Angels could make run at epic rotation
Sabathia, Peavy could be options if club moves off Teixeira
LOS ANGELES -- Who needs a dominant, power-packed lineup when you have the best rotation in history?
It appears the Angels could be thinking along those lines as they continue to wrestle with Mark Teixeira's free agency and how far they can go in a commitment to the first baseman.
According to multiple sources, the Angels are reluctant to come close to meeting the reported 10-year deal agent Scott Boras is seeking for the 28-year-old first baseman. Six or seven years -- at about $20 million per -- reportedly is the limit the Angels have projected for Teixeira.
One report, courtesy of Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com, suggests the Angels have moved on to CC Sabathia as their main target. It is conceivable they could sign Sabathia and also acquire Jake Peavy from the Padres, who have multiple needs the talent-rich Angels could satisfy.
If Jered Weaver is a centerpiece of a Peavy deal, imagine this rotation:
Sabathia, Peavy, John Lackey, Ervin Santana and Joe Saunders.
That's two Cy Young Award winners (Sabathia and Peavy) from 2007 and three All-Stars (Lackey, 2007; Santana and Saunders, 2008): five starters capable of winning 18 to 20 games each, all 28 or under as the 2009 season opens.
"Man, I'd love to be part of something like that. Who wouldn't?" eight-time Gold Glove center fielder Torii Hunter said by phone from Texas, one year removed from signing his five-year, $90 million Angels contract. "Tex is a great player, and so is CC. You can't go wrong with either of those guys. As for Peavy, I faced him a couple of times in Interleague Play, and he's nasty. Great pitching wins championships."
You'd have to look long and hard to find a rotation this good in the history of the game -- and you'd probably be unsuccessful.
In Knobler's report, an unidentified source claims the Angels are concerned enough about a knee issue with Teixeira to resist going beyond six years.
Efforts to reach Angels general manager Tony Reagins were unsuccessful.
Hot Stove
Sabathia, whose price tag is somewhere in the $140 million range across six years, has been remarkably durable in eight seasons, averaging 207 innings and 32 starts. Peavy, in six full seasons, has averaged 194 innings and 30 starts.
Sabathia, the New York Yankees' No. 1 target in free agency, reportedly would like to pitch closer to home after spending last season in Cleveland and Milwaukee. He's from Northern California.
Peavy, who has $63 million coming over the next four years, has been shopped by the Padres without success -- although they were apparently close to a deal with the Braves before it fell through. The 27-year-old right-hander is, like Sabathia, a capable hitter and prefers to stay in the National League. But the Angels and Yankees are the two AL clubs for whom he would consider dropping his no-trade rights.
Making San Diego his permanent home, Peavy could easily make the commute north to Anaheim without uprooting his family. An intense competitor, Peavy would have to like the idea of pitching for a team that has won four division titles in the past five years.
It is conceivable that the Angels could expand a deal to fortify their power supply with shortstop Khalil Greene, who will be eligible for free agency next winter.
A superior defensive player, Greene had a dismal 2008, ending with a hand injury in July. But he produced 27 homers and 97 RBIs in 2007, carrying the Padres' offense down the stretch in an intense NL West race. Frustrated by PETCO Park, the Majors' toughest field for hitters, Greene has impressive career road numbers -- .484 slugging percentage, 50 homers, 178 RBIs in 322 games.
With a surplus of talented infielders and an organization characterized by Bill James in his 2009 Handbook as "first in the Majors in young pitching," the Angels have the merchandise to swing a deal for Peavy -- and perhaps Greene -- if they're inclined.
Padres manager Bud Black has personal knowledge of the Angels' young talent, having served as Mike Scioscia's pitching coach before moving to San Diego after the 2006 season.
As for replacing Teixeira -- in heavy demand with the Red Sox, Orioles, Nationals and Yankees reportedly having various levels of interest -- the Angels are high on Kendry Morales, thinking the switch-hitter from Cuba is capable of hitting in the .280 range with about 20 homers.
The Angels could re-sign Garret Anderson or Juan Rivera to play left field and have essentially the same lineup as last season, with Morales replacing Teixeira.
Reggie Willits and Gary Matthews Jr. also are left-field candidates, and Chone Figgins could be moved from third base to accommodate Brandon Wood or Matt Brown, both coming off big seasons at Triple-A Salt Lake.
(ALSO DONT FORGET,KAREEM ESCOBAR IS COMING OFF THE D.L THIS SEASON ALSO FOR THE ANGELS! PLUS THEY HAVE GARLAND AND MOSELY?!...DAMM)
Angels owner prepared to lose K-Rod
Moreno says club will focus effort on Teixeira, consider Manny....
The Angels seem to have closed the door on re-signing All-Star free-agent closer Francisco Rodriguez and opened it for Manny Ramirez, owner Arte Moreno said in a report Wednesday.
"We're turning the page on this one," the Los Angeles Times quoted Moreno as saying about K-Rod in an interview with local radio station AM-830 before the Angels Baseball Foundation Golf Classic in Newport Beach, Calif.
