2009 Winter Meetings: Go Boldly Angels

By David Saltzer - AngelsWin.com Columnist

The annual Major League Baseball Winter Meetings will be held in Indianapolis, IN, from December 7th through December 10th. It presents owners, general managers, and free agents the opportunity to meet and mingle and work out deals. This year, the Angels are expected to be quite active at the Winter Meetings, both on the trade front and in the free agent market. Check in regularly on Angelswin.com for updates concerning all the Angels’ activities as well as updates on all the major news items to come out of Indianapolis.

In 2010, the Angels will be in a unique position. They will host the All Star Game for the first time in 21 years. Since winning the World Series in 2002, nothing will place the Angels on such a national stage quite like hosting the All Star Game.

As such, this year’s Winter Meetings the Angels should have 2 very clear goals to accomplish. First, they must fill the holes made by our departing free agents. Second, they must acquire a marquee player who will be a starter in the 2010 All Star Game.

If the rumors are true, Chone Figgins is on the verge of signing a 4-year deal with the Seattle Mariners. For Angels fans, this will be a serious, but not an irreplaceable loss, as Figgy was one of the last remaining links to our World Champion team.

To replace Chone, the Angels need to look for a leadoff hitter. Rumors have swirled that Detroit might be willing to trade Curtis Granderson. If that is the case, the Angels should pounce on that opportunity. Detroit supposedly is looking to shed some payroll and said to be looking for catchers, shortstop, and minimum cost pitching. The Angels could offer some combination of Napoli and O’Sullivan or Rivera and Bell to make this deal happen.

This deal makes a lot of sense for the Angels. First off, Granderson fits into our style of play. He runs well, hits for power, and has patience at the plate. He can leadoff and play all of the outfield positions, which means he could backup Hunter in centerfield if Hunter experiences any delays from his offseason surgery or suffers another injury on the field. While Granderson did struggle against southpaws last year, Aybar hit very well against them, so the two of them could split the leadoff duties.

More importantly, though, Granderson is an ambassador to the game and is under control for 3 years. His contract is very friendly considering the offense he generates, and would improve our outfield defense. Even in his “down year” last year, Granderson had 61 extra-base hits and 72 walks. And, he fared much better away from Detroit than he did at home, so there is every reason to believe that trading for Granderson would be a good opportunity to get someone who whose numbers will improve

After landing Granderson, the Angels need to move onto shoring up the pitching. After all, they are a pitching-first team. Here, the Angels have some interesting and difficult choices to make. While Lackey is the home-grown talent, he may be pricing himself out of the market. The latest rumors have him asking for 6 years at approximately $18 million/year. Frankly, that’s just too much to pay him and for too long. We cannot cripple our organization with such a long contract—especially for a pitcher. Contracts that long, especially for pitchers, rarely come without an injury or two over the course of their duration.

So, the better alternative would be to make a serious run for Roy "Doc" Halladay. While we’ve been linked in discussions before to Halladay, the hang-up has primarily been over including Aybar in the deal. With the Blue Jays’ signing of Alex Gonzalez, that issue may finally be at rest, and the Angels and Blue Jays might be able to hammer out a deal.

Trading for Halladay would accomplish both of the Angels’ goals for this offseason. They would shore up the hole made by losing John Lackey, and would allow them to acquire that marquee player who is likely to start in the All Star Game. While Lackey is a good pitcher, Halladay is better. Halladay is far more likely to start an All Star Game in 2010 than Lackey. And, Halladay is far more likely to win games 1 and 4 against either Boston or New York in the post season than Lackey.

A deal for Halladay would cost quite a bit. Most likely, the Angels would have to part with Trevor Reckling, one of their top left-handed pitching prospects, Peter Bourjos, a speedy outfielder who has drawn comparison to Devon White, as well as other players off of their major and minor league rosters. As the old saying goes, you have to give talent to get talent. And, Doc Halladay is talent. No doubt, though, the Angels would insist on getting a window to extend Halladay before pulling the trigger on that deal.

