the big questions

The interesting thing about this upcoming season and this Angels team is the prevalence of uncertainty. Oh, you can count on Scioscia and the winning culture in the organization. But a team in transition, like the Angels, has a lot of questions. Here are what I think are the big three over-arching questions for this season, in increasing importance:

Can the Angels stay healthy?
The Angels' depth has always been a strength these recent years as young prospects Willits, Wood, Rodriguiz were given long stretches of playing time to fill in for injured regulars. Well, that depth is noticably thinner. Can the Angels survive if multiple regulars are confined to the bench?

In the infield, Izzy remains as a fantastic super sub. However, the middle infield list behind him is, well, non-existant. Sean Rodriguiz is a Ray, Wood is expected to be manning third base and the top middle infield prospects played in low-A ball or lower last season. At catcher, Wilson is out of options, so unless he makes the 25-man roster, he will most likely be lost to another team. And for the corner infield, rotation and bullpen, there remains familiar and servicable replacements in AAA, but who among them are clear-cut above replacement level? The outfield is the area of most concern, due to the collective ages of Abreu-Hunter-Rivera (and -Mastui, if you believe in those knees). This is where I wonder if Angels fans will miss having GMJ on the bench. Prospects Evans, Pettit and Bourjous have shown some promise, but are unproven, and Willits has displayed a noticable slide since his magical 2007 campaign.

How much regression will follow?
In the 2009 season, Angels fans got to see two spectacular breakout years, in addition to a few career years. I'm talking about K-Mo, Aybar, Weaver, Torii, and Izzy. What follows career years is usually regression, and as much as the talking heads will cite the offseason losses, the looming threat of regression is a bigger worry. But really, how much regression can we expect? Aybar, Weaver, and K-Mo are young - are those breakout years a one-season-wonder, or are they merely a taste of their tantalizing capabilities? K-Mo, Izzy and Rivera were previously limited by playing time and/or injuries - freed from those constraints, was last season simply their true talent level? And Torii - has the influence of Abreu and the protection of a deep lineup combined to produce the MVP-player we all saw in the first half of last season? Has Pineiro's sinker evolved him into a pitcher on the rise, or will he become just another one of Duncan's retreads?

Can these players build upon their career years, or are these just fanciful delusions of the Angels faithful? Are these Halos players in for a perilous fall, a slight drop, or simply on their way up?

Have the Angels found poise?
At the end of the 2009 season, Steve Bisheff wrote that the Angels were missing poise. This observation was made after the Angels exited the 2008 playoffs, again at the hands of the RedSox, seemingly unable to play their game. It was made after that September game in Boston that prompted Torii to tell the team to "show some nuts." A day earlier, Lackey had called out the defense behind him in another loss to Boston. A day before that, a late inning error resulted in a loss in New York.

It's not unusual for young players to struggle on the big stage, when the lights are the brightest. The question is, have those young Halos matured? In the 2009 playoffs, the Angels exorcised their Red Sox demons only to fall apart in the ALCS against the Yankees. Can they turn the corner this season? Labeled a regular-season-winner-but-a-playoff-bust, the Angels are facing stiffer competition in the revamped AL West. With more meaningful regular season games, which Angels will show up - the regular season juggernaut or the timid playoff imposters? Can renewed regular season competition translate to better playoff performances? Has the young core grown up, or are they still deer-in-the-headlights?

(+1: Can it all alchemically come together for the Angels?
With all the question marks surrounding the Angels, is it possible that all will be answered with an exclaimation point?)