The December 31st, 2012 edition of daily news for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim including Cubs wanted to trade Marmol for Bourjos, Hunter 'uncomfortable' with a gay teammate and much more…
The Story: The Angels reportedly turned down a trade offer of Carlos Marmol for Peter Bourjos and an infielder.
The Monkey Says: Marmol for Bourjos is laughable enough, but asking for an infielder as well is enough to make me hope that Dipoto put a block on any phone calls from Chicago's front office. On an unrelated note, as you can see, I added a banner to this daily feature to liven things up a bit. I'm not sure how I feel about it though, so if you feel strongly one way or the other, leave a comment.
The Story: Torii Hunter says having a gay teammate would be "difficult and uncomfortable."
The Monkey Says: Once again, let's all remember that Torii is only to be thought of as a classy guy and nothing less. Yes, he is entitled to his own opinion, and I guess he deserves a little credit for playing the Bible card instead of just saying gays were gross and icky. The thing is, statistically speaking, Hunter has almost certainly shared the clubhouse with at least one if not several gay teammates in his career, he just didn't realize it.
The Story: Two different sets (here and here) of New Year's resolutions for the Angels.
The Monkey Says: My resolution for the Angels is to learn voodoo and use my magical powers to make their rotation overachieve.
The Story: The Marlins are willing to listen to offers for Giancarlo Stanton.
The Monkey Says: I don't think the Angels are a player for Stanton in any way, but I know people are going to ask, so here is what I would anticipate being the kind of package required to bring Stanton to Anaheim: Trumbo-Bourjos-Cowart-Maronde and maybe even Garrett Richards too. So, yeah, that's a hefty price to pay though Stanton is pretty dang good.
The Story: Kaleb Cowart is ready for the challenge of moving up to Double-A.
The Monkey Says: Cowart showed great improvement last season, but the jump to Double-A is a big one and will likely be where he shows any major flaws that were hidden by the lower level of competition in Single-A. This seems like a good time to mention that later today we will be rolling out the MWAH Top 30 prospects and following up every Monday, Wednesday and Friday with in-depth profiles on one of the 30 prospects. So get your butt back here for all that or I'm going to be very disappointed in you.
The Story: Releasing Vernon Wells just for the sake of doing so is the equivalent of cutting of your pinkie.
The Monkey Says: I almost totally agree. I just don't trust Scioscia not to use Wells at the first sign of trouble with Bourjos or Trumbo even though Wells has done nothing to earn the trust that Scioscia seems so reluctant to grant to the youngsters.
The Story: One thing from 2012 to like about every MLB team .
The Monkey Says: You'll never get what fish-named player was the one thing that got liked.
The Story: The addition of the Astros will make the rest of the AL West adjust.
The Monkey Says: Yes, adjust to having a much easier divisional schedule. How terrible.
The Story: Vernon Wells and the fourth outfielder spot.
The Monkey Says: Here is the thing people keep forgetting to mention about Wells as a reserve outfielder: he is a quality defender in the corners. Playing defense is a big part of the bench job here too, so don't just focus on his awful bat. Of course, Calhoun is a good defender too and could actually be a better hitter too. People are hung up on him skipping Double-A last season, but the kid has a great plan at the plate and should be just fine.
The Story: Tommy Hanson is the key to the Angels' returning to the post-season.
The Monkey Says: "The key?" No. "A key?" Yes. Hanson is the only one of the three new starters that has legit upside, so if he reaches it, he can push the rotation up a few notches. If he doesn't, the Halos can still make the playoffs since Dipoto has put in a place a lineup that could slug its way to 95 wins.
The Story: The top 12 moments for the Angels in 2012.
The Monkey Says: I love the catch, but Weaver's no-no should've been first since it was such a sentimental moment what with his father being there. Either that or Mickey Hatcher getting whacked, I suppose.
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