><span>Dallas McPherson</span> ...Had enough subsequent chances to prove this was the right move. <b>Grade: B</b></p>
<p><span>Justin Speier</span> ...Dumping the mistakes of the previous regime is the fun part of the job. <b>Grade: B</b></p>
<p><span>Jose Arredondo</span> ...On one side he was injured, on the other, he was a headcase. On the third, though, was a good arm. <b>Grade: C-</b></p>
<p><b>Darren O'Day</b> ...Gave up on a torn labrum too soon. <b>Grade: D-</b></p>
<p><span>Dustin Moseley</span> ...Nobody saw this coming except Dustin and the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.gaslampball.com/">Padres</a>. <b>Grade: D</b></p>
<p><span>Brandon Wood</span> ...It is pointless to grade people on moves not made, but if the organization saw enough holes in his swing to be leery, they should have traded him on hype alone. Instead they got nothing. On his release, this is graded as... <b>Grade:</b><i> incomplete</i>.</p>
<p><b><i>WALKED AWAY FROM:</i></b></p>
<p><span>Chone Figgins</span> ...Brilliant, and brave in the face of fan merchandising throngs that loved them some Figgy. <b>Grade: A</b></p>
<p><span>John Lackey</span> ...Saw the light and lowballed. Theo McSaber cannot say the same thing. <b>Grade: A</b></p>
<p><b>Darren Oliver</b> ...In hindsight a terrible move, at the time it yielded some shrugs. <b>Grade: D</b></p>
<p><span>Vladimir Guerrero</span> ...There was the guy who dumped his hot Dominican wife to try out a Japanese girl for a year. The following year, he was left with neither of them and always wondered what might have happened if he had just stayed with fading beauty he knew. <b>Grade: C-</b></p>
<p><span>Garret Anderson</span> ...A few grumbling fans didn't stop this logically sound move. <b>Grade: A-</b></p>
<p><b>Francisco Rodriguez</b> ...Fuentes, Rodney and even Walden did not match his post-Angels production. But it has been a much happier clubhouse if a man gets points at all for chemistry, this was an easy problem to solve. <b>Grade: C-</b></p>
<p><b><i>PAPERWORK SNAFU:</i></b><br> <span>Warner Madrigal</span> ...A nobody, to be sure, but an indicator of how in over his head he was. <b>Grade: D</b></p>
<p><b><i>IN CONCLUSION...</i></b></p>
<p>The only extenuating circumstances to be mentioned on Tony's behalf are the death of <span>Nick Adenhart</span> and the non-chronic injury to Kendrys Morales. While an organization is supposed to have the depth to overcome the absence of any player, these were two young budding prospects for whom room on the roster was being cleared.</p>
<p>Even with these extenuating circumstances, Tony's final grade in Anaheim is at best a C Minus and most of that comes form the momentum he inherited. A squandered term tainted by tragedy and revealing a stubborn side of our manager. Who knows what the future will hold, let's just be glad that Tony cannot be the one ruining it.</p>
https://losangeles.sbnation.com/los-angeles-angels/2011/10/5/2470473/angels-tony-reagins-general-manager-report-cardMat Gleason2011-09-28T09:02:02-07:002011-09-28T09:02:02-07:002011 Angels: What Went Wrong
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<p>Let's look at the ten things that went wrong with the Angels in 2011.</p> <p>An optimist can look at it as a rebuilding year that saw contention through game 160. A pessimist can say that every metric on earth predicted just about this result. The 2011 <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.halosheaven.com/">Angels</a> will not be playing baseball in October. Why not? Here are the top ten reasons why:</p>
<p><b>1. The <span>Vernon Wells</span> Trade</b></p>
<p>Either General Manager <b>Tony Reagins</b> is in over his head or he is <b>Mike Scioscia</b>'s puppet and Mike might be the smartest of the jocks but at the end of the day he is just a dumb jock and Reagins ain't any brighter. Regardless of the hierarchy, the worst trade of the 21st century brought Vernon Wells to Anaheim. Abandoning <span>Mike Napoli</span> bordered on the unconscionable for even a great return in a trade. Juan Rivera and Napoli would be going to the playoffs in an Angels uniform had this trade never taken place.</p>
<p><b>2. Playing <span>Jeff Mathis</span></b></p>
<p>The cult of Mike Scioscia has lost a lot of true believers n 2011. Game by game they walked away in disbelief that the name of Jeff Mathis was included in the lineup. Four automatic outs each night, rarely pinch-hit for, rarely made to hit situationally, allowed to free swing with no ability to produce. Mathis is, statistically, the worst offensive player in baseball history besides Mario Mendoza, but as the season wore on and Napoli became a star in Arlington, about the time that <span>Bobby Wilson</span> caught <span>Ervin Santana's</span> no-hitter, a mass consciousness of the average fan suddenly realized that there were no intangibles and no measurement of defensive certainty that rationalized playng MAthis at all. Meanwhile <span>Hank Conger</span> lost about a year of development at age 23.</p>
