Clips (October 3, 2016)

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1 October 3, 2016 Page 1 of 19 Clips (October 3, 2016)

2 October 3, 2016 Page 2 of 19 FROM THE LA TIMES (Page 3) Today s Clips Contents Angels end season that went sour from the start Mike Trout puts final touches on MVP-caliber season in 8-1 win FROM THE OC REGISTER (Page 6) Mike Trout gets 100 th RBI as Angels close season with 8-1 win Jered Weaver disappointed with the way his Angels season ends FROM ANGELS.COM (Page 10) Trout makes final case in MVP discussion Chacin, Trout lead Angels over Astros in season finale Angels to pick 10 th in 2017 Draft Angels unlikely to make coaching changes FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS (Page 16) Mike Trout hits milestones in Angels 8-1 win over Astros FROM ESPN (Page 18) MLB Rumor Central: Jered Weaves wants to remain an Angel FROM YAHOO! SPORTS (Page 18) The Angels paid C.J. Wilson $20 million and he didn t throw a pitch

3 October 3, 2016 Page 3 of 19 FROM THE LA TIMES Angels end season that went sour from the start Pedro Moura Twenty minutes after midday Sunday at Angel Stadium, his shoulder still throbbing from a 4-day-old fastball, Mike Trout approached the plate and tapped his bat barrel on the home-plate umpire s left leg, as he does before every game s first at-bat. For Sunday s season finale, the retiring Bob Davidson patted Trout on the back in rare response. Trout soon walked, then took off for second base. Entering with 29 home runs and 29 stolen bases, he was pushing for his second season, and he nearly attained it. He swung hard and often, but flew out once and walked a second time before singling to drive in his 100th run in the sixth inning. As soon as he reached first base, he was removed from the game to an ovation. I knew about them, for sure, Trout said of the round numbers. I was definitely thinking about that the whole game. It s always cool to get 30 stolen bases and 100 RBI. The Angels beat Houston, 8-1, but Sunday s trivial pursuit signified the meaninglessness of their season, one sidetracked by injuries, individual struggles and, perhaps, expectations. It seemed like every time we felt like we were settling in, pitching coach Charles Nagy said, something happened. On the second night of the season, left-hander and No. 2 starter Andrew Heaney told Nagy his arm did not feel right. He did not pitch again and will not until One month in, ace right-hander Garrett Richards felt fatigued and an examination uncovered an elbow tear. He did not pitch again. Andrelton Simmons tore his thumb and missed six weeks. Nick Tropeano s elbow and shoulder hurt, and he missed half the season. Matt Shoemaker suffered a brain injury on an unavoidable line drive. Relievers Joe Smith and Huston Street pitched through nagging injuries, never to their previous form. At the trade deadline, General Manager Billy Eppler surprised some players by trading lefthander Hector Santiago in addition to Smith. The exact cause and date of death is difficult to determine in any instance exhibiting several fatal flaws, as the 2016 Angels did. But sometimes stick out, like June 9, when the New York Yankees secured a fourgame sweep to sink the Angels record to Players packed for home without a word in Yankee Stadium s visiting clubhouse. The team that s left, Manager Mike Scioscia maintained that night, is a pretty good team. Not so much. The team that was left won 48 of 102 games, better but nowhere near enough to contend. The true nadir materialized months later in Cleveland. The Angels arrived having lost six consecutive games, and then suffered back-to-back 10-run defeats. The losing streak at a season high, they then lost twice more, heavy rain prolonging each affair. Albert Pujols was angrily ejected from the finale as the franchise succumbed to almost unprecedented depths. The team jetted home through the darkness in quiet, embarrassed and resolute to be better.

