Getting Back On Track

I'm back.

Actually, I never really went anywhere, I've been here all along.  Without going into too much of the boring details it's not being able to do what I want to do where I want to do it.  This blog is very important to me as I've enjoyed posting my thoughts about my favorite team, but sometimes life just gets in the way.  I didn't start this blog because I thought there was a hole to fill regarding Angels' information and coverage.  There are quite a few great Angels blogs where the writing is better, the amount of coverage is greater, and content is more timely.  I didn't want to fill this site with rehashed information from ESPN, MLB.com, or any of the other site that most people already read.  Most of all I didn't want this site to become a self indulgent outlet for my views on baseball in general, the Angels in specific (I'm not that smart or insightful).  Mainly, I started it as a form a therapy to help me get away from...well, life.

Hopefully the 3 or 4 regular readers of this site are still out there.  So, to get back on track, I'll start slowly with:

Daily Updates:

• As you've probably already heard, Ervin Santana has a sore elbow.  It's the same elbow ligament that is replaced when a play has "Tommy John" surgery, but from everything I've read so far, it's not too bad.  Just bad enough that he needs to take some time off to rest.  This situation reminds me of last spring training when John Lackey went down with an arm injury and missed the first few weeks of the season.  However, this season it doesn't appear the Angels have another pitcher to step up and take his place the way Joe Saunder and Santana himself did last year.  The Angels appear to be relying on Dustin Moseley and Shane Loux to replace the innings of Santana and Garland.  My thoughts are they won't be enough, or that is, they are good enough to pitch effectively the way the Angels are going to need them to pitch.  I believe the club needs to go out and find a better alternative to these pitchers, or at least one of them.  Names that have been thrown out there are Pedro Martinez, Mark Mulder, or revisiting a Jake Peavy deal.  With the exception of Mulder, I think this is a good idea.  If Martinez can be signed for a reasonable salary I believe he'd be a good addition to the staff.
   
• I haven't commented on the signing of Bobby Abreu.  Good signing, great salary.
   
• Is there a trade in the works?  I haven't heard anything, but I'd hope there's something brewing.  The Angels have depth to deal from and a need to fill (starting pitching) especially with the injury to Santana, so the smart money is on a trade happening.  Here's the order of who's available (in my opinion):
  1)  Chone Figgins
  2)  Erick Aybar
  3)  Jeff Mathis (if Napoli's shoulder will allow him to catch)
  4)  Brandon Wood
  5)  Relief pitching, especially those pitchers who are out of options such as Jason Bulger.  Rumor has it that the Padres are interested.
   
• It's still very early into spring training, but the Angels are playing very well.  The team has a record of 10-2 so far.  Brandon Wood is hitting .417 with 2 HR in 24 at-bats, Kendry Morales is also doing well batting .360 in 25 at-bats.  These two players are going to be important to the Angels success in 2009, so this is a good sign.  In 3 games (7 innings), Shane Loux hasn't allowed an earned run and Nick Adenhart has allowed just one run in 5 innings.  It's still way too early to tell with these two, but so far so good, but we're going to have to wait until the regulars start getting more time against them to tell if they'll be effective.