If the Angels are unable to trade for Halladay, or decide that Halladay is not worth the cost, then, they could pursue a new option: They could trade for Granderson and sign Jason Bay. With Figgins’ departure, and, with a package for Granderson centered around Juan Rivera, the Angels could open up 2 outfield spots and stick with their internal pitching solutions. The Angels already have a strong enough rotation to make it to the playoffs next year. So, they could choose to pursue a boost to their power and outfield defense to help bash their way further into the post season next year.

In this scenario, Hunter would remain in centerfield, Granderson would move to left field and Abreu and Bay would split time in right field and the DH spots. Making this move, though, would create quite a stir at the Winter Meetings because it would make Matt Holliday the last of the top free agents, meaning that Boston, the Yankees, and even Seattle would have to compete very heavily for his services. Whichever two teams lost out on him would be weaker overall. And, by signing Bay, the Angels would most likely guarantee that they would actually improve their draft pick next year because they would gain a higher ranked pick from Seattle (for signing Chone Figgins) than they would give up to Boston for signing Bay.

With the start of the Winter Meetings, there is one thing of which Angels fans can be quite certain: Arte Moreno is not going to let the opportunity to showcase the Angels pass by. He knows that 2010 will be the largest national stage for the team in 8 years. With all the talk about limited budget, most likely, he would be willing to extend the budget if he can land the right combination of players to give us the best chance to go deep into October and to make a good appearance at the All Star Game. Tony Reagins will go boldly into this year’s Winter Meetings and we should emerge with an improved team for 2010.

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Angelswin.com Interview with Abe Flores

Interview conducted by David Saltzer - Angelswin.com Columnist

Abe Flores has been the Director of Player Development for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim since October, 2007. I recently had the opportunity to talk with him about what it’s like to be a Director of Player Management, how the Angels develop their prospects and how he sees his job after his first full year. I finished the interview impressed at how well he knows his job and how passionate he is about the Angels and baseball.

Q: (Angelswin.com) - I just wanted to start off by saying thanks on behalf of everyone at the Angelswin.com community for taking the time to do this interview.

A: (Abe Flores) - Okay.

Q: (Angelswin.com) - Let’s start off with some background questions. Where did you grow up, what schools did you attend, what sports did you play?

A: (Abe Flores) - I grew up in the San Fernando Valley

Q: (Angelswin.com) - Which High School did you attend?

A: (Abe Flores) - San Fernando Valley High School. Then I went to Cal State Sacramento. Then I got my Master’s Degree at the University of Arkansas.

Q: (Angelswin.com) - What were your degrees in?

A: (Abe Flores) - I got my Associates Arts Degree in General Ed. from Valley Junior College (Los Angeles Valley Jr. College). Then I got a Bachelors Degree in Social Science and then got my Masters Degree in Sports Management. I started coaching when I was finishing up at Sac-State then went to American River Junior College for two years. Then I was an assistant at Arkansas while I was in grad school there.

Q: (Angelswin.com) - Did you play?

A: (Abe Flores) - Yes, I played.

Q: (Angelswin.com) - What position?

A: (Abe Flores) - First base. Then started coaching at Arkansas and went to the College World Series which was very exciting. I coached summer ball in the Cape Cod League twice. Then I worked as an assistant at USC for 3 years.

Q: (Angelswin.com) - How did you come to the Angels?

A: (Abe Flores) - I was an area scout for the Colorado Rockies for 9 years. My territory was Southern California. The position became open when Tony Reagins took over for Darrell Miller so his position became available—the manager of baseball operations. And now I’m the Director of Player Development.

Q: (Angelswin.com) - So what is a typical day in your life like, if there is such a thing as a typical day?

A: (Abe Flores) - On a typical day I look at a calendar of events leading up to the different parts of the year. For example, in the offseason we’re building towards getting ready for minor league spring training and we have a great staff that works with me—or I work with them—on visas, travel, acquiring 6-year minor league free agents, plugging in holes in our system. We have people working on the travel arrangements and getting things ready to go. We have an excellent guy in Tempe Eric Bricboum who takes care of the hotel arrangements. Other people that are a pretty integral part of player development here with the Angels are Tory Hernandez, Justin Hollander, and Terri Shambaugh. Those are critical components of the player development staff—I couldn’t do it without them. Tory is the manager of baseball operations. Justin is the Assistant of Player Development and Scouting and Terri is our Assistant of Player Development.