4 October 3, 2016 Page 4 of 19 It s no way you want to go about a season, Jered Weaver said that night. They won 25 of the 45 games they played thereafter. We were out of it, obviously, but we finished strong, Trout said. There were a lot of positives when you look at it for next year. About next year: Scioscia said Sunday all his coaches will return in While many around the sport are skeptical, the club intends to compete. Richards availability for the season, to be confirmed this month at Arizona instructional league, will better inform the likelihood of their hopes coming true. We know we need to get better. We re really confident we will get better, Scioscia said. There needs to be some talent added. We all recognize that. But I think the core in there is championship-caliber. In the middle of Sunday s third inning, the Angels' scoreboard congratulated Weaver on reaching 150 career wins last month. It was an unofficial goodbye, because the team does not want to close the door on his return. Most of the announced 28,083 fans arose and applauded. His teammates prodded him. Reluctantly, Weaver emerged from the dugout, tipped his cap, and swiveled his eyes around the ballpark. He may not return next season, and if he does, certainly not at the $20.2-million salary he earned in Left-hander C.J. Wilson, the recipient of $20.5 million, will not be back. Conspicuously absent from the team photo distributed to Sunday s attendees, he did not throw a pitch for the Angels this year. But those two figures represent the vast majority of the salary the Angels will shed. Trout is guaranteed a raise, as is Simmons. Richards, right fielder Kole Calhoun and others eligible for arbitration should receive several million more between them. It s unclear how much the Angels plan to spend. Their owner, Arte Moreno, has not responded to recent requests for an interview with The Times, after repeatedly turning them down dating to February. The front office is amid a revamp. The Angels lost their director of pro scouting and their director of player personnel in recent weeks. They fired their director of amateur scouting in August and replaced him with 33-year-old Texas-based upstart Matt Swanson. He will supervise the research and scouting for the th overall selection that will match the Angels highest draft pick since Historically, players selected 10th have averaged nine Wins Above Replacement for their careers, better than the three preceding slots. It is not the fifth pick the Angels were once on pace for, but it should suffice. San Francisco selected Tim Lincecum and Madison Bumgarner with the 10th pick in consecutive seasons. Until that player arrives in the majors, there is always Trout, who concluded his fifth full season as, again, the best player in baseball. Again, he probably will not win the MVP his statistics warrant. He said he cannot think about that.

5 October 3, 2016 Page 5 of 19 While his teammates filled their boxes to send home for the winter Sunday afternoon, the 25-year-old center fielder and lone star addressed a horde of reporters at his locker. C.J. Cron shouted over to remember to credit his teammates. It is what it is, Trout said of It s been a long season, but it s not where we want to be. We did end on a positive note, though, which is all you can ask for. Mike Trout puts final touches on MVP-caliber season in 8-1 win Associated Press Mike Trout stole his 30th base and drove in his 100th run, and the Los Angeles Angels completed their worst season of the 21st century with an 8-1 victory over the Houston Astros on Sunday. Jhoulys Chacin pitched seven scoreless innings of four-hit ball for the Angels (74-88), who won nine of their final 11 games while finishing just their third losing season in 13 years. Trout wrapped up another MVP-caliber campaign stuck on 29 homers, but he got his milestone stolen base in the first inning and an RBI single in the sixth before leaving to a standing ovation. Despite finishing just two games off the record of last season's playoff team, the Astros (84-78) missed the postseason for the 10th time in 11 years. Houston's Brady Rodgers (0-1) gave up five hits and four runs in his first big league start for his hometown team. The 26-year-old farmhand made his MLB debut last month. Jose Altuve went 1 for 4 with a broken-bat single in the ninth inning, wrapping up his second AL batting title at.338. Carlos Perez had a two-run double during the Angels' four-run second inning, Kole Calhoun added a tworun double in the sixth and Jefry Marte homered in the seventh. Chacin (4-4) finished an inconsistent year with a dominant effort in his first victory since Aug. 21. Trout went 1 for 2 and added two walks to his Angels-record total of 116, tops in the majors. He had his second 100-RBI season. Los Angeles finished fourth in the AL West, failing to finish in the top three for the first time since DAVIDSON'S FAREWELL Before the game, the Angels announced home plate umpire Bob Davidson is retiring after 28 seasons. The 64-year-old Davidson saluted the stands during a warm ovation. Davidson, who broke into the majors in 1982, is perhaps best known for his aggressive balk calls. TRAINER'S ROOM

6 October 3, 2016 Page 6 of 19 Astros: RF George Springer played in every game this season, although his finale was brief: He led off the game with a single and promptly left for a pinch-runner. He is the first Houston player to appear in every game since Carlos Lee in Springer led the majors with 744 plate appearances. Angels: RHP Jered Weaver took a curtain call when he was recognized on the scoreboard. Weaver, who skipped this start with back pain, is a free agent this winter who might not return to the Angels, his only big league team for 11 seasons. FROM OC REGISTER Mike Trout gets 100 th RBI as Angels close season with 8-1 win By JEFF FLETCHER / STAFF WRITER ANAHEIM Give Mike Trout credit for one more quality that isn t in the scouting report. Honesty. Asked after the final game of the Angels season if he was thinking about the home run he needed to get to the aesthetically pleasing round number of 30, he confessed. I was definitely thinking about it the whole game, he said with a smile after the Angels 8-1 victory over the Houston Astros on Sunday. Trout singled and walked twice in four trips to the plate, before being removed, to a standing ovation, for a pinch-runner in the sixth. Besides coming up short of 30 homers, Trout checked every other box on his list in a fifth straight MVPcaliber season. Whether it s an actual MVP season remains to be seen, but more on that later. When the virtual ink had dried on Trout s 2016 season, he had rounded off his stolen base total, with No. 30, and collected his 100th RBI. I knew about em for sure, Trout said, admittedly conscious that he was one short in each category before his final game. It s always cool to get 30 stolen bases and 100 RBIs. Beyond that, Trout finished with a.315 average, a major-league best.441 on-base percentage and a.550 slugging percentage. He led the league with 116 walks an Angels record and 123 runs. Trout and Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz were the only two players in the league to hit at least.300, with an on-base percentage of at least.400 and a slugging percentage of at least.500.

