Daily Links for the LA Angels including Morales is running out of time, Trumbo to rest his groin for a few days as a precaution, examining how the Angels can make an aging roster younger and much more…
The Story: Morales’ window to start the season on time is nearly shut.
The Monkey Says: Kendrys says he is going to play on Sunday, but the coaching staff is singing a different tune. Mike Scioscia did leave the door open slightly to letting Morales start the season even if he doesn’t play this weekend, but I doubt he would back off that stance. It seems pretty unlikely Kendrys will play this weekend, but I guess all we can really do is sit back and see.
The Story: Mark Trumbo will sit out the next few days as a precaution after tweaking his groin on Wednesday.
The Monkey Says: Clearly the Halos don’t want to take a chance with their Morales back-up plan coming up lame before the season starts. Expect to see guys like Brandon Wood, Bobby Wilson and Howie Kendrick getting some time at first this weekend.
The Story: How can the Angels get younger?
The Monkey Says: This isn’t a pressing question for the present, but it is for the near future. Much of the Angels “core” is over 30, especially on offense. Young free agents don’t often come available, so it seems the Angels are going to have to rely on their upcoming group of minor league talent to start filling some gaps soon. With guys like Mike Trout, Hank Conger, Jean Segura, Alexi Amarista and Kaleb Cowart in the pipeline, there is a lot of premium talent nearing readiness at almost every position, so this team could look much different (and much younger) in a few years time.
The Story: Mike Scioscia’s success extends beyond mere numbers.
The Monkey Says: There is no doubt that Sosh has changed the reputation and culture of the franchise, but he faces a real test this year as the team is in danger of taking some steps backwards for the first real time during his tenure.
The Story: Kevin Jepsen’s road to earning a steady job in the Angel bullpen has been a rough one.
The Monkey Says: A lot of guys hit bumps in the road, so excuse me if I don’t shed a tear for Jepsen, especially since his career has taken off since he accidentally discovered he could throw a cut fastball two years ago.