Hamilton Signs Five-Year Deal With Angels

Josh Hamilton will be hitting home runs for the Los Angeles Angels, rather than against them beginning next season. (Jim Cowsert)

Josh Hamilton has been a brute force in the AL West for the past five seasons. He will continue to be one for at least the next five seasons as well. The only change will be the uniform he is wearing. Hamilton has left the Texas Rangers to sign with their division rivals, the Los Angeles Angeles. The contract is a five-year deal worth $125 million.

According to the Rangers, they never got an opportunity to match the Angels offer. However, they made it clear from the very beginning that re-signing Hamilton wasn't a priority. Now, they will have to pay the price when they face the Angels each season. The answer on how to fill Hamilton's spot in the lineup isn't clear either. Craig Gentry will likely fill in defensively in center field, but doesn't have the bat to make up for Hamiliton's power bat at all. The Rangers will also be in the market for a designated hitter. Adam LaRoche and Nick Swisher are potential free agent options.

The Angels make another huge free agent signing here. Hamilton will now be paired with Pujols to give the Halos a 1-2 punch of former MVPs in the heart of their linuep. Add that to likes of Mike Trout, Mark Trumbo and Kendrys Morales and the Angels have one of the best power lineups in baseball in the short term. Pair that with a solid rotation and they have positioned themselves for a run at the postseason. However, nothing is guaranteed as we found out with last season's Angels.

The other concern for the Angels is the length of these contracts they are giving out. While Pujols and Hamilton have been two of the best hitters in baseball, both have shown signs of declining as they get older. Health concerns are always there with Hamilton as well. He is leaving an evironment he had grown comfortable in. The Angels must work to quickly build trust and integrity between themselves and their new star.

It will be interesting to see how Hamilton does with a change in scenery. It is yet to be seen how much of an impact the slugger will have on the success of the Angels. Also, the reaction of the Rangers is still uncertain as well. We will have to wait and see how this affects the face of baseball over the next several seasons.

2012 MLB Trade Deadline Winners and Losers

The Philadelphia Phillies are one of my losers after treading away both Hunter Pence and Shane Victorino. (Brian Garfinkel and Kirby Lee)

The Major League Baseball trade deadline can have so much of an impact on a franchise. For a team looking to make it into the postseason, it could be adding that missing piece. On the other hand, a team looking to trade away some of their best players, might be looking for the perfect package of prospects in return. Passivity at the trade deadline is an option that can be perfectly fine or quite detrimental. I have sifted through all the trades that occurred before today's trade deadline to determine my three overall winners and losers.

Trade Deadline Winners


Los Angeles Dodgers
I don't think any team was as active at the trade deadline as the Dodgers were. The pitching has been solid all season, so the main focus was on bulking up the offense. Besides Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier, the Dodgers offense had struggled to do much this season. When rumors began to swirl that the Miami Marlins were frustrated with former star infielder Hanley Ramirez, the Dodgers got on the phone. The two sides finally worked out a deal. You can check out my full take on that trade here. Today, the Dodgers managed to acquire another quality veteran bat in center fielder Shane Victorino from the Philadelphia Phillies. While improving their lineup even more, they didn't have to give up much in return. Finally, they bolstered their bullpen with the addition of former Seattle Mariners closer Brandon League. The Los Angles Dodgers made three great moves without giving up either of their top two prospects, Zach Lee and Allen Webster.

Los Angeles Angels
The Dodgers weren't the only ones busy making phone calls in Los Angeles. The Angels were exploring options as well. Their lineup has already been thrust into full throttle by young star Mike Trout. It was the back of the rotation that had to concern the Angels front office. Starting pitching options are always fairly bleak at the trade deadline. Plus, teams are usually looking for an arm and a leg in return. Once Cole Hamels signed a long-term extension with the Phillies, Milwaukee Brewers ace Zack Greinke became the top arm available. The Angels paid the steep price, but got a very good pitcher in return. While I do have some concerns about him pitching in a big market with his anxiety issues, this was the right move for the Angels to make, especially when you consider that their divisional rival Texas Rangers were pushing to get him as well.

Pittsburgh Pirates
I believe the Pirates could be the sneaky big winner here at the trade deadline. The Pirates' first move was to bolster their already solid starting staff. They acquired a familiar opponent in Wandy Rodriguez from the Houston Astros. The move was good because they added a very good pitcher without overpaying. You can read my full analysis of that trade here. The Pirates wanted to add a big bat next. GM Neal Huntington looked to add many different options, but once again didn't want to overpay. Instead, he settled for two smaller hitting additions. The Pirates acquired first baseman Gaby Sanchez from the Miami Marlins. When Sanchez struggled early this year, they designated him for assignment in the minors. He does hit for power though. Each of the past two seasons, Sanchez has hit 19 home runs. He was also an All-Star last season. The Pirates also traded for outfielder Travis Snider from the Toronto Blue Jays. Snider offers similar hitting potential to Sanchez. Finally, the Pirates added reliever Chad Qualls from the New York Yankees to help fill out their bullpen. All in all, the Pirates made a number of great moves, without taking away too much from their bright future in their farm system.

