Clips (October 4, 2016)

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1 October 4, 2016 Page 1 of 28 Clips (October 4, 2016)

2 October 4, 2016 Page 2 of 28 Today s Clips Contents FROM THE LA TIMES (Page 3) Garrett Richards is encouraged by outing in Arizona Angels mailbag: Revisiting some trades and examining the free agent market FROM THE OC REGISTER (Page 7) Miller: No, Mike Scioscia doesn t deserve all the blame, but yes, it s time Angels made a change Angels braintrust begins charting a path back to playoffs Angels 2016 recap: What went wrong or right and what remains the most glaring hole? FROM ANGELS.COM (Page 12) Richards returns to instructional league play Rash of season-ending injuries cost Angels Angels 2017 needs: pitching, second, left FROM YAHOO! SPORTS (Page 17) Why the best player in baseball won t win MVP Mike Trout s Angels face messy future after dismal season FROM ESPN (Page 25) MLB award picks: Mike Trout definitely was most valuable in the AL FROM FOX SPORTS (Page 26) Mike Trout or playoff-bound Mookie Betts for AL MVP?

3 October 4, 2016 Page 3 of 28 FROM THE LA TIMES Garrett Richards is encouraged by outing in Arizona Pedro Moura Twenty-four hours after the Angels 2016 season unceremoniously ended in Anaheim, the franchise s most important game in months was played on an Arizona back field in front of a handful of fans and a bevy of scouts. At exactly 12:30 p.m., Garrett Richards took the mound on Field No. 1 at the Chicago Cubs springtraining complex. In his first game action in five months, he threw 25 pitches over two innings against Texas instructional leaguers and did not permit a baserunner. He struck out two, his fastball idling at 94 mph and reaching 96 mph or 97 mph, depending on the radar gun. Though a bit restrained, he generally resembled the pitcher the Angels need if they are to contend next season. As he works his way back from a torn elbow ligament, an injury he suffered during a May Day start in Texas, Richards will start twice more in the coming weeks for three innings, then four before shutting down until January. On Monday, Richards estimated he threw at 85% to 90% effort, and he may not amp up all the way this year. If there s one thing this arm injury has taught me, it s that over-throwing is probably not the answer, Richards said. I m just trying to be smooth and put all my energy into the right part of my delivery. He has scrapped the changeup he threw 65 times in six starts, a pitch he talked up throughout the spring as his next step forward. I think that contributed to the injury, he said. I d never had any elbow problems until I started throwing the changeup. He said he does not have the inherent feel for the pitch to throw an effective one without over-exerting himself. Instead, he focused Monday on curveballs big, looping ones, some perfectly placed for strikes and two missing wildly. Overall, he was encouraged by his execution of the pitch, and the complementary actions of his four- and two-seam fastballs. I honestly feel like the ball s coming out of my hand now better than it ever has, he said. I have a better understanding of how I want to throw the baseball. On May 16, Richards received an injection of his stem cells into his elbow as an alternative to ligamentreplacement surgery, which would have forced him to sit out At the time, he did not express confidence the unusual method would work. He agreed to it because he had nothing to lose, keeping surgery as an option in a worst-case scenario. But it worked out, so far at least. He is pitching. And, he said, he is pitching smarter.

4 October 4, 2016 Page 4 of 28 I ve really had a lot of time to sit back and watch a lot of baseball on the bench, he said. I ve thought a lot about pitching sequences. I m more aware of what s going on, I guess you could say, instead of going into robot mode and trying to continuously feed strikes in there. Sometimes we get caught up in the routine so much that we forget about the mental side of the game as well. I feel more aware of my body than I ever have. I feel like I have a better understanding of what makes me at my best. As evidence, he cited his legs more often working in tandem and on time with his torso. He found himself impressed by the velocity Seattle s Edwin Diaz and Texas Sam Dyson generated with little apparent effort. He wants that. I m trying to do everything as simple as possible, Richards said. I m not worried about my arm feeling pain at this point. Right now, I m just trying to throw the baseball the way I want to. All the gray areas I ve gone through have already solidified themselves in my mind. The Angels ceded 2016 around the time Richards began to throw, in early August. He traveled with the team thereafter, experiencing the letdown of an 88-loss season, craving competition. And now he has it. I realize our season s over, but I m excited to be out here competing again, he said. It makes you feel like a baseball player again and not just sitting collecting a check. As soon as I started playing catch, I convinced myself I m going to be ready to pitch next year, and I m not gonna deviate away from that. Angels mailbag: Revisiting some trades and examining the free agent market Pedro Moura Hello, Angels fans. What a season, huh? Your favorite baseball team finished 2016 with 74 wins and 88 losses. The Angels won 25 of their last 45 games and will pick 10th in the 2017 MLB draft. All season long, you submitted questions via and Twitter about the current team and future of the franchise to be answered in this Monday mailbag feature. This is the last one. They were thinking they d turn a player with one elite skill into two valuable, team-controlled starting pitchers. It was an absolute steal of a trade. Yes, Trumbo hit a ton of home runs this season and is going to receive significant sums of money as a free agent. But, since the trade, Trumbo has been worth 2.1 Wins Above Replacement, by fangraphs.com s measurements, and 2.2 WAR by baseball-reference.com s calculation. He has been paid nearly $21 million. Meantime, the players the Angels received, Tyler Skaggs and Hector Santiago, have been paid about $9.4 million for their services and provided 4.4 WAR or 5.4 bwar, with another 1+ WAR from Ricky Nolasco, who was acquired for Santiago at the deadline. And that stated salary figure includes what Nolasco was paid for the final two months. Oh, and Skaggs is under the Angels control for another four years at below-market rates. The Angels won the trade, obviously so, but so did the Chicago White Sox, who received Adam Eaton in that three-

