Lately, there has been debate on whether or not to go after Matt Holliday or not this coming offseason. I was out of the country till yesterday, so I didnt have the chance to offer my opinion. Beware, heavy stat post after the jump.

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Ever since I was little, I have been been a fan since I can remember (born 1992, earliest season I can really remember stuff from is 2001). I used to know the roster like the back of my hand, knew who everybody was and the needs (due in no small part to an addiction to madden). But over the past few years, I have not followed the 9ers nearly as closely. I dont know as much as I would like. I still know most of the starters, but I am not as knowledgeable about playing situations as I wish I could be. I was wondering if, as the season got closer and closer, there could be a spotlight on each position (QB, RBs, WR, OL, DL, LB, CB/S, ST) that covered weaknesses/strengths and potential solutions, stopgaps, pressing needs, etc...

With seemingly all of our pitchers on the DL, here are the options still available on the free agent list in no particular order...

Odalis Perez- A career 95 ERA+ pitcher, with a 101 ERA+ last year in 160 innings for the Nationals. Hes not a frontline starter, but he could be a decent 4th or 5th starter. Also, he is very cheap (possibly 1 M for one year or possibly less).

Mark Mulder- Hasn't pitched 100 innings in a season for a few years, and hasn't been very good lately. Pass

Ryan Drese- One good year for Texas, but hasnt pitched since 2006, and hasn't been very good when he has been able to make it to the mound.

Pedro Martinez- If he is finally healthy, he could be very good, but durability is an issue as well as performance (excluding WBC) as his last good season was in 2005. Definitely an option though, and he would likely be up to speed quickly due to the WBC.

Orlando Hernandez- Didn't pitch last year, but in 2007 had a 115 ERA+ in 147 innings. His age however, could mean he doesn't see the field much. Possibly worth a look into, but unlikely.

Mark Redman- Last time he had an ERA+ of 90 was 2004. Ouch, and pass.

Jon Lieber- Was used last year as a reliever by the Cubs, but he did put up an ERA+ of 110. His last season of 160+ innings was 2006, but since 1996, his career low ERA+ is 96. While his FIP last year suggests regression, he is still definitely worth looking into.

Brian Lawerence- Was once promising, but has only pitched one year in the Majors sine 2005. Hes durable, but he isn't very good (5.55 ERA in 80+ innings for the Braves AAA affiliate in 08).

Kenny Rogers- Very interesting here. From 2002-2007 his lowest ERA+ was 99, but last year that number dipped to 78. One one hand he could be the veteran pitcher who has a breakout year to lead the staff (ala Tigers circa 2006), while on the other hand he could continue on last years suckfest and and drag the whole team down with his personality. Possibly worth a shot, if the money is right.

Chuck James- While he had a bad year for the Braves in 2008, this 27 year old lefty might still be worth a shot. In 2007 James pitched 160 innings of 100 ERA+ baseball, and in 06 120 innings of 118 ERA+. While his FIPs are very high, and his low ERA (and high ERA+) seem to be due to his abnormally low BABIP, among his top 10 comparable on baseball-reference.com include Edinson Volquez, Sean Marshall, Jon Danks and Rich Hill. Very well could be worth a minor league deal and see if he produces after a change in scenery.

Scott Elarton- Hasn't been good since 2000. Pass.

Estaban Loaiza- Loaiza's last good season was in 2005 with the Nats. Has pitched a grand total of 64 innings the last two years combined, where he wasn't very good for many of them. Pass.

Steve Traschel- A Oxnard native and CSULB alum, pitched 40 horrific innings for Baltimore last year. He has never really been great, but has a handful of good years, along with many serviceable ones (2004, '06, and '07 most recently). He is worth a look into, although a minor league deal at best.

And Finally, to the Byrd Man

Paul Byrd- His number one comparable on bb-r is Jon Garland. Byrd will have an ERA+ between 93-103 next year and will pitch over 160 innings. He also possesses a great personality and is a fan favorite. If he doesn't retire, the Angels should definitely approach him.

To sum up: The noteworthy starters that are still free agents are: Odalis Perez, Pedro, Jon Lieber, Kenny Rogers, Chuck James, Traschel and Byrd.

