Angels' Third Base Internal Options for 2011

Listening to sports talk radio or visiting baseball rumor sites and it seems like people forgot where the Angels were prior to the 2002 World Series Championship Season.  The Angels did lose out on their alleged first choice free agent Carl Crawford to hated rivals Boston Red Sox.  In fact the Red Sox's great improved their team this off-season by free agency signings and a blockbuster trade with the Padres that landed them Adrian Gonzales.  Seemingly, the 2nd Choice Free Agent for the Halos is Adrian Beltre.  The Former Los Angeles Dodger, Seattle Mariner, and Red Sox has put up pretty good numbers in both offense and defense.  Will he radically change the team?  No, but his offense would be a god-send for a team who had trouble scoring last year.  

But the rumors have it that Beltre's demanding agent Scott Boras will only allow his agent sign for at a six year deal, which the Angels are too particularly found of.  As the sands fall through the hour glass and the free agent market becomes more and more bleak, what do the Angels do if they can't land their 2nd Choice?

As some have reported the trade market is down right now as well and the Angels might not have the prospects (not named Mike Trout) to land a big trade.  So what is a franchise to do?  Forgotten are the upgrades made to the pitching rotation and forgotten is the raw power of Kendry Morales.  

Scenario #1 

Do nothing.  Callaspo was a decent option at third base.  Reagins made the trade to bring him back to the Angels family last season.  Getting acclimated to return to the Angels might have just need some time.  Now with half a season under his belt and a full spring training with the Halos might prepare him for better year with the Angels.  Any upgrade in performance would benefit the Angels woes at 3rd.

Scenario #2

Brandon Wood had a real bad year last year.  But also was under a lot of pressure to perform.  Perhaps another go behind third might get him right.  Wood had some big shoes to fill last year with the departure of Figgins.  But maybe Wood can find his bat?  Maybe his short time in the Arizona Fall League helped him to regain his confidence.  Maybe every day at bats might get him going again.  The Angels must find some value in Wood, otherwise he might have been designated for assignment in lieu of Kevin Frandsen.  

Scenario #3

This one is my favorite option.  Long before Kendry Morales ever hit a home run in Anaheim, he was taking fielding at 3rd, 1st, Left, and Right.  Perhaps moving Morales to the hot corner is what the Angels need.  By moving Morales to Third Base, you also free up a spot at First base for Mike Napoli.  Napoli was the best fill in option at first when Morales was injured.  And although Napoli would probably prefer to be the every day catcher, its obvious that Mike Scioscia sees him more as a back up.  And with the emergence on Hank Conger whom could earn the starting catcher spot and provide some Napoli like power into the line up, who could blame him.  And with this line up you can still use a platoon of Juan Rivera & Bobby Abreu at LF/DH.

Scenario #4

Would involve elevating Mark Trumbo to third base.  Most of his background is at first, but putting him at third might be the quickest way to get him a look at the Major League Level.  Putting Trumbo at third might re-create a Brandon Wood like environment or might allow him to blossom.  This option is about as much of a roll of the dice as would be playing Wood. 

Ultimately I see the Angels signing Adrian Beltre.  And I also forsee Mike Napoli playing on another team next year.  But all I want for Christmas is Mike Napoli in the line up.

Three Strikes and Your Out #1

"Strike Three Your Out" 

It isn't just an expression you want to hear the home plate ump exclaim after Weaver throws another nasty change up.  It will be a semi-regular column I write here on First2Third.net to express three points on my Halo Mind. 

Carl Crawford:  My brother, the closet Tampa Rays Fan, has always talked about Carl Crawford.  And has been saying for nearly his entire MLB Career that the Angels need Crawford. Sure Crawford right now has visions of hoisting a World Series Trophy above his head looking out into the dugout and shouting "Yo Maddon... we did it!" with a single tear dripping down his cheek.  But before long Carl Crawford has to look at closing the door on his career in Tamp Bay.  Its all but advertised in the center of ESPN Magazine that Crawford will be too pricey to remain a Ray at the conclusion of the 2010 season.  There is a possibility that CC could come back to the Rays, but with the amount of money that would have to be left on the table, it seems that a return to Tampa is very unlikely.  What doesn't seem unlikely is Crawford demanding premium money to play Left Field in greener pastures.  Jon Paul Morosi reports that Big Pappi thinks that Crawford will either be a Yankee or an Angel.  And it isn't unlike New York to drive the market prices to unreasonable areas.  The Yankees will also add players when they think it will help them win.  Next year's outfield already seems somewhat full with Nick Swisher, Curtis Grandersen, and the platoon of Austin Kerns and Brett Gardner.  So where do you fit Crawford in that outfield?  Well hopefully, you don't.  Which leads to Uncle Arte.  Arte Moreno isn't my uncle... but I wish he was.  One of the things missing from this season is someone to consistently drive in runs.  Crawford has hit over .300 since 2005, with the exception of 2008 when he was injured and then still hit .270.  Crawford also has a little pop and lots of speed.  With the exception of 2008 has stolen over 40 bags a year.  Crawford is definitely a player who can help the Angels return to form in 2011 and is one of those guys capable of going First to Third.