"Believe it or not, we really spent a lot of time and effort trying to re-sign Frankie. There were six different offers on the table at different times, and this time last year, we thought we had him signed. Then [Mariano] Rivera got his deal.
"I'm not one of these never-never people, but I think as a whole, it's time to turn the page and move forward and get to things we need to do."
The Angels are also in the process of trying to re-sign free agent Mark Teixeira and if that doesn't happen they may turn their sights to Ramirez, the Dodgers free-agent, Moreno said.
"He single-handedly took L.A. to the promised land," Moreno told the radio station about the former Red Sox left fielder whose Dodgers lost to the Phillies in a five-game National League Championship Series. "He did a heck of a job, he hit great, he was a fan favorite, he did a great job with their young players. At the end of the day, you want people who can hit, and he may be one of the top right-handed hitters ever."
Rodriguez set a single-season Major League record with 62 saves last season. He also added a 2-3 record and a 2.24 ERA.
The Angels, though, lost a first-round playoff series to the Red Sox for the second consecutive postseason, and by then K-Rod seemed to be out of gas.
After the 2007 season, the Angels tendered Rodriguez a three-year, $34 million offer, but it was rejected after the Yankees signed Rivera to a three-year, $45 million deal.
The Angels join the Cardinals, Mets, Rays and Indians in searching for closers. Trevor Hoffman of the Padres, Brian Fuentes of the Rockies and Brandon Lyon of the D-backs are among the closers on the free-agent market, which opens in earnest on Friday.
Moreno said the Angels would offer Rodriguez arbitration on Dec. 1 to reserve the possibility of compensatory first-round and sandwich picks in next year's First-Year Player Draft. He also said the Angels would undoubtedly go into the market for another closer via trade or free agency.
Teixeira batted .358 with a .449 on-base percentage, 13 homers and 43 RBIs for the Angels after a July 29 trade from Atlanta. If he signs elsewhere, Manny, who hit .396 with 17 homers and 53 RBIs in 53 games after a July 31 non-waiver Trade Deadline deal with the Red Sox, could fit in nicely.
"That's a question for Mike and Tony," Moreno said, referring to Angels manager Mike Scioscia and general manager Tony Reagins. "For us, Manny hits. He's a clutch guy.
"He did a great job with Boston, and he did a great job with the Dodgers. Some people just hit, whether they're 30, 32 or 37. And I think he's better fitted for the American League because we have the designated hitter."
DAM,.....THE HALOS AINT GONNA BE FUCKIN AROUND NEXT YEAR!
Sabathia, Peavy could be options if club moves off Teixeira
LOS ANGELES -- Who needs a dominant, power-packed lineup when you have the best rotation in history?
It appears the Angels could be thinking along those lines as they continue to wrestle with Mark Teixeira's free agency and how far they can go in a commitment to the first baseman.
According to multiple sources, the Angels are reluctant to come close to meeting the reported 10-year deal agent Scott Boras is seeking for the 28-year-old first baseman. Six or seven years -- at about $20 million per -- reportedly is the limit the Angels have projected for Teixeira.
One report, courtesy of Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com, suggests the Angels have moved on to CC Sabathia as their main target. It is conceivable they could sign Sabathia and also acquire Jake Peavy from the Padres, who have multiple needs the talent-rich Angels could satisfy.
If Jered Weaver is a centerpiece of a Peavy deal, imagine this rotation:
Sabathia, Peavy, John Lackey, Ervin Santana and Joe Saunders.
That's two Cy Young Award winners (Sabathia and Peavy) from 2007 and three All-Stars (Lackey, 2007; Santana and Saunders, 2008): five starters capable of winning 18 to 20 games each, all 28 or under as the 2009 season opens.
"Man, I'd love to be part of something like that. Who wouldn't?" eight-time Gold Glove center fielder Torii Hunter said by phone from Texas, one year removed from signing his five-year, $90 million Angels contract. "Tex is a great player, and so is CC. You can't go wrong with either of those guys. As for Peavy, I faced him a couple of times in Interleague Play, and he's nasty. Great pitching wins championships."
You'd have to look long and hard to find a rotation this good in the history of the game -- and you'd probably be unsuccessful.
In Knobler's report, an unidentified source claims the Angels are concerned enough about a knee issue with Teixeira to resist going beyond six years.
Efforts to reach Angels general manager Tony Reagins were unsuccessful.
Hot Stove
Sabathia, whose price tag is somewhere in the $140 million range across six years, has been remarkably durable in eight seasons, averaging 207 innings and 32 starts. Peavy, in six full seasons, has averaged 194 innings and 30 starts.
Sabathia, the New York Yankees' No. 1 target in free agency, reportedly would like to pitch closer to home after spending last season in Cleveland and Milwaukee. He's from Northern California.
Peavy, who has $63 million coming over the next four years, has been shopped by the Padres without success -- although they were apparently close to a deal with the Braves before it fell through. The 27-year-old right-hander is, like Sabathia, a capable hitter and prefers to stay in the National League. But the Angels and Yankees are the two AL clubs for whom he would consider dropping his no-trade rights.