Kenny Rogers, Pedro and Byrd seem to be the most expensive, while we could get Lieber, James, and or Traschel for minor league deals. Odalis Perez could also come cheap, but most likely will need a major league deal. The pen's in your court Ninja, do as you will.

Via the sac bee

Though he refused to cite a figure, sources close to the team estimate the franchise could lose up to $25 million this season, making it seem more likely that the Maloofs would be receptive to offers from officials in other markets – with more profitable arenas – who are interested in acquiring an NBA franchise. One league executive identified representatives from Anaheim and San Jose as particularly aggressive suitors.

Wow. Obviously they would play in the Honda Center. They already do a few Globetrotters games, the Wooden Classic and also last year they hosted the High School state finals. While this move still seems unlikely, it brings an interesting question; which basketball team would you root for? Many fans here are longtime Lakers fans and have no interesting in rooting for the enemy. But others hate the Lakers, and some might be willing to switch their allegiances. What about you?

P.S. The Kings would probably have to change their name. But a LA Kings of Anaheim would be quite ironic because the LA Kings could play in the Honda center the same day as the LA Kings.

Ok, so basically all over different fanposts there are huge debates over whether we should sign Manny. I think we should get a general consensus of HH and have one place where we can all fight over it. Before the vote, here are the Pros and Cons courtesy of our very own HH posters. Feel free to add your own thoughts as well.

----Pro-Signing Manny---

The apparent reasoning for the lack of interest is that Manny would fill one of the outfield spots, or the DH spot, and either option would result in blocking a younger player, and the Halos believe that now is finally the time for some of the youngsters to put up or shut up.

While we have 5 outfielders (Vlad, Torii, Juan Gone, GMJ, and Reggie Willits), it’s quite clear that two of them (GMJ and Reggie) serve little real purpose on our 25 man roster, and the reality is that either of their presence should be zero reason why the ManRam shouldn’t be in the every day lineup.

Take those two out of the picture, and the four man outfield immediately becomes one of the most potent in the AL. One of them can DH similar to last year, and those guys will each get the occasional day off, which means that Mike Napoli can rest his knees occasionally and DH as well. One of the many benefits of this arrangement would be that our DH would no longer need to be a player like Figgy, Izzy, or Aybar; instead, our daily DH spot would be filled by a quality power bat, an essential in my opinion to score more runs on a daily basis.

Why does this need to happen? It’s simple. It has to happen because Ramirez is one of the few players in the game capable of dominating over a long stretch of a season. His prodigious offense can carry a team for weeks during the long slog of a summer. He is perhaps the most money player in all the MLB, demonstrating time and again the unique ability to hit for power and create huge numbers in the post season, a talent we need perhaps more than any other contender in the American League. He is an offensive machine, capable of inflicting more damage, producing more runs for his team, a hitter of such excellence that his potential contributions are simply too great to overlook.

Propose a deal in which options exist for both sides; this provides an element of comfort for both the player, if he feels in two years time he could get more he’d have the opportunity to reenter the marketplace, while our management could have a similar opportunity if we feel that Manny is not taking his obligations seriously enough. This element of flexibility should be a workable negotiation when you include dollars significantly higher than any other club is willing to offer.

Yes, the market place is currently on the down side regarding Ramirez, so this is perhaps the last opportunity to sign a premiere offensive superstar without giving up any players for him. Next year the biggest free agents are probably coming from our own team, and we’ll be competing to simply keep John Lackey [who has expressed interest leaving if the Angels do not improve their offense] and Vlad Guerrero on our roster. These factors make it mandatory to go get Ramirez, do it quickly, go to him and make him a very nice offer, tell him you need an answer in 72 hours, make our play and go solidify our already solid roster and make us a genuine threat to compete offensively with the best everyday lineups the American League will have to offer.

----Con-Signing Manny-----

In 2004, Jose Guillen was the most productive Angel hitter not named Vladimir Guerrero. In mid-September, the Angels were grinding out a tight race with the A’s, hoping for another shot in October. And even though Guillen was the second-best hitter on the team, and even though he was having the best season for an Angel hitter not named Vlad Guerrero in the last five years, he was still not good enough to avoid punishment. A team in serious contention suspending its second-best hitter, without pay, for the rest of the season, and the entire post-season? How shocking is that? They replaced him Jeff DaVanon and faxed the rest his contract to Washington. When is the last time anyone can think of something like that happening?