7 October 3, 2016 Page 7 of 19 His.991 OPS was the best of his career and second in the league this season. This guy is like the Energizer Bunny, Manager Mike Scioscia said. He just keeps going and doesn t give in to anything. In most ways, Trout s fifth full season in the majors was the same as the first four, but he did show improvement in several key areas. His average and on-base percentage have now improved two consecutive seasons from 2014, when he did win the MVP, incidentally. His average went from.287 to.299 to.315 and his on-base percentage improved from.377 to.402 to.441. He also cut down his strikeouts for a second straight year, as he vowed to do after whiffing a leaguehigh 184 times in He struck out 158 times last year and 137 this year. Another of Trout s areas of improvement was being more aggressive on the first pitch. He swung at 17.2 percent of first pitches this season, compared to 10.2 last season. He hit.613 with a OPS in the 34 plate appearances when he put the first pitch into play. Also, Trout reached the 30-steal plateau after seeing his numbers decline each season since he stole 49 as a rookie. The numbers went down for a variety of reasons, from his spot in the lineup to pitchers doing a better job holding him to his own reluctance to push the envelope. The question now is whether all of that is good enough to get him his second MVP award. The votes, cast by 30 baseball writers two representing each American League city are due before the first playoff game. The case against Trout amounts to a case against the Angels. Many voters have shown that they interpret valuable to mean being on a contending team, which the Angels obviously were not. To Scioscia, who admitted team performance should be a part of the equation, the Angels failures weren t enough to cost Trout the award. This guy is the MVP, Scioscia said. I don t think there s any question. Trout is used to being in the debate, but not the winner. He s finished second in three of the past four years, not coincidentally the three years the Angels missed the playoffs. No doubt aware that he could be headed for a similar fate when the award is announced in November, he shrugged. I tell myself to be the best player in the league every year, he said. That s my goal I can t think about (the award). Just go in the offseason and see what happens. HONORING WEAVER

8 October 3, 2016 Page 8 of 19 The Angels solved the issue of how to recognize Jered Weaver without saying goodbye to him, because they still could re-sign him. Weaver s last victory was the 150th of his career, on the last trip, so the Angels recognized him between innings for becoming the second Angel ever to reach that milestone. He stood outside the dugout and waved his cap as he got a standing ovation. Weaver was scheduled to start on Sunday, but he was scratched because of a stiff back, which denied him a chance to pitch once more in his 11th and possibly final season with the Angels. ALSO Jhoulys Chacin, who started in Weaver s place, pitched seven scoreless innings. He gave up two earned runs in 24 innings in his last four starts. The Angels finished 74-88, the most losses in Scioscia s 17 seasons. The Angels will pick 10th in the 2017 draft, their highest spot since they also had the 10th pick in the 2000 draft. By being slotted in the top 10, the Angels will not have to forfeit a first-round pick if they sign a free agent who rejects a qualifying offer, under the current system. The collective bargaining agreement expires this winter and that could change. Umpire Bob Davidson worked the plate on Sunday in the final game of his 28-year career. Jered Weaver disappointed with the way his Angels season ends By JEFF FLETCHER / STAFF WRITER ANAHEIM As a pitcher who took pride in his ability to take the ball, Jered Weaver was particularly disappointed in the way his season and possibly his Angels career has come to an end. The day before he was scheduled to start the Angels season finale, Weaver said he couldn t pitch because his stiff back hasn t responded. It hurts me to say I won t be able to make that start tomorrow, Weaver said before Saturday s game. I had a bunch of friends and family coming down. I definitely wanted to make that start, but it s not going to happen. Weaver, who turns 33 on Tuesday, is at the end of his Angels contract, but he says that he s not at the end of his career. Weaver emphatically said he has no plans to retire. My body has been responding, Weaver said. Everything is starting to get where I know it can be. Now that I can have answers to what I need to do, I m excited to start the process of having an offseason to kind of do what I need to do to get back to normal. Weaver s insistence that he can continue to be effective was precisely why he wasn t willing to risk his long-term health for the sake of one more start this season.

