The Angels offseason moves are have come fast and furious. Peter Bourjos and Mark Trumbo were shipped to the National League. David Freese was brought in to replace Alberto Callaspo. Raul Ibanez was brought in to play some DH and a variety pack of pitchers was acquired along the way, including Mark Mulder.
Yes, THAT Mark Mulder.
Comeback stories aren’t uncommon in sports. Randy Couture came back and had one last run as a UFC champion. Michael Vick redeemed himself as both an athlete and a man by turning over a new leaf and making a an NFL return with the Philadelphia Eagles. George Foreman won a heavyweight title at the age of 45. There are those few special men in this world who can find their spark and once again set the world ablaze. But is Mark Mulder really the top candidate for such a return?
Why not go for someone a bit more recently retired? Arte Moreno doesn’t shy away from large contracts, let’s get a little conviction in our beliefs of a comeback story. Mariano Rivera has completed his retirement tour and now that the handshakes and photographs are done, it’s time for the old Mo to retire and the new Mo to hop a plane to the west coast for his comeback tour! With just a single offseason under his belt, he should be well rested and ready to tear up the minor leagues until he gets the call up.
If perhaps Mo needs to enjoy a longer retirement, then maybe Randy Johnson is available! In between photography trips and the occasional appearance on Baseball Tonight, The Big Unit hasn’t made any waves in recent years. After retirement, he stated that the game would always be there when he was ready. Kick the tires on the finest mullet since MacGyver and see if the ol’ fastball can still obliterate a dove or two.
The Angels have largely been able to avoid the various steroid scandals plaguing baseball these days. Perhaps it’s time to get some hands dirty. Roger Clemens is the type to be checking his cell phone every 10 minutes for word from whatever agent he’s hired this month. Unlike Rivera and Johnson, Clemens would jump at Mulder’s minor-league chance too. The minors are the perfect place for the media circus that surrounds Clemens and if things get too dicey, he can go right back to checking his phone.
Clearly, these suggestions are in jest. Mark Mulder is an experiment that will either bear fruit, or will be another failed pitching acquisition. At the very least, it shows the Angels are aware that they’ve utterly emptied the minor league cupboard over the last few seasons. Whether or not Mulder is successful, his hiring, however out of place it initially seemed, is a sign that everyone is on the same page, looking to address problems with the team as best they can.
And if the cupboard gets too bare, we can always see if Nolan Ryan wants to sell the Rangers and take another stab at a starting job.
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