Regardless where he would play for the Angels, I am not sure why there was so much talk about Pat Burrell on this blog Monday.
Sure, he has been a productive middle-of-the-lineup slugger. But Burrell, who was not offered arbitration by the Phillies, also bats right-handed. With the return of Garret Anderson certainly up the air, the Angels need an RBI-producing left-handed bat in their lineup for 2009.
We’re talking about another lefty bat here, besides the one swung by switch-hitting first baseman Mark Teixeira, like Anderson a free agent, or by Tex’s logical replacement, switch-hitting Kendry Morales (pictured, with Mike Napoli).
If the Angels re-sign Teixeira and then put Morales in one of the corner outfield spots, that would also solve the problem.
But if you’re serious about adding a bases-clogging, questionable defender to the Angels lineup, at least propose a lefty slugger such as Adam Dunn, who has much more power and draws more walks than Burrell.
Two different skill sets available belong to veteran lefty hitter Raul Ibanez, not a defensive liability but someone who must be signed to a shorter-term deal, and switch-hitting Milton Bradley, who has been a useful defensive outfielder in the past and wouldn’t clog the bases at all. However, injury prone Bradley spent most of his time with Rangers as their designated hitter last year.
For the record, Dunn was not offered arbitration by the Diamondbacks. Ibanez (Mariners) and Bradley were offered arbitration.
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 Burrell’s bat doesn’t seem to fit AngelsDecember 2nd, 2008, 9:10 am · 3 Comments · posted by Earl Bloom, staff writer3 Comments3 CommentsLeave a Reply |
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No doubt, Earl. Dunn would be better — younger, better, leftier. The question is whether Dunn’s contract would be as reasonable, and whether the Angels could get Dunn. It’s easy for us to think, hey, the Angels should just go sign Player X and trade for player Y, but as you know very well, it’s not nearly so simple. Burrell is an imperfect option who could be a bargain and would definitely be an upgrade over signing nobody.
In the end, it’s all about the contracts. Until we see what these guys sign for, and for how long, it’s practically impossible to judge who the Angels should or should sign. But, hey, it’s fun, huh?
I like Bradley and Ibanez best of all those dubious options. I think Burrell will demand, and get, a longer term deal somewhere else, and Ibanez is 36 and probably is not in that position
Ideally you’d like to replace from within. That is why (presumably) Reagins offered arbitration so freely, something Stoneman rarely did, because the Angels need a load of high drafts and more position-player inventory in their system.
Bradley was indeed great last year. His problem is injury, more than deportment. There’s some good influences in the Angel clubhouse, like Hunter (Sabathia would be, too.) Milton also gives versatility and a lot of energy, if he’s healthy. Hey, go for it.
Kendry Morales hasn’t proven a thing.
I bet Wall Street is about to whiz all over the free agent market. True, many MLB owners have deeper pockets than we can possibly imagine. But it’s also true that the markets have cratered, not dipped. It’ll take a few more weeks to sort out, but my guess is deranged spending on high priced toys (including risky contracts on 30-something ballplayers) will be most un-chic. That, in turn, could change our thinking on guys like Dunn and Burrell and a lot of others who, in other years, would get mega-contracts. I mean, yeah, Sabbathia will get his. Hefty as he is, he’s a top 3 pitcher his prime. But Manny? Might be too many risks for anybody not getting revenue from the new Yankee Stadium. And when you go to the slightly lower (or riskier) tiers, to the Furcals and Ibanezes, long-term, big-money contracts might not be available. The upshot? I wouldn’t be surprised if, come mid-January, a couple of names are still available.