Trade Deadline Losers


Miami Marlins
The Miami Marlins spent tons of money this past offseason. They opened a new stadium with a new team name. The Marlins pledged to their fans that they were going to be contenders and big spenders. They did acquire veteran Carlos Lee from the Astros, but even a third grader could probably tell you that Lee has been in full decline as a hitter. Then, the Marlins let their impatience and frustration with Hanley Ramirez get the better of them. They traded him to the Dodgers when his value was much lower than it should be. As if that weren't enough, the Marlins also dealt Omar Infante and Anibal Sanchez to the Detroit Tigers. So much for being contenders. This team is now somewhere muddled between being contenders and rebuilders.

Philadelphia Phillies
Which of the following is most surprising? A: The Phillies are 11 games under .500 under in August. B: The Phillies are in last place in the NL East. C: The Phillies are 15 1/2 games out of first place. D: The Phillies were big time sellers at the trade deadline. It has to be all of the above. It is hard to believe that the Phillies are having this terrible of a season. When they were first rumored to be sellers at the trade deadline, I couldn't believe it. This team isn't that far removed from being in the World Series. I was even more surprised when they decided to trade both outfielders Hunter Pence and Shane Victorino, two of the team's best hitters. The Phillies are definitely not going to get any better the rest of this season. If they don't make any moves in the offseason, they could be one of the worst teams in baseball next season. I don't really see how what the Phillies did at the trade deadline helped their situation at all.

St. Louis Cardinals
I was looking at the top contenders for the postseason, and most every team made at least one considerably key move, except for the St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals have been stuck in third place in the NL Central for awhile now. The first place Cincinnati Reds are playing great baseball and look like they are going to be difficult to catch. As I already mentioned, the second place Pirates made several key moves. The only move the Cardinals made was to add reliever Edward Mujica from the Marlins. Mujica tends to give up the home run ball and hasn't been at his best this year. The Cardinals weren't good enough to catch the Reds and Pirates before and little has happened to change that now. Unless something unexpected happens, I believe the reigning World Series champion Cardinals are going to miss the playoffs.

Brewers Plan on Trading Ace Zack Greinke

The Milwaukee Brewers have announced that they plan on trading their ace starting pitcher Zack Greinke. (Eric Hartline)

The Milwaukee Brewers brought in starting pitcher Zack Greinke to be their ace for a push for the postseason. Now that they appear to be in rebuilding mode, they plan on trading Greinke to another team for the exact same purpose. With teams looking for the key piece to put them over the top, many scouts have been busy observing and reporting on Greinke's work on the mound.

So far this season, Greinke boasts a 9-3 record with a 3.44 ERA. He has a great strike-to-walk ratio with a 144 strikeouts compared to only 28 walks. With Cole Hamels signing an extension with the Philadelphia Phillies and other pitchers getting injured and pulled off the trading block, Greinke has emerged as the top pitching target likely available.

As I already mentioned, many teams have sent scouts to observe Greinke, but there have been four ball clubs that have emerged as the frontrunners. The first two are the Texas Rangers and Los Angeles Angels. While the rivals battle for the AL West lead, they are both looking for a piece to put them ahead of the other and the charging Oakland Athletics. Even though both the Rangers and Angles are certainly interested, they might be concerned that Greinke is in the last year of his contract.

The third team is the Chicago White Sox. They have been the surprise team in the AL Central. After surprisingly leading the division for much of the season, they have been passed by the division favorite Detroit Tigers. If the White Sox are going to keep pace, they need a difference maker. While a stud pitcher like Greinke could provide just that, they need to consider Greinke's anxiety issues. He prefers to shy away from the spotlight and pressure of pitching in a big city.

The fourth and final team is the Atlanta Braves. The Braves are pursuing the Washington Nationals for the lead in the NL East. With a young rotation, Greinke could provide the consistency that they need. Many believe that Atlanta is the preferred destination by Greinke himself. The Braves concern might be whether or not they have the money to resign him long term.

The Zack Greinke sweepstakes are well underway. Phones are ringing and GMs are losing sleep. With so many contenders looking for that key piece, anything is possible. Pitching always seems to be at a premium at the trade deadline. This year is no exception. With Greinke emerging as the ace of the available pitchers, the asking price will be high. It will be interesting to see which team is able to pull the trigger and bring him into their rotation.