<p><b>3. Not Signing <span>Adrian Beltre</span></b></p>
<p>As productive as the unheralded <span>Alberto Callaspo</span> was for the Angels in 2011, Adrian Beltre starting 130 games for the Angels in Anaheim this season would have meant they would be playing at least three games in October. 31 Homeruns from the 3B position would have been a great complement to <span>Mark Trumbo's</span> 29 from the other side of the infield. Instead those bombs meant runs for Texas.</p>
<p><b>4. Not Adjusting to Vernon's Awfulness</b></p>
<p>The Angels held off on calling up <span>Mike Trout</span> until a July injury to <span>Peter Bourjos</span> forced them to. Had they platooned Wells and Bobby Abreu at Designated Hitter and handed Trout the keys to Left Field, Wells might have been able to contribute solidly only seeing lefthanders, Abreu would have certainly seen the gaps in his production lessened and Trout would have three months of solid experience instead of three months of spotty playing time amidst hotel suite exploration.</p>
<p><b>5. Sticking with <span>Tyler Chatwood</span></b></p>
<p>After the complete implosion of <span>Scott Kazmir</span> a week into the season, rookie Tyler Chatwood was brought into the bigs. He was serviceable at first and the club stuck with him. As he withered on the vine when late spring became early summer, though, there was no in-house solution. With a mid-season meltdown of <span>Joel Pineiro</span>, the Chatwood loyalty became high comedy and a deer-in-the-headlights <span>Garrett Richards</span> was just not ready for prime time. A bizarre twist saw reclamation project <span>Jerome Williams</span> pick up four wins in the heat of a contending September and seal a spot as the #4/5 guy to start 2012. Trading for a league average veteran to eat innings would have been the move to make in July when the clock struck midnight for CinderChatwood. No doubt he will be in the conversation for the 2012 rotation, but 2011 made it more likely he gets more seasoning in the minors next year.</p>
<p><b>6. Sticking With Joel Pineiro</b></p>
<p>While Pineiro was actually statistically worse than Chatwood, as a veteran he would occasionally shake off the bad starts and hurl a gem and considering they were paying him $8 million, his eventual demotion was actually bigger news. Could the Angels have gotten a gem or two out of <span>Matt Palmer</span>, stuck in AAA almost all season long, or perennial #7 Starter Trevor Bell? 145 innings of a 5.13 ERA insist that either of these two would have perhaps squeezed a victory or two more than Joel.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px;"><b>7. Bad Bullpen Blueprint</b></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px;">The bullpen was actually a highlight for the Angels, most notably the domination of <span>Scott Downs</span> and the emergence of <span>Jordan Walden</span> as an effective, if green, closer. But the bullpen that ran steady late in the season was making up for the sins of the pen's construction in the spring. 67 IP by a mediocre <span>Hisanori Takahashi</span> <i>(an ERA+ of 109 is nothing to brag about in high leverage situations)</i> and 32 IP by <span>Fernando Rodney</span>, he of 5 losses and a 4.50 ERA. Mike Sciosica's best move of the season was demoting Rodney after an early-April loss. But the first three losses of the season were by <span>Michael Kohn</span>, <span>Kevin Jepsen</span> and <span>Jason Bulger</span> in relief. None of them finished the season with the big club. While organizational depth saw <span>Bobby Cassevah</span> and <b>Rich Thompson</b> contribute later on, the downright lousiness of the initial product created losses and reinforced doubt about the organization's ability to accurately evaluate players.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px;"><b>8. Bobby Powerless</b></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px;"><span>Bobby Abreu's</span> power outage form the DH position was mitigated by the emergence of Mark Trumbo as well as Abreu being delivering an OBP of over .350 <i>(2nd highest on the team)</i>. But when more than 580 Plate Appearances yield 183 total bases from the DH position, staying in contention as long as they did only begs the question of what a little more power in some spots would have meant at critical times during the season.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px;"><b>9. Under-utilization of <span>Russell Branyan</span></b></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px;">Mid-season, Mike Scioscia was given a left-handed power bat who could play 1B. He got less that 80 Plate Appearances. The innumerable times Jeff Mathis stayed in games late to face a right handed pitcher with nary a flinch form Mike Scioscia is just one of may Branyan-free scenarios that will haunt the <i>"What-If"</i> box of Angels fans looking back at '11 in the years to come.