Q: (Angelswin.com) - How have things changed in the post-9/11 world? What are some of the complications you’ve had to deal with?

A: (Abe Flores) - I don’t know so far as complications. Basically, the issue has been fraud concerning their date of birth, which is now almost a non-issue. It’s been cleaned up over the last 5 years.

Q: (Angelswin.com) - We’ve seen Santana age 10 months and found out that it wasn’t his real first name.

A: (Abe Flores) - It’s Ervin. A lot of that stuff has been cleaned up because obviously they are coming in here to work but then they want to know who is coming in here to work so they are going to go to the umpteenth detail to know exactly that that is your identity. But, because of MLB opening an office in the Dominican, it’s become easier now.

Q: (Angelswin.com) - So that’s a typical day during the offseason, what’s a typical day like during the minor league season?

A: (Abe Flores) - Basically looking at team reports every morning, making note if there are any injuries with the club. If there is an injury, I always have my cheat-sheet which lists all of the rosters on every club—the starters, the relievers, catchers, infielders at every position, outfielders, and it allows me to basically see the whole playing field the whole board in case we have to make roster moves. If we do have to make roster moves, either that night or the next day, I talk to either the field coordinator, pitching coordinator, catching coordinator, infield coordinator, to see who is the right person for that need.

Q: (Angelswin.com) - What is a typical day like during Spring Training?

A: (Abe Flores) - That’s 32 days of 6 in the morning ‘til 6 at night. Breakfast and cereal with pitchers and catchers, but it’s pretty much Groundhog Day continuing every day. Meetings in the morning every day at 7 o’clock in the morning to determine what we’re going to do for that day so far as the practice plan—what we’re trying to execute for that particular day, where we’re plugging players in for rotation time system, bullpens, catching those bullpens. There will be some pitchers and some extra position players that we roll into full squads and obviously breaking them up into work groups by team—there are 4 teams that are full season that will break camp—and try to put the rights players on each team—prospects too—and we’ll try to align that all up. So far as our work groups and teams, that is an ongoing process. It never just ends. That’s bigger than just Spring Training. That’s done relatively in advance and really we put that together at the end of Instructional League.

Q: (Angelswin.com) - I would like to get into Spring Training and how our players are doing, but you talked a little bit about plugging holes in our minor league season. Last year you had to plug a few holes in Arkansas with players like Greenberg, a player out of the Independent League, could you talk a little bit about that?

A: (Abe Flores) - We basically had what we thought at the time was a season ending injury to the centerfielder on that team. He broke a bone. They needed somebody basically they said in 24-36 hours. We called up the Independent League and we went for him. He was the best person available at that time.

Also, in the process, when we have more time, both Justin and Tory are in charge of the active reserve list. We maintain in our computer an inventory of players either are playing Independent Ball or who have been released and basically putting those players in preferential order by position so that we can assess that we get the right player for that particular moment based on ability. Then, the other factors come in. Once we’ve identified that group of players, that there’s no medical issues and that they have no makeup issues, or minimal medical issues.

Q: (Angelswin.com) - Let’s get into a little bit about Spring Training. What are the daily reports that you are receiving? Who’s looking good? Who should we be keeping our eyes on?

A: (Abe Flores) - Well I was only there for 4 days. I just came back. I won’t be going back’til March 4th. So far as standouts, it’s too early to tell now. But the most important thing is that everyone came back to camp in shape, for the most part, so things are looking good. We have our normal bumps and bruises, but that’s always kind of the norm every year.

Q: (Angelswin.com) - How do you factor in Winter Ball performances? Kendry Morales and Erick Aybar both had really good winter performances and Brandon Wood struggled a little bit. How do you evaluate that coming into Spring Training?

A: (Abe Flores) - I think it’s on a case-by-case situation depending on what that player is trying to accomplish in that Winter Ball scenario. For some players, what they’ve accomplished doesn’t always show up statistically. For some players it does show up statistically. The main thing is that they are there and getting in their homework for what they need to accomplish. It’s a difficult and different environment. It’s a great opportunity to learn all of their skills. It’s a passionate environment, so for me it’s all a positive. It’s all predicated on the player himself whether it is a positive experience.

