Daily Links for the LA Angels including Beltre is still weighing his options, the A’s keep getting better with the addition of Willingham, would the Rangers trade Michael Young to the Halos and much more…
The Story: Adrian Beltre continues to sit back and weigh his options.
The Monkey Says: Options? I didn’t realize he had any. I still don’t buy that Texas is going to screw up their team chemistry by trading or moving Michael Young to another position and any of his other alleged suitors either don’t have the money or just aren’t an attractive free agent destination. I have no evidence to support this, but I have a good feeling that Beltre will agree to a deal with the Angels. I’m guessing it will be a three year, $45 million deal with a fourth year vesting option. I’ll even go so far as to predict that this all is consummated by Christmas.
The Story: The Athletics acquired Josh Willingham from the Nationals for two minor leaguers.
The Monkey Says: SONUVABITCH!!! There goes plan B. I actually wanted the Halos to trade for Willingham back at the July trade deadlines, but now that isn’t an option anymore. Willingham is now yet another nice piece that the A’s have added to their lineup, complementing new acquisitions David Dejesus and Hideki Mastui, which had been a real weakness for them last season. Gee, what a novel idea? Making moves to improve a substandard lineup? I wish our GM would have thought of that.
The Story: Another crazy trade idea for the Angels: trading for Michael Young.
The Monkey Says: Yes, the Angels are one of the 8 teams that Young can’t block a trade to, but there is ABSOLUTELY NO WAY the Rangers would ever trade the guy that has been the face of their franchise this entire century to a division rival. That’s not a crazy trade idea, it is a stupid one.
The Story: Relievers are not worth multi-year contracts.
The Monkey Says: What is funny is I thought that giving a three or four-year deal to a reliever being a bad idea was conventional wisdom before the off-season started, but apparently nobody bothered to fill in MLB general managers, including Tony Reagins who inked Scott Downs to a three-year pact earlier this month. You’d think his blunder with Justin Speier back in 2007 would have taught him that lesson, but apparently it only taught him to offer three years instead of four. Baby steps, Tony, baby steps.
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