disarcina

I'm OK with this -- not sure who Houston has behind the plate but this might give Conger a chance at more playing time. I think this also gives Iannetta more playing time and ends the platoon. don't know much about this Carlos Perez catcher we got from Houston so he'll be battling others I'm sure for the Halos back up C job,

Gold Glove winners announced -- J.J. Hardy at SS -- Aybar not even a finalist? YADIER -- NL catcher Perez (KC) AL catcher...... Royals get three Gold Glovers -- Perez, Gordon and Hosmer.

good move for the Halos..........manager in waiting? along with DiSar?

excellent move by the Cubs -- if anyone can't end the Cubs 100 years plus curse -- it's this guy. Cubs will be a contender within two years.

yeah -- I got the Rasmus thing wrong. sure, he should come back -- did pitch well for us down the stretch -- my bad.

Cory Rasmus -- yes, It would nice to be able to re-sign him --- but we'll see. I thought that one thread about all the potential F/A signings predicted that Rasmus would sign with the Yankees - or did I get that wrong........??

Hamilton a 4th/5th outfielder ? Does anybody watch the games here comment. Yeah, I watched the KC Royals - Angels ALDS series. I don't think Hamilton was ready to play then and I have doubts about ST --I also have doubts about his desire to play He was out the last month of the 2014 season and then looked absolutely listless in the post series games. Hamilton also seems to have a very low threshold for pain and seems to have difficulty bouncing back from even the slightest injury. -- and on top of all that -- yeah, I was one of many here who didn't like the Halos signing him to that contract in the first place.

On starting pitching -- sort of forgot about Tyler Skaggs -- not sure if we can count on him at all for 2015.....may be July? as for relief pitching -- I would think going into ST, Street, Smith and perhaps Morin would be locks. Bedrosian remains with the organization but may need more AA/ AAA time , much depends on his performance in ST. all the others -- to the extent they stay here -- are expendable and could be replaced --all of them (we really need to improve here or we've done little to improve) : so Jepsen, Salas, Grilli (he's a F/A and I thought a rental for us and more importantly a way for us in 2014 to add by subtracting Frieri), Pestano, Rasmus, Roth, Thatcher etc. It wouldn't bother me at all if none of these guys made the 2015 Halos roster......might be unrealistic but here's where we re-make this club for 2015. The one guy who might have to be kept is Wade LeBlanc due to the hole in our rotation........LeBlanc, I guess, could be the spot starter/ long relief guy. -- what's his contract status? He could probably find more playing time (fifth starter) role with another team. Looking at the OF -- we have Calhoun (and check the team record with and without Calhoun in the lead off spot playing LF -- he was pretty valuable to the line up mix for us); Trout and then RF?? Cowgill (more of a fourth OF to may way of thinking); Hamilton should have stayed on the DL during the past post-season -- I don't see him returning to any prior (better) form....we'll see, Efren Navarro could see a lot of playing time in 2015 at 1B and OF -- Grant Green could see some significant playing time at 3B and OF. So we need a serviceable fourth/ fifth starter; several quality middle inning pen guys, a quality fielding OF with an decent bat, perhaps some real speed as well and maybe a new back up/ platoon catcher.

