That'll do pig, that'll do. Lackey is done for 2012.

"Thank you to the 2011 Boston Red Sox for replacing the 1995 Angels as the biggest choke job in baseball!"

Image Courtesy of OC Register

When I recently surveyed our friends on Facebook where they thought John Lackey would be pitching next year, nobody answered Boston. In fact some die hard Boston Red Sox Fans answered with the Lowell Spinners or Hopefully anywhere except Boston.  Apparently the square peg that never really fit into Boston's round whole won't be throwing a single pitch in the 2012 season.

When you look at last year's performance, its obvious Lackey hasn't fit in well to Boston. Lackey always seemed like a competitor in Anaheim. The guy you wanted on the mound. Did he change Boston or did Boston change him?  But in the middle of  the season you hear that his wife was going through Cancer Treatment, which could derail any man, in any line of work.  And at the end of the season we hear that Lackey and his wife are going through divorce, which could also derail any man, in any line of work.  But was his poor performance based on his wife's cancer, his failed marriage, or his injured arm?

But then it gets worse when you hear the Red Sox pitching staff were blowing off work outs, sitting in the locker room eating hot wings, drinking beer, and playing video games.  Unbelievable.  Now they have said that this was common practice even before Lackey... but if that's a common practice, its no wonder why this team couldn't strike out a guy towards the end of the season.  No wonder the Red Sox failed to make the Post Season 2 years in a row.  And now Lackey, poor Benedict Lackey, will miss an entire season. 

So here's to you Red Sox for replacing my beloved Angels as the biggest single season collapse in the history of baseball.  And here's to you Lackey for being an important cog in that choke machine.

Toronto and Boston get Swept! Damn it feels good to be a Halo Fan

When I originally started this blog, it was going to be in tribute to the young Angel rotation that was headed by John Lackey.  The remaining rotation was made up of Santana, Saunders, Weaver, and Matt Palmer who would be replaced with Scott Kazmir.  Even with Lackey on the roster, most circles I'm in would not even count Lackey as an ACE.  Hence the Diamond Aces, that each Angel pitcher could go out there and have an ACE like start.  2008, Saunders and Santana were both All-Stars.  2009, Weaver and Saunders were pitching like All-Stars.  Palmer was getting lucky!  Kazmir is a former All-Star!  So these Aces of the Diamond were set to destroy the American League West in 2010.  Now its much too early, but the pitching staff has certainly stepped their game up.  Toronto has never been a good city for the Halos, but they showed up in full force.  Weaver had a great outing, followed by Saunders going 8, and Santana finishing a complete game.  Nearly getting a Shut Out!  Now there is a long scheduled of baseball left to be played.  The Halos sit 2.5 games out of 1st Place.  

Speaking of Lackey, he signed with the Boston Red Sox.  He thought it would give him a better chance at winning another World Series ring.  Turns out, not so much.  Tampa Bay is in 1st.  New York is in 2nd.  Hell even the swept Blue Jays are in 3rd.  Because the Boston Red Sox are six games out of 1st Place in the East.  Now obviously this slide won't last all year.  But I plan on enjoying every moment of it I can.  

Go Halos!  

We will win with what we got...

I originally designed this for Halos Heaven the best Angel Community site on the Interwebs, prior to the Trade Deadline.  I was against the Angels pursuing anyone but pitching.  Because even last year, towards the trade deadline I wasn't confident that Lackey would be coming back.  And Figgins was the only guy I could see being traded from the Major League Roster.  Looking at this picture though is kind of depressing.  I was hoping Lackey would return to the Halos-- He gone.  I was hoping Vlad would retire an Angel-- He gone.  And of course Figgins and Darren Oliver also left the team, along with Escobar and Arrendondo. 

With all that being said, the Angels I think had to make that move for Kazmir.  And I think that move alone will really make a positive impact for the Angels in 2010.  And it looks like I need to make a new graphic to include the Diamond Aces of; Weaver, Kazmir, Santana, Saunders, and Piniero. 

Dearly Departed

:::Updated Feb. 11th:::
According to MLB.com's Lyle Spencer, Quinlan and his goofy swing have re-signed with the Halos to a minor league deal. This should provide the Angels with another option in case either Morales or Wood spend an extended period on the DL. So it appears I spoke to soon, Robb has been serviceable in small doses and adds depth to the team. No complaints here.

Joel Pineiro to the Angels -- My 2 Cents

 I recently e-mailed famed sports radio show host, Roger Lodge and the Sports Lodge on AM830 about the signing of Joel Pineiro.  Here is the original letter.