Actually, it wasn’t that long ago. Last July, in fact. A certain team paid a certain other team to take a certain player off their hands, because they couldn’t stand him any more. And this guy is no Jose Guillen. Guillen has had a mediocre career, and in 2004, he was on ‘roids. But this guy is a certain Hall of Famer. This guy has the 25th highest OPS+ of all time, and a .949 OPS in the post-season. He’s hit more home runs in October than anyone, ever. And on a day when they were three games behind in their division, the Boston Red Sox of all people, the team with the most hyper-tense, histrionic, and high-anxiety fan base in all professional sports, dumped this guy, still playing well, and still with two option years left on his contract. Incredible.

Now, Jose Guillen is just a minor punk. Manny has got away with a lot more than Jose ever will because he’s so damn good with a piece of lumber in his hands. How is he going to behave, when two years and $40 million weren’t enough for him in Boston? Is he going to be much happier when he only gets $5 or $10 million over the same period of time (if he gets that at all)? Moreno and Scioscia have already shown they won’t hesitate to discipline even their most critical players at the most critical times. How would Manny go over?

I think that’s at least 50% of what’s going through management’s collective head about Manny. Maybe another 25% is money, and the remaining 25% is commitment to young talent. They’re nice guys, so when someone asks, they answer “money” or “young talent.” The Red Sox aren’t such nice guys, so they did everything they could to publicize Manny’s bad behavior, just to watch his little power play fail. But Arte is no Machiavelli, and I don’t think he wants anywhere within 30 miles of that (though he might have to deal with him playing just about that far up the 5). If $23 million a year was too much for an ideal corporate shill like Teixeira, $25 million is way too much for a guy whose mental and emotional maturity don’t extend much beyond lifting weights, watching cartoons, and playing video games. Not bad hobbies in themselves, but you get the idea.

_______

To sum up in a quick list PRO-

• Half of Fame caliber bat added
• We dont really have any prospects that hes blocking
• This would show Lackey we are serious, and improves our chances of resigning him
• He could be had for a bargain relatively speaking because of his limited interest
• If Vlad and or Rivera or Morales or Wood do not produce great seasons, our offense looks pathetic. Manny would make our offense at least good, and can carry a team for extended periods of time.
• Sticking it to the Doyers
• His Postseason numbers are amazing, and could help us win the WS.
• We can fit him into the lineup without really displacing anyone (except Figgins or Wood)
• We need to win now while Vlad and Torii are still young(ish)
• The Angels need to stay ahead of the upswing As and Rangers and their crazy good prospects coming up the minors.
• He IS the big bat we've needed since 2002

Cons-

• The Angels do not put up with nonsense, no matter how good the player is. Manny might not last long before Scoscia gets sick of him.
• We could sign a cheaper option such as Adam Dunn or Bobby Abreu
• He has incredibly bad defense, like crazy bad.
• There is no guarantee that the only way to win the WS is to sign Manny (the playoffs might be a crapshoot).
• An Corner OF/DH combo of Rivera/Manny/Vlad hampers flexibility of the DH (nobody can use it, not Torii or Naps on their off days)
• Manny could very well quit during the season or next
• We are already a classy organization, we do not need to add Manny.
• We can likely win the division without Manny
• Paying Manny that much money will cause Vlad/Lackey to seek more for themselves, as they are the faces of the franchise and could make less combined than Manny in one season
• Vlad needs DH time to rest up and stay healthy and potent with the bat.
• Boras client

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Please explain your position, and let the sparks fly!

So before Aybar/Figgy's injuries, Brandon Wood was just a scrub who could barely get the job done. Aybar was a wizard defensively, and could be passable batting as long as he batted 9th or so.

Then Wood had his crack at the MLB, and he produced. At first, Wood sucked, to say simply. He was sporting a very amazing OPS of .318 in 30 games. Then, something long overdue happened, he started to hit. In the next 12 games, Wood hit .333 with a .350 OBP and a .600 SLG, as well as clubbing 15 hits, 3 HRs, 3 doubles, and only 10 Ks.