9 October 3, 2016 Page 9 of 19 After he came out of Monday s game with tightness in his back, Weaver said he had no concern that he would miss Sunday s start. He had a similar back issue twice before and both times it resolved without much issue. This week, though, it didn t. Weaver threw a bullpen session on Friday and didn t feel right. He said the pain is in the middle of his back. I was still guarding against the area, he said. Moving around is not just a bad thing. It s when I sit down and try to get back up. One false move on the mound might take it to a totally different scenario, so it s not worth pushing it. Weaver said he and Manager Mike Scioscia even discussed the idea of him starting even if he might only be able to throw a few pitches, but they decided the injury risk was too great. I know the fans and everyone would like to see him pitch tomorrow, said Scioscia, who will instead give Jhoulys Chacin the ball. That s tough, but we re not going to put Jered at risk. Whether this marks the end of Weaver s Angels career remains to be seen. Weaver wants to return. This is all I ve known for 11 years, said Weaver, who made his major league debut in The Angels have been an amazing organization to play with for 11 years. I would love to stay here. I don t even know if the Angels want to take a shot at having me back. The club could certainly be interested in bringing him back at some sort of discounted deal, but they also may choose to move forward with younger pitchers. With Garrett Richards now looking more likely as an option for 2017, the Angels have Richards, Matt Shoemaker, Tyler Skaggs and Ricky Nolasco as solid bets for the rotation. Alex Meyer also will get every chance to win a spot, with pitchers like Brett Oberholtzer, Daniel Wright, Nate Smith and Manny Banuelos also in the mix. As for Weaver, he is open to going elsewhere. He said two of his priorities are the chance to start I still picture myself as a starter. and going to a contender. Weaver said he feels he can pitch more than just one more year, encouraged by the results he s seen from the stretching he s added to his regimen over the last year. Despite his career-worst 5.06 ERA this year, Weaver did show an uptick in velocity and until now durability. Over his last four starts he had a 3.04 ERA. There were a lot of people who thought I couldn t really even make it through the season, Weaver said. I didn t pitch my best baseball, but I did pretty good down the stretch and for the most part was able to keep my team in the game. For his career, Weaver is among the Angels all-time leaders in starts (322, second), wins (150, second) and strikeouts (1,598, third).

10 October 3, 2016 Page 10 of 19 There have been very few guys who have taken that mound at Angel Stadium with the same competitive fire as Jered, Scioscia said. That s been fun to watch. NOTES The Angels awarded Matt Shoemaker with the Nick Adenhart Award, given annually to the team s best pitcher. Shoemaker, whose season was ended a month ago when he was hit in the head by a line drive, went 9-13 with a 3.88 ERA. Mike Trout won the team s MVP Scioscia said Trout has been DHing this week because they are trying to ease the wear and tear on his body from a full season in center field. With Albert Pujols shut down because of plantar fasciitis, the DH spot has been available. FROM ANGELS.COM Trout makes final case in MVP discussion Outfielder falls homer shy of first season since 2012 By Austin Laymance / MLB.com ANAHEIM -- For Angels manager Mike Scioscia, there's no doubt in his mind that Mike Trout deserves to be recognized as the American League's Most Valuable Player. "This guy is the MVP," Scioscia said after his team wrapped up the 2016 season with an 8-1 win over the Astros. "I don't think there's any question. I don't know of anybody that has done as much as he's done on the field." Trout put the final touches on another outstanding season with his 100th RBI and 30th stolen base. He finished the year with a.315 average and.550 slugging percentage, to go along with 29 home runs, 32 doubles, five triples and 173 hits overall. Trout led the Majors with 123 runs, 116 walks and a.441 on-base percentage. He walked twice on Sunday and his season total is an Angels franchise record. Trout's.991 OPS tied for the best of his career and ranked second in the big leagues. So how does Trout feel about the MVP talk? The votes will be cast by 30 baseball writers before the first postseason game. "Season's over, and obviously we'll find out in a few months," Trout said. "I prepared myself coming into spring and have a good year, and it's what it is. A lot of guys are asking me about it. I can't think about that. Just go in the offseason and see what happens."

