The good, the bad and the costly

I’m not sure how to handle the Angels’ recent success of late (although I could find a way should it continue). After going an impressive 8-4 on the road; they come home to sweep the Washington Nationals and go 11-4 over their last 15 games. Boo-ya, right? On one hand, a win is a win and I’m jazzed that they’re playing so well. On the other hand, of the five teams they just won series’ from only the Mets are above .500 at the moment. Hmm.

So I guess you could say that I’m delighted that they’re winning, but I’m not going to get too excited because they really haven’t beaten any teams of significance. Again, I’m excited that they’re taking care of business; I’m just not going to get overly pumped up (just yet).

I guess you could say; that’s what the 2011 season has done to me thus far.

Every time I get a little excited, I find myself disappointed a short time later. Maybe there’s something to the way Scioscia goes about his business with that “one-game-at-a-time” attitude. Then again, I’m a fan I’m allowed to let my emotions run the gamut.

So… here we are just past the half way point of the season and the Angels are 1.5 games behind Texas with the trading deadline is getting closer. What are the Angels to do? Will they acquire a “big bat?” Will they add more pitching? What? What in the world will they do, if anything?

The good news is that the Angels are in the hunt and we can actually bring up the trading deadline for all the right reasons (buyers as opposed to sellers).

Okay, so this is the point where you’re probably expecting me to tell you what I think they should do, right?

Well, I’m not going to do that. Nah, it just seems like an exercise I’m just not prepared for and do you really want to hear the rambling of a mad man?

Instead, I’m going to focus a little bit on what the Angels have done over the past several years. I must warn you; this isn’t necessarily going to be pretty. I know, I know – why bring this up now when the team is playing well, right?

Well, I’ve been meaning to do this since Scott Kazmir was released and haven’t had the time to get to it; so now is as good a time as any.

Let’s take a trip down memory lane to explore some of the downright horrendous moves this team has made. I hate to do it now, but again – I wanted to do this at some point. Perhaps you know all of this; however, I’m betting there’s a chance you haven’t seen it all laid out just the way I’m about to.

Let’s start with 2002. Yes, it was a magical year; a year that will forever represent one of if not the greatest time ever to be an Angels fan. It also happens to be the year the Angels signed Aaron Sele to a 3-year, $24 million contract. In those three seasons, Sele posted ERA’s of 4.89, 5.77 and 5.05. His signing represents one of the many bad decisions by the Angels front office since that time.

The last decade (through 2009) has been tremendous; however, as we continue down this road – you might wonder how this team ever managed to do as well as it has and also wonder what they might have done or will do if they had made better decisions. I mean we’re talking about a great many decisions that has involved spending a ton of good money on bad players.

Let’s get to it…

The 2003 team didn’t change much from the prior year personnel wise, as they seemed to have a hang-over from their wildly successful 2002 season. It was also the year that Arte Moreno took over as the owner of the Angels. As great as Moreno has been for the Angels; one can’t help but wonder how much greater the team would have been had they made better decisions under his watch.

In 2004 the Angels struck gold with the Vladimir Guerrero signing; however, it’s important to note that Bartolo Colon was also signed prior to that season and while Colon did win a CY Young – he only had two productive years out of four. In his last two years he managed to start just 29 games and had a 5.11 ERA in 2006 and a 6.34 ERA in 2007. In my opinion, the Angels didn’t get anywhere near the return on their investment of 4-years and $51 million (which was a lot of money for a pitcher at the time).

In 2005 the crap that hit the fan came in the form of Steve Finley. Finley made $6 million and for that investment, the Angels received a .222 batting average. Finley was then traded to the San Francisco Giants for Edgardo Alfonzo (prior to the 2006 season), who made $8 million in 2006 and was released on May 21 after playing in just 18 games. I should note that Finley made $7 million while playing for the Giants that same year. A total of $14 million was wasted over those two years.

