The December 10th, 2013 edition of daily news for the Los Angeles Angels including Trumbo trade market heating up fast, Pujols' foot 100% healthy and much more…
The Story: The chances of Mark Trumbo being traded are rapidly increasing.
The Monkey Says: This may be old news by the time this posts, but Trumbo has been a focal point of talks during the first day of the Winter Meetings. The D'Backs appear to be the most likely destination, but supposedly other teams like the Royals are still involved. It feels like the Angels have passed the point of no return in regards to trading Trumbo, so you best start saying your goodbyes.
The Story: Doctors say Albert Pujols' foot is 100% healthy.
The Monkey Says: That's great, but that doesn't mean Albert is fully healthy himself as he still has lingering knee issues. I'm just saying let's not plan the parade down Katella just yet.
The Story: The Angels are still a suitor for Bronson Arroyo as his market takes shape.
The Monkey Says: This smells like a red herring. Angels beat writers keep shooting this down, but rumor mongers keep trying to breathe life into it. My suspicion is that Arroyo's agent is overselling the Angels' interest in order to drum up the price for Arroyo.
The Story: C.J. Cron won the batting title of the Arizona Fall League.
The Monkey Says: This was serendipitously timed as Cron could soon figure prominently into the Angels' future. Some have suggested he would fill the DH void if Trumbo leaves, but the more common view of Cron is that he is no yet MLB ready. Personally, I have big doubts about him being a full-time player in MLB.
The Story: Jerry Dipoto speaks on the lay of the land from Day 1 of the Winter Meetings.
The Monkey Says: It is typical Dipoto speak in which he gives a lot of vague answers that almost shut the door on ideas, but not all the way, just in case he flip flops. One thing he indicated that we kind of already knew is that he doesn't want to forfeit the first round pick. He also stated a willingness to trade prospects to make a deal happen if need be. We knew that already though since he did just that to make the Freese trade happen.
The Story: Mike Trout and the Angels could begin extension talks around Opening Day.
The Monkey Says: The Angels could wait until after Opening Day so that his extension doesn't count towards this year, however that also means his average annual value number will be a few million higher over the life of the deal. In my opinion, it would be worth paying the tax now so that his tax number is more manageable over the life of the deal. Then again, I'd just be happy that there is a deal.
The Story: Jerry Dipoto is not worried about the improvements the rest of the AL West have made.
The Monkey Says: He may not be, let's just hope that the same goes for Arte Moreno. He's the impetuous one that could force Dipoto to do something stupid.
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