L.A. Angels: Are They Contenders or Pretenders?

This is the time of year when hope springs eternal for baseball teams. But for some teams there is more hope than for others. Certainly fans of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are among those for whom hope springs eternal.

The Albert Pujols signing has already made Angel fans forget two seasons of injuries, failed trades and bad luck. Not to mention the ghost of Vladimir Guerrero, who was the most dangerous and prolific hitter on the Angels in decades.

Watching Pujols hit home runs like a two iron on the golf course almost takes your breath away. Seeing Kendrys Morales return to form after two years of injuries to protect Pujols in the lineup is an early gift from Santa Claus.

After wasting three or four seasons claiming that Brandon Wood, a career .186 hitter, was the next great Angels hitter and that Jeff Mathas was going to be a major league catcher who would learn to hit, the Angels have moved on to a new general manager and a better plan.

Mathas, who hit .174 with three home runs and 22 runs batted in last season, was traded after the Angels acquired catcher Chris Iannetta from the Colorado Rockies. The Angels let Wood go only when rules on five-year players required his release. These two players qualify as the biggest personnel mistakes in recent Angels history.

Iannetta has already proved he can hit. The question is how long will it take the staff to get comfortable with him behind the plate and how well he manages them during games. His backups, Hank Conger and Bobby Wilson, are more than capable and have flashed moments of power in spring games.

There is a good logjam in the outfield that will allow the Angels to trade Bobby Abreu or release him, despite having to absorb his final year’s salary.

With the rise of and seemingly endless improvement of Mark Trumbo, the Angels have a potential starter at DH, first, third and outfield corners who can hit like an All-Star. This team, unlike its predecessors, seems saturated with potential pinch hitters.

If Mike Trout’s spring had not been delayed because of illness, he could have been the starter in left field on Opening Day. Vernon Wells does not look like he has improved his swing or discipline waiting out pitchers. It is unlikely his bat will keep him in the lineup for long. His career is on its last legs and he will follow Abreu in the exit line.

It is more likely that Mike Scioscia will try Trumbo in left field to take advantage of his bat rather than stick with Wells. The temptation to play speedy Mike Trout next to Peter Bourjos is even more tempting.

Kole Calhoun, who was selected by the Angels in the eighth round of the 2010 First-Year Player Draft out of Arizona State, impressed this spring, batting .361 (13-for-36) with six doubles and three RBI in 15 Cactus League games. Calhoun, who hit .324 with 22 homers at Class A Inland Empire last year, now looks ready to play in the big leagues.

Alexi Amarista looks like he could start in an already crowded infield and is poised to fill in if injuries become a factor. In a part-time minor league season in 2011, Amarista hit .292 with an OBP of .337 while stealing 15 bases. Neither Eric Aybar nor Maicer Izturis have gone through an entire season uninjured so Amarista may have plenty of opportunity to play.

Scioscia’s most difficult decisions will come at DH and first base where he will have to decide when to rest Pujols, how long and how well Kendrys Morales can DH and how many at bats to give Trumbo to keep him hitting the way he did last year and this spring.

It is a situation that most teams would like to have. But it is fraught with room for error and discontent. Each player wants and needs their at bats to keep their rhythm.

Last season, Anaheim's biggest weaknesses were poor hitting, poor middle relief and the lack of a K-Rod kind of closer who could slam the door on teams when the Angels were leading by two runs or less.

The Angels appear to have solved their poor hitting with runners on base and should increase their home runs noticeably with this roster.

But long and middle relief may still be a problem with Jerome Williams not yet into shape. While he is slated to be the fifth starter along with Garrett Richards, it is equally important that one or both serve as long relievers against the better teams who can knock starters out of the box early.

No one knows what to expect from LaTroy Hawkins, Rich Thompson, Kevin Jepsen or Bobby Cassavah until they take the mound and throw a few pitches in the regular season.

The rest of the team’s middle relievers are suspect and hopefully with be used sparingly. If this team has to go deep into its bullpen, then they'll be in trouble.

The same applies for closers. Has Jordan Walden improved? Has he added another pitch and improved his control? Only time will tell.

If the Angels are looking to Jason Isringhausen, who gave up his social security to return to baseball, they may be in a lot of trouble closing games.

By the way, did I mention that the Angels have probably the best starters in baseball right now? Weaver, Haren, Wilson and Santana can be intimidating. If Richards or Williams can become an effective fifth starter, hopes of an Angels World Series will heighten.

With only the cross-town rivalry left for the Angels before the season starts, anticipation is mounting among loyal Angel fans and concern on the part of their competitors in the West.

The only thing left now is for the eternal sound of an umpire crying out, "Play Ball!"