- The Story: Tony Reagins has not ruled out signing a free agent to fill Gary Matthews’ roster spot. The Monkey Says: Terry Evans and Chris Pettit are the leading internal candidates to take over as the team’s fifth outfielder but there are a number of veterans on the market who might be better options. However, it should be noted that Evans is out of options,so if he doesn’t make the big league roster the Angels will either have to waive him or trade him, making him a heavy favorite to win the job.
- The Story: Newly acquired Brian Stokes is stoked to be an Angel. The Monkey Says: Stokes is stoked… get it! Lame. Anyway, Stokes has a chance to win over some fans as he is a local product, although based on his track record, he probably won’t do anything exciting.
- The Story: Matt Palmer will have a hard time making the Angel roster after the Joel Pineiro signing and Brian Stokes acquisition. The Monkey Says: The rotation is now full and Stokes is the de facto favorite to win the last bullpen spot and has no options left, so it seems like a foregone conclusion that Palmer will start the year in Triple-A and wait for an injury to provide him an opportunity to make it back to the majors.
- The Story: A look back at Gary Matthews Junior’s finest moments as an Angel. The Monkey Says: There was supposed to be a companion piece about his worst moments but it ended up being longer than War and Peace.
- The Story: Former Angel reliever Jose Arredondo has signed with the Cincinnati Reds. The Monkey Says: He probably won’t pitch at all in 2010, but it will be interesting to see if Arredondo can bounce back from major arm surgery and become the lights out reliever he once promised to be.
- The Story: The case against Joel Pineiro. The Monkey Says: Great point, Pineiro’s lack of durability is a much overlooked factor in his signing, though it likely explains him only being able to land a two-year deal.
- The Story: The Red Sox and Angels had previously discussed a Mike Lowell-for-GMJ trade. The Monkey Says: Lowell’s thumb problem scared the Angels off, but that sounds like a good deal to me even with the health risk, although it would depend on the money involved in the deal.
- The Story: Is Nolan Ryan a traitor to the Angels after buying the Texas Rangers? The Monkey Says: That seems a bit strong seeing how Ryan spent a lot of his career with the Rangers and is a proud Texan, still his little business transaction won’t curry any favor with Angel fans.
- The Story: A profile of prospect Tyler Kehrer. The Monkey Says: Kehrer has loads of potential but is unrefined, but could be an impact starter or reliever. Definitely someone worth watching.
- The Story: A profile of prospect Chris Pettit. The Monkey Says: The Angels seem high on Pettit, but the prospect gurus see him as a career back-up. It will be interesting to see if they like Pettit enough to clear a spot on the big league roster for him by dealing away either Terry Evans or Reggie Willits.