Comments on: Angels looking at Jermaine Dye, according to report

By: Brian (Fullerton)

Brian (Fullerton) — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 07:05:18 +0000

Angel infielders: Wood, Aybar, Izturis, Kendrick, Brown, Rodriquez… that is six players for three spots. Figgens is more valuable in a trade then he is blocking some of these other players. We need POWER! If it is a trade for Figgens - Dye straight up, are you kidding me? YES YES YES YES. Remember, this is real baseball, not fantasy league.

By: bpsqwerty

bpsqwerty — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 21:55:49 +0000

Figgyblock!

By: sammiller

sammiller — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 21:29:46 +0000

J Kromet — because Figgins blocks one of those young players and Dye wouldn’t.

By: gp

gp — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 21:13:44 +0000

Trade Figgins for Dye. Have you people lost your friggin mind?
First you trade Kotchman for that over priced rental and now this? Wake idiots!

By: J Kromet

J Kromet — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 20:55:47 +0000

I thought the Angels were giving the youngsters a chance to play; players like Kendry, Wood, etc, so why go after an old player like Dye?

By: Mike V.

Mike V. — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 20:40:05 +0000

I think that the Angels should hold on to their chips for now. Why trade for Dye when, as it has already been said, Dunn is practically the same guy and signing him won’t require giving anybody up in exchange. I understand the fact that the Angels do not want Dunn and that it’s going to come down to a trade or nothing (because the Angels will not sign a free agent bat) . . . but why not wait?

I have heard numerous reports that there may be some teams headed to a financial crisis with the way the economy is going. Why not hold out for a better deal? Maybe later in the season a trade can be made with a small market team for a player who happens to make too much money for the owner to be able to afford. We all remember how the Lakers ended up with Gasol right? I know it was different circumstances but the bottom line is that Dye is a temporary solution but a great fit may be looming in the near future.

By: Charles

Charles — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 20:24:48 +0000

If we want another aging has-been for the outfield, why not just re-sign GA.

If the Angels can trade for Konerko, okay. Dye…no way!

By: marty winters

marty winters — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 19:41:52 +0000

Dye is a premium bat and quality locker room presence. He’s Garret Anderson with power. They must have a proven power bat behind Vlad to make the rest of the lineup work. Mathews is a fourth outfielder. Dunn is slow and not the presence the Angels look for. The Angels might jump on Abreu if the price is right and they can land him on a one or two year deal.

By: Tom Smelser

Tom Smelser — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 19:25:33 +0000

Do the Dye deal for Figgins now. A steal. Figgy is done. Now lets get some hitting value for Aybar, and put Izzy at short.
That’s the way to go. We won’t be faster, but we will be a whole lot smarter and more disciplined at the plate.
Now will someone please get us rid of Mickey Hatcher?

By: Stephen C. Smith

Stephen C. Smith — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 19:00:53 +0000

A couple observations …

* Chone Figgins really isn’t the offensive force he once was. His stolen bases have declined every year since 2005. Some of that is due to injury, granted, but he’s gone from 62 to 2005 to 34 in 2008.

His AVG/OBP/SLG in 2008 were .276/.367/.318. His career year was in 2007, when they were .330/.393/.432. His near-total absence of power in 2008 is a major concern. He’s 31, so he’s not going to get any better, and he can be a free agent at season’s end.

We all love Chone, but if we’re looking at cold reality then this may be the time to move him while we can get something of value. He’s versatile, but Sean Rodriguez can play the same positions Chone does, and we have enough depth with Aybar and Izturis, who can also play multiple positions, that versatility isn’t an issue.

* As for Brandon Wood, I suggest everyone check out Mike Schmidt’s early career statistics:

http://www.baseball-reference.com/s/schmimi01.shtml

At age 23, the age Wood was in 2008, Schmidt’s numbers were .196/.324/.373. Schmidt struck out once every 2.7 at-bats. If he did that today for the Angels, people would be screaming that Schmidt was a “bust” and should be traded immediately.

Schmidt struck out a lot in his early years. He also got a lot of walks because the rest of the Phillies were pretty bad so pitchers pitched around him.

Patience is a virtue. The Angels coaches and instructors are not idiots. They know what Wood can and can’t do. In the end, it’s up for Brandon to manifest his potential. There’s no one walking this planet who can “make” a player do that.

So I’d much rather move Figgins for what we can get and put Wood at 3B. The transition might be a bit rough in the short run, but it’s time to make or break with him.

As for leadoff, I’d gladly have Howie Kendrick in that position. He has decent speed and his OBP should be about .350 at least if he can stay healthy. Bat Izturis #2 and I think the rest of the lineup takes care of itself.