In 2005 the Angels also acquired J.C. Romero from the Minnesota Twins (for the 2006 season) for Alexi Casilla, who is currently the starting shortstop for the Twins. Romero earned $2.25 million in 2006 while posting a 6.70 ERA. Casilla has basically been on the Twins major league roster for the past five years. Romero became a free agent prior to the 2007 season. Who got the better of that deal? You really don’t answer that…

2006 brought us Jeff Weaver at the cost of an $8,325,000 contract. Weaver was traded to the Cardinals on July 5 of that year after compiling a horrible 6.29 ERA in 16 starts. Weaver would go on to help the Cardinals win a World Series and the Angels went on paying his salary.

2007 was especially bad. It was the year that one Gary Matthews, Jr. signed a 5-year, and nearly $50 million contract that still haunts the Angels today. Matthews ended up being traded to the Mets after three miserable seasons with the Angels (with the Angels picking up most of his salary), where he floundered and ended up out of baseball. Matthews played his last game on June 2, 2010 while costing the Angels $22.3 million the last two years (including this one).

2007 also brought us Shea Hillenbrand. Remember that one? Did you just grimace? If you did, it’s because you probably remember that he signed for $6 million and ended up being released on July 9 after hitting .254 with 3 homeruns. More good money after bad.

Wait 2007 gets even better. That year also brought us Justin Speier and a 3-year, $12.75 million contract. Speier had one good year (his first) out of three. His final two years? Well it included a 5.03 ERA in 2008 and a 5.18 ERA in 2009 and ultimately his release on August 11, 2009.

I’m not done with 2007 yet. That year marked the season the extension of Kelvim Escobar kicked in. Escobar’s extension was for 3-years and $28.5 million. Shields also signed an extension for 3-years and $14.6 million.

Escobar had a fantastic 2007; however, he only managed to pitch in one game in the following two years while earning $19.5 million during those final two years. Shields’ extension didn’t kick in until 2008, where he had a stellar season; however, he proved to be utterly useless during the final two years of his contract with a 6.62 and 5.28 ERA in those years. Ugh.

I’m not making this stuff up folks. The numbers are fairly staggering, aren’t they?

In 2008 the Angels traded Orlando Cabrera (and his $10 million contract) to the Chicago White Sox for Jon Garland and his $12 million contract. Garland did win 14 games that year; however, he boasted a hefty 4.90 ERA that season as well. The move did pave the way for Erick Aybar to take over at shortstop; however, it is yet another example of the high cost of mediocre talent in Garland.

2009 brought us somewhat of a mixed bag in Brian Fuentes. Fuentes signed a 2-year $17.5 million deal and ended up leading the major league baseball with 48 saves, but he also blew 7 other opportunities and gave up a key homerun in the ALCS to Alex Rodriguez and the rest is as they say… “History.” Even though he led the league in saves, he was arguably the worst reliever to ever do that. In 2010 he was traded to the Minnesota Twins.

2009 also brought us the trade that sent Alex Torres, Matt Sweeney and Sean Rodriguez to the Tampa Bay Rays for Scott Kazmir (whose recent release prompted this whole post) and his mega contract that included salaries of $6 million in 2009, $8 million in 2010 and $12 million this year. His departure, while costly would have been even more costly had he stayed another year. Rather than paying him $13.5 million in 2012, the Angels will have to shell out $2.5 million in a buy-out. He will end up costing the Angels $22.5 million for the kind of production one would expect to get out of a mannequin.

The string of bad decisions continued in 2010 when the Angels signed the guy with the crooked hat. Yes, I’m talking about Fernando Rodney and his two-year, $11 million deal. Has he been worth it? I think we both know the answer to that, although I would entertain an argument either way.

Add to all of this the string of low cost, low risk signings like Andres Galarraga, Raul Mondesi, and Shane Halter (none of which panned out) and you have reason for skepticism (for what they might do next) regarding their entire decision process.

I didn’t do any calculations regarding the net loss of all the moves mentioned above, but I’m sure we can all agree that the number is substantial. I have to ask myself, what could the Angels have done with the money they spent on Kazmir and Matthews?

