Can the Halos Win the AL West? The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 2007 Preview...

For the past several years, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim have been one of the powerhouses of the American League and perennial division contenders. Stocked with plenty of pitching, young talent and offense, the Angels should once again compete toe to toe with the Athletics in the American League West. As the Angels share a portion of Southern California that compromises L.A. and Anaheim, Arte Moreno has taken steps to re-invest in the team and battle the Dodgers for area supremacy.

The Angels had incredible pitching, especially from Jared Weaver and flashes of brilliance from the other members of the starting rotation. However, the offense struggled and that in turn hurt the team.

Although the team came up short in the AL West in’06, Moreno has once again taken steps to improve the team. Gone from the team are Darin Erstad who signed with the White Sox, Adam Kennedy who joined the St. Louis Cardinals, J.C. Romero and Brendan Donnelly and Kevin Gregg who were traded. The team in the winter added Shea Hillenbrand, Gary Matthews Jr., pitchers Darren Oliver, Justin Speier, Phi Seibel and Chris Resop.

The starting corps has some of the best veteran and young arms in the sport of baseball, as they were formidable in ’06 and should remain the same in ’07. The top of the rotation should compromise of John Lackey who was 13-11 with an ERA of 3.56 in 2006. Although he had a down year from ’05 where he was 14-5, Lackey should bounce back this upcoming season.

The rotation will also have amazing youngsters Jared Weaver who earned an 11-2 record with a 2.56 ERA & could be considered the ace of the staff; Kelvim Escobar who was 11-13, but with a solid 3.61 ERA & Ervin Santana who was 16-8 with an ERA over 4. All three pitchers were good in 2006, but Weaver was nothing short of exceptional. Santana should maintain the same level, Escobar may chalk up a few more wins and Weaver may have his ERA rise; however, he if can pitch at the level he did in ’06, he could be a Cy Young candidate.

It looks like both Escobar and Lackey were victims of the offense, and could have easily tacked on a few more wins.

The wild card in the rotation is Bartolo Colon. He’s had a stellar career with the Angels, White Sox, Expos and Indians, but he struggled last year to a record of 1-5 with an ERA over 5 until he went down for the rest of the season with injury. If he’s fully recovered, in good condition, and in shape, he should bounce back and return to his form before his problems last season.

If all 5 starters are healthy, the team will have one of the most impressive & talented pitching rotations in the game. Another pitcher who could step in play a role is Joe Saunders, rookie in ’06 who went 7-3 with a 4.71 ERA. For now, he may be a long reliever in the bullpen, but he may spot start or find himself in the rotation if someone struggles or goes down with injury.

The bullpen for the Angels is just as impressive as their starting rotation. Returning to the closer role in ’07 is longtime mainstay, “K-Rod” Francisco Rodriguez. He was his usual dominant self with a miniscule 1.73 ERA and based on his record should be lights out in ’07 as well. Only 25, he’s got the chance to be one of the best closers ever in the history of the game.

Joining Rodriguez in the bullpen will be long time Angel Scot Shields, Greg Jones, as well as new additions Justin Speier; long time veteran Darren Oliver who came from the Mets, Hector Carrasco, and Phil Seibel.

Seibel is the wildcard, as he’s not pitched since ‘04 – and he only appeared in 2 games that year. Hopefully, he’s healthy and can contribute to the Angels.

The offense last year for the Angels was nothing short of anemic at times in ‘06, but 2007 might be the year where things come together. With the new additions to the team, Guerrero should have some protection and contribute as he always has.

The outfield may be manned by Gary Matthews Jr., Vladmir Guerrero, and Garett Anderson. The wild card in the outfield will be Gary Matthews Jr. who signed a 5 year, 55 million dollar contract which was seen as controversial because of the length and amount for a player until last season had never made a true impact. Matthews hit .313 with 19 homers and 79 RBI last season along with making some highlight reel catches which made him a player to watch. The downside is that he’ll be 32 going into the season and his track record shows that he may regress. However, if the Angels can get the same production from him that he achieved in Texas, the team will have a formidable lineup.

Perennial All-Star and most likely future Hall of Famer, Vladmir Guerrero will probably bat 3rd or 4th, and once again had an amazing year in ’06 with 33 homers and 116 RBI to go along with a .329 batting average. He’s been nothing but great since been in the majors and the Angels should expect nothing short of excellence from Guerrero at the plate next season and beyond.

The wild card in the outfield will be Garett Anderson. His numbers & production have gone down in the past few years; however, overall he’s been productive and can be counted to hit 15 homers, drive in +70 plus RBIs and hit .270-290. If he could find some of his 1999-2003 form again, then he’ll compliment the offense and make the team dangerous.

The infield will be manned by Casey Kotchman who will be at first base, Howie Kendrick at second, Orlando Cabrera at short stop, along with Chone Figgins getting majority of starts at third.

Casey Kotchman struggled in 2006, played in only 29 games and mustered a .152 batting average as well as only 6 RBIs before succumbing to injury. He should given the chance to start everyday, and should serve as the wild card in the infield. However, if he falters, veteran Shea Hillenbrand can play first along with Dallas McPherson, & Robb Quinlan who can play multiple positions, including third base.

Howie Kendrick played in 72 games last season, and should be the everyday starting second baseman. He had a solid season with a .285 average and drove in 30 runs. If he struggles, he’ll be backed up by Macier Izturis. Orlando Cabrera, hit .282 and provided a reliable glove, and will be the regular shortstop in ’07.

At third base will be super utility player, Chone Figgins. He had a down year in 2006 where he batted .267, but he had 52 stolen bases and drove in 62 runs. He may also see time in the outfield and the other infield positions, with exception of first, if someone comes down with injury or needs and off-day. His batting average may bounce back up, and the Angels should expect him to be solid in 2007.

The catching responsibilities may be split between Jose Molina, one of the famed Molina catching brothers, who’s known for his work behind the plate rather than his glove. The other catcher who may start will be Mike Napoli who hit .228, but showed quite a bit of power with 16 homers in only 268 at bats and 42 RBIs. He may win the starting job and will need to show more discipline at the plate and cut down the strikeouts. Jeff Mathis may sere as the backup, though he only hit .145 in the big leagues and may spend time in the minors.

Shea Hillenbrand will be the DH, but can also play some first base. Between the AL and NL, he hit .277 with 21 homers and 68 RBIs in 141 games. Although he was solid at the plate, he’ll need to show better plate discipline as he only drew 21 walks in 530 at bats. He does not have much speed, but the Angels will need him to be solid at the plate to shore up the offense.

If the Angels pitching and their offense come together, then they could possibly win the AL West and find themselves in the playoffs. Southern California has two potential playoff contenders in the Angels and the Dodgers, and in the end, the Halos led by Guerrero, Lackey, Weaver, and company could make 2007 a year to remember in that part of the region.