The Angels could use this guy - Billy Butler

The Angels need to take a chance on signing him to plug somewhere in the middle of the lineup to hit after Albert Pujols and/or Josh Hamilton - while Butler isn't quite a year in, year out home run threat and his slugging percentage has dipped in the past few years, he does hit little bit.

He maybe a clogger on the bases and also limited defensively - but he seems sort of a low key guy who just comes to the ballpark and play.

Raul Ibanez - a rather unimaginative signing for the Angels

He's going to be an frustrating player to watch as a fan even though he is supposed to compliment the Angels lineup and not be the main guy - the best case scenario is that he runs into enough hot streaks during the 2014 season, so it doesn't feel like Angels fans are watching a 42-year old player living on borrowed time.

The worse case scenario is Ibanez is DFA'd by the All-Star break and while his salary [$2.75 million] for the upcoming season isn't extravagant [by MLB standards] - the Angels will have to eat it if Ibanez is another Dave Parker or Steve Finley.

Would Shin Soo Choo be a fit for the Angels?

Besides any wishful thinking, I don't think the free agent has been involved in any rumors regarding the Angels - he maybe a complimentary player who is going to be paid like a star, but Choo is an on-base machine who does just a little bit of everything.

Choo would leadoff for the Angels with Howard Kendrick behind him before Mike Trout, Albert Pujols and Josh Hamilton follow - if Pujols comes back healthy and Hamilton screws his head on straight, the lineup might be the best in the American League West.

On the field, maybe Choo plays right field since he has had a reputation of having a good arm - the Angels players who take a step back if Choo is signed would be J.B. Shuck [who is a fourth outfielder anyway] and Kole Calhoun, who can rotate between the outfield, DH and first base, if the Angels want to take advantage of his bat.

Unlike his previous two teams, if Choo signed with the Angels - he'd on the West Coast, where there is a little bit more diversity [as opposed to playing in Detroit, Texas or Ohio] and the flights back-and-forth from his native South Korea would be much easier.

I think the Angels can add another big money free agent or two - though maybe pushed to their limits, especially when the grumblings about any sort of Mike Trout contract extension get louder and louder each passing season.

RF Shin-Soo Choo
2B Howie Kendrick
CF Mike Trout
1B Albert Pujols
LF Josh Hamilton
3B David Freese
DH C.J. Cron / Kole Calhoun
C Chris Iannetta / Hank Conger
SS Erick Aybar

Featured autograph - Joe Smith

Maybe the salaries for rank-and-file MLB players have bumped up with more money in the game - so a three year, $15 million commitment for someone of Smith's talents might not be unreasonable, though I wouldn't have been itching to sign a random guy with little upside.

Smith seems to be a reliever who doesn’t throw hard and doesn't close out games - maybe a smarter MLB team might find a way to acquire pitchers with some potential flailing around in the minors or veteran MLB pitchers who've bounced around, looking for another chance to pitch.

Featured autographs - Josh Hamilton and David Murphy

The sneaky signing of Josh Hamilton by the Angels might represent the feast or famine acquisition that defines Jerry DiPoto's legacy as a general manager in Anaheim - more than signing Albert Pujols or C.J. Wilson last off-season.

I have some reservations about Hamilton's focus during different points in a Major League Baseball season, but it's hard to argue that when he's on his best behavior - he is a superstar talent who adds meat and complements Albert Pujols in the middle of the Angels' lineup.

Hopefully it just doesn't become one of those situations where Hamilton forgets to play baseball and becomes an enigma and/or an outright free agent bust - since the Angels are going to be paying the man $25 million through the next five seasons to be a superstar.

Featured autograph - Joe Blanton

With the Angels apparent addition of Joe Blanton - the Angels look to have some arms to build around after losing Dan Haren, Ervin Santana and most likely, Zack Greinke.

Blanton is a decent pitcher you can plug into a starting rotation and expect OK [if decidedly underwhelming] results - a good season for the burly righty would be pitching close to 200 innings while recording double digit wins.

A bargain basement signing - the money Blanton is getting to pitch the next two seasons for the Angels doesn't even pay for what current free-agent Greinke is likely to be paid per season.

I don't remember where I got this 2004 Bowman Draft card signed in-person - it might have been during the 2005 season or 2006 spring training, when I remember getting my picture with him at A's camp.

Featured autograph - Sean Burnett

The Angels signing of reliever Sean Burnett adds another good lefty to complement Scott Downs in their bullpen - I assume Burnett is going to be a flexible piece, with the ability to come into any late inning situations and maybe even close out a game if needed.

I probably got this 2004 Bowman Draft card signed in-person four or five years ago - when Burnett was still with the Pittsburgh Pirates and I couldn't tell the difference between him and then teammate Tom Gorzelanny.

Featured autograph - Zack Greinke

I probably got this card signed through the mail years ago and I wish the other guy was in professional baseball somewhere because I'd still like to complete it - the card is going into my all-time Angels autograph box to represent Greinke's time with the Angels in 2012.