Think about it. Just don’t focus on it too much because your head might explode.

All of that being said, I know that the Angels have also made some very good moves via trade and free agency and that no front office is perfect. I just think that all of the decision mentioned above had to have had a negative impact on the product currently on the field and in the Angels' ability (or lack of) to continue to be major players in the free agency market. It also has hindered their ability to make any and all moves necessary to get them back to having a 2002-like season.

Did the combination of events make them gun shy on Carl Crawford? Will it hinder their ability to make a move at the deadline this year? Could the Angels have made a different move or two over the years that would have put them back in the World Series?

These are legitimate questions, don’t you think?

Look, I think Moreno is a great owner and I think Mike Scioscia is the best manager in the game. Do the math. What’s the problem? Is it Tony Reagins or even Bill Stoneman (from prior years)? I’m not going to point any fingers, but it’s a question that begs an answer in my opinion.

I know that some of the problems the Angels have had are related to injuries and are totally unpredictable, but some of them – such as the Gary Matthews, Jr. signing raised eyebrows around the country at the time.

I just think it’s foolish to ignore the history here. I have to question the analysis process that goes into some of the moves the front office has made. The Angels have the luxury of an owner with fairly deep pockets, but let’s face it – there has to be a limit to the kind of wasted money this team can lose. It might be time to pay the piper. It had to come to this eventually.

So… what’s next?

Well, for now – there are games to be played. More specifically, the Dodgers are coming to town and I’m looking forward to seeing the freeway series yet again. This never get’s old for me. The other stuff… well, it definitely does.

So let’s get after it. Anyone notice how well Vernon Wells is playing? Is he going to be a good investment after all? I sure hope so.

Go Angels!

In a word (or two)

The Angels are going to win the west. I said it because I believe it. Now, I could give you a long list of reasons as to why that’s the case, but I don’t really need all that many words to make my case.

I have one word for you and that’s pitching. Think about this; in 2009 the Angels sent 14 different pitchers to the mound to start a game. What would happen if your team had to use 14 different starters in a given season? How does the word “chaos” sound to you? Better yet, how about “panic?”

Think about this; last season, three Angel pitchers made their major league debuts in Sean O’Sullivan, Anthony Ortega and Trevor Bell. The Angels started someone other than their projected rotation of John Lackey, Joe Saunders, Ervin Santana, Jered Weaver and or Kelvim Escobar/Scott Kazmir 41 times. That’s 41 starts from players they didn’t expect to contribute in 2009. How did they do that? I have another word for you… “Depth.”

One of those 14 guys was Matt Palmer who had a solid 3.93 ERA; who despite winning eleven games and putting up that nice ERA may very well start the 2010 season in the minors or be added to the bull pen. That’s called depth. They have it and chances are; your team (especially in the AL West) doesn’t.

The Angels overcame injuries to Kelvim Escobar, Ervin Santana, Joe Saunders and John Lackey, who all spent time on the DL. And let’s not forget the tragic death of Nick Adenhart. How does a team do that? Depth, baby; depth. It’s all about having arms in your system. Face it; your team wants this kind of depth. Your team would give anything for this kind of depth.

Despite having a pitching staff that faced one adversity after another, the Angels won 97 games. Don’t dismiss that number. Think about it. Think about what the Angels had to overcome and then focus on that number again.

Yeah, that’s right; you’re starting to see what I’m talking about, aren’t you?

That’s not just depth; that’s crazy good depth. Most teams are struggling to find five starters that won’t embarrass them and give them a chance at winning (Dodgers anyone?). Most teams can’t survive an injury to one or two pitchers, let alone a ton of them and stay competitive. Most teams aren’t the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

A lot of talk has been made about the pitchers in the AL West. But not enough of that talk has been about the Angels in my opinion. Folks have taken them for granted. They keep talking about the loss of John Lackey. They’ve forgotten about those 41 starts and everything the team overcame in 2009.

