The November 5th, 2012 edition of daily news for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim including Dipoto talks about the Haren non-trade, Hunter not given a qualifying offer, Bourjos will start in the outfield and much more…
The Monkey Says: He doesn't offer any insight into how the trade to Chicago fell apart or how no other trade came available though. However, he does say that he hasn't ruled out re-signing Haren or Hunter, though logic suggests that both options are rather unlikely.
The Story: Torii Hunter did not receive a qualifying offer from the Angels.
The Monkey Says: Torii sounds resigned to leaving Anaheim, but states clearly that he has no ill will towards the team for letting him go.
The Story: As of right now, the Angels plan to have Peter Bourjos as a full-time starter in their outfield.
The Monkey Says: They could always trade Bourjos and sign someone to take his place, but the statement by Dipoto seems pretty definitive that it has always been their intention to go with a Trout-Bourjos-Trumbo outfield. I can't say that I disagree with that decision, but I also can't say I wouldn't mind if they trade Bourjos for a starting pitcher and signed someone like Nick Swisher to take his spot.
The Story: Will the Angels dumping of Haren and Santana backfire?
The Monkey Says: My biggest qualm with this piece is that it claims Dipoto has not identified replacements for Haren and Santana and thus have lost leverage with Greinke. That just seems flawed on so many levels. First off, I don't think the Angels lost leverage with Greinke because it has always been painfully clear that they need Greinke back. But beyond that, it seems obvious that Dipoto was never planning on keeping Haren or Santana, so who is to say he doesn't have an idea of who he wants to pursue as replacements?
The Story: Nick Cafardo breathes new life into the Lackey-for-Wells trade rumor.
The Monkey Says: This report got shot down pretty hard last week by another Boston reporter, but Cafarado seems to be confirming that the Halos and Sox have at least discussed the possibility.
The Story: Keith Law names Zack Greinke as the top free agent on the market.
The Monkey Says: The most interesting part of this largely meaningless list is that Law believes that Greinke's anxiety issues are of little concen and that he would have no qualms about giving him a five-year deal.
The Story: The Blue Jays have shown interest in pursuing Zack Greinke.
The Monkey Says: They are a real wild card here. For years, the rumor has been that Toronto has been saving up for one big free agent acquisition. They've yet to do so, but the pressure is starting to mount on them to win, so if there is ever an off-season for them to do it, it is this one. Personally, I think that rumor is just that and the ownership will never approve a contract of five-plus years and $100+ million.
The Story: The Angels should still be considered the favorite to sign Zack Greinke.
The Monkey Says: I agree with that, but won't expound upon it because I am pretty certain that I only agree because I want it to be true. If I had to pick someone other than the Angels, I'd go with the Braves since he could play near his Florida home.
The Story: Zack Greinke might be overrated and not nearly worth the money he is going to get.
The Monkey Says: The ERA+ is interesting, but can't be taken on its own merits since he posted much lower FIP, xFIP and SIERA numbers over that same timespan. That suggests that some bad luck may have been involved, though it doesn't totally excuse it either.
The Story: 5 GIFs that prove Mike Trout should have won the Gold Glove.
The Monkey Says: We all know he should have, but five plays hardly prove that, although I believe John Kruk recently claimed Trout was overrated based entirely on the "one" good play he made.
The Story: Should Angel fans trust or not trust Jerry Dipoto now?
The Monkey Says: I still think it is too early to judge as his moves last off-season were mostly well regarded. The way the Haren non-trade went down certainly made me question him a bit as it was the first time we'd seen indecisiveness from him. If his other moves don't pan out, at least they were made out of aggressiveness, unlike the Haren debacle.
The Story: The top five performances of Dan Haren's Angel career.
The Monkey Says: He will be miss.
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