Hey Roger,

I don't love this deal, but I'm okay with it.  For 2 more million, we probably good have had Ben Sheets who when healthy is a dominant pitcher.  Pineiro certainly makes our pitching staff better, by adding a lot of strike outs and a lot of innings to eat.  It makes Palmer more versatile being able to shift from bullpen and spot starts when players or injured or need a night off.   

Frankly, I would have loved to see the Angels pursue former Yankees Ace, Chien-Ming Wang.  The dude is revered in Taiwan and when healthy has the stuff to be an ace.  He won't be available until May, but that isn't any different with last year waiting on Lackey to be healthy.  His last year in New York his mechanics were off.  But he's been rehab-ing and with Butcher lending his tutelage, we could have had another good arm come May.   And Palmer could have filled the 5th spot until Wang was healthy.

Jay Cal

Roger got a quarter way through the letter when he made a very good point that should be addressed.  I'll paraphrase that what Roger said was something like When Ben Sheets is healthy he is dominant, but when was the last time he had a healthy season, nobody know how his arm will hold up.  A very good point.  Pineiro is healthy.  His strike to walk ratio was the highest of all MLB pitching last year.  He discovered his sinker last year in St. Louis.  And the Angels are a very aggressive defensively, which makes a great fit for the Angels.  Many people will try to make the argument that Pineiro isn't nearly as good as Lackey.  Those people are confused.  Pineiro doesn't have to be better than Lackey.  Pineiro has to be better than Matt Palmer and the bevy of Triple A starters who stepped up to the plate after the passing of Nick Adenhart.  Pineiro is a legitimate #2-#3 on most teams.  He ranks right now as the 5th man on the Angels strong pitching rotation. 

So my thoughts on Pineiro are unchanged.  He's probably the best available option, I don't love this deal.  But it makes sense.

Who will be our new Lackey?

I got this Mike! This is mine!
--John Lackey

Those were the last words I saw out of John Lackey's mouth. And I said it right their that this was the last time that Lackey would pitch for the Angels. It really to come to much a surprise when John Lackey filed for free agency. Had the season ended with a World Series Ring, Lackey probably would have still tested the market. And when he declined arbitration, I was assuming that Lackey would make his way to a NL East team. I was thinking the Mets.

And it has been fairly well documented on this site and others, I have a hate for the Boston Red Sox that is matched by no other team. I do not hate the Rangers, the Dodgers, or even the Yankees as much as I hate the Red Sox. But never would I have thought when John Lackey wanted AJ Burnet money, that John Henry would be the one signing the check.

I was nearly relieved when the Yankees came to terms with Andy Pettitte and started to believe the Halosphere of thinking the Angels actually had a chance to re-sign Lackey with the 5 Year 60MM deal. Well I was wrong.

Big John Lackey is now a member of the Boston Red Sox rotation and figures to slot in as a #3 starter for the Red Sox. I'm kind of surprised that Lackey would go to the Red Sox, I know this is a business, but its the Red Sox. The bane of the Halos Post Season in 2004, 2007, and 2008, was all but exercised in 2009 until the post-season. John Lackey who pitched a terrific post-season is now heading to Boston. And maybe just maybe all the demons of the past haven't been exercised. I'm not really happy for Lackey at all, his money isn't deserved. Boston overpaid for him and in two years they will know it. Enjoy the Chowder, bad weather and worse women. Enjoy the front porch in Left Field, where the AL East best will be putting your curve balls. Thanks for the memories!

The Ace who says Neigh-- to Arbitratoin

In a move that surprised no one, the Angels offer of arbitration was refused by both John Lackey and Chone Figgins. The Diamond Aces said goodbye to Figgins when it was announced he had signed a deal with the Seattle Mariners. It might not be too long before the Angels say goodbye to John Lackey as well. It is rumored that he is looking for a five-year, $82.5MM deal, which is comparable to what AJ Burnet got. Obviously their needs to be a suitor to pay that amount of money. The Yankees certainly overspent on Burnet, but it doesn't look like they will be making that same offer to Lackey. Burnet's closest suitor was the Atlanta Braves who offered four-years, 60MM. Surely the Angels would pay 15MM a year for 4 to 5 years for Lackey. But that probably will not be enough to get a deal done with Lackey. There are some rumors that the Mets might be interested in Lackey. If the Mets do decided to sign John Lackey, the Angels would then receive a compensatory picks from the Mets. Most likely their 2nd Round pick, because their 1st Round pick would be protected. There is sill a chance that Lackey will return to Anaheim, however anything can happen. We'll just have to wait and see.