Let’s do this already. Let’s get to the 2010 season. I’m bored with this talk about how Seattle is going to take over the west. I’m not amused by the projections for a Rangers pennant.

I say bring it. Come on Seattle, Texas and even you Oakland. Show us what you got. Because the bad news for you is that the Angels staff will be better than last year’s group. Five solid guys and organizational depth means the AL West pennant still goes through Anaheim and if your team wants it, they’re going to have to come and get it.

If you’re not fired up about the Angels pitching staff, check your pulse. Better yet – look in the mirror and make sure you’re not wearing an A’s cap.

I know some of you are going to rattle off names like Cliff Lee and Felix Hernandez and then you’ll start to mumble. All I ask is that you do the math. Five solid starters beat two great ones. I know the baseball experts are trying to ignore that equation, but they’re just whistling in the dark. You can’t possibly believe your team has the pitching to beat the Angels, right?

I know right now you might not see it now. After all, it’s spring time. The birds are chirping, the air is cool and crisp and everything seems quiet and peaceful. Well, that’s just the calm before the storm and that storm is definitely coming.

And don’t even get me started on why having Mike Scioscia puts the Angels head and shoulders above everyone else in the west. Don’t make me do some more math and talk about the 900 wins over ten seasons as the manager, which comes to 90 wins a year.

Let’s do this. Let’s get the 2010 season started. I’m ready for that new “Tradition” slogan the Angels are using for this year. I’m thinking the tradition is winning the west, outperforming the projections and proving the experts wrong – again.

Word.

True Grich's All-Decade Team Part 2

Time for the True Grich Angels All-Decade Pitching Squad. Like the previous picks for the position players, these picks are based on the best single season of a pitcher in a given year, as opposed to a comprehensive look at who did what over the last ten years.

Occupying the #5 spot in the All-Decade rotation is a personal favorite of mine and my wife Cheryl’s in Joe Saunders. Saunders was a solid performer in 2008 when he led the team in both wins (17) and had the lowest ERA among the starters (3.41). Saunders was one of three Angel pitchers to be selected to the all-star game that year. Saunders threw his first complete game that year and managed 103 strikes outs. Saunders; who relies on his defense (by pitching to contact), really came into his own as a starter in 2008.

The #4 starter for the decade goes to the pitcher who shares my birthday (April 11) and that would be Kelvim Escobar and his 2007 season. Escobar had his finest season in the majors that year, going 18-7 with a 3.40 ERA. His strikeout to innings pitched ratio was a solid 7.4 (he struck out a total of 160 batters). Escobar also had three complete games, including a shut out. Early in the season, he was among those being discussed as a possible CY Young candidate, but never factored into the voting by season’s end.

Ervin Santana’s 2008 performance gave the Angels reason to sign him to a 4 year, $30 million (with a club option for a fifth year). That year he went 16-7 with a 3.49 ERA and 1.119 WHIP. He also had an impressive 214 strikeouts in 219 innings for an 8.8 strikeouts to innings ratio. He joined Saunders on the all-star team and finished 6th in the CY Young balloting. He threw two complete games, including a shut out. His performance earns him the #3 spot on the True Grich Angels All-Decade squad.

Interesting tidbit about “El Meneo” (Shaker) is that he seems to pitch best in even numbered years. Hopefully, 2010 will be a good one for Santana.

The #2 spot is occupied by an old friend of the Angels in Jarrod Washburn, who’s 2002 season ranks as the second best performance of the decade (in my opinion). Washburn was 18-6 with a 3.15 ERA, 1.175 WHIP, and 139 K’s. Washburn didn’t make the all-star team, but finished 4th in the CY Young voting. He was clearly the ace of the staff during the Angels championship season, even though he went 0-2 in the World Series.

The top dog on the All-Decade squad goes to a player who is now "dead to me." Yes, “you know who” had an amazing 2007 season, going 19-9 with a league leading 3.01 ERA, 179 K’s and two complete game shut outs (both against Seattle). The pitcher, forever to be now known as “Judas” made his first and only all-star performance and finished 3rd in the Cy Young voting.