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px;"><b>10. NOT Pulling The Plug</b></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px;">Smoke and Mirrors, Ace level pitching by <span>Dan Haren</span> and especially <span>Jered Weaver</span>, a great season by <span>Howie Kendrick</span>, a shock rookie year by Mark Trumbo, day in and day out great glove by <span>Erick Aybar</span> and Peter Bourjos and superb relief from Scott Downs were the difference in making this an overachieving team. But none of it was pretty and it took an epic Boston implosion to sell tickets to the final six-game homestand of the season. So the team is left with no playoffs for the second year in a row - their longest drought since '99-'00-'01. Throw in a lousier draft spot and maybe what went wrong with the 2011 Angels was that too much went right for them to justify trading some decent spare parts for prospects. Abreu, Santana, Callaspo, Ayabr and even Thompson could have brought great prospect returns in a trade with playoff contenders. Those prospects could now be on the depth chart, but instead the Angels are another year older and deeper in debt.</p>
https://losangeles.sbnation.com/los-angeles-angels/2011/9/28/2452218/2011-angels-what-went-wrongMat Gleason2011-08-31T11:04:57-07:002011-08-31T11:04:57-07:00Wikileaks: Indonesia Sought MLB Team in 2008
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<p>An April 1, 2008 cable from the Jakarta embassy gave detailed descriptions of Indonesia's plans to have its own Major League Baseball team. The unclassified memo was recently published as part of the Wikileaks documents.</p> <p>Perusing the tens of thousands of Wikileak cables that are now searchable on <a href="http://www.cablegatesearch.net">cablegatesearch.net</a> is a fascinating immersion in the US Government's daily chores of analyzing the world beyond its borders.</p>
<p>Three years ago an odd cable emanating from the Jakarta Embassy was labeled <a href="http://www.cablegatesearch.net/cable.php?id=08JAKARTA650">Indonesia Demands Major League Baseball</a>. A strange missive written in the objective, removed prose of most of the exposed cables details.</p>
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<p><span style="font-family: Consolas, monospace; font-size: 13px; line-height: 14px; white-space: pre-line;">Indonesia is currently abuzz about a plan to bring a Major League Baseball franchise to Jakarta</span></p>
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<p>The cable then details how the country's President is a closet baseball fan known to take in <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.mccoveychronicles.com/">San Francisco Giants</a> games whenever he visits the United States. The details of Indonesia's passion for baseball get even more fascinating with the vice president's desire to make the proposed major league stadium central to a larger economic development. It is then revealed that the Veep keeps seats at Chavez Ravine</p>
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<p><span style="font-family: Consolas, monospace; font-size: 13px; line-height: 14px; white-space: pre-line;">...from his box at Dodger Stadium in Chavez Ravine, the Vice President has reportedly brokered several deals to move the project forward. These include plans for a politically well-connected construction conglomerate to build a giant new stadium complex in central Jakarta in the area now called Medan Merdeka (Freedom Park). The stadium would include residential and mixed-use space, and include high-end retail outlets such as Armani, Gucci, and Prada. (Note: The proposal for a Jimmy Choo boutique was rejected when the media alleged that Choo, who is Malaysian, stole several designs from traditional Indonesian footwear styles.)</span></p>
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<p>The cable has many details of how the team, Jakarta Traffic, would also have a farm team, The Surabaya Mud Hens. In the headers for document distribution it gives permission for the memo to passed to Tony LaRussa. For trivia buffs, it also spearheads the source of Indonesia's love of baseball. A former major league pitcher has long since relocated to Bali. After his glory days were done with the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.amazinavenue.com/">Mets</a>, the embassy notes that he has become the driving force behind this wild proposal.</p>