Do you think the Mets will sign Lackey? Where do you think John Lackey will sign? Please leave a comment.

No Holliday, Maybe Bay?

According to MLB Trade Rumors, Jason Bay rejected Boston's $60 million over four years deal earlier this week. Red Sox front office weren't surprised. But what might be a little more surprising is that the Angels threw their name into the into the Jason Bay sweepstakes with Angel Owner, Arte Moreno denying the that the Angels would be pursing Matt Holliday but suggesting "You Have to Look at Bay"

Its obvious the Angels won't allow themselves to be used as a bargaining chip for Super Agent Scott Boras and his client Matt Holliday, but it is surprising to hear that the Angels do have interest in Bay. The Angels have 4 outfielders signed; Juan Rivera, Torii Hunter, Bobby Abreu, and Gary Matthews Jr. Even if you moved Abreu to DH, you still have three outfielders. Surely Bay would supersede Matthews in right or left, but again it just means the Angels need to find someone willing to take Matthews. And while we're at it, a signing of Bay pretty much ends the Chone Figgins sweepstakes for the Angels.

Moreno finished up his comments by saying he would like the Angels to add "We'd like to have a power bat, a starter and another bullpen guy." A starter could be Lackey. A bullpen guy could be Oliver. A power bat isn't Figgins and sadly isn't Guerrero anymore. Perhaps Jason Bay could put up the same amazing numbers in Anaheim as he did in Boston. Batting Bay 3rd or 4th would certainly add some power to the Angel line up.

This is a move the Angels should make. Taking themselves out of the Holliday sweepstakes makes Holliday slight more affordable and that he'll likely sign with the Yankees, Red Sox, or even re-sign with the Cardinals. Moreno saying he has interest in Bay also drives his price up more. Making the Red Sox, Yankees, Cardinals, and whomever else is interested offer a more premium price. Which could help the Angels re-sign Lackey, if the teams listed above are serious about signing Bay.

Should our expectations be Lowe?

Rev Halofan works up the Angel faithful at Halos Heaven on a possible deal that would send Derek Lowe to Anaheim for Gary Matthews Jr.

Last year the Atlanta Braves signed former Angel left fielder Garret Anderson to a one year deal. And although Anderson had a fairly decent year, Anderson is expected to file for free-agency. It is unknown if the Braves are going to re-sign Anderson who will be 38 this June. After the season ended, Matthews has become vocal about wanting to be traded.

"I don't expect to be back; it's time to move on," Matthews said. "I'm ready to play for an organization that wants me to play every day. This organization has other plans, and that's OK."

The idea would be to trade Matthews to the Braves for Derek Lowe. Lowe is owed 45 Million over the next three years. Matthews is owed 20 Million over the next two. This would certainly give the Braves some some salary relief, but they would require another starting pitcher. Matthews would more than likely fill the void that Anderson's departure would create. But the loss of Lowe would require the Braves to pursue a free agent pitcher or perhaps making a trade.

On the surface, this deal looks fairly reasonable. Lowe's 15 wins could replace Lackey's 11 wins. But his production isn't nearly as impressive as Lackey and the Angels would be on the hook for an additional 25 million. Its not a bad idea, but the Angels already have a pretty solid pitching lineup. The Angel's 5th spot could be filled by Matt Palmer, Sean O'Sullivan, or a prospect who might be ready to shine. Moving Matthews isn't a bad idea, but a move for Lowe should only be made if the Angels are planning on packing Lowe in a bigger trade.

ESPN Insider predicts the Angels will sign Holliday

Hat tip to Halos Heaven poster AngryFan, Olney speculates that The Angels will sign Matt Holliday

As I've mentioned in other posts, the Angel roster already has 3 capable outfielders-- Juan Rivera, Torii Hunter, and the recently re-signed Bobby Abreu. Adding another outfielder forces Abreu to DH, which no longer becomes an option for a platoon type position. Holliday seemingly found his bat in the National League. But was he ever terrible in Oakland, facing American League West Pitching.

A Holliday signing could bolster the offense of the Angels which looked somewhat anemic during the ALCS, however signing Holliday all but guarantees that Chone Figgins will not be returning and the Angels will probably have a need to move another player (Gary Matthews Jr., Reggie Willits, or even Juan Rivera.) Also a contract to Holliday would be expensive which would probably tie the hands of Angel Front Office to re-sign John Lackey or another free agent starting pitcher.