If I still sound bitter, it’s because I am. Never-the-less - John Lackey (cough) gets the top spot on the True Grich Angels All-Decade Pitching staff.

Jered Weaver did not make the cut, but had a short, but fine 2006 season and a solid 2009 campaign. He just didn’t have the numbers to crack the top five (in my opinion), but could/should dominate in the next decade.

The closer of the decade is between two pitchers who will go down as two of the all-time best for the Angels; Troy Percival and Francisco Rodriguez.

Rodriguez saved an astounding 62 games in 2008. He finished 3rd in the Cy Young Voting, made his third all-star team (at the time), and even finished 6th in the MVP voting. All that being said, I believe his best season was 2006 when he lead the league with 47 saves. In 2006 his ERA was lower (1.73 to 2.24), his strike outs to innings ratio was higher (12.1 to 10.1) and even his WHIP was better (1.096 to 1.309). He also only blew 4 saves in 2006 as opposed to 7 in 2008.

“K-Rod” was known to give Angel fans a roller-coaster ride during his last couple seasons in Anaheim, but he was easily the most successful closer in Angels' history. But the question is - was his 2006 season the best of the decade?

Before we get to that, let’s look at Troy Percival.

Even though “Percy” made the all-star team four times, his best season (in my opinion) came in a year when he didn’t make the mid-summer classic; 2002. That year Percy had a career best (as a closer) 1.92 ERA. He saved 40 of 44 games and averaged nearly 11 K’s per nine innings. He also racked up seven saves in the post season, including the most important one (game 7 of the World Series) in Angels' history.

So, who was better? Who gets the nod on the All-Decade squad?

They both do. Only Percy wins the closer award and K-Rod wins as the best set-up man of the decade.

With apologies to Scot Shields, K-Rod’s 2004 season cemented him as one of the game’s elite relievers. That year he had 12 saves to go along with 27 holds. He averaged an incredible 13.2 K’s per nine innings. Shields has never hit double digits in that category.

K-Rod had a 1.82 ERA which better than any season by Shields and only gave up two homeruns (oh for the good ol’ days) the entire season. He is the True Grich Angels All-Decade Set-up Man.

If you want to make a case for Rodriguez as the Angels’ best closer of the decade, you won’t get much of an argument from me; however, I am picking Troy Percival as the closer and Francisco Rodriguez as the top set up man (remember this is based on a single season performance).

As we close this decade and the all-decade selections, you may have noticed (like my friend and 514 fanatic, Jeffrey did) that I neglected to pick a top DH. For the most part, that role has been a revolving one Mike Scioscia has used to give some of his players rest. I chose not to include it for that reason. Brad Fullmer was purely a DH, but he was average, at best.

My pick of Darin Erstad as the best player of the decade (based on a single season performance) doesn’t really provide us with a true picture of who the best Angel player of the decade was. I chose to do that on purpose, believing my criteria made for a more interesting list.

Had I gone the route of who was best based on statistics alone, the award would have come down to two players. One, who made my all-decade team (Vladimir Guerrero) and one who ironically did not (Garret Anderson).

It probably won’t surprise you to learn that both players drove in more than 100 runs four times during the decade, but it probably will surprise you to know Anderson actually drove in more. He drove in 479 in those four seasons (2000-2003) to Guerrero’s 475 in his four (2004-2007). Anderson was a machine for the first four years of this decade and vastly under-rated. Guerrero was everything that was advertised and highly celebrated.

Who was better? An argument could be made either way. Anderson’s impact was over a much longer period of time (9 seasons) and included a World Series title. Vlad’s six years were very impressive and included an MVP title. If you pushed me to pick one, I’d give the edge to Anderson, simply because of his longevity.

The irony of all this shouldn’t be lost. I guess in some ways it’s a reflection of GA’s career and the perception that surrounded him. Anderson was very much under-appreciated as a member of the Angels, but holds almost every statistical record for the franchise. Some even thought Anderson to be “lazy,” while my friend and fellow 514 Fanatic, Bo simply called him “Mr. Smooth.”