5 October 4, 2016 Page 5 of 28 team swap also involving Arizona. The Angels could have obtained Eaton, but opted for Santiago instead. Now that would have been one of the biggest trade steals of this decade. Eaton is a great player. So wondering what the conventional view is on the coaching staff going into next season? Dave Hansen seems to have done a nice job with players like Simmons who is hitting better than he did with Braves. Also wondering if [Charles] Nagy will take some heat for the Angels pitching woes? That would seem a bit unfair but who knows with Moreno. Jon Thurber I find it exceedingly difficult to judge position coaches with any degree of certainty whatsoever. How much of the credit for any player s improved hitting is due to the player, and how much is owed the hitting coach? In Andrelton Simmons case, I d lean toward Simmons himself. He spent more time in the batting cage than any player I d ever heard of or seen. Now, it s not like there s a simple, More Time Invested = Improvement equation, but time is not a bad place to start. Manager Mike Scioscia said Sunday he expects all his coaches back based on conversations with General Manager Billy Eppler. Those two job-holders typically make those decisions, not necessarily owner Arte Moreno. I do not expect that, but I suppose it s possible. More likely for the future, I think, is eventual experimentation pitching out of relief. I know of several evaluators across baseball who are intrigued about what Jered Weaver might resemble out of the bullpen. He was not bad facing hitters this season during their first at-bat. Opposing batters had a.736 OPS in their first at-bat,.829 the second time and the third at-bat. And is pretty much unplayable. Batters hit 17 home runs in 204 plate appearances the third time through the order against him, which is absurd, especially considering they hit 18 combined during 564 plate in their first and second at-bats. Weaver struck out 55 and walked 18 the first time through. Those might be the most encouraging statistics about his season. That, and the fact the Angels won more of his starts than they lost. By spending big, I take it you mean signing Aroldis Chapman or Kenley Jansen. I don t think the Angels will do such a thing, but, as with all potential free-agent acquisitions, it depends on the cost. They do have Huston Street returning, and you should expect him to be better next year. Cam Bedrosian was good in This is similar to a question I answered last week, but because it s a frequently asked one I will answer it again. Simmons hitting was a bright spot. Matt Shoemaker pitched mostly wonderfully and should be good to go for spring training. A few prospects in their minor leagues impressed, particularly triple-a reliever Keynan Middleton, who reaches 100 mph and should pitch in the majors in Bedrosian emerged as a viable late-inning reliever. The team is one year closer to, and one year away from, shedding the disaster of a decision known as thejosh Hamilton contract. Pretty much the same things I listed above. The 2018 pitching staff has the makings of a solid one: Shoemaker, Andrew Heaney, Tyler Skaggs, Nick Tropeano, Garrett Richards and Alex Meyer, all being paid less than their market value.

6 October 4, 2016 Page 6 of 28 Probably because Kaleb Cowart did not work a walk in 87 plate appearances, and his play at second base was solid but not stellar. Yes, the man has hit in triple A, but his major league performances have been horrific to date. It s hard to not walk in 87 consecutive chances. It s even harder to be valuable given that. There are not a ton of contenders. Most of the players sport similarly close-cropped styles. I am a big proponent of height in hair. The higher, the better. So maybe I will go with Alex Meyer. He is tall and has tall hair. See, the thing is, the best free-agent starter next season is going to be a 37-year-old man who has pitched 215 major league innings in the last seven seasons, total. His name is Rich Hill. The second-best might be a guy the New York Yankees gave up for nearly nothing two months ago. His name is Ivan Nova. The third-best might be 43-year-old Bartolo Colon or the nondescript Jeremy Hellickson with a qualifying offer attached. Acquiring Jansen or Chapman is going to require an outlay in the range of $70 million. I don t know that getting good pitching is all that possible. The Angels don t have prospect capital to trade for established pitchers. They will probably have to work with what they have and take a few risks. When you stop letting them? No, I get it. I do. I heard from many frustrated fans this season, and I understand that the absence of forecastable improvement makes it much worse. But such are professional sports sometimes. And you still have the best baseball player alive. While I totally understand the appeal of ascertaining the answer to this question, every team s scouting budget is not available. These are not the days of Dollar Sign on the Muscle. What we do know is international-signing spending, and in 2015, the Angels spent the least in the league. That is notable. It also should change in 2017, when they are again allowed to spend big on international free agents. I will miss the novelty of it, this having been my first season on one full-time baseball beat. Though nothing adds more comfort than experience, a lack of it adds considerable excitement. Outfielder Jahmai Jones, probably, who made it up to Class-A Burlington this season. He is 19, a gifted athlete and a long way from the major leagues. Thanks to the Internet for the help, and to the doctors who are willing to share their expertise. I definitely believe modern sportswriting training should be far different than it actually is. This is interesting. Albert Pujols has hit 591 in his career and 146 as an Angel, or 29 on average per season, including a 2016 total of 31. He has five more years under contract, and I expect him to complete those years. Without delving too much into aging curves or potential injuries, let s assume a rate of decline of about 10% per season from this year s number. That would give him 28 at the age 37 in 2017, 25 in 2018, 23 in 2019, 21 in 2020, and 19, mercifully, in 2021.

