Daily links for the LA Angels including the Angel outfield might be too crowded for Crawford, Francisco Rodriguez making a striking impression, Jeff Mathis is literally the worst hitter ever and much more.
The Monkey Says: It really isn’t that big of a logjam to clear if Abreu is moved to DH. That just means getting rid of Rivera then, which is something the Halos might do even if they don’t end up signing Crawford.
The Story: Rookie Francisco Rodriguez is making a striking impression.
The Monkey Says: Rodriguez has traveled quite the road to become an unexpected surprise this season. He is a little older than most rookies, but hasn’t been pitching all that long, so he could still have plenty more potential to tap into.
The Story: Jeff Mathis is making history backwards.
The Monkey Says: Phenomenal work here. Finally someone demonstrates just how bad a hitter we all know Mathis is. Now if only someone could make sure that Mike Scioscia reads it and we might be finally rid of the scourge that is Jeff Mathis.
The Story: How historic would an Angel pennant push be?
The Monkey Says: Pretty historic, but that doesn’t matter because it isn’t going to happen. Moving on.
The Story: The Angels’ lost identity is tied to their bad baserunning.
The Monkey Says: Baseball Prospectus actually has them ranked as the worst baserunning team in baseball, which is simply shocking given the Angels’ typical prowess on the basepaths. Expect the Halos to remedy that deficiency via some roster moves this off-season.
The Story: The Angels could face a tough decision on Hideki Matsui.
The Monkey Says: No, they won’t. Godzilla getting hot right when the Angels’ have fallen totally out of the race isn’t going to impress them. After having him struggle badly most of the season, there just is no way they are going to bring him back because of one good month.
The Story: Why Rivera at first? Why now?
The Monkey Says: It is an interesting question and one that only Mike Scioscia knows the answer to. Personally, I am a fan of the theory that they want Juan to have more positional flexibility so that he is more attractive on the trade market this off-season.