Q: (Angelswin.com) - How about Kendry Morales. Several of us at Angelswin.com project big things for him this year. We saw those tough at-bats he had in the post season. He had an incredible Winter Ball. What do you see out of him and what has changed in him over the past couple of years?

A: (Abe Flores) - I think number one I think Kendry has become a little bit more comfortable in our culture. He did not have a grasp of the English language at all. So if you put anybody in that environment they are going to struggle. Struggle with taking direction, struggle with trying to execute the direction. It takes time. And I think it did take time. He’s a talented guy, he’s a skilled guy, but he had to learn a different system about how they go about playing the game. There’s an adjustment period. I think he’s really blossoming and I think he’s becoming a very complete player for us. He’s really blossoming in front of everybody’s eyes. It’s a pretty neat thing.

Q: (Angelswin.com) - How often do you get to see each and every player throughout the season?

A: (Abe Flores) - I basically go to each affiliate 3 times—Rancho, Arkansas, Salt Lake and Cedar Rapids—3 times. Twice in the first half and once in the 2nd half. We have 3 short-season teams and I get to see them twice, once in the first half. And I’ll go to the Dominican twice. Once during the Major League All-Star Break—that’s a good time—and once again in the fall.

Q: (Angelswin.com) - Do you see anyone jumping a level or standing out yet?

A: (Abe Flores) - I haven’t gone to camp yet, but as I said, our rosters are pretty much set going into camp. We have a good idea where guys are going to fall. What throws that completely off or throws a wrench into it is when injuries occur. And, injuries will occur. If we don’t have injuries, then it’s really power to us, but injuries occur. They are a part of the process. We have to be able to get the proper players the proper player who will be productive within that group.

Q: (Angelswin.com) - How do you rank someone like Pettit or Sweeney, both of whom pretty much lost an entire year to injury? How do you assess where they should go?

A: (Abe Flores) - Pettit missed a large part of his season. He came back but was definitely rusty when he got back to the double-A club. But he had a tremendous Arizona Fall League—he really tore it up. Basically one of the top MVPs of that league. That being said, if we were breaking camp today, he would project out to double-A to be patient with him a little bit more. We expect some big things out of him and he could potentially have a really quick promotion, but that remains to be seen. In the case of Sweeney, he hasn’t been on the field in over a year. I’m more than curious to see how he’ll move and react to live pitching or game situations. That’s one of those things at his age and skill level that I would probably not hesitate to send him to a high-A ball club, but, that’s one of those wait-and-see situations.

Q: (Angelswin.com) - At the start of Spring Training, do you set individual goals for everyone to work on for Spring Training and the season? How are those goals set?

A: (Abe Flores) - Basically there is a group and we all have a say on that player so far as the comments and on putting together a plan for that player—their strengths and their weaknesses. Their goals can come from us but basically we want active participation from that player because when he’s involved in the process he needs to buy-in and be a part of what we’re trying to do or accomplish. So, it’s a partnership.

Q: (Angelswin.com) - Could you give us a hypothetical goal that you might set with a player?

A: (Abe Flores) - Basically it would be more of a general sense of trying to accomplish something specifically within his skill level. So, in other words, trying to refine a breaking ball that’s going to help his overall pitchability. Maybe becoming more conscientious as a position player. It could be a couple things--being more conscientious of his work—his work level, his effort level, his focus level on a daily basis. Maybe concentrating on some components with his swing. We keep it pretty simple and keep it pretty general. I don’t want to bog them down with a lot of technicalities and walk out of there with their heads spinning. I want to give them some really good sticking points that they can accomplish that are reasonable through the course of the season. Once they accomplish those, they adjust on them. There’s some more things for them to work on. It’s an ongoing process. It never really ends.

Q: (Angelswin.com) - We’ve been lucky to have an Eddie Bane feature here at Angelswin.com for the past 3 years. What’s it like working with Eddie?

A: (Abe Flores) - Awesome. Tremendous charismatic guy. A very competitive guy. He wants to beat the competition in getting the best players for this organization. He has tremendous resources and by resources I mean a tremendous staff that is basically unselfish and is willing to do what is asked and go above and beyond what is asked. I worked with those guys and still work with those guys for seven years and what is going on as year eight. Eddie is a tremendous person, a good resource. Very patient—a good listener. Definitely can bring some levity into a meeting room. A very original thinker in some cases. A very critical thinker.