7 October 4, 2016 Page 7 of 28 That s 116 homers. While I wouldn t guess they d come in the order of that last paragraph, that seems like a pretty reasonable mark. He d finish with 707 career homers, which is a cool-sounding number. He has a chance at breaking Barry Bonds record, but I would term it an extremely small chance. FROM OC REGISTER Miller: No, Mike Scioscia doesn t deserve all the blame, but yes, it s time Angels made a change By JEFF MILLER / STAFF COLUMNIST ANAHEIM The White Sox have a new manager, the Rockies need a new manager and the Diamondbacks need a new manager and more. During a 24-hour stretch in which there were no baseball games, there was plenty of baseball news by the end of Monday afternoon. Meanwhile, in an empty and quiet Angel Stadium, Billy Eppler said, Mike Scioscia will be our manager next season, a pronouncement newsy only in that it wasn t news at all. Yet, to some frustrated Angels fans, it might have been notable that no one stormed the stadium gates swinging Rally Monkeys over their heads and demanding change. Of course, that s not really the way things are done around here, the Angels selling 3 million tickets for the 14th straight year, this time to watch their worst team since Scioscia, with two years remaining on his contract, was expected to return for his 18th season, despite the team s terrible summer, the franchise s growing lack of playoff success and the sport s history of firing the misfiring. Eppler, the Angels general manager, had praised Scioscia in recent weeks for keeping the team from completely imploding, although, at three different points, the Angels were 21 games below.500. In mid-august, owner Arte Moreno told this newspaper, I don t see any reason why he wouldn t be back, a pretty clear sign things were going to remain the same since Moreno is the one who signed Scioscia through Now, personally, I would make a switch, one playoff appearance in seven years and one playoff series won in 11 years ample proof that things aren t working. Even if you believe Scioscia isn t to be blamed at all and injuries and lacking organizational depth certainly made 2016 an impossible task it still has been 14 seasons since the Angels claimed their only World Series.

8 October 4, 2016 Page 8 of 28 They won three playoff rounds that fall. Since 2002, they ve won two playoff rounds. Total. Particularly in the world of professional managing and coaching, this isn t a small sample size. So, yes, I d make a move, not because Scioscia is at fault but because this team simply needs a change. In a results-driven industry, the results no matter who s to blame just haven t been there. But then, I m not the guy paying Scioscia $12 million for the next two seasons. So it s easy for me to spend Moreno s money, a bunch of which continues to go to Josh Hamilton, someone the owner didn t mind paying to go away. And maybe that s what this column should be about, Moreno showing a degree of loyalty to Scioscia that is staggering in today s world. Perhaps Moreno should be commended for fostering the sort of stable environment few teams in any pro sports ever experience. It s just that it would be easier to do so if the Angels had visited the postseason a little more often the past decade. In discussing his support for Scioscia back in August, Moreno noted that Scioscia has been the winningest manager (in Angels history) and he won a world championship. Well, if that s the criteria for keeping the job, Scioscia isn t going anywhere for a while because neither of those things until there is a switch can possibly change. When he stepped down as the White Sox manager Sunday, Robin Ventura explained that the team needed a new voice, after hearing only his for five seasons. I asked Eppler if the same might be true for the Angels, some of whom by now probably know what Scioscia is going to say even before he does. That never really flashed on our radar screen, Eppler said, adding that his evaluation and the input from his staff never indicated that that kind of belief was evident here, that there needed to be a new voice or anything like that. Tuesday marks the one-year anniversary of Eppler s hiring. He explained that, not knowing the intimate details of Scioscia s previous 16 seasons, he could judge the manager only on From that viewpoint, Eppler said he was not only pleased but also impressed by the job Scioscia did, particularly given the injuries that resulted in the team using 55 different players on the active roster. My job is to evaluate everything in baseball operations, Eppler explained. From our internal evaluations from the people I rely on for helping us create that evaluation, nothing has indicated that we should be unhappy. So the Angels are happy with Scioscia, even if a growing number of their fans aren t.

9 October 4, 2016 Page 9 of 28 I know this because so many of those fans me, questioning everything from the manager s lineup decisions, to in-game strategy, to and this is the big one pitching changes. The Angels are happy and asking their fans to continue to be patient. I d like to argue here that, after all these seasons of the same, that request is unreasonable. But the Angels have the hammer in that argument, one they can again swing with the strength of 3 million people. Angels braintrust begins charting a path back to playoffs By JEFF FLETCHER / STAFF WRITER ANAHEIM As he reflected on a lost season in the moments after it ended, Mike Scioscia described a sentiment likely shared by few who aren t on the Angels payroll. I don t think we re that far off, Scioscia said Sunday. I know that we re all going to work very hard this winter not only to put together a team but get it ready and play well in the spring and have some different conversations this time next year. The Injury-Ravaged Angels a description so often used that it might as well have become an addendum to the nickname just endured an 88-loss season that was the worst in Scioscia s 17 seasons as manager. Combine the failure of the major league team with a farm system that might be years away from being fertile, and it s easy to see why the Angels Mike Trout or not are seen by many as a franchise lost at sea. But in the offices at Angel Stadium both Scioscia s and General Manager Billy Eppler s optimism still flowed. On Monday, the first day of the Angels offseason, Eppler said the path back to the playoffs will start this month, before the Angels make a single trade or sign a single free agent. It starts with Garrett Richards, who the Angels are ever more optimistic can avoid Tommy John surgery and pitch in Richards threw 25 pitches Monday in an instructional league, his first competitive outing since he learned he had a damaged ulnar collateral ligament in May. Richards said via text that he felt great and hit 97 mph with his fastball. If Richards can clear the hurdles of two more instructional league games and a subsequent exam, he will be cleared to be a part of the 2017 rotation. Obviously, that development would have a dramatic impact on the Angels plans for the winter.