Making San Diego his permanent home, Peavy could easily make the commute north to Anaheim without uprooting his family. An intense competitor, Peavy would have to like the idea of pitching for a team that has won four division titles in the past five years.
It is conceivable that the Angels could expand a deal to fortify their power supply with shortstop Khalil Greene, who will be eligible for free agency next winter.
A superior defensive player, Greene had a dismal 2008, ending with a hand injury in July. But he produced 27 homers and 97 RBIs in 2007, carrying the Padres' offense down the stretch in an intense NL West race. Frustrated by PETCO Park, the Majors' toughest field for hitters, Greene has impressive career road numbers -- .484 slugging percentage, 50 homers, 178 RBIs in 322 games.
With a surplus of talented infielders and an organization characterized by Bill James in his 2009 Handbook as "first in the Majors in young pitching," the Angels have the merchandise to swing a deal for Peavy -- and perhaps Greene -- if they're inclined.
Padres manager Bud Black has personal knowledge of the Angels' young talent, having served as Mike Scioscia's pitching coach before moving to San Diego after the 2006 season.
As for replacing Teixeira -- in heavy demand with the Red Sox, Orioles, Nationals and Yankees reportedly having various levels of interest -- the Angels are high on Kendry Morales, thinking the switch-hitter from Cuba is capable of hitting in the .280 range with about 20 homers.
The Angels could re-sign Garret Anderson or Juan Rivera to play left field and have essentially the same lineup as last season, with Morales replacing Teixeira.
Reggie Willits and Gary Matthews Jr. also are left-field candidates, and Chone Figgins could be moved from third base to accommodate Brandon Wood or Matt Brown, both coming off big seasons at Triple-A Salt Lake.
(ALSO DONT FORGET,KAREEM ESCOBAR IS COMING OFF THE D.L THIS SEASON ALSO FOR THE ANGELS! PLUS THEY HAVE GARLAND AND MOSELY?!...DAMM)
Angels owner prepared to lose K-Rod
Moreno says club will focus effort on Teixeira, consider Manny....
The Angels seem to have closed the door on re-signing All-Star free-agent closer Francisco Rodriguez and opened it for Manny Ramirez, owner Arte Moreno said in a report Wednesday.
"We're turning the page on this one," the Los Angeles Times quoted Moreno as saying about K-Rod in an interview with local radio station AM-830 before the Angels Baseball Foundation Golf Classic in Newport Beach, Calif.
"Believe it or not, we really spent a lot of time and effort trying to re-sign Frankie. There were six different offers on the table at different times, and this time last year, we thought we had him signed. Then [Mariano] Rivera got his deal.
"I'm not one of these never-never people, but I think as a whole, it's time to turn the page and move forward and get to things we need to do."
The Angels are also in the process of trying to re-sign free agent Mark Teixeira and if that doesn't happen they may turn their sights to Ramirez, the Dodgers free-agent, Moreno said.
"He single-handedly took L.A. to the promised land," Moreno told the radio station about the former Red Sox left fielder whose Dodgers lost to the Phillies in a five-game National League Championship Series. "He did a heck of a job, he hit great, he was a fan favorite, he did a great job with their young players. At the end of the day, you want people who can hit, and he may be one of the top right-handed hitters ever."
Rodriguez set a single-season Major League record with 62 saves last season. He also added a 2-3 record and a 2.24 ERA.
The Angels, though, lost a first-round playoff series to the Red Sox for the second consecutive postseason, and by then K-Rod seemed to be out of gas.
After the 2007 season, the Angels tendered Rodriguez a three-year, $34 million offer, but it was rejected after the Yankees signed Rivera to a three-year, $45 million deal.
The Angels join the Cardinals, Mets, Rays and Indians in searching for closers. Trevor Hoffman of the Padres, Brian Fuentes of the Rockies and Brandon Lyon of the D-backs are among the closers on the free-agent market, which opens in earnest on Friday.
Moreno said the Angels would offer Rodriguez arbitration on Dec. 1 to reserve the possibility of compensatory first-round and sandwich picks in next year's First-Year Player Draft. He also said the Angels would undoubtedly go into the market for another closer via trade or free agency.
Teixeira batted .358 with a .449 on-base percentage, 13 homers and 43 RBIs for the Angels after a July 29 trade from Atlanta. If he signs elsewhere, Manny, who hit .396 with 17 homers and 53 RBIs in 53 games after a July 31 non-waiver Trade Deadline deal with the Red Sox, could fit in nicely.
"That's a question for Mike and Tony," Moreno said, referring to Angels manager Mike Scioscia and general manager Tony Reagins. "For us, Manny hits. He's a clutch guy.
"He did a great job with Boston, and he did a great job with the Dodgers. Some people just hit, whether they're 30, 32 or 37. And I think he's better fitted for the American League because we have the designated hitter."
DAM,.....THE HALOS AINT GONNA BE FUCKIN AROUND NEXT YEAR!
