The October 31st, 2011 edition of daily news for the LA Angels including Jerry DiPoto officially introduced as the new Angels general manager, Moreno gives DiPoto ‘complete power’, 2012 payroll will be between $130-140 million and much more…
The Story: Jerry DiPoto was officially named the Angels new general manager and received a five-year contract.
The Monkey Says: Only the first three years are guaranteed though. All in all, the DiPoto hiring is already getting high marks across the baseball world. As I said when I first wrote about the news, Jerry brings a little bit of everything to the table thanks to his varied experience.
The Story: Arte Moreno says that DiPoto has ‘complete power’ in front office decisions.
The Monkey Says: A lot of good quotes came out of DiPoto’s press conference, but this is the big one. Obviously this could just be pure talk, especially since Scioscia later went on to say that he will still be offering his opinions to DiPoto, but a public pronouncement like this definitely should empower him if Scioscia or Moreno try and interfere. Still, that fact that this was such a big topic at the introductory press conference shows how much this has become a concern.
The Story: Arte Moreno wants payroll this season to be between $130 million and $140 million.
The Monkey Says: I had assumed they would stay around $140 million, but the specter of coming down closer to $130 million is a little disheartening. I guess we shouldn’t expect the Halos to be big players in free agency unless they can dump some salary via trade. Although if there is a guy who can do that, it is DiPoto who has a good track record of making creative trades.
The Story: Jerry DiPoto describes his philosophy for building a team.
The Monkey Says: Very interesting stuff, especially since it is so well thought out by Jerry that he actually has a physical book on the subject he carries with him. The emphasis on “count control” likely means we can expect to see him infuse the lineup with more disciplined hitters. He also talks about preferring pitchers that miss bats and/or induce grounders. The Angels pitchers definitely miss bats, but their top three starters are extreme flyball guys, so it will be interesting to see what he does on that front.
The Monkey Says: This is very much an article aimed at building up DiPoto, but reading what he has gone through already in his life and how he talks about it now really leads me to believe that he isn’t the type of guy who is going to come into the GM position and then allow himself to get pushed around by Scioscia and/or Moreno.
The Story: Dan Haren gives the DiPoto hire a thumbs up.
The Monkey Says: Danny didn’t know him that long, so it really doesn’t seem to be a ringing endorsement, but you have to at least appreciate that he harbors no ill-will towards the guy who traded him. Then again, Haren warmly welcomed a trade to Anaheim, so if anything, he owes DiPoto some gratitude.
The Story: Jerry DiPoto fits the profile for the type of executive the Angels were hoping to hire.
The Monkey Says: That is a reference to him having a scouting background and maybe even being a former player. What I will be curious to see though is who DiPoto hires as his staff. Despite their preference for a scouting-type, the Angels interviewed some non-scouting types, which makes me wonder if they will try and pull from that crop to give DiPoto a right-han man/woman who is strong in terms of business and contract dealings. For this reason alone, I hope they find a way to lure Kim Ng to work as an assistant general manager given her outstanding track record in salary arbitration cases.
The Story: Might the Angels be interested in an Alfonso Soriano-Vernon Wells swap.
The Monkey Says: Both players stink and both players are owed big money for three more years, but Soriano is owed $9 million less. Even with those savings, I wouldn’t make the deal. Soriano hasn’t been good for three straight years now, and that is with him playing in the National League in a hitters’ park. Wells was tragic last season, but at least there is some mild hope that he could rebound. Plus, Wells can still play the field well whereas Soriano is a miserable defender. For $3 million per year for three years, I’d rather hold on to Wells and hope he figures it out.
The Story: Several Angels are nominated for the 2011 GIBBY Awards.
The Monkey Says: Yeah, I’ve never heard of them either, but its fun to vote for stuff, right?
The Story: Former Angel utility infielder Ricky Adams lost his battle with cancer on Friday.
The Monkey Says: Adams was 52 and left behind a wife and four children.