With the brutal string of injuries that has plagued Angel pitching throughout most of the current season, it seems surprising that there is such little talk of acquiring a proven arm via trade. The days of turning to “in-house solutions” seem to have passed. With many of their young arms already in the majors and a rash of injuries besetting the club – not to mention the tragic death of promising right-hander Nick Adenhart - the Angels are lucky to have had 30-year-old rookie Matt Palmer step in and do the job that he has (6-1, 4.70 ERA). Beyond Palmer, there seems to not be much left within the organization to turn to.

The current starting rotation is a far cry from the consistency Angel fans have been accustom to in recent years. Ervin Santana (16-7, 3.49 ERA in 2008) hasn’t been right the entire season (1-3, 7.47 ERA in 6 starts in 2009). He is currently on the DL with elbow issues, and while the Angels hope he will regain his 2008 All-Star form, the reality of that happening is growing dimmer with each day on the disabled list and each trip to the doctor’s office. Kelvim Escobar has barely thrown in the big leagues over the past year and a half and with yet another setback in his current attempt at a rejoining the active roster, it looks as though he cannot be counted on this season - either as a starter or in relief. Jose Arredondo, the latest hopeful to recapture his 2008 lightning in a bottle success and help stabilize a reeling bullpen, also recently joined the long list of the Walking-Wounded. Besides Santana and Escobar, that list also includes Scot Shields (out for season) and Dustin Moseley (DL – hip). John Lackey, the long-acknowledged horse of the rotation in Anaheim, is just recently appearing to regain his dominant form after contending with a six-week DL stint to open the season. Jered Weaver has been just short of exceptional, anchoring the staff until at least some of the troops arrive.

With the heat of July and the baseball’s dog days quickly approaching, let the clamoring for a trade begin. Let’s focus in on a name most Halo fans are familiar with: Jarrod Washburn of the Seattle Mariners. Washburn seems to be a perfect fit to bolster the Angels rotation. While his 4-5 record won’t invoke tremendous applause, his 3.22 ERA accompanied with a 1.19 WHIP in the hard-hitting American League definitely should. He has been the unfortunate recipient of some of the worst run support in baseball and still looks to have plenty left in the tank. Washburn is very familiar with manager Mike Scioscia and the Angels’ organization, as well as being extremely familiar with the division, having pitched exclusively in the AL West for the past decade.

One of the most appealing features of a possible Washburn trade would be that the Angels could likely get him at a relatively low cost. With an expiring contract, it would seem Washburn could possibly be had for a low-level prospect and agreeing to take on his salary. That is of course, if Seattle begins to slip a little further out of contention and doesn’t balk at trading within their division.

Alternatives to strengthening the rotation are the much shakier prospects of signing Pedro Martinez or half-season mercenary Paul Byrd (whom the Angels had no qualms releasing a couple seasons ago). The Angels have already said they have no interest in signing Martinez and Byrd would appear to be a severe long shot. More names and possibilities should begin springing up shortly as we enter July and hopefully, the Halos will be looking into them diligently. General Manager Tony Reagins did pull the trigger on the Mark Teixeira deal last year, making the major acquisition that former GM Bill Stoneman appeared reluctant to act on.

Rumblings up the I-5 in Dodgertown have already included Washburn as a possible addition to the Dodgers’ depthless starting rotation. Perhaps it’s time similar rumblings begin to grow louder in Orange County. Acquiring Washburn may seem to be minor in comparison to last summer’s Teixeira blockbuster, but bringing him in at this juncture of need could have a major impact on the Angels’ 2009 season.

By: Blake Warren

Here are his numbers: Avg. (.330) Runs (54) Stolen Bases (23) OPS (.827). So whats the problem? Well, he plays third base, and third requires home runs in the eyes of most fans which is ridiculous. And these numbers don’t include the defensive gems he has given Angels fans all season. He is a rock at the beginning of our lineup. I’m going to make this short and sweet. Go to MLB.com and vote for Chone Figgins to the 2009 All-Star team. Oh, and don’t forget Torii as well.
-Tony C

I know it is only one game, but this could be the beginning of Vlad’s turnaround. Tonight the Angels gave the Rockies their first series loss in a couple of weeks and Vladimir Guerrero went 2 for 5 with a home run and 3 RBI. The shaved head seemed to just have a delayed reaction, but it sure did work tonight.

