Outlandish Angels Predictions
- Updated: March 26, 2015
Look for Kyle Kubitza to take advantage of his situation this summer (Image via Twitter)
We’re at that point in Spring Training where everyone gets a little testy from watching so much exhibition baseball while knowing there’s so much more to go. Can’t these guys just get started already? We’re ready for games that matter and big leaguers playing all nine innings! Sure, Spring Training is nearing its end, but it isn’t quite there, and we’re still stuck watching #96 pitch to #89 with #92 catching and #87 in right field. Ahhh, the glory of the Cactus League.
Anyways, why not have a little fun in the mean time? I’ll start us off with some outlandish predictions for the Angels. Have fun with these; they aren’t guarantees or oh-so-super-serious sports pundit predictions. But, crazier things have happened than what I came up with below, so maybe one or two will come true. I’m not going to bat 1.000, but I’d be cool hitting .200 on these.
Garrett Richards will come back down to earth. This isn’t exactly outlandish considering it’d be tough for Richards to maintain the numbers he put up last season, and I’ve already tabbed him as a regression candidate for the Angels this summer. That takes nothing away from him as a pitcher, of course; it’d just be very difficult to repeat last year’s success again as batters make adjustments to his stuff and change their game plan against him. Expect him to do just fine in the Angels rotation, but he won’t be the man he was last year.
Josh Hamilton still has something left in the tank. I’ve written very pessimistically about Josh Hamilton the player before on this website, but let’s bet on Josh Hamilton the person. His career is undoubtedly on its last legs and his relapse, coupled with shoulder surgery, did him no favors this year, but I think he’s mentally tough enough (as he has shown in the past) to get past this in the short run. Whenever he’s allowed to return to the Angels this summer, Hamilton will give the team a boost and resurrect his career, if only for another fleeting moment. He’s still incredibly physically gifted and I still think he can put it all together in a half of a season (or so). But beyond 2015, there really won’t be much left for Hamilton.
The catching situation will catch up to Mike Scioscia. With Hank Conger gone, it’s Chris Iannetta or nothing back there. And if Iannetta gets injured, or if he’s just plain ineffective as he turns 32 years old, the lack of catching depth in the organization will show. Drew Butera doesn’t hit at all – not even relative to catcher
Kyle Kubitza will claim third base for himself in 2015. David Freese will be a free agent at the end of the year, and would stand to potentially be an interesting mid-season trade piece depending on how the Angels are doing and what other teams’ needs may be. Couple that with Kubitza’s solid spring in Angels camp, and the third baseman of the future the Angels are grooming may be in Anaheim and contributing sooner than we all think.
The Angels won’t sign Huston Street to an extension during the year. As I’ve documented here before, Huston Street is his own agent and is working with the Angels on a contact extension. I’ll play the pessimistic angle on this, and predict Street shuts down contract talks during the year to focus on baseball, which will hurt the Angels if they can’t sign him to an extension during the year and he hits free agency with his track record as a consistent closer.
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