Meanwhile, in July, Aybar had just pulled off his best month of his career, going 13-41 in 10 games with a .317 BA and a .950 OPS. But August was a terrible month where he OPSd .620 in 22 games.

Now the question becomes, who should start at SS in the playoffs? The powerful Wood or the defensive wizard Aybar? Or should there be a platoon with Aybar in the lineup for garland and the other extreme ground ball pitchers while Wood is in for Weaver and other fly ball pitchers to provide more offense?

With the Angels already having clinched the AL West, the only thing now to do (besides playing for homefield advantage) is waiting to see which team they will play. With it pretty much a lock that two teams from the AL East will make the playoffs, the Angels are virtually guaranteed to either play the Red Sox or the Rays. If the Red Sox win the division, we play the Rays, and if the Rays win the Division we play the Red Sox. The Rays and the Sox cannot meet in teh first round, which screws us over because record wise, the Sox and the Rays are better than whichever team comes out of the AL Central (Twins or ChiSox). So my question is, Who would you rather play in the first round? The Red Sox who we have killed this year but have beaten us recently in the postseason, or Joe Maddons Rays, who have no playoff experience, and have gotten the better of us this year. Or does it not really matter, as either team is equally tough, and to be the best, you have to beat the best, regardless of who they are?

What will our rotation look like in the second half?

Scioscia said RHP John Lackey would start the second half of the season and the rest of the rotation would depend on how Saunders and RHP Ervin Santana are used in the All-Star Game

Unless one of them throws more than 2 innings (Ervin also unlikely to pitch since he started July 12th), this shouldn't really affect the rotation. So we have Lackey penciled in as the #1 starter, but who is number 2? I think that so far Joe has been the better pitcher, but I think that Ervin should pitch second to lighten the load on Saunders. Last season, between AAA and the MLB, Saunders pitched something like 230 innings. That was the second year in a row (2 years ago 70 in the bigs, 160 in the minors). I don't want to put too much wear and tear on Saunders, and I think he should only pitch around 200-220 innings max this year. Santana on the other hand has never pitched more than 215 or so innings in a year. He can handle the work load with out any real injury concerns. Last year, Saunders also broke down in his final 6 starts with a 6+ ERA. Ervin had a sub 3 ERA in his final 27 innings pitched. So who will be the #4 starter, WTY, or Judy. Garland continually puts up league average numbers while pitching 220+ innings a year. He's not spectacular, but overall, he gets the job done consistently (minus a game here or there where he blows up). Weaver on the other hand is alot less predictable. He has never pitched more than 161 innings in the Majors in any year. He also had some arm troubles last year. He did finish strong last year (2.5 or so ERA in his last 6 starts) but he has had a .3 higher ERA in the second half than in the first. I think we should rest him and keep his innings relatively low, so he can be effective without causing much strain on his arm. So to sum, if i were Scioscia (which im not) my rotation would look like this...

1. Lackey

2. Santana

3. Saunders

4. Garland

5. Weaver

My family is going up north to Palo Alto to see my grandparents, and other family members. I thought that I might be able to sneak in a Giants game in the process, seeing as I have only been to one Giants game in San Francisco (a win over the reds). I looked at ticket prices, and the cheapest they are going for is 30 bucks. I know they are playing the Dodgers and such, but are there any tickets cheaper than 30 bucks that I might be able to purchase from a website or anything? Or are tickets really going for around 30 bucks?

I was browsing 6-4-2 and came across a link to this golden nugget.

Kelvim Escobar continues to amaze in his recovery from a shoulder tear. The right-hander's fastball hit 93 mph during a 30-pitch simulated game in Arizona on Saturday, and he is expected to pitch in an Arizona Summer League game this week.

"His velocity was terrific, which is very encouraging," Manager Mike Scioscia said. "We expected him to get there, but it's a pleasant surprise that the first time out of the box, the ball came out of his hand that well. He's ready for a game."

it also says that the angels havent ruled out a return to the rotation as the angels are short on pitching depth (which somehow we are). Also, moseley is sucking it up in AAA and bootcheck just returned from the DL and is pitching well so far in 5 innings .80 WHIP, 0 ERA...

