money that will be freed up

but Holliday in the AL is not the same Holliday in the NL. Then, if we resign Abreu, like I think we should, where does Holliday play if Vlad is also resigned? Simply put, I don’t think we need to even look at Holliday. Our Abreu-inspired offense is best in the league. I don’t know whether Lackey is coming back, but I also think Reagins and Arte will make a push to keep him, and find another. As for Ollie, I thought he was playing it by year because he wanted to. He’s not done, but he might want to be.

If we resign Figgy, it might not be the first time we have a player win a gold glove and change his position the following year…

I’ve been thinking lately that a lot of teams will want Lackey enough to pay him more than we will. I think that if hes going anywhere that hes going to sign with Texas, for two reasons.

A- Hes from Texas and loves it there. B- Nolan Ryan (President of the Rangers) will likely make a strong push at a guy that can pitch over 120 pitches like Lackey.

However, I don’t think the Angels will let him walk mostly because I think we all hate the idea of the Halos experimenting with both O’Sullivan and Bell in the rotation.

Figgy, on the other hand, probably has a better chance to walk. He’s said before that hes very excited for free agency, which says to me that he wants the biggest paycheck. A LOT of teams are looking for a player like Figgins this off season. He has so much talent in so many areas.

But say we do offer him the biggest paycheck, what does that mean for Wood? It means, obviously, he’s displaced. There is no way we can just make a player of his potential just leapfrog between AAA and the show for yet ANOTHER year.

Sosh has said before that there will be a spot for Wood soon, not eventually, but soon.

Say Figgy walks, then who the hell is going to lead off?

Maybe its possible we could make a trade for a front of the line starter, like we tried before the deadline, including either Aybar or Kendrick so that Wood and Figgy can start, but that’s a BIG uncertainty.

Now, lets talk outfielders. We have GOT to do something about GMJ this off season, he just won’t fit anywhere, which makes nobody happy.

On to Abreu and Vlad. It would be difficult to let the Troll go after all hes done for the offense this year, he has been great. Vlad, however, is tricky because hes just not the 2004 MVP anymore. Although, the Troll might demand

Meanwhile, we have Napoli and Mathis to worry about. We can’t just let Napoli’s bat go waste anymore. Its either catcher or DH and, at this point, its looking like the only way he’s going to get his full season of at-bats is if he DH’s.

If they do make Nap the full time DH, then you can FORGET Vlad or Abreu. It would be one or the other.

Earlier this year, Matt Holliday expressed interest in playing with the Angels, saying he loved the way they play and he loved the area. Since he’s a free agent this year, he may sign on a discount if he really wants to play here. However, earlier this year he didn’t show much talent in the AL west, so that option may be out.

I personally think that the Angels with work something out with Lackey and Abreu and let Figgins and Vlad walk this offseason. But who the hell knows anymore?

I think the front office makes offers to all of them. Fair offers, too. But I don’t think they will get into bidding wars with any of them, primarily due to the fact that the Halos have options.

At that point, it will be up to the player, his agent, and his wife (!) to decide.

My best guess? Figgins and Lackey leave for greener pastures despite Tony’s best efforts. Vlad and Abreu stay, but I have no idea at what amounts/years. I don’t even think Oliver knows what he wants to do; if he continues to play, though, it will be in Anaheim.

Perhaps that would be a nice addition to this post: What would be your best offer to each of these guys to entice them to stay? We’re fans, it’s OK to speculate a little….

I think I heard something earlier this year about him being coaxed to accept his current contract, and isn’t it only a one-year contract?

simpy because I’m a pessimist and they have a shitload of money to throw around. Hope he stays though.

Does Matthews No-Trade clause expire af the end of this season?

If it does, then it makes him a little easier to trade, although we have to get someone to take on the rest of that contract.

he is going to command about $8M – $10M per season, at least.

We’re in hoarding-draftpick mode, and meanwhile winning 100 games a year breaking in a generation of young talent. With that as backdrop (along with the always-important notion that Arte has kept payroll essentially flat when adjusted for inflation for the past five years) my predictions (which look a lot like my preferences!) are:

• We go after Abreu, and lock him up to a 2-year deal, maybe w/ option, for around $10 mil per. Both and the team and the player have expressed multiple times they want this to happen.
• Vladdie gets offered arb, not a new contract, and he accepts arb. Remember, the maximum pay cut is like 80% of last year’s salary. That’s still a big number. Meanwhile, Vladdy’s health is a huge question, so he may be interested in proving he can still play a full season. Also, he likes it here, and wants to stay.
• We go hard after Lackey, but not if it means five guaranteed years. This year has proven you can’t have enough rotation depth, particularly at the front end of it. Lackey is a clubhouse leader, and a helluva pitcher. But five years is too much, and the Yankees might outbid us for four.
• Bye-bye, Figgy. There isn’t a position he plays that we don’t have an answer for, and retaining a guy who has been a great leadoff hitter twice for $50 mil/4 is just too expensive. This is how we keep regenerating the team, by letting our 31-year-olds walk.

The rest of the saved money, I reckon, will be plowed into raises, and buying out arb years, and otherwise locking in our great young talent.

We should save this talk for the offseason, that way we have something to talk about.

GMJ was almost traded before ST for Bronson Arroyo. I know I’ve said it before, and you keep harping on the 4.% ERA, but at least Arroyo has a track record of winning some games. O’Sullivan and Bell have ERA’s higher and no track record. Plus if you trade GMJ for Arroyo you are saving about 4.5 mill on contract, and you at least get a decent end of rotation pitcher.

He seems to be the most outspoken about this ball club…always complaining about how we rarely ever make moves come trade deadline. I just feel like hes gonna want the cash-o-la and his asking price isnt going to be where Ninja and Arte are willing to pay.

Which, for a starter going into his 30’s who has started the last two seasons on the DL, then maybe it is time to move on.

Nothing is more important to the make-up of a team than starting pitching depth. He is without a doubt one of the better pitchers in Angels history and is very reliable. When he does get injured, he does so early in the year as opposed to later and in the postseason.

The angels trade for Halliday resign Figgins Guerrero and Abreu.

We send Bell, O’Sullivan, Matthews and Wood to Toronto for Halladay after his agreeing to a three year extension.