Daily Links for the LA Angels including the Jays spin Napoli to the Rangers, Wells should thrive as an Angel, Trout named MLB.com top overall prospect and much more…
The Story: Mike Napoli has been flipped from Toronto to Texas in exchange for Frank Francisco.
The Monkey Says: Well, that certainly wasn’t part of the plan. Not only do the Angels now have to deal with Naps seeking revenge from within the division, but he also shores up the catcher position for Texas, which was probably their only real weak spot offensively. What’s funny though is I hear people saying the Angels would never have made the Wells trade if they knew Napoli would wind up in Texas. Umm, they just took on $86 million and you think Napoli in Texas would have been a dealbreaker? Think again.
The Story: The Blue Jays did throw in $5 million in cash for the Angels in the Vernon Wells deal.
The Monkey Says: Oh, that makes everything better. I had actually read this somewhere earlier, but only just now found an actual link to it.
The Story: Vernon Wells should thrive with the Angels.
The Monkey Says: I’m not sure there is really anything earth-shattering here, other than a reminder that Wells had wrist problems after 2009 that he had corrected, which might explain why he had been so inconsistent before then. The real reason I link to this though is simply because it needs to be said. We are all so focused on Wells’ contract, that we are forgetting that he actually could be a really nice addition to the Angel lineup.
The Story: Tony Reagins likes the length of Vernon Wells’ remaining contract.
The Monkey Says: That really doesn’t make me feel better, but it does explain the logic he is using in the deal and why he chose to go this route rather than spending a similar amount of money on Adrian Beltre over five or six years. Four years is still too long for my liking, but at least it isn’t five years.
The Story: Will Wells get booed from the start in Anaheim?
The Monkey Says: That notion is just ridiculous. Hate the trade, but don’t hate the player. It isn’t Vernon’s fault Toronto overpaid him three years ago and it definitely isn’t his fault the Angels took on the bad contract. By all accounts, Wells is one of the classiest guys in baseball, so it would be a real shame to sour him on his tenure with the Angels before it ever really even begins.
The Story: Was Juan Rivera really that bad?
The Monkey Says: Rivera did have his uses during his Angel career, but the real problem people had with him, in my opinion, is that he played like he didn’t give a crap. That is why fans turned on him during his lackluster 2010. They saw the kind of strong production he had in earlier seasons and assumed he underachieved in 2010 due to a lack of passion and interest. That, and those years he spent with frosted tips didn’t really endear him to the fanbase.
The Story: Mike Trout is rated the number one overall prospect in baseball by MLB.com.
The Monkey Says: Trout has topped other lists, so this is no surprise, but it comes at a time where we now have to wonder how and when the Halos intend to bring Trout to the majors. They’ve got Wells, Hunter and Bourjos locked up through at least 2012, so there is no immediate hole for Trout to fill unless the Angels move one of them via trade.
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