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Wednesday Halolinks: More depth for Halos, Neyer leaving SB Nation

The Angels added Carlos Pena and Brennan Boesch for depth, but the SB Nation talent pool just got shallower.

By Jim Gardner
Dilip Vishwanat

February 18th is the day everyone is due to report for Spring Training.  In other words...3 weeks from yesterday.  Twenty days.  480 hours, but who's counting?  Halolinks for all:

  • This is a bummer.  Bob...I mean Rob Neyer is leaving SB Nation: There will always be room for Jamie Moyer - Baseball Nation.  "A personal note: This is my last column for SB Nation, at least for a good little while. When I signed up three years ago, I wanted a different kind of adventure and that's what I got. At various points along the way, I was blessed to work every day with Grant Brisbee, Jeff Sullivan, and Al Yellon; their passion and commitment continue to inspire me. My bosses were Tyler Bleszinski and Kevin Lockland, and both treated me better than I probably deserved."  I wonder if the job description includes the requirement to bastardize the Angels' name, or if that was just something Neyer thought up on his own?
  • Although Burnett would be a great addition to the Angels' rotation, his previous unwillingness to leave the east coast, and his salary needs probably mean this is just a daydream for Halo fans.  And the "Set to explore market" is most certainly a bargaining position. A.J. Burnett will pitch in 2014, set to explore market - MLB Daily Dish.  "Burnett, who was 10-11 with a 3.30 ERA in 30 starts for the Pirates last season, instantly joins Santana, Arroyo and Ubaldo Jimenez at the top of the list of available free agent starters. He is likely to land a one-year, high value contract in the near future, further shaking up the slow-moving starting pitching market."
  • The Angels did sign a couple of "pieces" yesterday:
    • Obviously, both players are looking to impress the club during Spring Training to warrant a big-league job, but why the Angels?  What I mean is, aren't there other teams with a greater need for outfield and 1B/DH depth, with a more likely scenario that could lead to a spot on a 25-man roster, than LAA?  Of course, that's assuming there were other teams interested, but if so, what do the Angels have that other teams lack?
  • Hey look, Yoon Suk-min might be heading to the major leagues: [이영미의 핫이슈] 윤석민 ML행, 곧 발표 날 듯!, 최신뉴스, 야구 : 네이버 스포츠.  "윤석민의 메이저리그행을 돕고 있는 에이전트 보라스 코퍼레이션의 한 관계자는 28일 기자와의 전화통화에서 윤석민의 메이저리그 진출을 장담했고, 계약과 관련해 곧 발표를 하게 될 것이라고 밝혔다."
  • Say the Angels had an opening in their front office that Nolan Ryan could be a candidate to fill.  Would you like to see him return, or has he burned that bridge?  Former Texas Rangers CEO Nolan Ryan meets with Houston Astros - ESPN Dallas.  "The former Texas Rangers CEO met with a group of Houston Astros front office personnel on Tuesday at Minute Maid Park that included owner Jim Crane and GM Jeff Luhnow and has to decide whether to join the organization in what he described as a consultant job."
  • I started reading this, but lost interest.  You might find it interesting: What If Mike Trout Had Average Speed? - FanGraphs Baseball. 
  • Keith Law has published his minor league system rankings, and as no surprise, the Angels' system is ranked pretty poorly: Houston Astros top farm system rankings - MLB - ESPN (Insider Req'd).  "29. Los Angeles Angels An awful system after years of lost first-round picks and trades to bulk up the major league team, it improved marginally in 2013 with some new arms, but regression from most of the top position player prospects in the system was a huge disappointment."  Yeah, second-to-last in all of baseball.  But hey, it could be worse, we could be Brewers fans: "30. Milwaukee Brewers There may not be a player in this system who projects as an above-average player in the majors; the best bets are all teenagers who played in low Class A or below in 2013, and none is close to a lock to get there. The system lacks ceiling and it lacks depth beyond reliever candidates and likely fourth outfielders, with nothing in the middle of the diamond and no starting pitching of note."
  • Pitchers protective caps approved by Major League Baseball - ESPN.  "The company says the caps are a little more than a half-inch thicker in the front and an inch thicker on the sides -- near the temples -- than standard caps, and afford protection for frontal impact locations against line drives of up to 90 mph and for side impact locations at up to 85 mph. The soft padding, isoBlox says, is made of "plastic injection molded polymers combined with a foam substrate" and is designed to diffuse energy upon impact through a combination of dispersion and absorption techniques."

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