Prospects Harper and Trout Get Called Up

Probably the two best prospects in all of baseball, both received call ups to the majors for Saturday's games. Young phenom Bryce Harper will make his Washington Nationals debut. Harper has been hyped since he was young due largely to exemplary physical abilities, such as very strong power from the plate and a equally strong arm. He skipped his final year of high school and played a year of semi-professional baseball to become eligible for the draft. Harper was selected #1 overall in the 2010 MLB Draft by the Nationals. Despite his only being 19 years old, the Nationals are convinced that the youngster can produce right away. Injuries to their two best hitters, Ryan Zimmerman and Michael Morse, kind of forced the issue of a need for the big bat. That is exactly what they've got in Bruce Harper. Now, we have to see if he is ready for the majors.

The Los Angeles Angels' hitters have struggled throughout the lineup this season. The front office decided something had to be changed. The veterans have been terrible this season, and as a result, the Angels cut veteran outfielder, Bobby Abreu. The open roster spot will be filled by prospect stud Mike Trout. Trout played some in the majors this past season. This season, the 20-year-old was destroying Triple-A ball. Trout was hitting for a .403 batting average and a 1.091 OPS so far this season. The Angles want to be playoff contenders, but for that to happen, they must get this offense on track. Trout has the capability and talent to help make that happen, but it is matter of how soon. If you are an Angels fan, you better be praying that is sooner, rather than later.

A Celebration of Kendrys Morales' Long Recovery to the Majors

A few seasons ago, Kendrys Morales looked like the future face of the Los Angeles Angels. In 2009, he batted .306 with 34 home runs and 108 RBIs. He finished 5th in the MVP voting. Morales was on pace for those numbers again in 2010 until the night of May 29th. Morales went from being the hero, after hitting a game-winning walk-off home run, to being the victim. When he reached home plate surrounded by his teammates, he did what thousands of baseball players before had done, he stomped on home plate.

The tragedy was that when Morales stomped something went wrong, and he fractured his left ankle. The break was pretty bad. The road to recovery was long and painful. Including spring training, the Angels played 322 games during Morales' absence. Today, Morales finally returned to the lineup for his first game against major league opposition. He went 2-3 with two singles.

Morales stated, "I've been two years out now and I'm feeling like I can be ready by Opening Day. I'm going to be really happy if I can." Fans across baseball would be as well. Morales was a great young talent. The injury was a freak one and an unfortunate one at that. Morales is a testimony to perseverance and never giving up. The road to recovery was long, but he endured the pain and trial that came with it. For that, I tip my hat to you, Kendrys Morales.

Who is the Best Hitter in Los Angeles?

Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp has blossomed into one of the best hitters in baseball. However, his reputation as the best hitter in LA is now up for debate, as the crosstown rival Angels added a player who might know a thing or two about hitting. The Angels signed the top free agent hitter on the market, Albert Pujols. Many LA reporters and fans are debating who the best hitter in LA is. I will take a look at both players and tell you what I think.

Matt Kemp does not have the historical numbers to back up his play like Pujols does. What he did have is a much better season last year. Kemp had a .324 average with 39 home runs, 124 RBIs, and 40 stolen bases. Conversely, Pujols hit .299 with 37 home runs, 99 RBIs, and 9 stolen bases. The concern here is that this was Kemp's breakout season. In 2010, he only hit .249 with 28 home runs, 89 RBIs, and 19 stolen bases. Kemp is five years younger than Pujols. It appears that he is entering the prime of his career, which means his numbers should only continue to rise.

Albert Pujols is one of the most consistent hitters in the history of baseball. His continual dominance is what earned him the nickname, The Machine. In Pujols' first ten years of his career, he hit .312 or better, 34 home runs or more, and had at least 103 RBIs. As you can see above, the only season of his career that he hasn't done that was last year. Some people have sighted that as a sign of decline. That seems unlikely, but even if it is true, those are some excellent numbers for a player supposedly in decline. It is true that Pujols will have to adjust to hitting in the tougher American League. He may get pitched around, but that happened in St. Louis too. No matter how good or bad the Cardinals were, Pujols consistently put up amazing numbers season after season. There does not seem to be any reason to think that will stop now.

Matt Kemp is the player on the rise, while Albert Pujols is certainly ageing. However, I cannot get around the consistency I have seen throughout the career of Pujols. Until Kemp shows me that type of consistency, I am not ready to pick him over Pujols. There is such a drastic difference between Kemp's 2010 and 2011 seasons. While I believe the latter is what Kemp's numbers will look like next few seasons, there isn't the same guarantee that a decade of Pujols play gives me. This does not mean that Kemp won't become the better hitter for the duration of their long-term contracts. It just means that right now I have more faith in Pujols.

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