I like Grant Green but I see his role with the Halos as a valuable utility guy off the bench....... sort of a twist on what I sometimes refer to the Mark McLemore spot on the roster........ some may recall McLemore as a super sub with us as well as with the Mariners......he was not a starter but seemed to start about 100 games a year and play in a total of 150-plus in some role. So Green, in may way of thinking, would be a super sub who could play primarily 3B but also 2B and SS (I don't see Aybar missing too many games/ innings -- perhaps Aybar could be spelled in the late innings of day game after a night game in a game where the final few innings are close to meaningless, meaning we're way ahead or way behind in the game). Green can also play some LF (not great - but he did make a pretty good catch out there in a game I was at last year).......he has some pop in his bat and probably hits about .265 in a utility role, he is not a speedster, but has OK speed and seemed like a baseball instinct smart base runner the times he was on base......... I see Green's role as essentially the one they acquired Beckham for at deadline time this year -- what's Beckham's status? I assumed he was a rental and that he'd been moving for 2015 -- he did OK for us and sort of knocked John McDonald off the post - season roster.........but moving forward I'd stick with Green in this role, Beckham gone and McDonald retired (hopefully to a coaching position within the Angels organization). Look, for 2015 -- not a lot of line up changes on the field -no need to be -- C- Ianetta (will Conger be the back up?) 1B/ DH (Pujols -- he can't play 162 games at 1B any more, I'd say more like 81 to 100); 2B - Howie (no need for a change here, IMO) SS- Aybar (how's he's not in the mix for the gold glove award, I just can't understand it) 3B -- FREESE?/ GREEN? Someone else? (I continue to see a platoon here and much depends on how Freese looks in ST, if he's off to a slow start at the plate again, that's a problem -- in any case we need someone (Green strong enough D wise to do this? to spell him in the field in the late innings -- I like McDonald in this role -- there has to be someone else in the system that can fill this role, if not Green). OF -- what to do with Hamilton? We're stuck with him, want to see how he looks in ST.......he didn't look ready to play in the post-season. I liked the OF we finished the season with and would stick with that (the month that Hamilton was gone).........to me Hamilton becomes a DH - fourth/ fifth OF'er.........except for his large contract status, I'd probably be tempted to DFA the guy....the problem is we have three DH type guys on the roster now -- Pujols, Cron, Hamilton. PITCHING -- this is where we need to concentrate during the off-season. needed -- a serviceable fourth starter who can give us 5 to 6 innings each start. needed (and where to spend money) -- two, perhaps, three, quality set up pen guys (Wade Davis caliber) who can bolter our pen and give us a 6th, 7th, 8th inning bridge to Huston Street (who the Halos have coming back -- a good move to start the off-season activity). this middle inning pen guy(s) is where the Angels need to spend some serious money and perhaps over-pay to get what we need -- one of the three PEN guys we sign could be a swing man who could provide some spot starts......... ROTATION -- Weaver, Shoemaker, CJ Wilson, Santiago(?) and then about mid-June Garrett Richards. we need a serviceable starter and no need to break the bank. I would spend off-season money on middle inning pen set up guys who could be used inter-changeably in the 6th to 8th/9th innings. We could also use a decent bench guy -- (in addition to someone like Grant Green) -- we just let Campana go --I'd like to see a speedster on the team, either an OF'er or a MIF slick glove type who could pinch run and play late inning defense........we need to play more NL style baseball -- that's what got the Royals to the playoffs -- five/six inning starts, solid pen, and then D and late inning speed.......it's a good model -- let's copy it.

I wouldn't over - pay for Grilli -- if we can keep him FINE. If the Yankees REALLY WANT HIM and are willing to out-bid us for his services -- that's OK, too. there are other options out there certainly equal to and probably better than Grilli.

well, trading Freese to free up some salary space makes some sense.......but the reality is the Halos won't get be able to free up all that much space because if Freese is to be moved, the Halos would probably have to agree to take on about half of his 2015 contract salary amount........ Freese came on late in the season and was one of the few guys who hit half way decent in the playoffs (or at least didn't look bad at the plate when not getting a hit). But his early season offense was poor and I'm not sold on his defense at 3B....poor range and not a great glove.........he did make some good play but overall, he's a guy who needs to be replaced by a late inning defensive fielder after the 7th inning.........and Freese seems to be not only slow and slow on the base-paths but in addition to, does not seem to be a very good base-runner ------- I mean, you have a player who is not a speedster, who may not have much speed on the base-paths but whose baseball instincts make him a good base-runner.........Freese is slow AND does not seem to have any baseball base running instincts..........as a number 6 hitter he turns into Mr. GIDP.

seems like this guy thinks the Cubs are going to break the bank signing rotation guys -- I don't see that happening.

Making the last out of Game 7 of the World Series at home plate trying to score from first would have led to a lot more second-guessing that NOT sending him. with that being said, I might have sent him THIS YEAR because of the new 'no blocking the plate rule' -- this ill-conceived rule, ironically put into place because of play causing injury to Buster Posey two years back -- really gives the runner the advantage as the catcher can't block the plate in the manner we're all used to seeing........ so the catcher now has to be pretty much in front of the plate and the throw has to not only beat the runner and be an on line throw but the catcher now has to reach back to tag the sliding runner who is usually sliding on the far side of the plate with the arm / hand sticking out touching the plate...........this is a real difficult play for the catcher to make even on a perfect throw. so the answer to the question is -- yeah, I might have sent him THIS YEAR with the NEW RULE but not in a similar situation in the past. IMO, the new "NO BLOCKING THE PLATE" rule should be scrapped.......it's pretty much eliminated what used to be, perhaps, the most exciting play in baseball -- the throw to the plate to nab the sliding runner..........

