Chone Figgins

It's a bullet the Angels dodged when Chone Figgins signed a four-year, $36 million dollar contract with the Seattle Mariners four years ago - he was supposed to be part of a contender in Seattle but those dreams never materialized and Figgins turned into a bad nightmare for Mariners fans.

He was finally cut from the Mariners and while he pockets another $8 million to play for someone else [or stay at home] during the MLB 2013 season - maybe Figgins can salvage the latter part of his playing career, by being a bit player for a perennial contender [St. Louis Cardinals?], filling in at second or third base.

Autograph requests through the mail received: Mariano Rivera and Chone Figgins

Mariano Rivera c/o New York Yankees [spring training] - signed my card in black ink and kept my other card in about three weeks. Don't know what to do about the smudge in 'Rivera' though.

Chone Figgins c/o Seattle Mariners [spring training] - signed my card in black Sharpie in about two weeks and returned the other unsigned.

2010 Cactus League trip recap special #6

Chone Figgins and Ichiro look to gel during spring training and form a top of the lineup duo, to ignite the Seattle Mariners - on paper, the Seattle Mariners look to be at the top of the American League West. However, I don't think they are a finished product and wouldn't be surprised if they took a step back, before they can take a step forward. 

Can the starting pitching hold up after Felix Hernandez and Cliff Lee - will the offense be able to score enough runs? Will Milton Bradley put together a relatively healthy and productive season? 

Ichiro is some kind of freak, but does his 'homeboy,' Ken Griffey Jr. have one more season - where his bat speed resembles something more of what fans saw in the late 1990s or even when healthy in the 2000s.

In putting together a revamped Mariners team, GM Jack Zduriencik has had a cult-like following among mainstream baseball pundits and statheads alike - but is Zduriencik's 2010 Mariners good enough to compete against the Angels?

I'm an Angels fan and it is going to be exciting to see how the two squads battle it out in 2010 - since they should be the top teams to battle for the division title.

Halos saying adios to Chone Figgins

It is a bummer Chone Figgins is about to sign a four-year, $36 million dollar contract with the Seattle Mariners - it is a credit to Figgins he made himself the Major League player he has been when healthy.

It is also a credit to the Angels organization to see ability and develop Figgins as a professional ballplayer - after trading the immortal Kimera Bartee to get Figgy in a 'minor transaction' in 2001.

I liken Figgins to Tony Phillips - without the drug problems, which had been exposed in Phillips' second stint as an Angels back in 1997.

Figgins may not hit for double digit home runs, but is a high-energy, high on-base, high average top-of-the-lineup hitter - who can hit the ball in the gaps for doubles and triples.

Figgins is probably the best defensive third baseman in the American League, not named Adrian Beltre - even though experts continue to flirt with the idea his ability to play several positions is one of his most attractive traits as a player.

As for the Angels, Brandon Wood is going to be given the first opportunity see what he can do at third base - he was the Angels' top prospect at the position for the last four or five years, though he hasn't gotten an extended opportunity to prove himself as a big league regular. Though a shortstop at points in his professional career, sliding over to third base seems to be a natural transition for a big and strong guy like Wood already is, with allowances to fill out a little more in his prime.

Barring a trade, the Wood situation is going to play out like the Kendry Morales situation for the Angels - hopefully at 25, Wood can find a way to stick in the Major Leagues and go onto have a breakout season.

Wood is probably going to be the Angels player I'm going to be closely watching the most next year - if he doesn't live up to the hype as the next great hope in Anaheim, he could be another George Arias.