11 October 3, 2016 Page 11 of 19 Trout reached the 100-RBI mark for the second time in the last three years with a single to right in the sixth to score Nick Buss. Trout was then removed for a pinch-runner and walked off the field to a standing ovation. In the first inning, Trout walked and then stole second base. He's the first player in baseball history with three seasons of 25 homers and 30 steals before his age-25 season. Scioscia compared Trout to the Energizer Bunny. "He just keeps going," Scioscia said. "He doesn't give in to anything.... Mike is no doubt in my mind the MVP." Unfortunately, Trout fell one homer shy of the first 30-homer, 30-steal season since he and Ryan Braun did so in A home run would have made Trout the first Angels player to pair 100 RBIs with a season. "I was definitely thinking about it the whole game," Trout said of needing another homer. Trout's 30 steals are his most since '13, when he swiped 33 bases. He was caught stealing seven times for an 81 percent success rate. Trout's career high for steals is 49 in '12, his second year in the Majors. He had 33 stolen bases in '13 but missed by three homers. Then, though he hit 36 homers in '14 and 41 in '15, his stolen-base totals dipped to 16 and 11, respectively. Trout said stealing more bases was his most satisfying statistic this year. "They were definitely up," Trout said. "I wanted to come in and steal 30, steal more than 30, and I got to 30." In addition to his gaudy offensive numbers, Trout played his usual great defense at a premier position in center field and recorded eight outfield assists. So what's next for Trout as he heads back to New Jersey for the offseason? "I just got my puppy," Trout said, "so pretty happy about that." Chacin, Trout lead Angels over Astros in season finale By Austin Laymance and Brian McTaggart / MLB.com ANAHEIM -- The Angels enter the offseason wondering what could have been had their pitching staff not been decimated by injuries. The Astros head into the winter knowing they played well enough to contend until the final week of the season but just didn't do enough to get into the postseason.

12 October 3, 2016 Page 12 of 19 The 2016 season came to a close for both teams on Sunday afternoon at Angel Stadium, where the Angels prevailed, 8-1, to win a three-game series. The Astros took the season series, 13-6, and finished after winning the second American League Wild Card last year. "I like the fact that 84 wins is not good enough in our minds," Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. "We changed the culture a little bit as to what the expectations are. We tasted the postseason last year and came close this year. We have a lot to work on. We had a successful season by some standards and by other standards not." Mike Trout collected his 100th RBI and reached 30 stolen bases for the third time in the last five years with the Angels, while Astros second baseman Jose Altuve sealed his second American League batting title. "Yeah, but still we didn't make the playoffs," Altuve said. "We were in it until Game 160. It was a good season, a winning season. It didn't end the way we wanted to, but like I said, we're going to come back next year, and we're going to make the playoffs and go far." The Angels won each of their final three series and were over their final 45 games. "Obviously, we were out of it, but we finished strong," Trout said. "There was a lot of positives we can look in for next year. Seemed like every other week we had a guy go down in our lineup or our pitching staff. It took a big hit. We played it good the last few months." Angels starter Jhoulys Chacin fired seven shutout innings to fill in for Jered Weaver, who was unable to start because of back tightness. Chacin scattered four hits and struck out seven with one walk. The Angels scored four runs in the second inning off Brady Rodgers, who made his first big league start. The Halos later tacked on four runs against the Astros' bullpen. Jefry Marte smacked a leadoff homer in the seventh, his 15th homer in 88 games in his first season with the Angels. Marte went deep in three of the final five games. The solo shot traveled a projected 411 feet and had a 101 mph exit velocity, according to Statcast. Teoscar Hernandez drove in the only run for the Astros with a sac fly to score Colin Moran in the eighth. MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Trout pads stats: Trout walked in the first inning and stole second base to reach 30 steals for the third time in his last five seasons. He's the first player in Major League history with three years of 25 home runs and 30 steals before his age-25 season. Trout finished one home run shy of becoming the Angels' first player to pair 100 RBIs with a 30-homer, 30-steal season. Trout walked twice on Sunday to increase his franchise record for a single season to 116. Following his 100th RBI, Trout was removed for a pinch-runner and came off the field to a standing ovation in the sixth inning. "I knew about them, for sure," Trout said of his stats. "But that's always cool to get 30 stolen bases and obviously 100 RBIs."