Also ironic (probably only to me) is that I was never a huge Erstad fan and yet he ended up as my Angel of the Decade (again based on specific criteria). In any case, I hope you enjoyed this exercise as much as I enjoyed bringing it to you.

Let's get cookin' in Anaheim

The Hot Stove is upon us (okay, it officially starts when the World Series concludes, but humor me) and here’s what I believe the Angels will cook up this off season. Please keep in mind that I have no inside knowledge what-so-ever. That being said, I do have some thoughts (and no, I didn’t hear anything sitting in a bathroom stall or from a friend’s cousin). As always, my posts come with a personal story or two (for those players I believe won't be back).

Prediction: John Lackey is back. Come on; do you really think an organization that values pitching as much as the Angels do would let Lackey walk? Lackey leaving would send a tsunami through the organization. In my opinion, he’s THAT important. The Angels aren’t the kind of team that goes into a season with significant question marks in their rotation, at least not if they can help it. It’s going to cost them, but this is one investment they’re sure to make. Pitching is often a crap shoot. The list of free agent pitching busts is long and depressing. Jeff Weaver anyone?

The Angels know exactly what they’re getting in Lackey and that familiarity is going to make the decision an easy one. I think John Lackey has a little bit of Chuck Finley in him and one day the Angels will induct Lackey into their Hall of Fame, just like Finley.

Prediction: Vladimir Guerrero is gone. I’m sure he’ll land some place where fans would still pay to see him play; a place where the ball flies out of the park; a place where he can DH. No, I’m not thinking Texas. My guess is he will sign with the White Sox, where he can take over the DH role that Jim Thome once occupied.

Memory: In Vlad’s six years in Anaheim, I had one face to face encounter with him. He did an autograph signing at Elmore Toyota his first year. I arrived several hours early and waiting in a very long line to get him to sign a baseball. It’s my one and only in person experience (although I read on Halos Heaven he’s doing a paid autograph signing at OC Dugout in Anaheim’s Hobby City this weekend).

Prediction: This one hurts, but Chone Figgins will be swiping bags for someone else. Chone is a favorite of mine, but it’s time for Brandon Wood to get his shot and based on the Angels past history, they’re inclined to let players like Figgins walk. The market figures to drive his asking price quite high. He's due for a big pay day and I'm happy for him.

Normally I don’t much stock in the idea that players base their contract decisions on wanting to play close to home, but I think that’s actually the case for Figgy. I see Figgins heading to Atlanta to take over second base (Martin Prado is not the answer) or possibly left field (taking over for free agent Garret Anderson). He will be close to his family in Florida.

Memory: Right after the 2005 season, Chone Figgins did an autograph signing at Infiniti of Mission Viejo. Figgins finished the season with 62 stolen bases to lead the league. Cheryl and I made our way there, hoping to have Figgins sign a miniature base with an inscription that would note his accomplishment. One problem, we didn’t have a base. On our way there, we scrambled around to various locations to find one and didn’t have any luck. We went on to the dealership anyway. The line for Figgins was short and this gave us the idea that I could get in line, get something signed and Cheryl could continue to look for a base.

To make a long story - short, we never did find a base that day – but Chone and his brother (who was with him) kept suggesting places where we might find one. Chone was gracious as always. He even let Cheryl try on his World Series ring! He said, “don’t worry, it’s insured.”

During the off season we finally did find a base and the following Spring Training, we tracked Figgins down. He remembered our story and gladly signed our base with an inscription about his being the stolen base champ.

Prediction: Bobby Abreu is 35. Generally speaking, the days of the Angels handing out big contracts to players past their prime is history; at least I hope so. Never-the-less, Abreu will sign a one year deal with an option year with the Angels. He will get better offers, but this will be the one he takes because the Angels will likely be the best (most likely to win) team in the mix. I also think it’s a distinct possibility that he will simply accept arbitration. Bobby says he loves California and if he can replicate his 2009 season, Angel fans will continue to love Bobby.

