Angels have sights set on Matt Garza and Raul Ibanez
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — The Angels would be pleased to sign Matt Garza and Raul Ibanez and call it a winter.
Garza would join Jered Weaver and C.J. Wilson atop the starting rotation, followed by youngsters Garrett Richards and Tyler Skaggs. Ibanez would replace the departed Mark Trumbo at designated hitter.
By Wednesday, the day after they traded Trumbo, the Angels had discussed the parameters of a deal with Ibanez. The Angels are uncertain whether they can afford Garza.
Kendrys Morales, who played the first six years of his career in Anaheim, would appear to be a perfect fit at DH. However, the Angels say they are not interested because they need to rebuild a depleted minor league system, and they would have to forfeit their first-round draft choice to sign him.
They had to trade Trumbo, creating a hole at DH, because they had no solid prospects to trade.
“We’re much more comfortable with the idea of maintaining our first-round pick and continuing to build the organization in a much more positive way,” General Manager Jerry Dipoto said.
Ibanez, 41, batted .242 with 29 home runs for the Seattle Mariners last season, and the Angels would not need to surrender a draft pick or make an eight-figure salary commitment to sign him.
Morales, 30, batted .277 with 23 home runs. He also could spell Albert Pujols at first base.
“You have a chance to get leadership, power, switch hitting,” said Scott Boras, the agent for Morales. “The Angel ownership has been about great players.”
Boras suggested the Angels would be smarter to sign Morales to a long-term contract than to protect their first-round selection. The Angels have the 15th pick.
“Getting a substantial player, particularly one that is in his 30s, where you have use of him for five years or so — it’s hard to suggest a draft pick would mean more than the value of that player,” Boras said.
In an era where teams increasingly value draft picks, Morales might be short of potential landing spots. The Mariners essentially replaced him Wednesday by acquiring Corey Hart and Logan Morrison.
Yet, Boras scoffed at the notion he might not be able to beat the one-year, $14.1-million contract Morales rejected to become a free agent. That qualifying offer meant that the team that signs Morales owes the Mariners a top draft pick.
“I don’t worry about qualifying offers,” Boras said.
Plain talk
Mike Trout might be the most dynamic leadoff hitter in the major leagues, but Angels Manager Mike Scioscia indicated Trout probably would bat second, at least to start the season. The Angels want Trout to drive in runs as well as score them, so they do not want him batting after the hitters at the bottom of the lineup — that is, the ones least likely to get on base.
“It’s always sexy to talk about that type of leadoff hitter,” Scioscia said. “But I don’t know if it’s as functional for Mike or our team if you’re not setting the table for him.”
Mixing it up
In the last nine days, the American League West champion Oakland Athletics have made five trades, with seven players coming and seven others going. That prompted Boras to deliver the line of the day, about Oakland General Manager Billy Beane.
“Billy Beane is the master of goulash,” Boras said. “You never know what’s in it. You just know it’s going to be good.”
Twitter: @BillShaikin
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