Thursday Halolinks: Angels add more depth, but no pitching

Nineteen days!  Have a Halolink:

I like these kind of signings, you know, low risk-almost no chance of any reward.  Seriously though, how many third basemen does this club need?  Angels improve depth by adding Chad Tracy - angels.com.  "Tracy has posted a .274/.333/.439 slash line in nine years in the big leagues, with six of those seasons coming for a D-backs organization that previously employed Angels general manager Jerry Dipoto in its front office. With the Nationals the past two years, Tracy hit .230/.286/.374 with seven homers and 25 RBIs in 165 games."  Okay, Tracy might provide some value, but I'm still curious as to why hitters like him instead of pitchers like this: Mariners sign Scott Baker to minor league deal - MLB Daily Dish.  "The Seattle Mariners have agreed to a minor league deal with right-hander Scott Baker, according to a baseball source. The deal includes a major league spring training invite, and will pay Baker $1 million in guaranteed money if he makes the major league roster. It also includes bonus and incentive clauses that could be worth an additional $3.25 million, bringing the total potential value of the contract to $4.25 million."  This seems like a very good signing for the Mariners, and one I'd be ecstatic for the Angels to have completed.

Then I read this...Rick Sutcliffe symbolized sad state of Cardinals in 1994 - RetroSimba.  "Common sense indicated the Cardinals, owned by an increasingly disinterested Anheuser-Busch, were more focused on expense savings than they were in winning championships. "That move showed me they’re not going after somebody who’s in the top of his prime," candid Cardinals pitcher Bob Tewksbury said to the Post-Dispatch after Sutcliffe’s signing. Former Cardinals third baseman Terry Pendleton told the St. Petersburg Times: "They’re saving money. They’re not trying to win anything."  I'm not saying this is what the Halos are doing, but it sure seems weird when looked at in a broader sense that includes the team not getting involved in signing Tanaka.

Angels add surgeons Robert Grumet and Michael F. Shepard to staff - angels.com

Maybe the price will drop if everyone waits just a bit longer: Bronson Arroyo: 'Nobody's thrown me an offer yet' - CBSSports.com.  "With pitchers and catchers due to begin reporting to spring training in a little more than two weeks, free agent right-hander Bronson Arroyo says he has yet to receive an offer."

'Merica!  F-yeah!  Deport Bieber petition succeeds — earns votes for White House response - Washington Times.  "On Wednesday morning, the petition crossed the 100,000 threshold that the White House says guarantees an official response, but it was still going strong late in the day. As of the middle of the afternoon, the petition was drawing signatures at a rate of nearly 10,000 an hour."