Q: (Angelswin.com) - At what point do you get involved with a potential draft pick. Eddie has the scouting team—they identify and rank the potential draft picks. When do you get involved in the process?

A: (Abe Flores) - Whoever they pick is up to them. There may need to be some holes that need to be filled as we get along further in the draft—after the 10th, 12th, 13th, 14th round and we need to assess these holes. We’re always going to need a lot of pitching. But, we may be short on some position players, some specific position players. So, as the draft really goes along, hey, we need a 1st baseman for Tempe. We may need a 3rd baseman for Orem. Is there anybody on the board who or on a certain round or certain place that can address that? But so far as when it is those high pick drafts, I have nothing to do with it. It’s all up to his staff as to who they think in their estimation is the best one for the Angels. Once we do sign those players, it’s making sure we got them on the right team and on the right spot.

Q: (Angelswin.com) - And that would be entirely within your domain or purview?

A: (Abe Flores) - Yes. Obviously we get written reports from our scouts on what were getting. And we really want to make sure that when we’re talking to our scouts that they’re giving us their assessments as to what are their strengths, what are their weaknesses, what are the things that this guy needs to work on. Is this guy abused? Is there any red flag that we need to be aware of either mentally or physically so that we’re aware of it and it doesn’t catch us blindsided.

Q: (Angelswin.com) - Let’s get into a little bit about Angels’ organizational philosophy towards hitting, pitching and fielding. Are there any key philosophies that we should be seeing or that you are specifically trying to work on?

A: (Abe Flores) - Well obviously with hitting we believe in using the middle of the field. We want to make solid hard contact towards the middle of the field. We want to be able to—our style of play is being aggressive on the bases—so we want to be able to advance runners. This isn’t anything that anyone else is doing. Base running is a big component of what we do offensively. Teaching repeatable swings. Being efficient with the bat. Being able to recognize situations based on the counts. These things are not as easy as they may seem in an interview. They are very difficult. And it takes time for our players to understand this and more importantly to execute it.

Pitching, hey, basically, being efficient with what you have. First off, it all starts with teaching a repeatable delivery. The one thing that we do introduce here—which Bill Stoneman started with—is the full windup, that old-fashioned wind up. We believe in more athletic aggressive type deliveries instead of cookie-cutter mechanical type deliveries. Those are some of the things that kind of jump into my mind.

A big component here is our catching—that pitcher catcher relationship. It’s well documented Mike believes in it and preaches it at all levels—as well as our base running at all levels—that once they come aboard with us and have yet to play that is a big component of what they are expected to learn here. They are expected to learn it fairly quickly. And there is a key intensity level that is expected of them for them to basically continue and advance within the Angels’ organization. Not only do they have to hit, but they are professionals so far as the intensity level to be the kind of players that we are trying to produce. We’re trying to produce contributors on a championship caliber club. That’s kind of a nice little encapsulation but a lot has to do with being that type of player. You have to be able to contribute in a lot of different ways and in a lot of different roles.

Q: (Angelswin.com) - What can fans read into starts in a Spring Training game? If I’m an Angels fan, and I’m reading a box score, and it’s late in Spring Training, and I’m seeing someone like Chris Pettit starting for 4 innings, can I read anything into that?

A: (Abe Flores) - For me, Spring Training can be a little bit like fool’s gold. It can get deceptive on a performance in Spring Training, but don’t. Be very careful on that performance. Take the body of work, the track record with that individual player. What did he do last year? What did he do the year before that? What has he done maybe in an instructional league moving forward? Spring Training has different matchups with different players. There’s advancing, no scouting. It’s basically players competing against other players. There’s not a lot of advance work or prep work so far as how you’re going to attack a certain hitter. There is, but it isn’t as intense as it is during the regular season.

Q: (Angelswin.com) - But then again, we also saw Darren O’Day have a really incredible Spring last year and made the major league club.

A: (Abe Flores) - Good point. If there is an open spot then it becomes a little bit of a tryout situation for that group of players who are competing for that open spot. Players may shine through and have great springs and may push other players out of the way. But if that person comes in not having a very good track record, that should be weighed into that decision too, ultimately.

