offseason hysteria

Like many other halo fans, I'm suffering from angels withdrawl.
Unlike many other halo fans, I'm still keeping my sanity.

The hoopla of the offseason is in full swing as I read many outlandish proposals in the halosphere on what the FO should do. The team won 97 games last year, swept the Red Sox and played with plenty of heart to fight NY to six games. This team does not need a major overhaul. REPEAT: This team does not need a major overhaul.

First of all, let me qualify this by saying that I err on the side of caution when it comes to trades and signings. I didn't believe in trading for Halladay in June (still don't) and I shruged at the Abreu signing last offseason. I believe that the key to success is the farm. And the Angels have done a very good job in that respect. They have a very good, young core with a lot of promise, mostly homegrown. Weaver (27), Santana (27), Saunders (28) and Kaz (25!) in the rotation. Aybar (25!), Howie (26), KMo (26), Naps (28) and Mathis (26) in the infield. These guys are going to have more affect on the future success of the team than the signing of Holliday or trading for Granderson. Yes, these guys haven't established themselves like say, Ryan Howard, but if they've all shown flashes of promise. The Angels need to rely on their young talent not trade it away. They need more seasoning, but with this core the Angels' future is very bright.

As far as the Angels' big free agents - I say yes to only Lackey. As with a lot of other Angels fans, I have a soft spot for Vlad and Figgy. Both are true Angels and a big part of the team. Unfortunately, both no longer fit with the team. Vlad does not have an outfield spot and Figgy is too expensive and blocking Brandon Wood. Tough choices, but both necessary. Wood needs his opportunity, period. He's been the perrenial "top prospect" for long enough. We (and he) need to know what he can do on the major league level.

Lackey gets a yes from me, but its a qualified yes and its for atypical reasons. Lackey is not an ace in the sense that King Felix and Greinke are aces. He should not be paid like that kind of ace, at least not from the Angels. I trust that the FO will give him a fair offer, but those that say do what it takes, don't see the big picture. Big John is an ace in the sense that he's the Angels' #1, he acts like it, and he's the veteran presence on a young staff. But like I said above, he is not the key to success, the other guys are. Signing John would give the Angels a fantastic rotation, but his value is more as a mentor to these young guns. If Lackey leaves, I am confident that one of the young guys will step up. Last season Weaver blossomed when the rotation was devoid of veterans. Who's to say that another won't step up his game? My bet is on Kaz. Despite his regular season success as an Angel (abeit against mediocre lineups), fans remember him for his awful postseason outings. They forget that he's still 25 (26 next season), has talent by the boatloads, and has excellent makeup. Oh and that he finally gets a chance to play in front of a lot of great fans. If Lackey really wants to get paid like AJ, the rotation can weather the loss.

The last point that annoys me is the repeated calls to trade Rivera and Fuentes. I'm watching the June 14th game vs. the Padres and Rivera hits 2 HRs (he has a .308 AVG) and makes some good defensive plays. Yes, he struggled in the playoffs. Yes, he has an infuriating tendincy to hit into DPs. And yes, he did not dive for the ball in that September game in Boston. But he is a solid OF that's making reasonable money. Furthermore, he's got some upside and a very good arm. Leave him alone. Fuentes is widely reviled, which is somewhat deserved. He was shaky in his first season with the Angels, and I admit my confidence in him isn't what I'd like it to be. However, its not like his contract doesn't match his production. He got 48 saves last season and was never really considered a dominant closer. Fuentes is merely good and for the fans to think he should be otherwise is delusional. I get it - we've been spoiled by the Angels' history of great closers and bullpens. But Fuentes is who he is. And those dominant closers that everyone wants? Very rare. There are maybe 3? elite closers in the MLB (Mariano, Nathan, Hoffman). And you can bet those closers that are consistantly dominant are paid the big bucks. I'm not saying the 'pen couldn't use some work and that Fuentes could use someone to push him. I'm saying that Fuentes is still useful and a key component of the team.

I get that its hard to imagine sitting pat when the season didn't end in a championship. But knee-jerk reactions are usually bad decisions.

My recommendation for this offseason?
(1) Ignore all the crazies
(2) Trust the youngins
(3) Don't overpay Lackey
(4) Search for reasonable bullpen help (Oliver!)
(5) #1&2 are good enough to be repeated five times over