The December 24th, 2013 edition of daily news for the Los Angeles Angels including replacing Trumbo's production, KLAA hires Jim Leyritz and much more…
The Story: Replacing Mark Trumbo in the lineup.
The Monkey Says: Here is the thing, the Angels don't need to replace his power, necessarily. There are other ways to be productive. Getting on-base is a big one. Ibanez may not be able to bring though as he wasn't all that much better than Trumbo in that department last year. But let's also not forget that Trumbo's production isn't just on Ibanez to replace. Freese is a boost to the lineup and hopefully improved versions of Pujols and Hamilton and a full season of Kole Calhoun will be too.
The Monkey Says: This hiring has some people up in arms as Leyritz was drunk driving in an accident that resulted in the death of a woman, who was also driving under the influence. In light of Nick Adenhart's death, this seems like a questionable hire, even if the accident wasn't necessarily Leyritz's fault. Everyone deserves a second chance, but this is in poor taste. Then again, the Angels just traded for David Freese who has multiple alcohol-related arrests on his record, so this isn't the Angels' first foray into insensitivity regarding the way Adenhart was killed.
The Story: Mike Trout was one of the breakout players in 2013.
The Monkey Says: Considering his stellar 2012, that might seem like a strange claim, but once you factor in how most people thought he would come back to earth in 2013, he really did breakout. He proved that he is legitimately the best player in the world and can likely sustain that level of excellence going forward.
The Story: The shifting financial powers in the American League.
The Monkey Says: The AL West is closing in fast on the AL East and it is only going to get closer. At some point, the A's will get a new owner and new stadium that allows them to open up their wallet a bit more and the Astros will soon start spending a good amount more themselves. I don't think that there is anything all that unique going on here though. TV contracts have brought more and more money into the game, so it is only natural that teams are going to spend more. If anything, it shows that there are not many owners left (save for Loria in Miami) who are content to not contend and instead use the TV revenue to fill their own coffers.
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