10 October 4, 2016 Page 10 of 28 If you talk about having a top-of-the-rotation starter vs. not having a top-of-the-rotation starter, that would be a sizable difference for any club, Eppler said. The Angels should have the answers on Richards before going into the player-movement season, starting in November. Although Richards status might affect the types of players the Angels pursue, either way they are going to need to add pitching, Eppler said. The free agent market is thin, particularly in terms of starting pitchers. The best are most likely Rich Hill, Jeremy Hellickson, Colby Lewis, Bartolo Colon and Doug Fister. The Angels also have pressing needs at three positions: second base, left field and catcher. Although the Angels have some internal candidates at those spots, none has established himself as a definitive answer for next season. The best free agents who could fit for the Angels include outfielders Yoenis Cespedes (who is expected to opt out of his deal with the New York Mets), Ian Desmond, Michael Saunders, Colby Rasmus, Carlos Gomez and Angel Pagan. The second base crop is led by Neil Walker and Sean Rodriguez. Matt Wieters, Wilson Ramos (who will miss the start of the season with an injury) and Jason Castro are the best of the free agent catchers. Eppler said the Angels will consider players at all price-points on the list, although he said that last year and the largest free agent deal the Angels signed was $3.75 million for Cliff Pennington. A couple factors have changed this winter, though. First, the Angels have about $40 million coming off the books with the departure of free agents Jered Weaver and C.J. Wilson. They are also entering the final year of their commitment to Josh Hamilton. After having a payroll of just more than $160 million in 2016, they currently have commitments of about $123 million for 2017, assuming they pick up Yunel Escobar s option and including their arbitration-eligible players. As far as the luxury tax which is based on averages, not actual salaries the Angels are currently at about $140 million. The $189 million threshold is likely to go up with a new collective bargaining agreement, which is expected to be finalized in the next six weeks. Also, the Angels lost just enough games in 2016 that they are slotted to pick 10th in the 2017 draft. Under the current CBA again, subject to change teams in the top 10 of the draft do not lose a firstround pick for signing free agents who reject qualifying offers. With a thin farm system, it was obviously important to the Angels to hold on to their first-round pick last winter. Holding on to a second-round pick will be less of an issue this winter. The Angels also could use their financial flexibility in the trade market by taking another team s bad contract. The Angels could take a chance on a player such as James Shields bouncing back, for example.

11 October 4, 2016 Page 11 of 28 Making a trade for a young or established player to fill one of their holes is going to be problematic because the Angels simply don t have much to offer, from their major league roster or farm system. However the Angels do it, their needs are clear, although Eppler said he s not necessarily going into the offseason with a firm list. I don t really walk in with a grocery list and say This is what we need, because then you end up forcing a shot, Eppler said. To use a basketball reference, I don t want to force the shot. If the shot is there and the circumstances are right, take it. Angels 2016 recap: What went wrong or right and what remains the most glaring hole? By JEFF FLETCHER / STAFF WRITER WHAT WENT WRONG: In short, injuries. The Angels began with eight starting pitchers and by the end of the season seven of them had endured some kind of injury and one was traded. The most impactful injuries were to Garrett Richards and Andrew Heaney, who started the first two games of the season. Heaney pitched one game and eventually had Tommy John surgery. Richards lasted one month before hurting his elbow and missing the rest of the season, but the Angels are hoping he can avoid Tommy John surgery. The Angels top three relievers also spent time on the DL. WHAT WENT RIGHT: Mike Trout, of course, had his usual stellar season, putting him in the MVP discussion. Yunel Escobar and Kole Calhoun both got on base at a better-than-average rate, which created opportunities for Trout and Albert Pujols to drive in runs. In all, the Angels scored 12 percent more runs than they did last year. BREAKTHROUGH PLAYER: Cam Bedrosian had bounced between the majors and minors without much big league success until this season, when he posted a 1.12 ERA and briefly became the closer. Bedrosian missed most of the past two months with injuries, though. He had finger tendinitis and then a blood clot. BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT: Left field. The Angels figured they couldn t get any worse in left field than they were in 2015, but the planned platoon of Daniel Nava and Craig Gentry was a bust. Both players got hurt. In the end, the Angels.584 OPS in left field was the worst in the majors, and down from 2015 s.592, which was also the worst in the majors.