Q: (Angelswin.com) - You’ve now been on the job for a little bit over a year. How do you like it? What have you learned on the job? What has surprised you?

A: (Abe Flores) - Number one I think it is one of the best jobs in major league baseball bar none. I think it is challenging. But the best part about it is that you get to see the players grow from when they first come until they grow all the way up and graduate to the major leagues and hopefully become impactful on our major league club and become impactful on a championship caliber club. Most of the things that are really rewarding are working around a group of dedicated people from those in the front office to those on the field to our coaches and our staff—who are basically are our unsung heroes. Being a part of that group is one of the things I’m most proud of. Basically being a part of that group that is going to dedicate that focus. Things that probably surprised me? Not much because I saw Tony do it for 6 years. I guess what you really find out is that until you really start doing it, you really don’t understand the weight of that job. As much as I can observe Tony being the GM, I’ll never know what its really like to be the GM until I sit in his chair. I think this holds true with this position also. As much as I thought I knew Tony’s job, I really didn’t because it all falls on your lap in your department.

Q: (Angelswin.com) - What’s the hardest part of your job?

A: (Abe Flores) - Cutting players. Telling players that they’re not going to be a part of your organization. Players that you care about, players that have been with you for a while, players who were committed. Even if they haven’t been here for a while, it pains you and it pains them. This is work that they really want to do and unfortunately you have to cut them loose. That doesn’t mean that they shouldn’t continue playing baseball. It just means that they won’t be playing baseball with an Angels uniform on their back.

Q: (Angelswin.com) - Let’s get to the lighter side. What’s your favorite movie?

A: (Abe Flores) - This year or ever?

Q: (Angelswin.com) - Both.

A: (Abe Flores) - Probably the best movie I’ve seen this year has been The Wrestler. Number two would be probably the Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

Q: (Angelswin.com) - And, for all time?

A: (Abe Flores) - I don’t have one of them. I have a bunch of them. That’s one I’ll have to sit down and think about for a while. You will have to come back and write to me on that one.

Q: (Angelswin.com) - Favorite band?

A: (Abe Flores) - I have a bunch of them. Pretty eclectic, I like everything.

Q: (Angelswin.com) - Favorite place to eat?

A: (Abe Flores) - In Arizona, Oreganos.

Q: (Angelswin.com) - How about here in Anaheim?

A: (Abe Flores) - I really can’t say it. I frequent a lot of places here in Anaheim and don’t really go back to the same place often.

Q: (Angelswin.com) - How about your favorite stadium food?

A: (Abe Flores) - I don’t eat stadium food.

Q: (Angelswin.com) - Well, I’m just striking out here.

A: (Abe Flores) - No, there’s Tony’s box. It could be a hamburger, it could be anything. No, you’re not striking out, just asking me questions I haven’t given any thought to.

Q: (Angelswin.com) - Wife, kids?

A: (Abe Flores) - Wife, no kids. My wife is a school teacher, she teaches 4th grade. She’s been the Time-Warner Teacher of the Year for 3 years and we expect her to hopefully be Teacher of the Year again this year. She was chosen as the alumni of the year for within her own Department at Long Beach State—her Teaching Department. So she will go back and be recognized at the Long Beach State‘s graduating ceremony this year.

Q: (Angelswin.com) - Congratulations!

A: (Abe Flores) - Yes, congratulations for her. It’s well earned. She really cares about her kids.

Q: (Angelswin.com) - Favorite place to stay on the road?

A: (Abe Flores) - Marriott.

Q: (Angelswin.com) - What’s the toughest place to go to on the road?

A: (Abe Flores) - So far the toughest has been to get to is Cedar Rapids. That’s because of the time change and the connections. You just barely get there at game time it seems like. It’s tough and tricky. The weather has a lot to do with it too. Coming through Dallas or going through Chicago in the summertime it can be really tight making your connections and making your connections on time.

Q: (Angelswin.com) - Is there anything else you’d like to share with the fans?