As it stands, K-rod has 30 saves (a record through 76 games by the way).

Also, The Mariners have 26 wins.

I think we should have a running counter of K-Rod vs the Mariners. 

Also, its hilarious that the mariners were the trendy pick for the AL West and cant even win more games than our closer has saved.

Also, The mariners payroll is 118 Mil, and if they continue on this pace, they will win 55 games. that means that they will have spent 2 Million dollars per win. 

K-Rod is on pace to get 64 saves. his contract is 10 Million dollars. Thats 156K per save. Even if K-rod made 15 Mil this season, thats 234k per save, which is about 1.8 million less then the mariners would pay for a win (save=win)

Going into Spring training (well, before the injuries to Big John and Myspace) the first four of the rotation was set: Lackey, Escobar, Weaver and Garland. But there was a question, who would be the fifth starter? Would it be Ervin Santana, the Cy younger at home but terrible on the road? Would it be Joe Saunders, the capable lefty without all that much presumable upside? Or could it be Dustin Moseley, who had shown he could be capable filling in for a spot start?

Well, Moseley wasnt really good enough to be a quality starter, and had the least upside of the trio. It was pretty clear that he would be moved to the bullpen, waiting in the wings. The real battle was between Saunders and Ervin. The jobs was presumably Saunders to lose, as management most likely thought that Ervin needed some more time in the minors to find some consistency and regain his 06 form. But due to injuries, both were given spots in the rotation. Neither has looked back for a second. 

Combined, Ervin and Joe have a 3.17 ERA through 165 1/3 innings pitched with a combined 17-4 record. They have a 1.02 WHIP and 106 Ks to 37 BBs. Those numbers belong to a Cy Young winning League Ace, not the pitching numbers from the Angels 5th starter slot (well, going into spring training). Bartolo Colon won the Cy Young for the Angels in 05 with 21 wins and a 3.48 ERA and 1.159 WHIP. What the Sensationally Superb Smash Siblings have put up this year have been just mind boggling. Ervin Santana has a 136 ERA+ (meaning he is 36% more valuable than the average pitcher) while Joe Saunders has an astonishing 156 ERA+ (56% more valuable). They are first and second in wins, among many other numerous accolades that if listed here, would result in a never ending post. 

While all of these above stats are astonishing, i have saved the best information for last. There has been nearly Zero Coverage of these feats. Go onto espn.com and search saunders and santana into the search bar, and you get two articles written since the season began, and only one after may 4th. On yahoo, search the same and you get one half article saying that saunders and santana are the only teammates to start 6-0 since 2002. On SportsIllustrated there are two mentions of the duo, while there is one, presumed to be the only on a major sports site, article on how santana and saunders have been dominating. If you type in joba and hughes on ESPN there are more than 10 articles since the season began. I thought that maybe this could be because of all the coverage around joba, so i decided to type in hughes and kennedy. There were over 11 hits. I cant find a more compelling case for east coast bias than this. The two best teammate pitchers (record wise) are getting absolutely no coverage. 

according to ESPN, Myspace has been cleared to throw from the mound. and i quote "Escobar has been cleared to begin throwing from a mound within a week." Although this probably means he wont be on a rehab assignment or anything for 3-4 weeks or so at the earliest. But is it possible to hope that he could be gracing the mound at the Big A in 1 1/2 or 2 months time? Or is it a ploy by the angels training staff to appear competent? 

I am an angels fan, and I am curious to know what your expectations of the A's are for this year. I mean, with the trading of Swisher, Haren, etc... Granted, the prospects you received are amazing, but they are still prospects. I came into this season thinking that 75-80 wins for the As this year was the most probable result, but as the season started, the young pitchers have been lights out, and the bullpen has also been stellar. But the once strong point of the A's offense, i still expected to struggle mightily. Chavez hasnt been healthy since the big 3, barton is going to amazing in a few years, but not yet, Carlos gonzales, sweeney, suzuki are still young, and crosby can never stay healthy. Do you think that this early season emergence has set the bar for realistic season results, or is merely a foreshadowing of what the other AL West teams will be forced to deal with in the coming years?