Some questions and answers on what lies ahead for the Angels this off-season:
Question: Will Chone Figgins be an everyday player in 2007? What position will he play?
Answer: Figgins' future in Anaheim, which looked so bright after 2005 but dimmed considerably in 2006, will be determined by what moves the Angels make or don't make this winter. If they sign free-agent center fielder Gary Matthews Jr., or trade for Toronto center fielder Vernon Wells, Figgins would move to third base, or, possibly, to the utility role he starred in during 2005. The signing of free-agent slugger Alfonso Soriano, considered by some scouts to have strong center-field potential, also could force a return to the infield for Figgins.
There has been speculation of a trade that would send Figgins to the Chicago White Sox for third baseman Joe Crede, and if the Angels added a starting pitcher, such as Barry Zito, through free agency, they probably would look to use Figgins, along with one of their young pitchers, in a deal for a power bat. Figgins, who last season had run-ins with teammates and Manager Mike Scioscia, who questioned his effort, also could be traded for bullpen help. A straight-up swap with the San Diego Padres — Figgins for reliever Scott Linebrink — is possible.
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Q: Will Garret Anderson be able to play left field next season, or will he have to DH?
A: Both. The painful strained arch that relegated Anderson to the designated hitter spot so often last season actually improved in September, enabling the veteran to make 14 of 25 September starts in the outfield. That's encouraging for the Angels, who have a lot more lineup flexibility when Anderson can play the field and will need the DH spot to better pace right fielder Vladimir Guerrero, whose defensive skills are slipping. Anderson's foot condition should improve with rest over the winter, and that could lead to fewer calf, knee, hamstring and lower-back problems next season. But considering Anderson's age (34) and medical history, the Angels will do what they can to pace him and prevent injuries, and that will probably tether him in the DH spot two or three times a week.
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Q: Will reliever Brendan Donnelly be back in 2007?
A: It's a tossup. Donnelly, who made $950,000 last season, could double his salary in arbitration in 2007 after going 6-0 with a 3.94 earned-run average in 64 games in 2006, but the Angels no longer see him as a set-up man; the veteran right-hander usually has been confined to the sixth or seventh innings. The Angels don't like to overpay for back-of-the-bullpen relievers (Hector Carrasco excluded), and if they were to acquire a front-line reliever via trade or free agency, they probably wouldn't tender Donnelly a contract in December. But if they are unable to upgrade the bullpen, the Angels may have no choice but to bring Donnelly back at a salary close to $2 million, because behind closer Francisco Rodriguez and set-up man Scot Shields, Donnelly may be the Angels' next-best relief option.
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Q: With John Lackey, Ervin Santana, Jered Weaver, Kelvin Escobar and Joe Saunders, and Bartolo Colon's possible return from a shoulder injury, why are the Angels bidding for starting pitching in free agency?
A: You've heard the old saying: You can never have enough starting pitching. It's true, and the Angels, knowing the power pitchers they covet are more prone to injury, are firm believers. It usually takes six or seven —not five — quality starters for teams to absorb rotation injuries well enough to win a division title. Plus, the Angels are operating under the assumption that Colon, limited to 10 starts last season after winning the AL Cy Young Award in 2005, won't return to full strength after a winter rehabilitating from a rotator-cuff tear. That way, a sound Colon would be seen as something of a bonus. But the main reason the Angels are bidding for a pitcher is if they can add a starter such as Zito and are unable to add a power bat through free agency, they can use some their pitching depth — most likely Santana, Weaver, Saunders or Escobar — in a trade for a power hitter.
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Q: With Mike Napoli taking control of the catching job, what's the future of Jeff Mathis in the organization?
A: Good, but not great. Mathis blew his chance to seize the catching job last April and spent the next four months at triple-A Salt Lake, but Scioscia said repeatedly in September that the organization remains high on Mathis and his stock hasn't slipped. But the truth is, the job is now Napoli's to lose, and the only way for Mathis to return to a starting role would be for Napoli, who batted .164 with five homers and 15 runs batted in after the All-Star break, to go into another extended offensive funk at the start of 2007. One thing working in Mathis' favor: The Angels, though they wouldn't admit it publicly, were not pleased with backup catcher Jose Molina's conditioning efforts last season, and if Molina reports to camp in the same shape he spent most of 2006 in, he could be traded or released, opening the backup job for Mathis.
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Q: Who will be the starting first baseman in 2007?
A: Albert Pujols. Just kidding. Wanted to make sure you were still awake. The Angels remain hopeful that Casey Kotchman, who missed most of 2006 while recovering from mononucleosis, will be strong enough to return, but they don't seem to be counting on it. Once a rising star in the organization, Kotchman not only fell out of sight last summer, returning to his Florida home, he seemed to fall out of favor with the front office and coaching staff. If Kotchman is unable to play and the Angels don't acquire a first baseman this winter, Robb Quinlan, Kendry Morales and converted third baseman Dallas McPherson probably would contend for the job next spring. A dark-horse candidate would be Darin Erstad, the free agent who is recovering from ankle surgery and could return to the Angels under a minor league contract next spring. If the Angels were to acquire Soriano and play him at second, they could move Howie Kendrick from second to first, as they did for much of last season. But that would further weaken a defense that was the league's worst in 2006.
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Q: How does Dallas McPherson fit in to the Angels' plans?
A: Like the proverbial square peg in a round hole. Not since George Arias and Todd Greene has such a highly regarded Angels prospect struggled so much to gain a foothold in the big leagues. Recurring lower-back injuries (caused by a herniated disk) and a long, strikeout-prone swing have knocked McPherson so far down the Angels' depth chart you need a sonar device to detect him. The fact that third baseman Aramis Ramirez was the Angels' No. 1 free-agent target before re-signing with the Cubs gives you an indication of how the Angels feel about McPherson. Still, McPherson provides something only one other Angel, Vladimir Guerrero, has — the raw power potential to hit 40 home runs a year. The Angels would love for McPherson to show up healthy next spring, tear the cover off the ball and win the third base job. But the more likely scenario is that McPherson is thrown in as a third or fourth player in a trade for an established power bat or dealt to another team for a prospect.