I would have to say that I would be against such a signing. Holliday's price tag will be much to high and there is no guarantee will be getting the Matt Holliday of the National League or the Matt Holliday of the American League.

2010 Top 50 Free Agents according to MLB Trade Rumors

2010 Top 50 Free Agents or so says MLBTraderumors

1. Matt Holliday - Mets. The Mets could grab headlines by signing Holliday to a six or seven-year deal for more than $100MM.

2. John Lackey - Yankees. Last winter's strategy of signing the best two starters and the best hitter available contributed to the Yankees' World Series title. With rotation question marks after C.C. Sabathia and A.J. Burnett, it makes sense that the Yanks will pursue the best available starter in Lackey.

3. Jason Bay - Red Sox. It's been rumored the Red Sox are willing to offer four years and $60MM to Bay. That seems to be a fair opening bid, given his defensive struggles.

4. Chone Figgins - Angels. The Angels have internal options at third base, but he'd be hard to let go after a career-high .395 OBP and excellent defense at the hot corner.

5. Randy Wolf - Mets. The Mets regrettably chose Oliver Perez over Wolf a year ago. As the best available starter aside from Lackey, Wolf is primed to get a three-year deal worth more than $30MM.

Other notes says Vladimir To the White Sox.

I posted this on my favorite Halos Site of record, Halos Heaven. I think I'd rather lose Figgins than Lackey. I mentioned on Halos Heaven that John Lackey is going to go where ever the best money is at. Which could be New York or even Boston. Heaven forbid, that the Texas Rangers come up with a sweat-heart deal and sign Lackey away. Could you picture Ian Kinsler and John Lackey hanging out at a Cowboy's Game? I think I just threw up a little bit. If Lackey doesn't sign with the Angels, I hope he ends up in St. Louis, you know Halos Midwest.

2 out of 3 in Texas, Magic Number 7.

On an afternoon that started out very shaky for Angel pitcher John Lackey, Lackey proves that like a fine wine, he gets better with time. Lackey's win on Sunday tied him for Frank Tanana's record 102 wins as an Angel. Lackey has at least one more start before the regular season ends. Hard to say now if Lackey will be back next year. His contract expires at the end of the post-season. It is said that Lackey is looking for a comparable deal to what AJ Burnett received from New York, last year. That could be quite the bargain, considering how ineffective Burnett had been this year. I hope the Angels would be willing to spend some of the saved Teixera money to make Lackey an Angel for another 4 years.

The hero of the game yesterday was Howie Kendrick. On his own, Kendrick scored 5 RBI. Which I believe is a career high. HK, has really kind of found his bat from his struggles earlier this year. And has gone from the AAA Salt Lake Bees, to platooning 2nd Base with Maicer Izturis, to flat out hitting. I'm glad that the Other Howard has found his swing.

Beating Texas in Texas is about as sweet as it gets. Now that we have a controlling 7 1/2 game lead on the Rangers, its only a matter of time that they spiral out of control. You really have to applaud the efforts of the Rangers, they really have made it a race this year in both the AL West and the Wildcard. But as John Lackey recently said in a "We try to fly flags; we don't talk. Let them do that. We win games." And with our last three opponents at home being, the New York Yankees, Oakland Athletics, and the Texas Rangers, with a few good outings, we can wrap up the AL Western Division Championship at home.

The Angels go with a Four Man Rotation in the ALDS.

Recently over at Halos Heaven I brought up the question of, Do we go with a 3 Man or 4 man rotation in the Playoffs. The shape and color of the playoffs look like the Red Sox will win the Wildcard, which sets up New York Yankees and the Detroit Tigers in the First Round. And the Angels taking on the familiar Red Sox in the opposite side of the bracket. If our first round match up is Boston, we have to consider what our staff has done against Boston. Last night John Lackey gave the Angels a pretty good outing in Fenway, where he's been known to struggle. Saunders gets a start in Fenway tonight and he has won his last 4 Starts. And Kazmir is reported as pitching well in Boston. Obviously our pitching staff has been getting better and better. In the playoffs are we better using a three man rotation or four? And who starts and who goes to the bullpen.

With home-field advantage going to the Angels, obviously match-ups should play a greater role. But with 4-5 above average pitchers, who goes where?