<p>The Mets pitcher? <b>Sidd Finch</b>. Do you know anything about Sidd Finch? Did you read the fawning Sports Illustrated <a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1119283/index.htm">profile of the young athlete</a> by George Plimpton, published in April 1985? This cable was sent on the 23rd anniversary of that articles publication, April 1, 2008. Your State Department has a sense of humor, America.</p>
https://losangeles.sbnation.com/2011/8/31/2387567/wikileaks-indonesia-sought-mlb-team-in-2008Mat Gleason2011-08-10T19:48:52-07:002011-08-10T19:48:52-07:00Yankees Spoil Garrett Richards Debut
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<p>By the time <a href="https://www.halosheaven.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Angels</a> rookie <span>Garrett Richards</span> had recorded the first out of his career Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium, his <span class="caps">ERA</span> dropped from infinity to 81.00. It was that kind of night for the Angels as they allowed 9 runs to the Bronx Bombers. Down 7-2 late with the bases loaded, <span>Peter Bourjos</span> grounded into a double play on the first pitched tossed by <span>Rafael Soriano</span>, called in to relieve starter <span>Ivan Nova</span>. With no outs and the bases loaded in the 7th inning, Soriano threw a total of 4 pitches to retire the side with but a mere run scoring.</p>
<p>The final score, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.pinstripealley.com/">Yankees</a> 9, Angels 3 is not an indicator of how lopsided the contest really was.</p>
<p>Pitcher Joel Piñeiro came out of the bullpen and gave rest to any notion that it would have been better for manager Mike Scioscia to leave him in the rotation. The veteran righty allowed 3 runs in 3 IP. Considering the options, Garrett Richards is the likely fifth starter in the rotation for at least another turn, matching up with the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.lonestarball.com/">Rangers</a> in Anaheim on Monday.</p>
https://losangeles.sbnation.com/2011/8/10/2356644/yankees-spoil-garrett-richards-debutMat Gleason2011-08-01T13:25:17-07:002011-08-01T13:25:17-07:00Jered Weaver: In Defense Of Headhunting
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<p>Headhunting is part of the game of baseball and serves a distinct, necessary purpose.</p> <p>Bob Gibson did it. Don Drysdale did it. And <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.halosheaven.com/">Angels</a> ace <span>Jered Weaver</span> did it on Sunday afternoon in Detroit against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.blessyouboys.com/">Tigers</a>. Throwing at a batter on purpose is derided by the bandwagon moralists who see baseball as a metaphor for life being reduced to junior high school civics classes. Add to that the cautionary tale of August 16, 1920 with Ray Chapman dying on a baseball field after a HBP. The moralists will never point out that Carl Mays led the league with 27 wins for the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.pinstripealley.com/">Yankees</a> the year after his pitch took the life of a Cleveland Indian.</p>
<p>Pitching inside is the policing of a game and Carl Mays was able to live with his actions. The role of the pitcher is the role of the policeman who will bust down the door and yell "break it up." Throwing at a batter is the rare time that the cop pulls out the billy club. There is almost always a distinct reason it is happening that is easily acknowledged by both sides.</p>
<p>When Jered Weaver threw at <span>Alex Avila</span>'s head, the purpose pitch missed by a long shot. Even though Weaver could have hit him, his job is to precisely locate the ball and he did so here - far from doing any damage. But you never know. And that is the terror of the billy club. And you don't find out about that terror if you stay within the lines of playing the game in a respectful manner. It was a chilling reminder to all that the pitcher is a force of nature on the mound. He literally can kill you.</p>
<p>This power over life and death keeps the game and the players in line. The fact that a man can throw the ball at your head or the head of your teammate is the reason why you do not showboat. The terror of death arriving is why you do your job and take your base or return to the dugout to fight another day. The moralists will be out in force editorializing and pontificating and Weaver is certain to get suspended. They will appear on the pregame shows and the talking head shows.</p>
<p>And then they will cut to a word from their sponsors. And the commercial, aimed at the audience for sports, will talk about "extreme this" or "ultimate that" or "doing battle" or any one of a dozen other catch phrases that substitute for "kill that which opposes you." No matter how you moralize it, sports is a substitute for the human impulse to do battle. And for those on the field, the battle is real.</p>