We still may be lacking starting pitcher, and our relief pitching may not be up to par, but we have our MVP back. As I said last night, it was really only a matter of time. Vlad isn’t a fluke player, he is a potential hall of famer. As we saw with David Ortiz, these older players just need to make a few adjustments and they will be productive again.

This is the first step in a series of holes that need to be filled for the Angels, but it is sure something to be excited about.

-Tony C

As we all know Vladimir Guerrero has not been the Big Daddy Vladdy that we all know and love. However today he decided that was all going to change. At 3:45pm I was driving home from work, listening to The Drive on 830am only to hear Jeff Biggs announce the news of year. Vladimir Guerrero had shaved his head. The dreads are gone. He wasn’t happy with the status quo and was ready to turn his season around.

Unfortunately, Vlad’s shaved head did not turn his season around tonight as he went 0 for 4 with a strikeout. It did however snap the Angels 3 game losing streak and give the Colorado Rockies only their second loss in 19 games.

I was at the game tonight and Vlad seemed to striking the ball hard, but the swings just resulted in ground-outs. He will come around. He may not be the former MVP anymore but he has the will, the talent, and he is mostly healthy. It is only a matter of time before the ball exits the park.

Game Notes:

Sean O’Sullivan made his second solid start in a row and has been exactly what we needed right now.

Juan Rivera hit another home run to continue his great season.

-Tony C

There seems to be something different about the Angels offensively this year. Although the last few nights have been a struggle, the Angels went through a stretch where they were scoring 9 runs a game. They have been putting up runs in bunches much like we saw in 2002. Some would say that the Angels have had some breakout power performances from the likes of Torii Hunter(16HR’s), Juan Rivera(10HR’s), and Kendry Morales(12HR’s). This is true, but I think it is something deeper. A culture change you might say.

Since the Angels lost Tim Salmon, Troy Glaus, David Eckstein, and Darin Erstad they have been known throughout baseball as free swingers, possibly due to the influence of Vladimir Guerrero. This year however the Angels are working counts and getting on base. There on-base-percentage is 12 points higher than it was last year. They are even breeding their minor leagues to take a few pitches which is why we have yet to see Brandon Wood permanently in the Majors.

I attribute the Major League version of this to the resurgence of Chone Figgins, and the addition of Bobby Abreu. Angel fans can be pretty confident that with those two at the top of the order one of them will likely get on base. This season Chone Figgins is sporting a .403 on-base-percentage, and Bobby Abreu’s is at .390. This is something that I have never seen from the Angels. The organizational change is something Mike Scioscia has implemented out of necessity.

With the end of the steroid era, baseball games are going to be won by getting on base, getting over, and getting in. To date the Angels have been missing the former, but things have changed and league will notice come playoff time.

-Tony C

The Dodgers returned the favor this weekend by beating the Angels at home; however, there is still a lot to be hopeful for. Before these two losses the Angels were on a 7 game win streak and have moved to within a half game of the Texas Rangers. Also, the Angels threatened to come back late in each of their losses. This is something we have not seen of the Angels in many years. There is a confidence their as they are always in games. Finally, Ervin Santana and Kelvim Escobar will make appearances this week against the Rockies and Diamond Backs.

Again, there seems to be a toughness within this years Angels. With everything this team has gone through they are still right in the mix. This summer will be very telling as the Angels will face the best of the American League, and although this was a tough weekend, Angels fans have a lot to look forward to.

-Tony C

“Franky who?” That’s what Angels fans are thinking right now.  Halos hurler Brian Fuentes is currently tied with the most saves in the league with 18 despite a 4.43 ERA.

Everyone knew that after a record setting 2008 year, Francisco Rodriguez (1.10ERA 17SV) would go to the highest bidder, much like a talented first baseman who sported an Angels jersey last year (*cough* Mark Teixeira *cough*).  He would record an amazing 62 saves for LAA, despite giving up the most hits in his career (54).  The Angels would be left with a tough decision: go with a talented young pitcher in Jose Arredondo or move set up man Scott Shields into the closing role.  Los Angeles decided to go another route and pick up three-time all-star Brian Fuentes.

