Sunday, January 27, 2008

Top 10

Top 10 Prospects and a little info on the top three.
1. Brandon Wood, ss
2. Nick Adenhart, rhp
3. Hank Conger, c
4. Sean O'Sullivan, rhp
5. Matt Sweeney, 3B
6. Jordan Walden, rhp
7. Nick Green, rhp
8. Chris Pettit, of
9. Peter Bourjos, of
10. Sean Rodriguez, ss

Wood: It's possible that Wood may never live up to his 2005 season, in which he had more than 100 extra-base hits. That doesn't mean he won't be a very productive run producer in the big leagues. He's got a career .528 slugging percentage and managed to make his Major League debut at age 22. At the same time, he made a pretty smooth transition to third base.
Wood still strikes out a lot and headed to Mexico this winter to work on pitch recognition. The real question now is where he'll play. Will it be at third for the Angels, where Chone Figgins is likely to play in '08? Could he move back to shortstop now that Orlando Cabrera is gone, though Erick Aybar appears to be the front-runner there? Or perhaps he'll end up calling another organization home.


Adenhart: One of the most intriguing picks in the 2004 draft, Adenhart has been rewarding the Angels for selecting him in the 14th round of that draft even though he required Tommy John surgery. Now they have one of the top right-handed pitching prospects in the game, one with a three-pitch mix who has played an entire season of Double-A ball and is just 21 years old.
Needless to say, Adenhart is way ahead of the curve despite the elbow surgery he had after being drafted. He'll move up to Triple-A and be knocking on the big-league door all season long. Should the Angels need help or decide to trade from their pitching depth, it shouldn't surprise anyone if Adenhart arrives in Los Angeles next season.


Conger: Conger battled injuries that have slowed his development, suffering a broken hamate bone in his right hand in his pro debut, sapping his power in '07, followed by missing 6 weeks mid-season with a lower back problem, followed by a hamstring injury entering fall ball. Be that as it may, the Angels have themselves a legitimate switch-hitting power threat from the catching position, which is a rare find.Conger despite the injuries, finished 3rd in slugging pct. in the Midwest League, though he didn't have enough at bats to actually qualify due to the time he missed with injuries. An offensive minded catcher, Conger profiles to hit for power in the big leagues from both sides of the plate. Hank makes hard contact to all fields with an aggressive approach at the plate. "Hyun Conger, given his nickname by his Korean grandfather in honor of Hank Aaron, has carried a lofty reputation ever since he swatted 34 home runs and helped pitch his Huntington Beach Little League team to within one victory of the 2000 Little League World Series. Now, he's the top catching prospect.

Friday, January 25, 2008

Santana Bouncing back after bad 07


Resolute to regain a slot in the Angels rotation, Ervin Santana has drawn enthusiastic reviews for his work with Licey in the Dominican Winter League.

On Monday, Santana outdueled ex- teammate Bartolo Colon in a 5-1 victory over Aguilas Cibaenas in the DWL championship series. Pitching five scoreless innings, giving up just four hits and a walk while striking out four, Santana restrained a lineup that included Huston Astro’s shortstop Miguel Tejada, LA Dodgers shortstop Rafael Furcal and Cincinnati Reds third baseman Edwin Encarnacion.

"We've gotten solid reports on him," New Angels General Manager Tony Reagins said of Santana, who is 3-1 with a 2.13 ERA. "His concentration and confidence have been outstanding, and the locations of his fastball, breaking ball and changeup have been great. His last two outings, he didn't give up a run. He's pitching with confidence, and that's exciting to see."

In his short rookie season in 2005 with the Angels pitching for injured starting pitcher Kelvim Escobar, Santana ended the Season with 12 wins. In the 2006 season, he finished with a 16-8 record. After a disappointing start to the 2007 season where he went 5-11 with a 6.22 ERA, lost his rotation spot and he was optioned to triple-A Salt Lake Bees on July 18, 2007. He was recalled by the Angels on August 17, 2007 and regained his spot in the starting rotation. He is expected to compete with Joe Saunders for the fifth slot this spring. Manager Mike Scioscia has expressed confidence that Santana, at 25, can rebound and regain his stature as a frontline pitcher.

Sunday, January 13, 2008

Offseason Week In Review - January 13

Angels notes from the past week.

- Chuck Finley received one vote on the Hall Of Fame ballot in which Goose Gossage was the only player elected. Former Angel Bert Blyleven was 4th with 61.9% of the vote and Lee Smith was 5th with 43.3%. To be elected, a player needs to receive 75% of the vote. Blyleven and Smith will be on the ballot again next year, but Finley will not be since he did not receive at least 5% of the vote.

- Rumor 1: The Angels are rumored to be in trade discussions with the Chicago White Sox for Paul Konerko.

- Rumor 2: The St Louis Cardinals are looking to add another former Angel, Troy Glaus. Rumor has it that the Cards would send Scott Rolen to Toronto for Glaus.

Monday, January 7, 2008

Offseason Week In Review - January 6

All is quiet on the Angels front.