A: (Abe Flores) - The one interesting thing that I wanted to pass along to the fans is that mark of scouting and player development is that 53 of our 66 players in major league camp are home grown. That’s an amazing thing that we have going on here. We have the talent and other teams really covet our talent. With our talent we had 3 players taken in the major league phase of the Rule-5 draft. Being placed on our 40-man roster prior to that contributed towards that. Nick Green got selected off of waivers and was selected by the Milwaukee Brewers just recently. What a great opportunity. I just talked to him yesterday and it’s a great opportunity. The door is wide open for him for him to make a fresh start and a great impression in another organization.

When I’ve gone around to talk to our different Hot Stoves or our different affiliates who are kicking off their Hot Stove sessions, I’ll talk about those 40 Kernels of our 66 players who are in our major league camp. Think about that. At any affiliate you have that big a group of guys who have come through your city and are now in major league camp and are now around major league players and are now competing against other major league players. There have been 42 Quakes. There’s been 43 Travelers. 40, 38 or 39 Bees. That’s pretty awesome!

Q: (Angelswin.com) - I would have to say so. I’d also have to say it’s the right way to go through development because they all learn the same system so that they can all play together when they come in. They can just come in and immediately know what they need to do.

A: (Abe Flores) - I think that the neat thing as Mike has been there for a long time is that every manager from Salt Lake to Cedar Rapids is in major league camp. The complete Double-A and Triple-A staffs are in the major league camp right now. To keep our system uniform we teach our philosophy to our players. In a way it gets back to scouting and player development. We say what we mean and we mean what we say. A lot of people say that for scouting and player development the proof is in our numbers and what we have in camp. Now does that mean everyone is an all-star in camp? No. But we really believe in drafting and developing our own players. Yes, we do sign free agent players, no doubt to supplement the club at the major league level. But we really believe in player development and I’m really grateful to Arte in believing in that and us.

Q: (Angelswin.com) - That’s great. I really appreciate your time and insights. Would you be open to doing a mid-season follow-up after the All-Star Break?

A: (Abe Flores) - Sure. Give me a call and we’ll get this thing going.

Q: (Angelswin.com) - Thanks again! I really appreciate the time.

A: (Abe Flores) - Take Care.

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AngelsWin.com Interview with GM Tony Reagins

 

Interview conducted by Lou Garcia - Angelswin.com Representative November 12th, 2008 So it has been about a year since the last time we hooked up with the General Manager of the Los Angeles Angels, Tony Reagins opened his office for us again to answer a variety of questions ranging from his first year as GM, the Angels direction this off-season, who may contribute in '09 from within, while sharing about Obama and what it means to be just the 2nd African American General Manager in Major League Baseball. With no further ado, Angelswin.com-Lou Garcia with GM Tony Reagins talkin' Angels Baseball and more below. 

Angelswin.com: Excellent first season as the General Manager of the Angels, Tony. What was your favorite memory of the year? 

Tony Reagins: Well, it's tough because it had a lot of highs and lows. Probably the best memory was clinching the division. That was a fun time just to see the players release that energy after battling through Spring Training and the season so that was probably one of the highlights. 

Angelswin.com: Yeah, I don't think some people realize just what a long haul it is to actually get there. 

Tony Reagins: Yeah, it is, it's a very long haul and it starts right now in the off-season. This is really a 12 month operation. You don't just show up to Spring Training and roll the balls out and get it done. It's a long process. 

Angelswin.com: So what is a typical day for you right now in the off-season? 

Tony Reagins: I'm still talking to the other GM's, just kind of feeling out the process. We had a good chance to see one another face-to-face at the GM meetings last week, so that was good to speak face-to-face with some of the guys. You'll go through the process of making some phone calls and trying to prepare the club for next season. 

Angelswin.com: What is something you learned going through your first season as General Manager that you weren't really expecting? 

Tony Reagins: Just going through the process. It's a process that, having not gone through it, things happen in cycles. So understanding the cycle, understanding the different timelines and deadlines that you have to meet. All of that. I had an idea, but having to be the guy that implements that stuff was, not a challenge, but something that you just hadn't gone through. 

Angelswin.com: Do you think that was the most difficult part of the job? 

Tony Reagins: I think there's different challenges and different aspects. Relationships with different agents, players, the coaching staff ... there's different challenges. 

Angelswin.com: How difficult is it when you're dealing with agents because they have one agenda, you have another, and they do overlap at times but at times they don't. 

