Five Questions With The Los Angeles Angels

1) Who’s on first?

Trading promising first-baseman Casey Kotchman to Atlanta last year came with a   warning tag: sign Mark Teixeira, who would be a free-agent at year’s end, or be forced to look within the organization for a replacement.

Teixeira has since signed with the Yankees and now the Angels are looking for the replacement they never really intended on having to find in the first place.

Fortunately, they don’t have to look very far.

The Angels have 25-year-old Cuban import Kendry Morales waiting in the wings; all he’s done is hit .341 each of the past two seasons at triple-A Salt Lake. He appears ready to step into an everyday role and he potentially has more pop – he hit 15 home runs in just more than 300 minor league at-bats last year – than Kotchman could have ever offered.

Also, Morales isn’t exactly a rookie anymore. He played in 57 games with the Angels way back in 2006 and has seen action each year since. The only problem is that those brief stints weren’t all that impressive. Most recently he hit just .213 in 27 games with the Halos last year.

That’s probably why local sports radio in Los Angeles has suggested that outfielder Bobby Abreu, who signed with the Angels last week, could see time at first base. It’s not the craziest idea given Abreu’s declining defensive skills and the Angels’ already crowded outfield.

But the Angels have invested too much in Morales to warrant a move like that. At the very least, he deserves a shot at consistent playing time to see what he can do.

2) Can Howie Kendrick stay healthy?

Now here is the million dollar question. While Kendrick has been touted by scouts as a future batting champ, Angels fans have yet to see the second baseman play a full year. He’s suffered through a rash of wrist and hamstring injuries that shortened both his 2007 and 2008 campaigns

These aren’t just short stints on the DL, either. He has a habit of coming down with injuries that linger and take a longer time to heal than expected. Also the Angels have been very cautious with him since he’s such a prized commodity for the organization.

The problem nobody is mentioning is that even if Kendrick manages to stay healthy, he needs to improve his plate discipline in order to make a big impact. In 2007 he took just 9 walks as opposed to 61 strikeouts. Last year he improved slightly to a 12/58 ratio.

3) Who wins the fifth starter job?

The Angels will enter the season with one of the better staffs in the American League, led by veteran John Lackey and last-year’s breakout pitcher Ervin Santana. The middle of the rotation is equally solid with Jared Weaver and Joe Saunders, but after losing Jon Garland to free agency, there is one spot still to be filled.

In a perfect world, it would go to a healthy Kelvim Escobar, who is rehabbing his arm this spring and is reportedly ahead of schedule. But expecting him to toe the rubber every five days, and to be ready by April, appears unlikely.

That leaves the competition up to Dustin Moseley, who ideally is better as a bullpen guy, or promising rookie Nick Adenhart. But Adenhart struggled with his location in 2008 and was sent back to the minor leagues after just a cup of tea with the Angels.

There are other options. Right-handers Shane Loux and Anthony Ortega could also be in the mix. It would be nice if Adenhart had a good spring, though, and made this decision an easy one for Scioscia and the Angels.

4) Can Mike Scioscia keep this crowded outfield happy?

After signing a $50 million-dollar contract with the Angels in 2007, Gary Matthews Jr. probably thought his days as a backup were behind him. But that’s where he finds himself headed into spring training just two years later.

One has to think Matthews wants to play every day, but with Abreu and Juan Rivera signed this winter, there is nowhere for manager Mike Scioscia to play him. Rivera will likely get the majority of at-bats at DH, and Torii Hunter and Vlad Guerrero have the other outfield spots locked up.

That doesn’t even include fellow backup Reggie Willits, who could be used as a defensive replacement or pinch-runner late in games. The Angels will have to hope this ends up being one of those "good problems" to have and does not become a bigger issue.

5) Are the young hitters ready to hit?

The Angels have enjoyed recent success transitioning young pitchers to the major leagues, but offensively it’s a different story.

When Troy Glaus left, the next big thing was supposed to be Dallas McPherson. But he could never stay healthy and now he’s in Florida. Casey Kotchman was traded and super prospect Kendrick has yet to stay healthy. Shortstop Erik Aybar made strides last year, but isn’t yet an impact bat.

And Brandon Wood, who shoulders perhaps the biggest expectations of them all, floundered in what little major league action he saw in 2008. If one thing is for sure, the Angels will need someone to step up soon because Vlad is getting older and Abreu isn’t a long-term answer.