The 33-year-old from Merced, California was originally drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the 25th round of the 1995 draft.  He would play 10 games with the Mariners in 2001, leaving the organization with a 4.63 ERA after 10 appearances. He would then be traded to the Colorado Rockies late in December of the same year, where he would go 8-8 with a 4.04 ERA after his first four seasons.  In 163 games, he amassed a total of 4 saves, all coming in the 2003 season.

Fuentes finally got his chance as a closer in 2005 after pitcher Chin-hui Tsao would go down with a season-ending shoulder injury.  In his first full year as a closer, he would record 31 saves with a 2.91 ERA and earn himself a spot on the All-Star team.  Although he wouldn’t see any time in the actual game, Fuentes had made a name for himself, recording 30 saves the next season.  Despite a rough 2007 season (he even lost his closing job to Manny Corpas after several blown saves) he was still selected to the All-Star team for a third straight season.  He regained the closer role in 2008, recording 30 saves with a 2.73 ERA.

Fuentes was signed by the Angels during the offseason, and has now become the fulltime closer.  The great decision by Angels upper management has panned out, as Arredondo (who has been sent down to the minors to work on his stuff) and Shields (who will be out for the remainder of the season due to season-ending surgery) were both struggling in 2009.  Fuentes’ unique throwing style has kept hitters off balance all year, and as a result, is now tied for the most saves in the majors.

A fun little fact off of his wikipedia page mentions that he is one of three fraternal twins.  Fuentes has converted 8 saves in his last 10 appearances, and despite problems with a usually consistent bullpen, Fuentes has anchored the Angels, who are now just 1.5 games out of first place in the NL West.  With a little offensive help and a solid closer, Angel fans confidently say all year: “Franky who?”

By: Kevin H

It’s only happened 20 times before, and for the first time since 2002, brothers will be pitching against each other. Jered Weaver will face his older brother Jeff Weaver for a cross town matchup after Dodger starter Eric Milton was scratched from the lineup due to a strained back muscle. Let’s take a quick look at who may have the slight advantage.

Born in Northridge, California, Jeff headed north for college to and walked on at Fresno State University. He was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in 1998, and became their opening day starter in 2001 and 2002. Weaver was traded to the Yankees during the 2002 season, and finally landed in LA playing for the Dodgers. He tied his career wins his first year with LA (13), and had his most successful season of his career in the 2005 season with the Boys in Blue, finishing 14-11 with a 4.22 ERA. This was the only season he has finished with a winning record.

Jeff made his way over to the Angels, but was sent down to the minors after he struggled with 3-10 record with a 6.29 ERA, which actually freed up a spot for his younger brother Jered. He would later be picked up by the St. Louis Cardinals, where he’d go on to win a World Series.

In 2007, he played with the Mariners and did a year in the minors before he was signed in February by the Dodgers during the 2009 season.  He now has his lowest ERA since his 2002 season in Detroit (3.72), although in 10 starts, he hasn’t gone more than 5 innings.

Jered, who is 5 years younger than his older brother, elected to stay local for college as well, attending Cal State Long Beach. He was the Dick Howser Trophy winner as the national collegiate baseball player of the year in 2004. He also won college baseball highest pitching honor, the Roger Clemens Award. During his senior year, he posted a 15-1 record with a 1.62 ERA, fanning 213 batters while only allowing 21 walks in 144 innings.

Jered was drafted 12th overall in the 2004 draft. Like his brother Jeff, he only spent a short time in the minors before being called up, making his Major League debut late in May 2006. Against the Orioles, he pitched 7 shutout innings with 5 strikeouts. He finished the ‘06 season 11-2 with a 2.56 ERA. 2009 has been, by far, his best season, throwing 3 complete games, including 1 shut out. He’s currently 7-2 on the season with a team leading 2.08 ERA, winning his last 4 contests, compiling 29 strike outs in 30 innings.