13 October 3, 2016 Page 13 of 19 Altuve wins batting title: Altuve talked his way into the lineup on the final day of the season despite an 18-point lead over Mookie Betts and Dustin Pedroia of the Red Sox in the race for the AL batting crown. His teammates toasted him on Saturday, so there was no drama like there was two years ago when he captured the batting title on the final day. Altuve singled in the ninth to finish with a.338 average and a Major League-high 216 hits. "Every time you do something like that, that means you're doing it in a good way," Altuve said. "It means you're doing something good for the team. It's always good to win a batting title and lead the league in hits. It's great, and like I said, my teammates encourage me to play hard every day." Weaver honored: Weaver, a free agent after the season, was honored in the middle of the third inning for reaching 150 career wins this year. He came out of the dugout and tipped his hat during a standing ovation. "Jered has been such a huge part of what we've done over the last 10 seasons, and hopefully there's more," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "But just to reflect on what he's done, I think it is a special moment, a great moment for Jered and his family. I know although he doesn't want to be out in the limelight, I know he appreciated the way the fans wrapped their arms around him. There aren't too many guys who have taken that mound with his competitive nature. It's inspiring. Hopefully, he will keep going with it." Springer makes quick exit in 162: Astros outfielder George Springer led off the game with an infield single and was replaced by a pinch-hitter. That means Springer played in all 162 games this year, becoming the first Astros player to do that since Carlos Lee in He has played in a Major Leagueleading 187 consecutive games and finished the season with 744 plate appearances, which tied for second in franchise history. QUOTABLE "All in all, he can hit in his sleep. He can do so many thing things with the bat, and he showed it all year." -- Hinch on Altuve "This guy is the MVP. I don't think there's any question. I don't know of anybody that has done as much as he's done on the field." -- Scioscia on Trout SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS The Angels went 0-4 in extra-innings games, becoming only the second team since 1913 to go an entire season without an extra-inning win (1969 Expos). Angels to pick 10 th in 2017 Draft Reds, Padres, Rays and Braves follow Minnesota in top five By Jonathan Mayo / MLB.com After a 2015 season that exceeded expectations, the Minnesota Twins were hoping to compete for the postseason in Things couldn't have gone further awry for the Twins, as they finished in the cellar of the American League Central, leading to general manager Terry Ryan being relieved of his duties.

14 October 3, 2016 Page 14 of 19 The silver lining for the Twins, of course, is that by finishing with the worst record in baseball, they'll have the No. 1 pick in the 2017 Draft. Minnesota has had the top pick in the Draft twice previously. The last time was in 2001, when they took a high school catcher from their own backyard by the name of Joe Mauer. Back in 1983, the Twins took Tim Belcher with the first pick, but he didn't sign. Last June, the Phillies had the top spot and took California high school outfielder Mickey Moniak. He signed for $6.1 million, almost $3 million below the value assigned to the No. 1 pick. They were able to use the money saved there to be more aggressive later in the Draft. While Draft rules will have to be accepted when Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association collectively bargain a new agreement, it stands to reason that not too much will change in terms of value for the top spot. Should things remain the same, the Twins will receive a pick value north of $9 million for the top overall pick and be able to play the Draft similarly to how the Phillies did in Who will be making those decisions remains to be seen. The Twins named Indians assistant general manager Derek Falvey their new head of baseball operations, and the 33-year-old could bring an entirely different approach to the Draft, not to mention new personnel in the scouting department, should he so choose. It's far too early to name a front-runner for the top of the Draft, and if the last couple of Drafts have been any indication, a clear choice for No. 1 might not appear until very late, if at all, in the game. Hunter Greene, out of Notre Dame High School (Sherman Oaks, Calif.), is likely at the top of most boards right now. A shortstop and a pitcher, there is some debate over where he has more potential. Keep in mind a high school right-handed pitcher has never been taken No. 1 overall. The top college position player is Vanderbilt outfielder Jeren Kendall. Florida right-hander Alex Faedo is thought to be the top college arm, while Jordon Adell, an outfielder from Ballard High in Louisville, Kentucky, might be the top prep hitter at this juncture. After the Twins, the next four selections go to the Reds, Padres, Rays and Braves. The Reds and Braves are the only teams in the top five who picked that high last June. The Phillies are still in the top 10, picking at No. 8 overall. First-round Draft order for 2017 Draft order is based on the reverse order of the 2016 regular-season standings, with 2015 records used to break ties. It is subject to change, depending on on how free-agent compensation rules are spelled out in the upcoming Collective Bargaining Agreement. 1. Twins (59-103,.364) 2. Reds (68-94,.420) 3. Padres (68-94,.420) 4. Rays (68-94,.420) 5. Braves (68-93,.422) 6. A's (69-93,.426) 7. D-backs (69-93,.426) 8. Phillies (71-91,.438)

