Angelsjunky

I predict that Bill Hall will not be on the 25-man roster.

Sure there is - at bats. Most ballplayers do actually prefer to play ball.

Edge: Dipoto.

Such a tease.

That's absurd, of course, but that is his asking price, not what he'll accept. That said, I could see Lohse getting 3/$40MM or even 4/$50MM. He's actually been pretty decent the last two years: 30-11, 3.11 ERA, 6.1 fWAR - good for 34th among all major league starters. I see him as a solid #3 pitcher. But he is 34 years old. He's better than Vargas, Blanton, and probably Hanson, although not better enough to warrant spending more money on him.

Because Weaver's rockpile-adjusted WAR is league average.

We can hope that a year from now Peter Bourjos is a candidate.

Ideally the team would score lots of runs and give up few. But if we can't have that, I'd rather they score lots of runs and give up lots then score few and give up few. The end results might be the same, but the former is more entertaining. Runs are sexy.

And now that he's truly fat he can slide even earlier so that his sheer mass will help him slide into second like an oil tanker easing into harbor.

The weird thing is that there was no gradual decline - he went from his best overall year in 2009 to just about his worst. Hard to know why, but it might have been a combination of factors: new team, a fractional loss in speed, resulting loss of confidence which he never gained back, which in turn led to inability to adjust and pull himself together. Too bad, really. I imagine that if he had stayed with the Angels his decline would have been more gradual.

Some fun Trout Porn from Fangraphs.

The plantar fasciitis and knee don't worry me as much as the general suckitude that accompanies aging. I don't want to be a debbie downer, but I can't shake the feeling that this contract is going to eventually make Vernon Wells' albatross look like a tweetie bird. I'm reasonably confident that for the next three or four years Albert will be able to at least equal his disappointing-but-decent 2012. But in 2017-2021? I'm not so confident. Now I don't think that Albert, even when he's 40, will ever be nearly as bad as Vernon's been for the last two years. But there's going to be a point where things start getting awkward.

I think that's part of it, Vegas, but it goes beyond that. The Iraq War(s) had everything to do with oil and $$$. If I were that veteran I'd be pissed that my life, and the life of thousands of other Americans and hundreds of thousands of Iraqis were ruined/taken away for the financial benefit of a few greedy men.

I'm fine if those who think dumb don't read the link.

Worth a read. Especially by those who voted for the maniacs.

I like the fact that Dipoto isn't afraid to make big moves, but I'm not sure that he makes great moves. The Albert Pujols contract, for instance, looks bad after the first year; if he doesn't have a significantly better year in 2013 then I think we're going to be in A-Rod territory in a few years. The Hamilton contract is also very risky. But I'd rather have Trumbo than Morales because I think his upside at this point is higher. I'm not convinced that Morales will get much better than he was last year; maybe .280 with 25 HR, and a .330/.500 obp/slg. But I think Trumbo can be a bit better and, at worst, shouldn't be much lower than that.

Uh oh, the Montana Militia has arrived.

What I find particularly disturbing is how obsessed so many Americans are with their guns. I mean, really? Why do we need so many goddamn guns? Why do we need any? The 2nd Amendment was written in the 18th century just after the Revolutionary War - a very different context. The point of it was so American citizens could defend themselves in case of a tyrannical government, like the British Empire. This is a very unlikely scenario in today's world. WE DON'T NEED A MILITIA!

Senator Rob Portman of Ohio, whose son came out two years ago, has reversed his view. Here's a telling quote: "I wrestled with how to reconcile my Christian faith with my desire for Will to have the same opportunities to pursue happiness and fulfillment as his brother and sister. Ultimately, it came down to the Bible's overarching themes of love and compassion and my belief that we are all children of God." I like that he follows the spirit of his faith rather than the letter of the law, which needs to be reframed for the modern age. On one hand it is too bad that it took actual experience for him to change his perspective, but that's usually what it requires. Anyhow, good for Portman. Now let's get rid of that idiotic Defense of Marriage Act.

".270 70 15 sb"? 70 what?

How was the ball coming out of his hand?

Is it just me or does Mark Langston look like he's undergoing a sex change operation? Or is he merely the founding member of the David Bowie Look-Alike Club?

Thanks, Scott. I'd love to see Jiminez win the 3B job. I also really hope Calhoun gets a chance in the big leagues - love that guy and think he has the potential to surprise. Great news about Bourjos. Not so great about Hanson - could be a dud. Can we trade him for, say, a Scott Kazmir, Dan Haren, or Ervin Santana?

He was a great manager for the Angels from 2002-2005.

I'm concerned by the fact that when I saw the article I felt a sense of hope. Am I pure evil?