Featured autograph - Cody Ege

When he popped up on the Angels' active roster, Ege sounded like the most random guy ever - a 15th round draft pick by the Texas Rangers in 2013, the 25-year old lefty was traded to the Miami Marlins a couple years ago and then picked up on waivers by the Angels

Ege fits a profile of guy who may put in a couple of years playing at the big league level before fading out - I wondered how I was going to add his autograph to my Angels collection, but I picked up signed minor league card through the SCN message boards.

Featured autograph - Joe Thatcher

He denied me last Sunday as he finished up taking pictures and was heading back to the clubhouse at the Angels' season ticket holder photo day - however, I was able to get him to sign my card [albeit one picturing a current/former Angel in another MLB team's uniform] to add to my all-time Angels autograph collection.

Joe Thatcher

I had a couple of his cards one card in my San Diego Padres 'autograph book' until he was sent to the Arizona Diamondbacks at the trade deadline in 2013 - now part of the Angels after another trade that sent him to the Halos with outfielder Tony Campana, maybe an opportunity opens up to get him to sign my card.

Jason Grilli

I thought Grilli was a journeyman who was out of baseball years ago - but he's actually pitched with the Pittsburgh Pirates for parts of the last four seasons until being traded to the Angels.

An All-Star last year, he struck out out 164 batters in 108.2 innings combined in 2012 and 2013 - hopefully he still has some juice in his right arm to help the Angels in the later innings whether as a set-up man or a guy that can close out some games.

Featured autograph - Mike Morin

I'm not too excited about a relief pitcher whose upside maybe an okay MLB closer or a guy who ends up bouncing around for the next 10-15 years - still Morin is only 23 and with a fresh arm out of the Angels bullpen, he may find himself in more prominent situations as the season wears on.

Featured autograph - Matt Shoemaker

The long shot threw two shutout innings in his 2014 debut Tuesday night - his upside seems limited as a 27-year old long reliever [looks like he was a starter in the minors] who doesn't throw hard, though he might have the potential to be useful as long as he isn't overexposed.

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.

Mail day - 2013 Topps Paco Rodriguez Camo parallel

I don't know much about Rodriguez but looked for a 'nicer card' to hopefully get autographed some time this year - just be eyeballing him, he looks like another Javier Lopez or Jeremy Affeldt, two veteran lefty relievers for the Los Angeles Dodgers' main rivals, the San Francisco Giants.

Rodriguez was a second round pick by the Dodgers in 2012 and after making his professional debut - was the first player from last year's draft to reach the Major Leagues.

Mail day - 2012 Bowman Draft R.J. Alvarez Red Ice parallel