15 October 3, 2016 Page 15 of Brewers (73-89,.451) 10. Angels (74-88,.457) 11. Rockies (75-87,.463) 12. White Sox (78-84,.481) 13. Pirates (78-83,.484) 14. Marlins (79-82,.491) 15. Royals (81-81,.500) 16. Astros (84-78,.519) 17. Yankees (84-78,.519) 18. Mariners (86-76,.531) 19. Cardinals (86-76,.531) 20. Tigers (86-75,.534) 21. Giants (87-75,.537) 22. Mets (87-75,.537) 23. Orioles (89-73,.549) 24. Blue Jays (89-73,.549) 25. Dodgers (91-71,.562) 26. Red Sox (93-69,.574) 27. Indians (94-67,.584) 28. Nationals (95-67,.586) 29. Rangers (95-67,.586) 30. Cubs (103-58,.640) Angels unlikely to make coaching changes By Austin Laymance / MLB.com ANAHEIM -- Angels manager Mike Scioscia does not foresee any changes to the coaching staff moving forward, based off his discussions with general manager Billy Eppler. "Nothing has been announced, but I'm not anticipating any changes from talking with Billy," Scioscia said before Sunday's season finale against the Astros. The Angels have eight of 11 coaches in their first full seasons in their current roles. That list includes: David Hansen (hitting coach), Paul Sorrento (assistant hitting coach), Charles Nagy (pitching coach), Gary DiSarcina (first-base coach), Ron Roenicke (third-base coach), Alfredo Griffin (infield coach), Scott Radinsky (bullpen coach) and Steve Soliz (catching and information coach). Hansen, Sorrento, DiSarcina, Griffin and Sorrento have all been with the team for consecutive years, but they switched roles this season. Dino Ebel is in his third year as bench coach and Thomas Gregorio has been the bullpen catcher for six seasons. "Everyone on our staff is different as far as how they go about doing their job," said Scioscia, who expects to return for an 18th season as manager in 2017.

16 October 3, 2016 Page 16 of 19 Scioscia was asked specifically about Nagy. He replaced Mike Butcher, who served as Angels pitching coach from "I think that they did a really good job, both Charlie and Scott, of maintaining our pitching staff where it needed to be," Scioscia said. "I think with a lot of the turmoil that happened in our rotation, I think that Charlie did a really good job with having these guys ready and having game plans ready. We know what we need to improve on, but he did a terrific job." FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Mike Trout hits milestones in Angels 8-1 win over Astros ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Mike Trout took slight comfort in reaching a couple statistical milestones on the final day of the Los Angeles Angels' worst season of the 21st century. He's determined to make sure next October means a whole lot more. Trout stole his 30th base and drove in his 100th run, and the Angels wrapped up just their third losing season in 13 years with an 8-1 victory over the Houston Astros on Sunday. "I knew about them for sure, and it's always cool to get 30 stolen bases," Trout said. "It's not where we want to be, but it's good to end it on a positive note." Jhoulys Chacin pitched seven scoreless innings of four-hit ball for the Angels (74-88), who won nine of their final 11 games and still finished 12th in the 15-team AL. "We finished strong," said Trout, who completed his second 100-RBI season. "There's a lot of positive things we can take away from this year. It seemed like every other week, our lineup or our pitching staff took a big hit, but we played good for the last few weeks." Trout concluded another MVP-caliber campaign stuck on 29 homers, but he got his stolen base in the first inning and an RBI single in the sixth before leaving to a standing ovation. Trout went 1 for 2 and added two walks to his Angels-record total of 116, tops in the majors. "This guy is the MVP," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "I don't think there's any question." Los Angeles finished fourth in the AL West, failing to finish in the top three for the first time since The Astros (84-78) missed the postseason for the 10th time in 11 years, though they won only two fewer games than last season's playoff team.

