Despite adding Albert Pujols and C.J. Wilson last winter and enjoying a legendary rookie season from Mike Trout, the Angels will miss the playoffs for the third straight year. Here are a few notes from Anaheim as the Halos are already looking ahead to offseason business…
- Ervin Santana is prepared for the possibility of the Angels declining his 2013 option, reports Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times. "It would be tough to not come back here because I've known my teammates for a long time, and we have a good relationship," Santana said. "At the same time, it might be time to move on and try different things…If that happens, it happens. I'm not worried about it." The Angels are reportedly planning to decline their club options on Santana ($13MM) and Dan Haren ($15.5MM) in order to free up resources for re-signing Zack Greinke.
- Wilson said his struggles in the second half of the season were caused by bone spurs in his elbow, reports Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register. The southpaw said he will undergo minor surgery to repair the problem and doesn't anticipate any issues, noting that he had a similar operation in 2008.
- Both Chris Iannetta and GM Jerry Dipoto tell MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez (Twitter link) that they're interested in Iannetta being an Angel in 2013. Iannetta's $5MM option for 2013 became a mutual option once the catcher was traded from Colorado to Los Angeles last November. The Halos can buy out Iannetta's option for $250K.
- Also from Dipoto (via Gonzalez on Twitter), the Angels will be bringing back their entire coaching staff next season.
- The Vernon Wells trade has been made all the more disappointing by the fact that Mike Napoli has obliterated Angels' pitching since being dealt, writes Fangraphs' Jeff Sullivan. Napoli has 12 homers and a whopping .396/.500/.829 slash line in 134 career plate appearances against his former club.
Robb Logan
Dipoto just resign Hunter, trade Bourjos for an arm (while he has any value at all) and redo the bullpen. The last 3 years that bullpen has cost close to 75 games, it is ugly.