The January 11th, 2013 edition of daily news for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim including Trout named the best player under 25 years old, finding a home for Vernon Wells, Jerry Dipoto responds to fan's letter and much more…
The Story: Mike Trout tops Keith Law's list of the 25 best players under the age of 25.
The Monkey Says: Well, he is the best player in all of baseball regardless of age, so that really shouldn't be a big surprise.
The Story: Finding a home for Vernon Wells.
The Monkey Says: I still think they could trade him and there are rumors out there that the front office has quietly promised Vernon that they would move him too. The Philadelphia idea makes a lot of sense given their need and the sort of player they typically go after. I wouldn't rule out the Yankees or Orioles either. But who I really like as a fit is the Pirates. They've taken fliers on Wells' types before (see A.J. Burnett last season) and could use some outfield depth and veteran leadership.
The Story: Jerry Dipoto responded to another fan's letter with a handwritten letter of his own.
The Monkey Says: This is something he does regularly, which blows my mind because when I have to write down even a phone number by hand it feels like the most arduous task of all time.
The Story: John Sickels unveils his top 20 prospects for the Angels in 2013.
The Monkey Says: I really like the switch-hitting Mike Lowell comp for Cowart, though I am simultaneously annoyed by the notion of comps in general. What I think Sickels really nailed is the starting pitching problems in the system. Maronde is the best pitcher in the system, but he might end up in relief, which is something that has been said about pretty much every single other starter worth caring about. That's something the front office is going to have to work very hard to address very quickly so they don't constantly have to pay top dollar for starting pitching on the free agent market.
The Monkey Says: And just imagine if the Angels trade for Stanton! No, don't do that. It isn't happening. In fact, stop making up trade idea to get him. You're better than that.
The Story: Did the Josh Hamilton signing make Mike Trout's arbitration years more expensive?
The Monkey Says: I don't think so. For starters, I am fairly certain arbitration proceedings are done via comparisons to players at the same position across the league, not on the same team. If anything, it might've made Trout cheaper since he now is "only a left fielder" instead of an elite center fielder. Let's hope the Angels just lock him into a fifteen-year contract extension and avoid the nasty arbitration years altogether.
The Story: Some of the top performances (according to WAR) by Angel prospects in 2012.
The Monkey Says: Man, seeing Garrett Richards talked about is kind of weird. I had almost kind of forgotten about him, which is kind of scary since he seemed like a big part of the rotation at one point and now he's not even an afterthought.
The Monkey Says: Look, I know the Angels are supposed to be a "Los Angeles" team, but I'm kind of offended that the Dodger players outnumber the Angel players at an even in Anaheim.
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