12 October 4, 2016 Page 12 of 28 FROM ANGELS.COM Richards returns to instructional league play By Jake Rill / MLB.com MESA, Ariz. -- Garrett Richards had no doubt his right arm would feel fine when he stepped onto the mound Monday afternoon. The rehabbing Angels right-hander returned to game action in the instructional league at Sloan Park in Mesa, Ariz. After retiring all seven of the Rangers' players he faced, he was pleased with his first game since May. "Honestly, I feel like the ball's coming out of my hand better now than it ever has. I have a better understanding of how I want to throw the baseball," said Richards, who underwent a stem-cell injection to repair a UCL tear in his right elbow on May 16. "I realize that our season's over, but I'm excited to be out here and competing again. It makes you feel like you're a baseball player again and not just somebody sitting on the bench collecting a check." Richards continues to progress since injuring his elbow in May. He threw off a mound for the first time on Sept. 17, then faced live hitting on Sept. 28. Monday was the first of three instructional league games he will play before beginning his regular offseason program. Facing instructional players from the Rangers, Richards said his four-seam fastball hit 97 mph and his sinker was sitting at 93. The right-hander also mixed in a heavier dose of curveballs than usual, helping him notch a pair of strikeouts. "In my mind, my arm is already ready to go, I just went out and threw pain-free and did what I wanted to do with the ball," Richards said. "I'm trying to kind of evolve my game, also. That's where I'm at right now. This is a chance for me to get better for next year." Over the past three seasons, Richards is with a 3.11 ERA. He posted a 2.34 ERA in six starts this season before getting hurt. The Angels missed having his reliable arm in the rotation, as they went and finished fourth in the American League West. Richards is aiming to be 100 percent healthy for 2017 to help the Angels improve on this disappointing season. "I want to get back on the field, I want to compete, I want to take the ball every fifth day," Richards said. "We've got some really young guys, too, that are just figuring out what makes them click in the big leagues. Some guys got some time here in September, got some starts under their belt. We've got a lot of upside."

13 October 4, 2016 Page 13 of 28 Rash of season-ending injuries cost Angels Five starting pitchers, two top relievers miss extended playing time By Austin Laymance / MLB.com ANAHEIM -- Angels slugger Albert Pujols has been around long enough to know it's hard for a team to reach its goals when unpredictable obstacles get in the way. For the 2016 Angels, a rash of injuries to the pitching staff, particularly the rotation, derailed their quest for a second division title in three years. "It's been a rough year, but when you lose the strength core of this team, which is our starting pitchers, you can talk to any team, it doesn't matter what organization it is, if you lose that strength of that core, which is the stronger part of your team -- you lose three or four guys of that -- it's pretty hard," Pujols said. "It's just a rough year, but at the same time, you can't blame things, the injuries." The Angels not only were hurt by injuries to key pieces of their team, but they also struggled with inconsistency in all phases of the game in the most difficult season of manager Mike Scioscia's 17-year tenure. Still, there were enough positives to give the team hope for a rebound next season. Record: 74-88, fourth place, American League West Defining moment: The Angels were dealt a huge blow to their rotation less than one month into the season when Opening Day starter Garrett Richards sustained an ulnar collateral ligament tear in his pitching elbow. Richards exited his May 1 start against the Rangers after 79 pitches, and doctors found a tear in his UCL four days later. He did not pitch again for the rest of the season. So far, Richards has been able to avoid Tommy John surgery, and the Angels are hopeful he can pitch in the instructional league in October. The rotation never fully recovered after Richards' UCL gave out after six starts. What went right: The core position players -- Mike Trout, Pujols, Kole Calhoun,Andrelton Simmons, Yunel Escobar and C.J. Cron -- all had productive seasons at the plate and in the field. Trout put up his typical stellar numbers and is in the conversation for AL Most Valuable Player. Pujols continued his push up the record books, becoming just the third player with 575 homers and 600 doubles, joining Barry Bonds and Hank Aaron. Pujols battled through plantar fasciitis in both feet to produce his 13th season with 100 RBIs or more, becoming only the fifth player in MLB history to do so. Calhoun had his third consecutive season with 15 or more homers, becoming the first homegrown right fielder to do so since Tim Salmon ( ). Simmons played his usual spectacular defense at shortstop and had his best offensive season in three years in his first season with the Angels after coming over in an offseason deal with the Braves.

14 October 4, 2016 Page 14 of 28 Escobar proved to be a reliable leadoff hitter and locked down third base in his first season with the Angels. Cron showed he can be the primary first baseman going forward. What went wrong: The pitching staff was decimated by injuries from the start of Opening Day through September. All told, the Angels had six pitchers undergo season-ending surgery at some point during the year, and that's not including Richards. The biggest blows came to the rotation. Andrew Heaney sustained a UCL tear in his first start of the season and underwent Tommy John surgery in July. C.J. Wilson did not pitch at all and had surgery to address fraying on the labrum and rotator cuff in his left shoulder in July. Nick Tropeano experienced a medium- to high-grade tear in his UCL and had Tommy John surgery in August. Matt Shoemaker had the scariest injury of all, when he was struck in the head by a 105-mph line drive in a start against the Mariners in early September. Shoemaker sustained a small skull fracture and small hematoma and had surgery to stop bleeding in his brain. Fortunately, he's now said to be resting comfortably at home. The bullpen was not spared, either. Closer Huston Street underwent surgery on his right knee in August after battling through his roughest season in the big leagues.cam Bedrosian was next up to close, but he went on the disabled list two days after Street went down and eventually had surgery for a blood clot in his pitching arm. Biggest surprise: Cron improved his offensive production in his third season in the big leagues, was solid defensively and showed he can hit in the middle of the lineup. Cron's emergence helped ease the transition for Pujols from first base to designated hitter. Hitter of the year: Trout is the easy choice, though Pujols produced strong power numbers as well. Trout did it all, hitting for average, power and driving in runs. Ask around the Angels' clubhouse, and the players will tell you the numbers support Trout's case for MVP. Pitcher of the year: Jered Weaver was reliable as usual and the most consistent starter all season. He gave the team a chance to win every five days and led the staff in wins, starts and innings. It was an impressive season for the 11-year veteran, who has found a way to produce despite a diminished fastball. Rookie of the year: Jett Bandy was a bright spot for the Angels as the rookie catcher produced at the plate and handled the pitching staff well. Bandy was promoted from Triple-A Salt Lake at the end of May and did enough to stick for the rest of the season, earning more playing time as the year went on.

