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#Angels getting OF Shane Victorino from Red Sox for INF Josh Rutledge.
— Alden Gonzalez (@Alden_Gonzalez) July 27, 2015
HOT STOVE! In what could be looked at as a 100% Bill Stoneman-type move, the Angels have acquired Shane "The Flyin' Hawaiian" Victorino and cash considerations from the Red Sox, in exchange for INF Josh Rutledge. The Angels are supposedly looking at Victorino as the fourth OF, but that's not saying much. I suspect he'll get plenty of playing time.
Victorino is a right handed bat, and is only batting .249 this year; two things that sort of back up the idea that this isn't meant to be an all-out Band-Aid. Of course, this is Bill Stoneman we're talking about here, and this type of move is very much his M.O. Victorino also "boasts" an OBP of .324 and an OPS that's not even really worth mentioning. Are the Angels done? As the poet Julian Casablancas once said, is this it?
Update: Thankfully, Bill Shaikin has it on good authority that the Angels are NOT done making moves, as the Victorino pickup didn't really fill the need for a left handed bat.
Source: Angels still looking for LF help beyond Victorino. He's 'part of the solution,' and Angels didn't lose any key assets to get him.
— Bill Shaikin (@BillShaikin) July 27, 2015
Here's the General Manager of an MLB team, talking about Shane Victorino in the year 2015:
More Stoneman: "Once you get an opportunity to get somebody like Victorino, you move on it."
— Alden Gonzalez (@Alden_Gonzalez) July 27, 2015
Oh.