2015 Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim - How bad can it get?

WenZink

New Member
Apr 23, 2010
1,078
The Angels won 98 games in 2014 for the best regular season in the American League.  On July 23rd of this year, they were 54-40, with a two game lead over the upstart Houston Astros.  Since that date, they have gone 11-24 to fall one game under .500 and 7.5 games behind Houston.  They're 3.5 games out of the 2nd wild card spot, just 4 games ahead of OUR Boston Red Sox.  In August, the were outscored 158-86.
 
That isn't even the worst of it.
 
Looking ahead to 2016, the Angels already have $140 million committed to payroll (including $26 mil to Josh Hamilton to play for the Rangers), with no catcher, no 3rd baseman, no shortstop, no 2nd baseman, no left-fielder and no DH.  Not to mention that some of their talented young players (Richards, Santiago, Calhoun) are up for arbitration.  And while Jerry Dipoto did a good job of acquiring young pitching talent and prospects, the Angels farm system has few, if any, position prospects ready to compete for a spot -- Cowart at 3rd, possibly.
 
They have a meddlesome owner in Arte Moreno and a very powerful manager signed through 2018 at $6 million a year, making it a very unattractive opportunity for a top GM candidate..
 
 
The only bright side is that after 2016, The Weaver and CJ Wilson contracts (both of whom get just over $20 mil in '16) are done with.  And they only have to pay Josh Hamilton $26 million not to play for them through 2017.
 
And they have Mike Trout.
 
The Angels may be willing to part with some of their young pitching (Richards, Heaney, Skaggs (coming off of TJ surgery) Santiago, plus Tropeano and Newcomb in the minors) in order to get some positional prospects.  That means that falling prospects, like Marrero or even Cecchini, would have some value, as well as blocked players like Vazquez.  Maybe Holt would have real value, as well.  But forget about moving salary to Anaheim, unless you want even more back in trade.