15 October 4, 2016 Page 15 of 28 Angels 2017 needs: pitching, second, left Rotation might require complete makeover; lineup must add depth By Austin Laymance / MLB.com ANAHEIM -- The Angels have an important offseason ahead of them, with the club facing questions about the pitching staff and a need to improve the lineup. The Angels were unable to reach their goals in 2016, in part because of a pitching staff ravaged by injuries and an offense that was able to set the table but didn't have the depth of contending teams. That should make for a busy second offseason for Angels general manager Billy Eppler as he seeks to provide manager Mike Scioscia with an improved roster. "I think that you try to improve in every area that you can, and at times, our lineup has been a little bit shallow," Scioscia said during the final week of the season. "We're not going to focus on one area. There's a lot of things that we're looking at. But, certainly, if you're looking at just the offensive end, I think like any team, you're always looking to get that lineup deeper to where you're strong one through seven or eight, and not maybe one through four or five, where we've been a lot of times this year." It's shaping up to be an eventful winter for the Angels. Arbitration eligible: RHP Garrett Richards, LHP Tyler Skaggs, OF Kole Calhoun, RHP Matt Shoemaker, RHP Cory Rasmus, OF Shane Robinson Free agents: RHP Jered Weaver, LHP C.J. Wilson, C Geovany Soto, RHP Tim Lincecum, RHP Jhoulys Chacin, RHP Andrew Bailey, 3B Yunel Escobar (team has a $7 million option, with a $1 million buyout) Rotation: The Angels have many questions regarding the rotation. Weaver's future is up in the air as he enters his first offseason as a free agent after 11 seasons with the Angels. Richards has avoided Tommy John surgery after tearing the ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow, and the Angels want him to pitch in the instructional league for piece of mind heading into the winter. Lefty Tyler Skaggs was slowed by a forearm issue in his first season back from Tommy John surgery, and his health will be monitored going forward. Andrew Heaney and Nick Tropeano are out until 2018 after each underwent Tommy John surgery. Shoemaker was having a great year until he took a line drive off the side of his head in September and had surgery to stop bleeding in his brain. He's resting comfortably at home, but it's unclear how Shoemaker will recover from such a scary incident. Lincecum is not likely to return after struggling in a brief stint. Chacin is a free agent, and Wilson won't be back after not pitching at all this year. Alex Meyer and Daniel Wright are unproven young arms. Ricky Nolasco is the closest thing to a sure thing for next year's rotation. Nate Smith, the club's top pitching prospect, could have a shot to make the team out of Spring Training. Bullpen: The bullpen also has some question marks. Closer Huston Street underwent season-ending knee surgery. Cam Bedrosian was next in line to close before undergoing a season-ending procedure on a blood clot in his pitching arm. Bailey showed promise as a closer, but he's a free agent and should have multiple suitors. The Angels have a number of arms likely to return in A.J. Achter,Jose Alvarez, Cody Ege, Deolis Guerra, Mike Morin, Brett Oberholtzer, JC Ramirez and Jose Valdez.

16 October 4, 2016 Page 16 of 28 Catcher: Jett Bandy put together a solid rookie season and emerged as a candidate to share time with Carlos Perez moving forward. Soto had an injury-plagued year and is a free agent. Juan Graterol earned a September callup, but he's an 11-year Minor League journeyman. Taylor Ward, the club's No. 3 prospect, spent the season with Class A Advanced Inland Empire and likely needs more experience in the Minors. Designated hitter: Albert Pujols is now entrenched as the designated hitter, having played his fewest games in the field this season in his historic 16-year career. Pujols can still play first base when needed, but he's dealing with plantar fasciitis in both feet, and it makes sense to keep him off of them as much as possible to keep his power bat in the lineup for an entire season. First base: C.J. Cron showed he can be a reliable first baseman next season, with a power bat and improved defense. Jefry Marte also has some pop and filled in for Cron when he missed time with a fractured hand. Ji-Man Choi saw time at first, but he struggled offensively in his first season out of Korea. Angels top prospect Matt Thaiss is a few years away from making a big league impact after being picked 16th overall in the 2016 Draft. Second base: This is a position of need. The Angels want Kaleb Cowart to play second base in winter ball because he has primarily been a third baseman. Cliff Pennington and Gregorio Petit are veteran options to split time at second, but Cowart has the most upside. Johnny Giavotella made 90 starts before being designated for assignment in August. Shortstop: Andrelton Simmons had a great season after coming over in an offseason deal with the Braves. He's among the best defensive shortstops in the Majors and improved offensively as the year went on, citing a change in approach at the plate where he became more aggressive. Pennington and Petit can also play short. Third base: Escobar played well in his first season with the Angels, locking down third base and proving to be a productive leadoff hitter. It makes sense for the Angels to bring him back on a reasonable $7 million option. Cowart and Marte have the ability to play third base every day, but the Angels like their versatility and will use them at multiple positions. Petit can also play third. Outfield: Mike Trout had another MVP-caliber season in center field. Calhoun was once again productive in right field. The Angels are set at those two spots. The real question is left field, where the team used nine players in The Angels did not spend on high-priced free agents last offseason, but are they willing to break the bank this winter? Potential free agents include: Yoenis Cespedes, Ian Desmond,Matt Holliday, Colby Rasmus and the most interesting name of all, former Angels slugger Mark Trumbo.

