The offseason draws nigh. As soon as the Royals finish fulfilling their manifest destiny, the Angels will be free to go about fine tuning their roster for another playoff run next year. However, before they can do that, they need to take care of some housekeeping. No, I’m not talking about sweeping all the rat turds out of the bowels of Angel Stadium (though they should probably still do that), but rather figuring out what to do with their pending free agents and trade candidates. Let’s review, shall we?
We’ve got options
Huston Street – The only non-broken Angel with a player option for the 2015 season. Well, technically, Joe Blanton has an option as well, but I’m preeeeeeeetty sure that the Halos aren’t going to pick that up. I’m also pretty sure that the Halos will be picking up Street 2015 option. It’s a pretty easy decision. Street was great in 2014 and $7 million is a below market rate for an All-Star caliber closer. The only way they don’t pick up this option is if somebody screws up the paperwork.
Sean Burnett – Yeah, I almost forgot about him too. Burnett is out recuperating from his Tommy John surgery and enjoying the benefits of earning millions of dollars for barely working. Suffice it to say that the Angels won’t be picking up his option.
Love me tender… or non-tender
David Freese – Freese had a better season that you probably realize last year, so his spot should be relatively safe, even with him set to earn around $7 million next season. That’s a big chunk of change, but not so big to actually give the Angels a reason to non-tender him. He’s simply been too productive to just cut loose for nothing. A trade, however, remains a possibility since the Angels have a number of internal options to replace him and could use the financial breathing room moving his salary would provide.
Gordon Beckham – The big question is if one month of being good will convince anyone to overlook a career of generally being underwhelming. With Gordon due at least a marginal raise over his $4.175 million salary, that someone better be real sure that the one month of production is real. The Angels could be the ones that buy in and either keep Beckham as an expensive super-sub or trade a more expensive starter like Freese or Kendrick and move Beckham into their vacated spot. That’s a huge gamble though, so a non-tender is far more likely, though there is a small chance that some team with gobs of payroll space could be willing to take Beckham on in trade in exchange for a marginal prospect.
Kevin Jepsen – Before the season, I would have bet money that Jepsen would be a serious non-tender candidate this offseason. But after a career-best season, Jepsen will definitely be kept on, but he’s going to get a pretty decent raise and put himself in position to be non-tendered next season if he doesn’t pitch well again.
Vinnie Pestano – Dipoto gambled on Pestano back in August and it looks like it paid off as Pestano was quite good in his few weeks with the Angels. He’ll make over $1 million, but has a high enough ceiling to make that a worthwhile investment.
Fernando Salas – Salas will be on track to earn over $1 million, which seems a little steep for one of the last guys in the bullpen, but Salas was pretty solid last season. This isn’t a spot for the Angels to start pinching pennies.
Wade LeBlanc – As nice as it was to have LeBlanc as insurance in the minors, giving him a salary above the league minimum and a guaranteed spot on the active roster just isn’t going to happen, not with a contender. LeBlanc will have to hope some cellar dwelling team gives him a shot to be the designated veteran inning eater. More likely he will try to latch on elsewhere with a minor league contract again, in which case a return to the Angels organization is not entirely out of the question.
Hector Santiago – As frustrating as he can be, he’s still a guy that can slot into the rotation or be a potential weapon out of the bullpen. He’ll definitely be tendered a contract, though it wouldn’t be a shocker if he got dangled in trade discussions.
Garrett Richards – His knee injury won’t impact his tender status. However, it might put a damper on any potential contract extension talks.
Hank Conger – Conger was a huge disappointment in 2014, but he can still frame the hell out of a pitch. Besides, the Angels have no catching depth in the season and they’d end up paying more money to a veteran if they went the free agency route. They have no choice but to keep Conger.
Tony Campana – When your lot in life is to be a pinch-runner once rosters expand, you don’t get a guaranteed salary and spot on the active roster. Your face will be missed, Tony.
Collin Cowgill – Entering his first year of arbitration, Cowgill will earn a few extra hundred thousand, but he earned it and the guaranteed bench spot that will come with it.
Give me free agency or give me death
Jason Grilli – This was always the catch with the Grilli-Frieri swap. If Grilli pitched well, which he did, he’d become too expensive for the Angels to keep, which he is. Because of his age, he won’t get a massive amount of money, but the Halos have too much relief depth to justify giving $5 million or more per year to Grilli. Besides, Jason will probably try to seek out a situation where he can make that kind of money and have a more prominent role. Have fun being the setup man for the Dodgers or the closer for the White Sox, Jason.
Joe Thatcher – Thatcher made $2.375 million last season and couldn’t make the Angels ALDS roster. The Angels will let him test the market and seem unlikely to bring him back unless it is on a minor league contract.
John McDonald – McDonald is going to try to stave off retirement for one more year, but the Angels have too many young infield bench options to justify bringing him back as a glorified cheerleader/father figure again.
The trade winds are blowing
Howie Kendrick – We already touched on Freese being a potential salary dump, but Kendrick is a more likely candidate. He’s due $9.85 million in 2015, the final year of his contract. He’s also coming off of a great season, so he should have a fair amount of value. With Green, Yarbrough and maybe Gordon Beckham on board, the Halos should have the depth required to trade Howie without turning second base into a black hole. That might be necessary if the Angels want to create some luxury tax room to sign a high quality free agent. Right now, they have less than $10 million in room, so they could practically double that space if they were to flip Kendrick for cheap young talent.
Josh Hamilton – Just kidding! As much as people might want to envision Hamilton getting traded in a salary dump (to the Mets for Jon Niese) or in a bad contract swap (to the Giant for Tim Lincecum), it just isn’t going to happen. The Halos are stuck with him. Make your peace with it now.
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