characters of intrigue!

I talked earlier about the questions surrounding the Angels this upcoming season. It's these questions that make this year's Angels team so interesting. Here are who I think are the three most interesting players with question marks, in increasing intrigue:

Scot Shields
Shields remains the last player from the Angels' 2002 glory days. But in the last year of his contract, and after a year spend on the DL, what kind of player will show up this season? Can the Shields of old return with enough dominance to force the FO to retain him? Or will he go the way of Lackey, K-Rod, GA, and Figgy? Is this season his Angels swan song as the Angels continue to transition? A healthy Shields could do wonders for the Angels bullpen, solidify the 8th inning role and allow the second-year players (Jepsen, Bulger) to develop rather than the trial-by-fire they experienced last season.

Ervin Santana
If this list was retroactive, he'd be a perennial attendee. Ervin's career to this point has been defined by inconsistancy. Most fans and media agree that his stuff is electric, but it's what is in his head that's lacking. Two seasons removed from what looked like a corner-turning career year, and three seasons removed from suffering a mental block and demotion to AAA, Ervin is still looking to firmly establish himself. Last season he was robbed of that ability when an elbow injury sapped his velocity and flattened his slider. So this offseason, he skipped winter ball with the intention of staying healthy and being prepared for this coming season. Can this be the season where those previous flashes of brillance translate to continued dominance? This season, the door is equally wide open for him to shine and snatch the team ace role, or tumble into the bottom of the rotation.

Jeff Mathis/Mike Napoli
I know that technically they're two people, but owing to the fact that they apparently are together 24/7, don't begrudge me for grouping them together. In fact, most Angels fans wish that they could combine the platoon buddies - Mathis's defensive skills with Nap's hitting prowlness. The catching position was talked about and rehashed last season, and it remains one of most fascinating situations for the Angels. Last season, Naps opened the door for Mathis with a midseason defensive slump and a more worrying prolonged hitting slump. Mathis didn't do much with the opportunity until the playoffs - and what a playoff performance it was. Can Mathis translate his playoff success (and his arbitration success) into confidence at the plate? Can Naps rebound from a forgettable season in the catcher's box and a depressing September hitting swoon? Is this the season when one of them finally grabs hold of the job before Conger comes and pushes them both out?

(+1: Howie Kendrick
He's the perfect example of the incertain growth of this young core. Can the "future batting champ" finally put it all together? Last season, injuries couldn't be used as an excuse, but Howie still needed to get his head back in Salt Lake. This season, can he snatch back playing time from Izzy, and finally live up to the kool aid the FO has been giving to Halo fans these years?)