17 October 3, 2016 Page 17 of 19 Houston's Brady Rodgers (0-1) gave up five hits and four runs in his first big league start for his hometown team. The 26-year-old farmhand, who made his MLB debut last month, relished the chance to face Trout. "It was pretty cool, a pretty special moment that I'll always remember," Rodgers said. "Hopefully we have a lot of battles in our future. I'm definitely looking forward to the competition between him and I." Jose Altuve went 1 for 4 with a broken-bat single in the ninth inning, ensuring his second AL batting title at.338. "It's nice for him to end on a high note," Houston manager A.J. Hinch said of Altuve. "The bat breaking is probably not his favorite. He loves his bats. But what a sensational season for him." Carlos Perez had a two-run double during the Angels' four-run second inning, Kole Calhoun added a tworun double in the sixth and Jefry Marte homered in the seventh. NO EXTRAS The Angels became the second team since 1913 to play an entire season without an extra-inning win. Only the 1969 Montreal Expos have done it in that stretch. Los Angeles played only four extra-inning games, the second-fewest since 1913 behind the 1936 St. Louis Browns (3). JHO'S SURGE Chacin (4-4), a midseason acquisition, finished an inconsistent year with a dominant effort in his first victory since Aug. 21. He improved to 4-2 with a 3.37 ERA in his career at Angel Stadium. DAVIDSON'S FAREWELL Before the game, the Angels announced home plate umpire Bob Davidson is retiring after 28 seasons. The 64-year-old Davidson saluted the stands during a warm ovation. Davidson, who broke into the majors in 1982, is perhaps best known for his aggressive balk calls. TRAINER'S ROOM Astros: RF George Springer played in every game this season, although his finale was brief: He led off the game with a single and promptly left for a pinch-runner. He is the first Houston player to appear in every game since Carlos Lee in Springer led the majors with 744 plate appearances. Angels: RHP Jered Weaver took a curtain call when he was recognized on the scoreboard. Weaver, who skipped this start with back pain, is a free agent this winter who might not return to the Angels, his only big league team for 11 seasons. "Hopefully there's more," Scioscia said.

18 October 3, 2016 Page 18 of 19 FROM ESPN MLB Rumor Central: Jered Weaves wants to remain an Angel Has Jered Weaver thrown his last pitch for the Los Angeles Angels? Weaver, who turns 34 on Tuesday, has reached the end of his five-year, $85 million contract but would like to remain with the only organization he has known since being selected in the first round of the 2004 draft. "I would love to stay here. I don t even know if the Angels want to take a shot at having me back," Weaver tells Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register. Weaver was a 20-game winner in 2012 and owns a record over 11 seasons with the Halos. The right-hander, however, saw his earned run average rise for a fifth straight season to 5.06 this year, and it remains to be seen if the Angels want him back. "The club could certainly be interested in bringing him back at some sort of discounted deal, but they also may choose to move forward with younger pitchers," Fletcher writes. The rotation could be crowded. Fletcher says the Angels will likely bring back Garrett Richards, Matt Shoemaker, Tyler Skaggs and Ricky Nolasco and will give long looks to Nate Smith and Manny Banuelos. -- Doug Mittler FROM YAHOO! SPORTS The Angels paid C.J. Wilson $20 million and he didn t throw a pitch Liz Roscher C.J. Wilson didn t throw a single pitch in the major leagues this year. But he got paid just like he did. Wilson is at the end of a five-year, $75 million contract with the Los Angeles Angels was the final year of that contract, and he got paid $20 million. Of course Wilson intended to pitch for the Angels this year. But as it often does with pitchers, his body had other ideas. After his 2015 ended early due to elbow surgery, Wilson hoped he d be ready to go in But he began having constant shoulder discomfort, and he was forced to start the whole recuperation and rehab process all over again. Wilson made it as far as a rehab start in late May, when he pitched four innings for Class-A Inland Empire. But his shoulder wasn t any better and he got shut down almost immediately. He had s easonending rotator cuff surgery in July, and that signaled the end of his career with the Angels.

19 October 3, 2016 Page 19 of 19 If you re wondering if there s ever been another pitcher who was paid $20 million for not pitching, there has. Johan Santana of the New York Mets was paid $21,644,707 in 2011 while he missed the entire year recovering from shoulder surgery. Just like Wilson, Santana pitched in the minors during his rehab: five innings over two appearances. Santana would have just one more year in the majors. We don t know if this will be the end of the road for Wilson in baseball. Rotator cuff surgery is serious, and it s a tough return. Pedro Martinez had rotator cuff surgery in 2007 and nearly retired. He would pitch parts of two more seasons in the majors, but he never looked the same. Martinez was 35 at the time of his surgery, the same age as C.J. Wilson. Wilson may be a reclamation project and surgery has certainly hurt his free agent value, but he may find a home. In his previous four years with the Angels, Wilson had a combined 3.87 ERA, which is middling but not bad. Free agent pitchers are going to be hard to come by in the offseason, and a team could take a flier on Wilson and hope they can help him find a few more good innings.