17 October 4, 2016 Page 17 of 28 FROM YAHOO! SPORTS Why the best player in baseball won t win MVP Jeff Passan So, say there s this guy let s call him Jeff and he has an American League Most Valuable Player vote. Now, the rules say he is not allowed to talk about his vote until after the award is announced, and because Jeff doesn t want to break the rules, he has no intention of revealing his ballot. Jeff has a friend, though let s call him Ffej and he and Jeff happen to think a lot alike. And so much of the discussion around the AL MVP vote this year really stupefies Ffej. It is 2016, Ffej says. How does a seemingly large and consequential number of baseball writers still not understand the meaning of value is not open for debate. But, Jeff points out, the first words on the ballot state that it literally is: There is no clear-cut definition of what Most Valuable means. And he says this as a rhetorical device, because he needs to give Ffej an opportunity to point out the absolute folly of this, of giving an out clause to those holding onto an antiquated way of thinking. Why thank you, Ffej says, because it s true. Value does not have 30 definitions. Value is absolute. It is pretty close to quantifiable, too. Value is, quite simply, what a player contributes to his team. And the player who contributes the most to his team, by definition, should be the most valuable player. This, Ffej believes, is fairly obvious. No. It is painfully obvious. And yet in six weeks or so, when the AL MVP award is announced 1. Mike Trout is going to find himself on the wrong side of the results for the fourth time in five years. For half a decade, Trout has been the most valuable player in the American League, and yet only once will he have been the Most Valuable Player in the American League. Never have capital letters looked so diminished. Trout capped off arguably the best season of his career Sunday, one that ended with this staggering line:.315/.441/.550, with 29 home runs, 100 RBIs, 123 runs and 30 stolen bases. He was the best offensive player in baseball, and it wasn t even close, and to boot he plays center field, among its most demanding positions, and plays it well. There is nothing bad to say about Trout. There is no reason he shouldn t win the award unanimously. Unless Jeff and Ffej are severely misjudging the electorate, though, the AL MVP is likely to go to Mookie Betts, he of the delightfully great season in which he happened to make nearly 100 outs more than Trout. Some of which, yes, can be attributed to the splendor of the Boston Red Sox offense that gifted him more plate appearances than Trout. Most of which came because Trout is just better at getting on base than everyone, and a lot better than Betts. Problem is, Trout s teammates are not good at getting on base. They re not good at hitting. They re not good at pitching, either. (On the bright side, they can field a bit! Even baseball teams can put lipstick on a pig!) The Los Angeles Angels happen to be some kind of awful, and because of their ineptitude this season, Betts has been deemed more valuable than Trout.

18 October 4, 2016 Page 18 of 28 How does this make any sense? How? How can we keep assigning an individual award based on team achievement? How can we constantly pass over the player who defines value and try to act like the electorate has evolved to reflect our modern knowledge of the game? There are things worth holding onto in baseball, pieces of nostalgia that honor the past without sullying the present. Refusing to vote the best player No. 1 on a ballot because of his team s issues, but still including him on the ballot nonetheless, is not one of those things. Thankfully, Yahoo s Tim Brown brings some sanity to the proceedings. He does not have an AL MVP vote, but he graced us with his choices for all the categories except AL Cy Young, for which he did vote. Here is what his MVP ballot would look like: 1. Mike Trout 2. Mookie Betts 3. Jose Altuve 4. David Ortiz 5. Josh Donaldson 6. Manny Machado 7. Adrian Beltre 8. Robinson Cano 9. Edwin Encarnacion 10. Francisco Lindor Since Jeff respects the rules, he wouldn t dare tell you for whom he voted when he submitted his ballot Sunday. But since the rules don t prohibit him from saying for whom he didn t vote, he will say Mookie Betts will not be the unanimous AL MVP this year. On the other hand 2. Kris Bryant may well win the National League award outright. And if Jeff had an NL ballot, it would look like this: 1. Kris Bryant 2. Corey Seager 3. Daniel Murphy 4. Nolan Arenado 5. Joey Votto 6. Freddie Freeman 7. Anthony Rizzo 8. Justin Turner 9. Max Scherzer 10. Yoenis Cespedes Tim s picks: 1. Kris Bryant 2. Daniel Murphy 3. Anthony Rizzo 4. Corey Seager 5. Nolan Arenado 6. Freddie Freeman 7. Yoenis Cespedes

19 October 4, 2016 Page 19 of Joey Votto 9. Paul Goldschmidt 10. Justin Turner Bryant hits for average, power, draws walks, plays a number of positions and plays them well, and even runs the bases like the really smart player he is. In other words, every time he s on TV, the entire Houston Astros organization simultaneously wants to vomit. Before we anoint the 24-year-old Bryant as a surefire multiple-time MVP winner and, consequentially, a likely future Hall of Famer let s not forget the second-place finisher is a 22-yearold rookie, and fourth-place finisher a 25-year-old with back-to-back 40-homer, 130-RBI seasons. This year wasn t tough. Future years will be, though hopefully not as difficult as picking 3. Max Scherzer as NL Cy Young winner. The ballot: 1. Max Scherzer 2. Jon Lester 3. Kyle Hendricks 4. Clayton Kershaw 5. Jose Fernandez Tim s picks: 1. Max Scherzer 2. Jon Lester 3. Kyle Hendricks 4. Madison Bumgarner 5. Clayton Kershaw So. This one. This one was not easy. Jon Lester started 21 games this season in which he allowed zero or one earned runs. That s really good! Nobody else did it more than 17 times. Scherzer did it only 13. Raise that threshold to two or fewer runs, though still, in almost all circumstances, a really good start and Lester s number jumps to 24, while Scherzer s is at 23. Add in the fact that Scherzer threw nearly 21 innings more than Lester (and almost 35 more than Hendricks), that Scherzer struck out the most hitters in baseball and had the second-best K%-BB% in the game behind Fernandez, that nobody period allowed fewer baserunners all that, and it s still close because Scherzer s home run rate left his ERA about three-quarters of a run higher than Hendricks. So while Hendricks and Fernandez and Noah Syndergaard may have been better than Scherzer, they threw significantly fewer innings. Kershaw may have been worlds better (than Scherzer and everyone), but he didn t even reach two-thirds of Scherzer s innings total. And when it comes to the Cy Young, quantity matters, because in an era when managers yank a starter at first sign of trouble, the ability to pitch in volume and pitch well separates the best. It s what made the American League Cy Young so tough to pick, too, and why 4. Justin Verlander is the surprise selection there. The rest of the ballot:

