The January 14th, 2014 edition of daily news for the Los Angeles Angels including Angels may not have met with Tanaka, Sickels' top 20 Angels prospects and much more…
The Story: Jerry Dipoto says the Angels did not meet with Masahiro Tanaka last week.
The Monkey Says: Other reporters have said otherwise, with rumors circulating that Moreno himself met with Tanaka. I want to believe Dipoto is lying, but this is a pretty flat statement from him and doesn't have the normal ambivalence that he often speak in when he is trying to hide the truth. Then again, it is hard to believe the report that the Angels are a finalist for Tanaka if they never met with him.
The Story: MLB reporters try to predict where Masahiro Tanaka will land.
The Monkey Says: None chose the Angels, which is disheartening… or at least it is until you realize some of them chose Seattle in Boston. This despite neither being a supposed finalist for Tanaka and, in Boston's case, not actually pursuing Tanaka. Of course, those reports might not be true either. I guess what I'm getting it is that nobody has any clue what Tanaka is going to do, so maybe we should stop trying to make predictions.
The Story: John Sickels' top 20 Angels prospects.
The Monkey Says: The top 15 is about what you'd expect but the next five is somewhat surprising. To see older guys like Long, Chaffee and Shoemaker make the list is a pretty big indictment on the lack of talent in the system. But you knew that already.
The Story: The hottest hot zone of Mike Trout as a hitter.
The Monkey Says: So what you're saying is to never throw down and in on Trout?
The Story: The Angels released Carlos Ramirez after he was once again suspended for drug use.
The Monkey Says: It sounds as if this was a mutual decision to help him get his life on track; hopefully it works out for Carlos.
The Story: The Angels should avoid Masahiro Tanaka.
The Monkey Says: Ignore the upside, focus only on the downside and the sign a bunch of fifth starters and hope one turns out to be OK. That is a pretty great way to get stuck at 85 wins for the next four years. I love the notion that not spending on Tanaka will somehow help them improve the farm system. They have nothing to do with each other and there is virtually nothing, short of a fire sale, that the Angels can do to expedite the rebuilding of their wretched farm system.
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