Los Angeles Angels: Clouded Future Casts Shadow in Southern California

The Los Angeles Angels have arrived at a metaphorical crossroads after a disappointing finish in 2011.  The veterans that once carried the team have now become albatross contracts that hinder the team's spending capacity.  Meanwhile the oft mistrusted youth movement has taken center stage and provided the Angels with the necessary tools to remain prominent in an increasingly competitive division.  Are the Angels capable of spending big in the offseason or will their financial obligations prohibit them from supplementing a talented core of young players with needed free agent additions? 

The Catching Situation

Jeff Mathis has seen the bulk of the catching duties the past two years despite hitting under .200.  Bobby Wilson's bat has not proven to be considerably better and Hank Conger has been overmatched defensively.  Can Hank Conger develop into an everyday catcher?  Are the Angels comfortable with receiving no offensive from their backstop or will they consider pursuing free agent catchers like Rod Barajas, Ramon Hernandez or Ivan Rodriguez?  With a bloated payroll and more pressing holes needed to be filled, could the Angels afford to address the perennial catching situation in Anaheim? 

The Good Problem at First Base

The Angels remain cautiously optimistic that Kendrys Morales will be ready for Opening Day 2012.  When healthy, Morales is among the top offensive first baseman in the American League.  Morales' replacement was impressive in his own right though.  In his rookie season Mark Trumbo hit .254 and blasted 29 home runs.  Can the Angels make room for both Morales and Trumbo in their offensively starved lineup?  Is a trade on the horizon (Mark Trumbo's trade return could be huge) or could the Angels possibly be interested in a marquee offensive first basemen from the free agent market like Prince Fielder or Albert Pujols?   

The Free Agent SS That Looms Large

According to Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports, Jose Reyes has been vocal about wanting to play for the Angels.  If this is true (Brown is considered a very a reliable source), the Angels could be a likely destination for the reigning N.L. Batting Champ.  Standing in the way of this merger made in heaven is Erick Aybar, one of the better shortstops in baseball who just posted career highs in doubles, home runs and stolen bases.  If Los Angeles is serious about upgrading their dismal offense, signing Reyes and trading Aybar could be an option.  

Arte Moreno may be scared off by the pay day Reyes could be in line for.  After all, if the Angels balked at Carl Crawford's seven-year, $142 million price that was offered by the Red Sox, they may be equally as unlikely to go as high for Jose Reyes.

To Trade, or Not to Trade....

Former Nationals GM and current ESPN analyst Jim Bowden thinks the Angels top priority this offseason should be to address third base.  He believes they should consider parting ways with Peter Bourjos and more in return for Ryan Zimmerman, David Wright or pursue free agent third baseman Aramis Ramirez.  While Alberto Callaspo and Maicer Izturis were solid contributors at hot corner, any personnel change at third base would likely involve Callaspo and his team friendly price being shipped away.  

Time to Go Fishing?

Mike Trout's meteoric rise atop the prospect charts was unexpected.  Also unexpected was the way Trout conquered the high minors less than two years after being drafted as a young high school player who technically could have been a junior when he was picked 25th overall in 2009.  Nevertheless, Mike Trout's bat, speed and unlimited ceiling may be the best hope at upgrading the Angels offense.  First, the Angels would need to make room for him though.  

Vernon Wells and Torii Hunter each have no trade clauses in their contract and thus probably cannot be moved.  Peter Bourjos' unparalleled defense and developing offense make him the likely Angel center fielder for the next decade.  Bobby Abreu however has one year left on his contract and his diminishing numbers indicate he would be the most likely Halo to be shipped off.   

Upgrading an Already Elite Rotation

The Angels were the owner of the best pitching staff ERA in 2011 and that was mostly due to a fantastic 1-2-3 punch at the front of their rotation.  With Joel Pineiro and Scott Kazmir's contracts coming off the books, the Angels appear to have an opening in the rotation.  Kuroda has expressed on several occasions that he does not want to leave Los Angeles and even went as far as refusing to waive his no trade clause just to stay in Southern California.  The stars could not have aligned any better for the Angels to sign Hiroki Kuroda.  

In most cases, Los Angeles would be forced to outbid the likes of Boston and New York to add elite pitchers, but in the case of Kuroda, it appears the Angels have the inside track.  If the Angels could afford it, a rotation featuring Jered Weaver, Dan Haren, Hiroki Kuroda and Ervin Santana would be devastating for any team to face.  The sudden emergence of Jerome Williams could further complicate matters for opponents hoping to slug their way to victory.  

The Bullpen Could Use a Tune Up, or Major Overhaul

The Los Angeles Angels bullpen failed to protect a lead more often than any team in baseball in 2011.  Rookie all-star closer Jordan Walden was both shaky and spectacular and set-up man Scott Downs handled the 8th inning as good as any pitcher in the American League, but after that, the cupboard was bare.  What was expected to be a deep bullpen turned into a nightmare.  Michael Kohn, Kevin Jepsen and Jason Bulger were all demoted to Triple-A because of ineffectiveness.  Hisanori Takahashi and Rich Thompson failed to find the necessary consistency to be reliable options.  

Most experts agree that the Angels should be active in their search for bullpen security this offseason and luckily for Los Angeles, the free agent market is deep with arms.  Jon Papelbon, Heath Bell, Ryan Madson, Frank Francisco, Joe Nathan, Brad Lidge and Francisco Rodriguez are all expected to sign this winter and it wouldn't be surprising if the Angels managed to sign more than one of them, though this may depend on payroll flexibility.

A New Hope

Tony Reagins recently stepped down as general manager of the Los Angeles Angels.  He was responsible for bringing in contracts like Vernon Wells and Scott Kazmir that handcuffed the Angels spending ability, but also had positive impact in negotiating an extension for Jered Weaver, trading for Dan Haren and signing clubhouse leader and all-around good guy Torii Hunter.  The Angels sound willing to go outside the organization to bring in some new blood and this could have a dramatic effect in free agent negotiations.  

Has the Well Run Dry?

Tim Mead, Vice President of Communications for the Angels recently admitted that the Angels have been operating in the red for the past couple of seasons.  Angel owner Arte Moreno did not become rich by losing money, so it's hard to imagine the Angels payroll staying at $141 million, more than $20 million higher than it was in 2010.  In fact, there may even be a good chance that the Angels will lower their payroll significantly.  Regardless, the new general manager may have to be creative in clearing payroll to land the big name free agents.