Tuesday Halolinks: Mike Trout or Bryce Harper, Ranking the Farm Systems

Sick 6 year-old late-edition Halolinks:

• MLB.com is running through the top prospects at each position (click here for direct link), but the most intriguing ranking is the fight for the top spot in the outfield between Angels' stud Mike Trout and Washington's Bryce Harper: Prospect Watch: Top 10 outfielders - MLB.com. This post picked Trout as #2; "...Yet Trout's lack of prolonged success in the big leagues left some a touch disappointed. It would be a mistake to put too much stock in that, as Trout's ceiling as a game-changer on both sides of the ball is still very, very high." You should probably click the above link just so you can glory in the douchiness of the Bryce Harper picture/video. Obviously, I don't know the kid, nor have I even met him, but geez...he just comes across as such a tool. Which leads to this question...
  
• Would You Rather Have: Trout or Harper? - CBSSports.com. CBS bases their decision, as they should, on baseball skills. But when does personality become a factor? As I wrote above, I've never met either player, but based on their public persona, true or tabloid-generated, how much does Trouts "good-guy" make-up add to his rating as a top prospect over a publicly perceived ass like Harper? Maybe more importantly, should we even care what their personality is? Anyway (spoiler alert), CBS takes Harper, "Our call I'm going Harper. Trout is going to be a stud who visits the All-Star Game perennially while gathering MVP votes, but Harper is going to be better."
• Minor League Ball takes a look at each organization's minor league system and then ranks them. You'll have to read the post as to how they've actually done the ranking, but here's the link: 2012 Baseball Farm System Rankings - Minor League Ball. "18) Los Angeles Angels: Not terrible, there is some depth behind Mike Trout but a lot of questions, too, and most of the tool-heavy bets in recent drafts haven't paid off as well as Trout has. " Although the Halos placed in thelower half of the league, the more troubling point to take away from this ranking is how high the other teams in their division ranked; Texas #3, Seattle #4 and Oakland #10. If the Angels' farmhands don't start panning out, the club is going to have to rely more on free agents and trades to stay competitive in the near future.
  

• Chris Jaffe over at The Hardball Times has an entertaining post about breaking up no-hitters: Ten least-likely guys to break up a no-hitter - The Hardball Times. "Oftentimes, the guy getting the hit is a star, perhaps even a Hall of Famer. More often he’s at least a solid player. Yeah, but then there are other times. There are times the guy isn’t a star or a role player. He’s someone who, well, sucks. Sometimes the player getting the hit is a guy who has no business whatsoever getting the hit. Yet he did anyway." He also has an interesting post about just-retired, and former Angels shortstop Orlando Cabrera: Career highlights: Orlando Cabrera. "This list includes the greatest and most memorable games Cabrera played in, his personal bests (and some worsts), as well as some oddities he was on hand for and great moments by other players that occurred in games in which he participated."
• How awesome does this look?
  
  

  via a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net

  
  
• I wish this guy would just sign somewhere and get it over with: Angels making pitch for reliever Francisco Cordero - latimes.com. "But when asked if the Angels wanted Cordero as a closer or set-up man, Cordero's agent, Bean Stringfellow, said, "That's a delicate situation. I'd rather not comment." Interesting situation if Cordero wants to close and the Halos sign him to be Walden's set-up guy. I'm sure that'll be something that will get figured out prior to putting pen to paper. Within the post, there was also this: "Stringfellow did say that the Angels, who have already added veteran right-hander LaTroy Hawkins to their bullpen, "were one of the first teams to contact me [about Cordero], and we've had regular contact with them throughout the winter -- they've been pretty consistent." Bean Stringfellow. Great name.
  
• We've been hearing about this since the Angels signed Pujols: Angels’ Trumbo ready to attack third-base challenge - The Orange County Register. "Our intention is not to put him out there 120 times next year," Dipoto said. "The introduction to third base — it's not as if we were looking to turn him into an every-day third baseman. That was not the goal. But if Mark can become comfortable enough there to be an option at times along with first base when Albert needs a blow, DH and the corner outfield spots ... it puts Mark in position to make his impact on our roster." I have never heard the term "needs a blow" in this circumstance. Kind of made me feel "funny".
  
• Angels-Rangers. The new Dodgers-Giants: Alden Gonzalez: Rangers, Angels to collide in heated-up rivalry - angels.com. "The Rangers and Angels have competed in the same division for 40 years, and for most of that time, it hasn't exactly reminded anyone of Yankees vs. Red Sox. Following a highly competitive offseason, that has all changed." Screw the Yankees and Red Sox, I want to see Darvish club someone over the head (dammit, Mathis is gone) so Albert can kill him.
  
• Pretty sad whent he guy writing the checks doesn't know what's going on: Ryan: Rangers unsure of Fielder's demands - CBSSports.com. "Hard to say," Ryan said. "Because they've never made a firm proposal to us. They talk in generalities and numbers and other people's contracts, and so you can speculate what it is. One time they're talking eight years, one time they're talking 10 years, one time they're talking about a contract bigger than Ryan Howard's in Philadelphia." This probably goes more towards Boras and his "tactics".
  
• The "Arte Moreno School of Franchise Jump-starts": Astros drop ticket prices, relax food policies in new ‘fan-friendly initiatives' - Ultimate Astros. "We’re taking a look at everything," Crane said when asked about the potential name change. "We’re going to do a study on it. We’re going to study the information, both from our fans and from all sorts of marketing people. I’m not saying we’re going to change. We haven’t made a decision. If the change is going to come, it’s going to come next year."
• The 50 most overrated batters in baseball history - High Heat Stats. "#13 Dante Bichette". Right between Ken Griffey Jr. and Jimmie Foxx. I didn't even know Bichette was "rated".