It’s Been a Slow Offseason
Brandon Wood could emerge as a very big bat in 2009.
If you’re an Angels fan, there’s no need to tell you just how long this offseason has been. After yet another all-to-quick, first round exit from the playoffs, the Los Angeles Angels parted ways with record-setting closer Francisco Rodriguez, perennial All-Star and big bat Mark Teixeira, long-time favorite Garret Anderson and solid starter Jon Garland. If that’s not enough to make your eyes cross, I don’t know what is.
So as we sit here and analyze every move (or non-move) by Angels’ GM Tony Reagins, it’s easy to understand the frustration, confusion and general fear of most Angels’ fans. After all, the Oakland A’s just added Matt Holliday and Jason Giambi, and the Texas Rangers have a lineup that makes most babies cry… where are all the Angels’ moves?
Calm down, Halos’ faithful. The best is yet to come.
With the probable emergance of young guns like Brandon Wood, Kendry Morales and Mike Napoli (who’s already flashed his incredible power), the Angels are not only poised to compete in and most likely win the weak AL West, but also make a dangerous run into the playoffs. No, I’m not a homer; I just have faith in the kids.
Brandon Wood showed some muscle last September when he was given substantial playing time. Kendry Morales has always shown an ability to hit, but he also showed his ability to hit in the clutch, when he hit a pinch-hit double late in Game 4 of the ALDS. If and when these two guys (and the other young guys) step up and produce solid numbers, the Angels will have a young, talented, cheap and highly productive core that they can build off of for years to come. It all comes down to playing time.
The time came, as GM Reagins and manager Mike Scioscia have said, to part ways with older, declining veterans and give the young kids a chance to shine. That time arrived last October, when the “proven” and “seasoned” players failed to produce. Again.
These guys (Napoli, Wood, Morales, etc.) have nothing left to prove in AAA or off the bench. Nothing. All 3 of these guys could and would be starters on at least 26 other teams in the league, and they probably would’ve been starting for a few years now. Once they gain the necessary experience against MLB pitching, these young players could easily bat 4-5-6 in a lineup that would score more runs and flash more power than any other Angels lineup to date.
That gives me hope for this team, and that is what gets me excited for the fast-approaching 2009 season.
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