20 October 4, 2016 Page 20 of Justin Verlander 2. Rick Porcello 3. Corey Kluber 4. Chris Sale 5. Zach Britton Tim s picks: (Can t reveal) Instinct here said Sale. Momentum said Porcello. Consistency said Kluber. (Nothing said Britton because he s a closer, and his inclusion here is a testament to him having about the best season ever for one.) Verlander, though, embodies all of those, and while he s almost certainly not going to get a first-place vote in the real balloting, here s why he deserves one. Among the contenders, Verlander has thrown the most innings. By only a few, but still, in close races, little things matter. He allowed the fewest baserunners in the AL, too, and the lowest batting average. He also struck out the most hitters, and his K%-BB% a measure that arguably reflects the value of strikeouts and walks better than the standard K-to-BB ratio is tops in the league, too. Also best of the four: His 3.04 ERA. The argument against Verlander? Well, he gives up too many home runs. And that s never good. Except it s Everyone gave up home runs, which doesn t make it all right but at least more understandable. And even as he was yielding those home runs, it wasn t affecting him all that adversely. Over the season s final two months, nobody in the AL was better than Verlander, not even Porcello. In his 80 1/3 innings, Verlander had a 2.13 ERA, struck out 99 and walked 17. Either Porcello or Britton is going to win this, and if Porcello does, he ll be deserving. Just not as much as Verlander. Give 5. Rick Porcello the AL Comeback Player of the Year award, paired with Tanner Roarkwinning the NL version, and all will be well with the world. (Tim s choice for AL Comeback Player is Ian Desmond and Jean Segura for NL.) This is the same Porcello, after all, whose contract contributed to the firing of former Red Sox GM Ben Cherington, and whose 4.92 ERA in 2015 was the fourth worst among all qualified pitchers in the major leagues. Look past the 22 wins this year and focus on the strikeouts and walks and home runs and uh they re not all that different than last year, you say? Not really. Porcello is just giving up way, way fewer hits this year, and whether that s an anomaly or a trend isn t known yet. It s a reality, though, and attributing that entire change to luck on balls in play is perhaps presumptuous. Roark, like Porcello, was Mr. Consistent this season, and his peaks were even higher. In 10 starts this year, Roark didn t allow an earned run. It was a far cry from last year, when the Nationals shuffled him off to the bullpen despite nearly 200 innings of 2.85 ERA ball in This season, Roark threw 210 innings, posted a 2.83 ERA and gives the Nationals an excellent fill-in for the injured Stephen Strasburg in the playoff rotation s second slot. Unlike Roark

21 October 4, 2016 Page 21 of Michael Fulmer won t be pitching this October for the Tigers. But he should be taking home some hardware as well, in a razor-thin margin over Yankees sensation Gary Sanchez for AL Rookie of the Year. 1. Michael Fulmer 2. Gary Sanchez 3. Chris Devenski Tim s picks 1. Michael Fulmer 2. Gary Sanchez 3. Tyler Naquin Had Sanchez not gone almost 0-for-the last week, his numbers would ve looked even gaudier than the.299/.376/.657 line with which he finished. It s phenomenal. It s also two months of work. Fulmer was really, really good for five months. He logged 159 innings of 3.06 ERA baseball. And while innings are far from a strict arbiter, they speak to a consistency borne out over a long period of time. This was closer than it had any right to be, and a vote for Sanchez is eminently justifiable (and, in multiple incarnations of this column, existed). In the end, very good for a while beat greatness that had a time limit. Combine the two and you get 7. Corey Seager, the NL Rookie of the Year in a landslide. The rest of the ballot: 1. Corey Seager 2. Trea Turner 3. Kenta Maeda Tim s picks: 1. Corey Seager 2. Trea Turner 3. Aledmys Diaz There isn t a whole lot to discuss here, other than exactly where Seager s rookie season ranks among all time in the NL. Albert Pujols in 2001 may set the standard, with Mike Piazza s eight years earlier not far behind. Dick Allen turned in an underrated gem in 1964, and Frank Robinson s in 1956 wasn t bad, either. Doc Gooden. Jose Fernandez. Ryan Braun. There have been plenty. None played shortstop like Seager, though, and between that and his.308/.365/.512 line, he s in the conversation for the best. Speaking of the best 8. Joe Maddon deserves his second consecutive NL Manager of the Year award and fourth overall. The rest of the ballot: 1. Joe Maddon 2. Dave Roberts 3. Dusty Baker