The Angels need a pitching staff who doesn't have the same demons of our past. A pitching staff who will show no fear against the hated ones. Our starting 4 Man rotation should be Kamir, Saunders, Weaver, Lackey and send Ervin Santana in as a late inning reliever. I would also suggest giving Lackey the more favorable starts in Anaheim as opposed to Fenway. Lackey hasn't performed well against Boston. 3 Wins, 7 Losses, and an ERA of 5.25. Kazmir is 8-7 against the Red Sox and has an ERA of 3.59. Saunders has had 4 Wins, 1 Loss and an ERA of 3.25. Ervin Santana vs. Boston is 1-2 and has an ERA of 5.67. Weaver's career is 2-2 against Boston and has a cool 3.99 ERA. Kazmir is unaffected by the Green Monster mystique. He's also had post season success against the Red Sox, by shutting out the Sox for 6 Innings at Fenway. Weaver who has pitch his best year thus far defeated the Red Sox in Fenway, coming out of the Bullpen. Weaver and Kazmir would be my choices for match ups in Fenway. Depending on Saunders next two starts can help shape where he goes in our rotation.

In a Best of 5 Series I'd go

Game 1 of the ALDS in Anaheim
Jered Weaver

Game 2 of the ALDS in Anaheim
John Lackey

Game 3 of the ALDS in Boston
Scott Kazmir

Game 4 of the ALDS in Boston
Joe Saunders

Game 5 of the ALDS in Anaheim
Jered Weaver

100 Wins

Last year 100 win season was phenomenal. But 100 wins for John Lackey might be all the sweeter. Lackey won his 100th game against the Athletics Sunday. Chuck Finley, Nolan Ryan, Mike Witt and Frank Tanana are the only other ACES who've won 100 games in an Angels uniform. Unfortunately his career as an Angel may end with the season. The 30 Year-old Texan dealer debut for the Angels in June of 2002. That would also be the year that "Big" John would also be the second rookie ever to win a Game 7 of the World Series.

Earlier this season John was very adamant about the Angels acquiring some offense before making a decision about his career after the 2009 season. This was around the time the Angels tried to re-sign Mark Teixera. Unfortunately Tex didn't re-sign. Fortunately the Angels offense hasn't missed a beat. Kendry Morales contributions nearly match what Tex has done this year. Not to mention the efforts Bobby Abreu, Juan Rivera, Mike Napoli, and practically the entire offense. Although the offense surge quieted some in the month of August, nearly all nine starters are batting over 300 or close too it.

Big John is a big game pitcher. He wants to be in that playoff position. Fortunately the Angels have been able to provide him with that, even with a myriad of injuries and mis-fortunes. There are talks that the Angels will not be able to afford the kind of contract that Lackey will command. However, we would be $20 million poorer has Teixera stayed. One would have to think that a deal can and should be made. And perhaps Lackey would like to stay with the Angels now that they've acquired another outstanding pitcher in the name of Scott Kazmir.

Congratulations to John Lackey and his 100 wins. Lets hope Arte doesn't make the mistake of letting Lackey go. Remember what Nolan Ryan did after his time with the Angels.

Missed it by that much

The man who created the inspiration for the name of this blog... John Lackey, the Ace of the Angels, went out with the B-Team last night and lets just say that it was rough night. The Cleveland Indians, whose team has but all been ripped apart to "compete" next year managed to get hot last night, with the final score was 11-3. Gone are Cliff Lee and Victor Martinez, but a former Boston Red Soxian, Justin Masterson had a great outing against the Angels. Even the looming possibility of Lackey's 100th Career Win, couldn't motivate the offense last night. No additional milestone yet, but we will see where Lackey's next start will be. The only real mistake was a home run by Diamond Aces favorite "The Cuban Missile Launcher" Kendry Morales. The last time the Angels got their butts handed to them, they came back to win the next 5 in a row. I believe that's a fair trade for Scioscia's Boys.

Like I predicted last week, this game will be a page turner. And no matter how bad they looked last night, today is another day. And in Toronto the Angels will rebound.

Now that's what I call a Page Turner.

For those of you who are reading this, you might think the term "Page Turner" refers to the latest John Grisham novel. But I have another idea. Last night the Angels were literally rocked out of Oriole Park at Camden Field. The Angels who've won their 69th game this season looked much worse last night. However in a series of unfortunate walks for the Orioles, the Angels walked away with a 5-1 Victory. This game would be ACE, John Lackey's 8th win, with Brian Fuentes earning his 33rd Save.

Turning the page has been the moniker of Mike Scioscia since taking over the franchise. And that typically sticks with the team. A blow out the night before doesn't necessarily mean the Angels will struggle the next. And although the Angels didn't drive in a exorbitant amount of runs, they were patient with the bats and benefited from a handful of walks that turned into runs in the 3rd Inning.

Light up the Halo.