Admittedly, the following post would’ve made a lot more sense had it been posted before last night’s Kendrys Morales-led 15-run outburst, but the points remain (mostly) valid.
So caught up have the Angels and their fans been in their furor to plug the hole in their rotation that it has gone almost unnoticed that the Halo lineup still isn’t exactly performing at optimum levels. This even with them getting shutout on consecutive nights by the Rays this last weekend. Even with their Monday night explosion, the Angels are only sixth in the American League in runs scored. That is what happens when your offense is driven by three, sometimes four players. It isn’t the biggest problem, but it is pretty obvious that the Angels lineup lacks depth.
I know it sounds like I’m asking a lot, but could Jerry Dipoto possibly find a way to swing another deal for a bat before the deadline is up in just a few hours?
It certainly won’t be easy, I realize that. The Greinke deal sapped the Angel farm system of almost all their best assets. Nor have they been linked to really any position player of any kind in the last few weeks, so if JeDi is brewing something up, he is being awfully secretive about it. So, yeah, this probably isn’t happening, but a guy can dream can’t he?
In a perfect world, the Angels could add a potent left-handed bat to balance out the right-hand dominant order. The guy I’d love to see them target is Indians outfielder Shin-Soo Choo whose blend of patience and power could make him the absolute perfect two-hole hitter in the Angel lineup. He’s also a quality defensive outfielder, so he could push Mark Trumbo to DH and the wildly inconsistent Kendrys Morales to the bench (or the trading block). Choo, who is under contract through 2013, so he’d probably cost Peter Bourjos based on the asking price the Indians have put on him. That’s a hefty price to pay and a creates a lot of moving parts and possibly another dreaded roster logjam.
A lesser option could be Shane Victorino of the Phillies. He’s a rental who is having a down season, so he may not be a big upgrade over Morales, but he also should cost less than Choo. Rentals though just don’t seem to be Dipoto’s preference though, or at least rentals that the team isn’t likely to have much interest in re-signing.
If the Halos wanted to turn their attention elsewhere and instead keep Morales locked in as the primary DH, their only other real option is upgrading at third base. Chase Headley is the prize of the trade market at third, but by all accounts his asking price is astronomical and the Angels never had the goods to pay that price even before the Greinke deal. The really only leaves Aramis Ramirez, a player that the largely ignored in free agency this off-season despite their being a perceived match.
Yeah, I guess I am starting to see why Dipoto hasn’t been caught making inquiries on any available bats. They are all either too expensive, not enough of an upgrade, not a good fit or all of the above.
Photo courtesy of Daylife.com
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