Abreu will take over the DH duties next year and Juan Rivera will move to right field. Why you ask? Prediction: Because Jason Bay is going to be an Angel. You heard it here first. Okay, I have no idea if I’m the first or only person to say this, but I do believe he’s coming west. There are two things at play here. First of all, he’s not a Scott Boras client and secondly, he’d like to sign sooner rather than later. Both of these things bode well for the Angels. Perhaps they’re small things to hold on to, but that’s my feeling. Also of note (although less important), Bay is from Vancouver, British Columbia and I’m guessing he’d like to be in this time zone. That will be the icing on the cake for Bay. He’s saying all the right things about leaving his options open for this important financial period in his life, but go with me on this one; Bay will be an Angel.

The easy pick is to say that Boston will do whatever it takes to keep Bay, but I’m not buying it. Boston will focus on Matt Holliday and while the Yankees, Giants, etc. are being held hostage by Scott Boras, the Angels will swoop in and nab Bay.

Prediction: Robb Quinlan has been a dedicated professional during his time in Anaheim, but his days in Anaheim are over. Popular sentiment would probably have going home to Minnesota, but I think he’ll take a job in Seattle.

Memory: We have a couple of 8x10’s that Rob has signed for us. He’s always been very nice and sometimes seems almost surprised that anyone would seek out his autograph. Cheryl always referred to him as “twinkle toes” for the way he ran down the line. I will always remember that swing of his. It was the most unorthodoxed swing I have ever seen, but he managed to carve out a nice career.

Prediction: Who’s cooler than Darren Oliver? No one I tell you and the lefty will be back in Anaheim for one last go around. He was the most consistently good pitcher the Angels had in their bull pen this past season. He’ll accept arbitration and have a nice pay raise.

Prediction: I’m going to miss Kelvim Escobar. Word is he is going to pitch in Winter Ball to show people what he can do. If he’s healthy, I’m sure someone will take a shot at him with an incentive driven contract; I’d just be surprised if it was the Angels. I can’t even fathom a guess as to where he’ll end up, but just for the heck of it I’ll say St. Louis.

Memory: This is one funny dude. In 2007 Cheryl and I visited Safeco Field for an Angel road trip late in the year. Kelvim was warming up before one of the games during batting practice (he wasn’t pitching that day). I yelled out to him “Cy Young!” He looked up, smiled and then gave me the “shhhh” sign by holding his index finger over his lips. It was as if he wanted that kind of talk to be kept on the down low…

This past year when the Angels played San Francisco at AT&T for an interleague series, Kelvim was playing with a heckler. A Giants fan was in the upper deck yelling something and Kelvim kept signaling for the guy to come down and say it to his face. The heckler wouldn’t stop and Kelvim just kept smiling and waving the guy to come down. He never did. When teams were introduced, Kelvim hammed it up by giving us the thumbs up every time the Angels were mentioned and a big thumbs down every time “Giants” was heard. He was always very loose.

He and I share the same birthday, albeit, I’m much older and I’ve told him as much. He seemed to get a kick out of that. Escobar will always be one of my favorites. When he was good, he was very good and he always knew how to have a good time.

A couple of free agent predictions. I think it’s doubtful that the Arizona Diamondbacks exercise the $7 million option they have on Chad Tracy. I think they’ll exercise the $1 million buy out instead and the Angels will sign him as an insurance policy for Brandon Wood. Tracy can play first or third and even a little outfield, if necessary. He’s only 29 and will fill the spot soon to be vacated by Robb Quinlan. His left handed bat will come in handy and he could initially find himself in a platoon situation with Wood.

I also believe the Angels could kick the tires on Tony Pena, the right handed relief pitcher who started this past season in Arizona and ended it with the Chicago White Sox.

There you have it. I’ve now thrown my recipes into the Hot Stove mix. I guess you can cook up just about anything out of thin air these days.