The April 17th, 2012 edition of daily news for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim including Aybar seeking 5 years and $50 million, Trout’s legend grows again, C.J. Wilson doesn’t hold a grudge against the Yankees for not pursuing him in free agency and much more…
The Story: Erick Aybar is seeking a five-year, $50 million extension from the Angels.
The Monkey Says: That strikes me as a bit on the steep side. Howie Kendrick just signed for under $10 million per year and is the better player, though at a position with more depth throughout the league. Compared to other shortstops though, it still seems like Aybar is asking for a bit much, especially when you consider that Jimmy Rollins got an $11 million per year contract this last off-season.
The Monkey Says: I haven’t seen video of the play, but there has to be something else going on for that to happen (like a loafing outfielder). Trout is fast, but no human being should be able to score from first on a routine single. Of course, Trout may not actually be a human being.
The Story: C.J. Wilson does not hold a grudge against the Yankees for not pursuing him in free agency.
The Monkey Says: This is so stupid. Why is this a story? Are we going to ask C.J. if he holds a grudge against the Orioles for not pursuing him? What about the Rays? Or the Pirates?
The Story: The Angels will shop Rich Thompson on the trade market.
The Monkey Says: Good luck with that. Thompson had a solid year last year, but he got rocked in his last outing to the point he got DFA’d. Other teams aren’t going to view that, or his decreased velocity, very well. I do suspect that someone will take a flier on him and pick him up off waivers though, but there is no way anyone is going to trade an asset for Chopper.
The Story: Howie Kendrick has no regrets about signing a discounted extension.
The Monkey Says: It would be pretty gauche of him to admit buyer’s remorse at this point though he would have a good case since the new contracts Ian Kinsler and Brandon Phillips got just months after he signed his deal are almost twice the value.
The Story: The Angel offense is being plagued by a lack of plate discipline.
The Monkey Says: Great stuff. I actually consider this a good sign, believe it or not. The primary culprits in the over-swinging are veterans like Pujols and Hunter who should eventually wise up and get it under control. That may be just be me trying to find a silver lining in all of this though.
The Story: Mike Scioscia is going to continue to mix up the lineup to try and ignite the offense.
The Monkey Says: I think he is right to tinker, but I don’t think is doing the right tinkering yet. He has insisted on letting Erick Aybar leadoff despite his early struggles and the general notion that he isn’t a real leadoff hitter to begin with. And, of course, he continues to show faith in Vernon Wells for some reason while simultaneously keeping Iannetta’s hot bat buried in the eight and nine holes.
The Story: Torii Hunter’s taxes must be a nightmare to do.
The Monkey Says: The same goes for all pro athletes, but still, that just sounds crazy to try and figure out. I’m guessing he didn’t use TurboTax.