Although Jeff may have the team with the better record, Jered has cemented himself as a legitimate pitcher in the majors. Jeff’s short outings and high ERA could yield a big game for the Angels, but the Dodgers have already seen Jered earlier this year, knocking in 1 run but tallying 8 hits in 5 innings. One thing is for certain: we know the Weaver family will be watching…

By: Kevin H

The Angels (35-29) have done some early summer cleaning in California, bringing out the broom twice to sweep the San Diego Padres (29-36) and the San Francisco Giants (34-31). The Halos look to take on the red hot Dodgers (44-23), who still own the best record in baseball despite their 9-6 record in June. Here’s a quick preview of what you can expect:

The Angles took two of the three games at Dodger Stadium late last month, and will try to continue to assert themselves as LA’s team. It looks like it could be another close matchup.

Game to Watch: Saturday 6/20 6:05PM - Jeff Weaver (3-1, 3.72ERA 20K) vs. Jered Weaver (7-2, 2.08ERA 74K)

By: Kevin H.

Many critics have been saying pessimistically that the Angels (35-29) have only been scoring runs because they have been facing the terrible pitchers in the National League West. It is true the Angels have not face the best the San Diego Padres (28-35) and San Francisco Giants (34-31) have to offer, but I still thought it was something to be excited about because they were averaging 9 runs a game during a 5 game winning streak. We haven’t seen this kind of production at all in past years.

Today, the Angels offense proved its critics wrong by scoring 4 runs against the reigning Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum (8in, 3ER 9K). This is not the 9 runs they were averaging, but it was a solid number against arguably the best pitcher in baseball.  Not to mention this was without Vladimir Guerrero, Torii Hunter and Bobby Abreu in the starting line-up.

This offense is for real and is ready to take down the best the National League has to offer, our cross town rivals, the Los Angeles Dodgers (43-22).

Notes:

Brian Fuentes (4.43ERA, 24K) nailed down his 18th save of the season as is starting to lock down the back of the rotation for the Angels.  However, I still think I would be more comfortable with Kelvim Escobar (0-1, 3.60ERA) there.

-Tony C

Sean O’Sullivan made a start tonight out of necessity for Mike Scioscia and the Angels.  At triple A Salt Lake City this year, O’Sullivan had a 6.02 era in 49 innings pitched.  The talent is there, but there was no doubt that he needs some more time in the minors.  The injuries to Ervin Santana (strained elbow muscle) and Kelvim Escobar (right shoulder tendinitis) forced the team to the minor leagues where O’Sullivan was the best choice.

O’Sullivan wins the fifth straight game for the Angels, pitching 7 innings, and allowing one run with five strikeouts.  Yes, it was against the San Francisco Giants (34-30) who don’t score a lot of runs, but they have been hot of late, winning 9 of their last 13 games.  Regardless, it was truly an incredible outing for this young pitcher.

O’Sullivan will likely not be around for the entire season, but he was exactly what the Angels needed right now.  The depth of the Angels farm system proves itself once again.

By:

Tony C

Although the Giants (34-29) gave us a scare, the Angels (33-29) continue to roll as they win their fourth straight against the National League West.  The Angels record against the NL West this year is 6 and 1, which goes to show that the American League is still King regardless of a World Series loss.  The Angels offense, which is averaging 9 runs in the last four games, proves that it will not be the problem this season and in fact should be our strength.  With strong outings from our starting pitching, the production of the offense, and Kelvim Escobar (0-1, 3.60ERA) stabilizing the bullpen, we can look forward to a strong second half.

Player Notes:

Torii Hunter (.319, 16HR 51RBI) hit the wall hard Monday night but the x-rays seem to show only a bone bruise.  He will be out maybe 2 or 3 days, but should be fine.

Ervin Santana (1-3, 7.47ERA) will miss his next start due to some soreness in his elbow.  It seems as though this is purely precautionary and Santana will be back shortly.

Sean Rodriguez (.400, HR RBI) hits his first Major League home run of the season, and may prove to be a nice boost to the bottom of that lineup.

Interesting Matchups:

Matt Palmer (6-0, 4.11ERA) v. Tim Lincecum (6-1, 2.66ERA 103K) on Wednesday

Joe Saunders (7-4, 3.66ERA) v. Chad Billingsley (9-3, 2.72ERA 93K) on Friday

By: Tony C