I'm getting Kelly Gruber flashbacks

Gruber was a third baseman acquired by the Angels - but after coming over in the 1992 offseason, Gruber ended up playing in only 18 games for the Angels in 1993 and was a bust.

Some 20 random years later, the Angels have gone out and traded Peter Bourjos and prospect Randal Grichuk to the St. Louis Cardinals - for third baseman David Freese and reliever Fernando Salas.

I feel Freese is similar to Gruber, though to be technical, there is no listing of Gruber - among the similarity scores on Freese's Baseball Reference page.

However, they were both veteran players who played on a World Series championship team and have put up pretty good numbers in spurts - Freese, like Gruber so many years ago is expected to solidify third base for the Angels even though Freese is going to be 31 next season and isn't getting any younger.

I'm crossing my fingers and hoping Freese can stick at third base for the next two or three seasons - I'm worried about his off-the-field problems in the past and I hope he'll be able control the vices that have derailed him and stay out of trouble.

Unlike in St. Louis, Freese doesn't have to be a star as an Angel - just healthy enough to pencil in the lineup for 130-140 games with the potential to hit at least .270, hit at least 15-20 home runs and drive in at least 75-80 RBI.

Maybe once considered a relief ace back in 2011 - it looks like the Cardinals soured on Salas and he spent much of the 2013 season buried in AAA.

At this point of his career, what you see is what you get from Salas, so that is a bit underwhelming - but looks like he has a live arm and the Angels need more of those out of the bullpen to build upon for next year.

I suspect a fully healthy Bourjos in 2014 is going to be fun to watch as he is a Gold Glove caliber defender in center field - at the plate and on the bases, I think he's the ideal National League player from the 1980's, where can he hit the ball in the gaps and run around all day long.

I don't really know what to make about Grichuk - my best guess is he's a guy who has a lot of power, some athleticism and relative youth on his side.

My wishlist of Angels off-season moves for 2014

Major League Baseball is over [congrats team from Boston] and it's time for teams to make moves for next season - I may not be accounting for the actual resources it would take to make these moves happen for my home team, but it's not like I'm saying the Angels should go out and acquire everybody.

Things always seem fairly reasonable when I'm looking for something to blog about and playing around with ideas - the obvious need for the Angels is plugging their leaks on the pitching staff and the team needs all the help they can get.

1.) Trade Erick Aybar and perhaps a 'prospect' to the St. Louis Cardinals for Carlos Martinez - the Cardinals need a shortstop with Pete Kozma overextended [he's more of a utility guy] and as decent of player as he has shown at times, maybe Aybar hasn't really gotten any better in the three years.

Martinez has a big arm and he's sort of been hyped up [Lil' Pedro anyone?], but because the Cardinals always seem to have a lot of pitching in-hand - Martinez maybe seen as someone that can be traded for talent as opposed to a pitcher that is deemed untouchable.

2.) Sign Stephen Drew or at least someone to replace Aybar at shortstop - he may just give some 'lucky' team three good seasons in his early 30's as a player with some pop and ability to play defense.

He looks like he has some idea of what he's doing at the plate - and may offer just a bit more than Aybar.

3.) Sign Masahiro Tanaka - the Angels needs to add a pitcher who may not be quite an ace, but certainly has the arm and pedigree through his pro career in Japan to be at least a No. 2 in the States.

I really think the Angels offseason would be a failure if they don't land Tanaka - but Tanaka maybe the most sought after free agent pitcher this off-season, so how much will the Angels really bid to even get to talk to him?

4.) Sign Ricky Nolasco - not exciting but someone who should pitch close to 200 innings per year and add stability to the Angels rotation; Nolasco would be making his home starts about an hour away from his hometown, so that can be a superficial bonus for the veteran pitcher.

5.) Trade Peter Bourjos to the New York Mets for Jeurys Familia - maybe I'm selling Bourjos short, but Mike Trout maybe the center fielder for the Angels for the next 15 seasons, Josh Hamilton will be around for four more years and Kole Calhoun looks like he might be more than just a fourth outfielder.

A healthy Bourjos' talents plays infinitely better in the National League - free the guy and at least get back an arm that maybe molded into a Major League commodity, even though Familia was out for much of 2013 and maybe more of a project at this point.

6.) Sign a 'proven' bullpen arm - the Angels gambled on Ryan Madson and Sean Burnett last off-season and got bupkis from neither one, with Madson being cut before throwing an actual pitch for the Angels and Burnett ending his season after pitching in only 13 games.

It may take at least a two year commitment to sign Grant Balfour - but he might be someone to look at as far as giving the Angels perhaps a better option to close out games.

Ernesto Frieri slides over to be the set-up man with pitchers like Dane De La Rosa/ Kevin Jepsen / Michael Kohn being more seventh inning guys - Balfour's age is a concern, but he's had a rubber arm and maybe a guy who leads by example.

When was the last time the Angels had a 'personality' coming out of the bullpen to close out games [?] - Balfour just might be the guy to bring some swagger when things are sort of aimless.

7.) Trade for Milwaukee Brewers third baseman Aramis Ramirez - I don't want to be the guy saying the Angels should go out and pick up an older [past 35 years old] player, but Ramirez maybe worth the gamble; not a long term solution, he maybe sort of a veteran a potential contender can coax a couple of good years out of before he is put out to pasture.

8.) Trade Mark Trumbo to the St. Louis Cardinals for Allen Craig or David Freese - trading Craig might not be a priority for the Cardinals but they would be freeing up some money and allowing their younger players to get an opportunity at the Major League level.

Though Craig maybe damaged goods at this point and is locked up to a long term contract - he has shown to be quality hitter the Angels can be put at first base to spell Albert Pujols or slot at DH.

I have my own reservations about Freese and getting injured, driving into trees and all - but he maybe a younger alternative to Ramirez and maybe he can be the answer at third base, for at least two or three seasons.

Trumbo maybe too much of a swing and miss slugger - but has legit power and may not be such a stiff that he can't play the field [either at first base or in the outfield] for a National League team.

Featured autograph - Peter Bourjos

Bourjos was buried by the Angels in 2012 making him wonder if he was going to be in the team's plans going forward - with his defensive skills [as a center fielder] and relative youth as a Major Leaguer, the Angels had to give Bourjos an opportunity to find a permanent role in the Angels outfield mix this season.

Through the first month of this season Bourjos has put up some nice stats on the board as a hitter, excelling at the top of the lineup - hopefully he can put up comparable numbers for the rest of the year, get his hits and get on-base in other ways.