Angelblog

The Angels inked Erick Aybar to a one year deal at $5.075 million and they’re still keeping their prospects open for a long term deal.  The shortstop had a nice season for the Angels in 2011 and he finished with a career high 10 home runs and 30 stolen bases.  He also got his strikeouts down and won his first gold glove.

Aybar has been the starting shortstop for the past three seasons and so far, 2009 has probably been his best season but 2011 was a close second.  It’ll be interesting if they can get a longer term deal done because the Angels have a lot of money tied up already.  Still, they seem committed to win and having an Aybar/Kendricks infield looks like who they’re interested in.

Spring training as started for the LA Angels and has come with mixed results as the team started 1-1. The first victory came courtesy of the Florida State University baseball team in which the team beat 8-0, with the win going to pitcher Drew Naylor. The team wasn’t as lucky when they faced there first Major League team the New York Yankees which handed them a 7-3 loss. Yankees Center fielder Curtis Granderson ht a two run homer in the fourth inning to blow the game wide open. Hopefully the Angels can rebound with a Monday game against the Toronto Blue Jays

The Angles have received not so good news at the start of Spring Training as First Baseman Kendra Morales broken leg is not healing as suspected. The big bat of the Cuban slugger which produced 34 home runs and a .569 slugging percentage and a fifth place finish in the AL MVP voting. Missing a cleanup hitter can be detrimental to a lineups production so manager Mike Scocia is entertaining the possibility of him DH at the start of the season and slowly   work his way into the infield. If all goes well and Morales can improve the Angels hope that he can step into the superstar category  of Major Leaugue players during the 2011 season.

The LA Angeles have two goals entering  spring training as do most ball clubs which is to become better and get healthy, but for the Angels this is vital to their offense as Kendray Morales and Eric Aybar battle nagging injuries. These two players seem to be most important to the success of the ball club as when the go down so do the offensive and defensive production of the entire team follows suit. Aybar is especially important to the infield as he continues to attempt to fill the shoes of former Mr. Everything Chone Figgins.  Also infielder Marcel Izturis who will most likely serve as the clubs leadoff man who they hope can stay clear from the DL and ignite the offense.

This is definitely bad news although I guess is could be worse.  Jered Weaver’s forearm is still acting up and it looks like he’s going to start the season on the disabled list.  The good news is, it’s only expected that he’ll miss one start and he could start a minor league game this weekend to begin his tune up.  It’s bad enough that Bartolo Colon is still on the shelf but now we have to contend with our young phenom battling and injury as well.