Jack Zduriencik, it was nearly a year ago that much of the media was anointing Zduriencik GM of the year and how shrewd he was to "Steal" Cliff Lee from the Philies and how adding, Chone Figgins, and Mitlon Bradley to the Ichiro Mariners would certainly guarantee them the West.  What good ole Jack Z didn't know is that Milton Bradley is a bum, Figgins' success in Anaheim was more of a testament of Mike Scioscia, and that Cliff Lee didn't thrive in the Pacific Northwest.  You can't blame Jack Z for all of his mistakes.  I mean, I would have jumped at the opportunity to give prospects away for Cliff Lee too.  He wasn't the only one.  Jon Daniels did it too.  Once the Mariners decided the season was a wash, good ole Zduri decided to trade to American League West rivals, Rangers.  And although Cliff Lee was awesome in last years Playoffs, in Texas he just hasn't been the same guy.  I was one of the few guys who was saying Figgins should have been traded last year, of course that was with the impression that Brandon Wood was the second coming of Bobby Grich and would have a first full season much like his first baseman counter part Kendry Morales.  I was wrong.  But Jack was wrong to sign Figgins to that kind of deal.  And then, the Mariners decided to move Jose Lopez, last years every day second baseman to third and Figgins who was an everyday third baseman back to second?  Why?  Because Figgins didn't have traditional power corner numbers?  Really?  The Mariners made a huge mistake right there.  Figgins was comfortable at third.  Moving him to second made him adjust to another position, in a new ball park, with a new team, with a new coach.  Bad move.  And Milton Bradley... don't get me started on that guy.  There is a reason he has had trouble spending any significant time with a team.  When I asked Mariner fans who would be driving in all the runs when Ichiro and Figgins got on base, I kept hearing Bradley would drive them in.  And Griffey would.  Well Griffey would wind up falling asleep in the locker room and Bradley ended up in relationship therapy.  Jack over paid for a third baseman that they converted back to second base.  What Jack should have done was sign a World Series MVP to bat DH and occasionally play Left Field.  Which takes me to my next point.

Hideki Matsui, was signed to be the Designated Hitter for the Angels last season.  He was signed for significantly more than what Jon Daniels payed Vladimir Guerrero to put on that terrible blue jersey.  Now I know Vlad's contract was affected by the Matsui signing and the Angels would have probably have had to paid significantly more to keep him a Halo.  But Matsui and the Angels just didn't seem like a good fit.  And now with less than 20 games left in the season, it still looks bad.  After hearing some delicious speculation that Matsui was more of an ambassador to Japan than a real solution at DH, the signing made sense.  But where it would have made better sense would have been Japan.  I once heard Matsui and Ichiro called the Derek Jetter and A-Rod of Japan.  Wouldn't Seattle have benefited from the addition of another Japanese Superstar.  Wouldn't have the Mariners benefited from a Left Handed hitter, with power who could have plugged the wholes in the line up left by the departing Adrian Beltre?  And wouldn't the Japanese fans want to see their two biggest stars playing together?  Just seems like another blown call by Jack Z.  But back to Matsuiland.  The Halo faithful attempted to rally behind the affectionately called Godzilla.  But again, he wasn't the player he was advertised as.  Slumps through most of the season, haven't helped the 3rd Place Angels or the career of Matsui.  And although his one year in Anaheim will go down as one of the worst seasons for the Angels this decade, it isn't entirely Matsui's fault.  Matsuiland will be closing in early October and the Angels will look for a new Designated Hitter in the off-season. 

This is Three Strikes... and I'm out!

Go Halos.