Obviously Greinke is the most prized free agent this off-season and I'd love for the Angels to have the means to plug him back into a depleted starting rotation for 2013 - who really knows [I'm not betting on it, btw] if the Angels are going to re-sign Greinke to a long term deal for $120 million or more.

If it happens and Greinke is back with the Halos for the next five-seven years - then the team is going to have to tear up the long term deal ace Jered Weaver signed and make sure the face of the Halos' starting rotation is paid comparably.

Goodbye Vlad

It was decided a while ago that Vladimir Guerrero wasn't in the Los Angeles Angels plans for 2010 and beyond - now, he is close to signing with the Texas Rangers, an American League West opponent of the Angels. 

It was fun watching this guy hit in an Angels uniform - hopefully Vlad acquiesces to some fans requests to see him up close and to say thanks for all the dazzling numbers he put up as Halo. 

When he comes back to play his first game as an opponent at Angel Stadium - a standing ovation before Vlad's first at-bat would be something memorable he should take in regardless of how things ended in Anaheim.

Kelvim Escobar

The New York Mets signing of pitcher Kelvim Escobar to a one-year deal officially means the end of his six-year tenure in Anaheim - he has missed all of the last two years, except for one start in 2009, but was underrated part of the Angels rotation in his three healthy seasons in 2004, 2006 and 2007.

The Mets probably don't know what they are getting in Escobar - but they are hoping he gets in a full season in the Major Leagues, either as a starter or a reliever.

I took the picture at an appearance he made at a Orange County, California auto dealership - the last time I got his autograph was this past year in spring training, when he was driving out of the Angels' complex in Tempe Arizona and was stopped by some acquaintances to talk.

The future of John Lackey in Boston

There are a lot of things I can say about John Lackey - though I choose to look forward to what the Angels have to do, since they've lost their big gun on top of the starting rotation.

The most disappointing thing about losing Lackey, who apparently signed a five-year contract with the Boston Red Sox, is the Angels never pulled the trigger on a trade for Roy Halladay - if talks were taking place over the winter meetings, then the Angels should have jumped at the chance to trade four or five spare parts, for one staff ace.

Maybe the Angels are one more starting pitcher away [Derek Lowe, Javier Vazquez, Jair Jurrjens, Matt Cain?] - from basically having the same rotation that led to an American League West title in 2009.

It isn't doom and gloom, since the Angels still have four competent starting pitcher - the trade for Scott Kazmir this past season looms larger, especially if he can match Lackey's numbers.

The fact Kazmir probably can't match Lackey's intensity is good in the sense - he won't be showing up his teammates, his pitching coach and manager if things aren't going his way.

On the other hand, the fact that Lackey is an ornery son-of-a-gun is what makes him the pitcher that he is - the positives of having the starting pitcher with a little swagger and a lot of attitude is what the Angels will probably hard pressed to recapture.

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.

The future of John Lackey?

The Los Angeles Angels will probably try hardest to re-sign this SOB, because he is the face of the starting pitching rotation - he bitches, whines, snarls and grovels for every pitch.

Simply put, Lackey has the intangibles of being a bully in the front end of the Angels rotation - losing him would probably as close to losing Nolan Ryan back in the late 70s.

As badly as the Angels want Lackey to come back however – the team will be content to move on if Lackey demands too many years and too much money and somehow a deal cannot be reached.

It is a two-way street for Lackey and the Angels – Lackey doesn’t have to choose the highest bidder and if he feels the Angels have made him an offer that falls a little bit short of what others are offering, but still fair enough for him to be with the Angels, he should take it.

While he has turned into an ace and some say may have matured, he still tends to have his bitter beer face moments - the good and the bad is what makes Lackey a fun pitcher too watch.

His swagger and cockiness maybe a little over the top and may not even be necessary at times when he is really imploding on the mound - but I shudder to think if the Red Sox or Yankees add Lackey to their starting rotation.

Debating whether to get the great Vladimir Guerrero's scribble

For $70 a pop, Vladdy can sign my 8x10 photo on Saturday, November 7 at an Orange County, California card shop - it will probably a last minute, impulsive decision whether or not I go for this.

Stateside and away from his Dominican Republic homeland, Vlad is aloof towards most fans to approach him and his autograph is basically hard to get - but why is he worth something to me then if he won't give me the time of day? I don't particularly need to get another autograph from him, especially when I have gotten him to sign for me before during his first year with the Angels in 2004.

On the other hand - I can throw away the same amount [$70] to spend Angels baseball tickets for several games and know I'm not going to get his autograph.

He is a free-agent and may not be back with the Angels - but then considering his signing habits, does it matter whether or not he returns?

It was maybe eight or nine years ago already, I ended up getting Willie Mays' autograph at a public appearance - his fee then was $100.

That is only $30 more than Vlad's signing fee for small items - while a great player himself, Vladdy is no Willie Mays [though The Say Hey Kid does pop up at #6 of Vladdy's comparables through the age of 33, but then Vlad is actually 34, so who knows].

I think it would be great to get Vlad's autograph - but I won't lose sleep if my 8x10 still as no scribble on it by the end of the day on Saturday.