LOU -- good point. I guess what happened here actually is that the official score-keeper INITIALLY actually gave Bumgarner the WIN and they (Fox TV guys) announced it at the end of the game -- but then, upon the rule you cite there -- looked at it again and changed the official scorekeeper's determination from Bumgarner to Affeldt -- which is technically correct.

do this during the off-season ! my SF Giants fan buddy is planning to pick up his close to $2,500 in winnings soon for this season.

gotta give up something to get something -- who would want Freese? now, he did come off late in the season but overall, not impressed with his performance with us at all. would like to see him moved........not sure what (if anything much) we would get in return. Howie would fetch a decent arm in return, one would think -- wouldn't want to see Howie leave us.

well, I am sure it's Arte and the Angels fault !! Canseco spent about ten days (maybe less than that) one Spring Training with us as a non-roster invitee. Complained he was hurt and asked to be kept out of line up for a couple of days straight -- this guys is a non-roster invitee right? so Sosh finally gets tired of trying to pencil his name into the line up only to have him asked to be scratched, he 'dis-invites' the non-roster invitee. ever since, Canseco has whined to folks that the Angels treated him unfairly and spread 'rumors' that Canseco was hurt and not able to play......... well, yeah, when you ask four or five days in a row NOT to be put in the line up -- DUH.

Kershaw -- regular season; Bumgarner -- post-season. overall if I had to choose between the two -- Kershaw.

The official scorekeeper gave Giants reliever Affeldt (former KC Royals closer) the win in Giants 3 to 2 win in Game 7. Affeldt pitched 2.1 innings and then Bumgarner came on in the fifth inning and pitched five innings of 2 hit shutout baseball. Hudson, the game starter, was out by the third inning. Since the starter did not go Five innings, the official scorekeeper had the discretion to award the win to either Affeldt or Bumgarner even if the Giants took the lead when Affeldt was pitching and held that lead the rest of the way. The official scorekeeper can determine which pitcher, by their relative performances, can be awarded the win -- in this case they gave Affeldt the WIN and Bumgarner a FIVE inning SAVE. Bumgarner gets the WIN in my score book. That would make him 3-0 in the Series. Oh well.

Whaddya mean? Great series........two very good teams who did most of it with small ball style --pitching, defense, speed...... KC Royals may have lost the World Series in 7 games but the Royals team and fans have nothing to hang their heads about -- KC proved they are a franchise on the move and the SF Giants showed that they may be the team of the decade with THREE TITLES in FIVE YEARS. Madison Bumgarner may have had the best pitching performance in a seven game World Series. Only negative part of all this? NO baseball until late February. Can't wait for Spring Training!!! At least there's the NHL.

Sad to hear this -- Oscar Tavares was to play a more significant role in the Cards' plans in 2015......he was a top prospect who, I think, homered in his first game after being called up mid-season in 2014 -- he went on a bit of a short hitting streak (maybe not consecutive game stuff -- but hit well upon being called up) and then cooled off and got sent back out to AAA. Got called up before Sept. 1 and was on the NLDS and NLCS playoff roster and hit a key HR against the SF Giants in the NLCS. A prior comment on this thread noted that road conditions and driving habits in that part of the world are quite different than what we're used to here (well, I can hear some folks saying nothing can be worse than driving on S. Cal freeways!) -- reports also indicate that weather conditions were poor -- raining and windy -- at the time of the accident. This is a real tragedy -- Nick Adenhart and Ken Hubbs (Chicago Cubs rookie in 1964) names come to mind. This Tavares kid, like those guys, had his whole life and MLB career ahead of him -- destined for good things only to have it all snuffed out in an instant. sad. prayers to the family, friends and Cardinals organization.........

Good call by Jason Vargas and probably a good call by the Halos (at least I thought so at the time). Four year deal was a bit much -- Royals offered it, Halos did not. Vargas is with KC. that's the way it goes -- no hard feelings. I liked Vargas when he was with us -- did what we asked of him and gave us some quality starts.

Vogelsong likely on a very short leash -- expect Pettit in at the first sign of trouble.

Royals, the AL entry in the World Series have coasted through the post-season by playing classic NL style small ball -- pitching, defense and speed. And now they are trying to out-NL, the NL team. AL teams take note.

Vargas has pitched well for them. Wish we could have kept him but Halos were unwilling to give Vargas a four year deal for the dollars that the Royals gave him. And, while hind sight always seems to be 20-20, I tended to agree with the Halos front office decision at the time.