<p>Maybe you went to the concert and the cops broke things up and you got smacked with a billy club. One of your teammates probably acted up and you now suffer. The necessary evil of arbitrary police enforcement is the best antidote to anarchy that society has arrived at. And the looming threat of an inside pitch is the only thing maintaining the focus on playing baseball first and foremost. Without the high heat, players like <span>Carlos Guillen</span> could put on clown makeup as they approached the batter's box, blow <span>Bryce Harper</span> kisses to the man on the mound and ruin your afternoon with amateurish dancing on the base paths.</p>
<p>Jered Weaver probably cost himself the Cy Young award on Sunday. But he established a certain authority that only comes with the terror of using force. And without his ultimatum, you may as well buy a ticket to the circus, because that is what baseball would be without headhunting.</p>
https://losangeles.sbnation.com/los-angeles-angels/2011/8/1/2309777/jered-weaver-defense-of-headhunting-angels-tigers-justin-verlander-carlos-guillenMat Gleason2011-07-25T08:58:14-07:002011-07-25T08:58:14-07:00MLB Trade Deadline Taunts, Tempts Angels
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<p>The Angels have shows that they are most likely to trade the players Angels fans love. Should Howie Kendrick be packing his bags at the trade deadline?</p> <p>With the major league trade deadline fixed to the minute before play begins on the afternoon of next Sunday, July 31, the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.halosheaven.com/">Angels</a> are vexed by the worst possible place to be in the standings: a few games behind a powder keg of a <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.lonestarball.com/">Texas Rangers</a> team that could race ahead with another dominant winning streak or limp to a second place finish with injuries to its delicate bunch of star-crossed superstars.</p>
<p>With <span>Adrian Beltre</span> being placed on the DL, the temptation to trade now for division help is probably outweighing the taunting notion that better things await a team who can ill-afford to trade away another <span>Tyler Skaggs</span> or Alex Torres.</p>
<p>If the trading of fan favorite <span>Joe Saunders</span> last July is any indication, <i>"Trigger Happy"</i> Tony Reagins considers no man to be above a trade. The Scioscia-Moreno-Reagins Angels don't rebuild, they reload to win now. It is the players that Angels fans most love that are inevitably on the chopping block:</p>
<p><span>Howie Kendrick</span>: now with the fail-safe term of "All-Star" attached, Howie's got a third year of arbitration ahead of him in 2013 and could bring in a power bat or number three starter. There are patchwork possibilities to replace him in the field, and less likely in the lineup, until heir apparent <span>Jean Segura</span> moves through the ranks.</p>
<p><span>Peter Bourjos</span>: the defensive magician and speedy baserunner could be something a more sabremetrically-inclined team might want to build a flyball-tending pitching staff around. With the green light from Moreno to take on salary, Bourjos might bring in a big name bat from a team falling out of contention.</p>
<p><span>Mark Trumbo</span>: it could haunt them for a decade or more if the player leading all of baseball's rookies with 18 home runs was shipped off unceremoniously, but the theoretical recovery of <span>Kendry(s) Morales</span> next year might make two months of a <span>Paul Konerko</span> type more palatable as would a few prospects following that big bat into town.</p>
<p><span>Erick Aybar</span>: his steadiness is a commodity that never goes out of style. With a shaky <span>Joel Pineiro</span>, could he be packaged with one of the above for <span>Wandy Rodriguez</span>?</p>
<p><span>Torii Hunter</span> has a no-trade clause, <span>Vernon Wells</span> has an untradrable contract and <span>Bobby Abreu</span> is Arte Moreno's favorite player. This logjam makes for the acquisition of a big bat at either third or first base the most logical. <span>Russell Branyan</span> is as good as gone by this time next week.</p>
<p>Of course, we can all dream of an extended audition of <span>Jeff Mathis</span> handling pitchers as warranting the lifetime 52 OPS+ catcher being traded. Fans of <span>Hank Conger</span> can always hope their guy gets released form his Salt Lake CIty CERA prison in a trade to a team that values a 23-year old switch hitting power bat without regard to his lack of pitch-framing perfection. Other than <span>Mike Trout</span> and <span>Jered Weaver</span>, the only thing that isn't under threat of being released or going away this week in Anaheim is Mickey Mouse and even he is checking the weather reports in Orlando.</p>
https://losangeles.sbnation.com/los-angeles-angels/2011/7/25/2291507/mlb-trade-deadline-angels-peter-bourjos-howie-kendrick-erick-aybarMat Gleason