Tony Reagins: At the end of the day I think both parties have the best interest of the player at heart. So when you understand that, trying to understand their position, I just learned to understand the agent is going to be an advocate for the player and a fierce advocate, and I have to be an advocate for the club and this organization because at the end of the day you just try to make the best situation for both the player and the organization. 

Angelswin.com: What's the most enjoyable part of the job? 

Tony Reagins: Winning. I think that's one of the things that I have to continue to learn to manage as far as wins and losses . The losses become much more difficult and the wins, they're sweet, but they don't last very long. So just being able to be on more of an even keel.

Angelswin.com: Is it easier to turn the page after a win? 

Tony Reagins: The page gets turned quickly whether you like it or not. 

Angelswin.com: So what do you think the team's weaknesses are now and as fans, what can we expect for the off-season? 

Tony Reagins: You can expect us to, and not just this year, but for years to come, to be competitive and contending. I think the commitment that not only Arte has shown, but also this coaching staff, there's been a commitment to the fans that we're going to put a quality product on the field. As far as what the team is missing, we definitely have interest in Mark and he is very good at what he does and we think he'd be a significant piece in our lineup, but if that doesn't happen we'll go look in other areas. 

  

Angelswin.com: Would you consider him Plan A? 

Tony Reagins: I consider him a plan ... 

Angelswin.com: Is he a guy you would build a team around? 

Tony Reagins: We're not looking to build around any one player. I think you play as a team and win as a team. I think what's important is that you put the pieces together and they flow and they operate as you expect them to operate. I think building a team around any one player ... I just think that this is overstated and I think it's a team concept. 

Angelswin.com: What about the way he plays? 

Tony Reagins: I think the way he plays has an influence on our lineup. He doesn't give away many at-bats. Normally you're going to get a quality at-bat out of Mark and it's a patient at-bat and sometimes that effects what's ahead of him and what's behind him. 

Angelswin.com: Do you think other players have learned from him to perhaps take the walk when it's there? 

Tony Reagins: I don't know, in that short span, a month and a half to two months I think he may have had some influence, but I don't know how much. 

Angelswin.com: What about the organizational approach ? Seeing him take at-bats like that, do you think that'll have any influence on how it filters down to the minor leagues or even other players on the roster? 

Tony Reagins: I don't know if it's one specific player that says, " Hey, you got to take walks" because we've always been an aggressive team, but we think there is a place where seeing more pitches is more important than just the walk. Seeing more pitches and driving that opposing pitcher's pitch count up is important, so seeing more pitches is probably more important than just the "walk". 

Angelswin.com: If for some reason you aren't able to re-sign Mark, are there any regrets on the trade? 

Tony Reagins: No. You really try not to look back. You make a deal and you make a decision and you have to live with that decision whether it works out or doesn't work out. When we're in that mode, we were trying to win a World Series and again, trying to do everything for not only this organization but for our fans. But we just came up short. 

Angelswin.com: On that note, how frustrated do you think the front office and Arte Moreno is losing again not only in the 1st Round, but to the Red Sox again ? 

Tony Reagins: Whoever the opposition is, I don't think whether it's the Red Sox or anybody else, when you lose in a short series in the 1st Round it's not fun. I think we're all frustrated because we felt to a man - players and coaches and I think a lot of people in the industry felt that this team was probably one of the best teams in baseball. We didn't play well in that 1st Round and when you don't play well you don't have a long stay in the postseason. 

Angelswin.com: Does the A's acquiring Matt Holliday have any influence on the team's decision as to how far you'll go to re-sign Mark? 

Tony Reagins: What any other organization does doesn't have any bearing on what we try to do. 

Angelswin.com: What about pitching? As it stands now, it looks like you'll be looking for a 5th starter. Is it something that you think can be handled from within the organization or will you be looking outside for another starter? 

Tony Reagins: You know, that's a possibility. We have youngsters that are capable of being the 5th starter. Really what we're looking for in a 5th starter is somebody who's going to give us innings and give us a competitive outing each time out and we have pitchers internally that can do that. It remains to be seen whether that materializes in that manner, but we really pride ourselves on pitching well and catching the baseball. Historically we've pitched well and we think we have four real good young pitchers along with Lackey, who's getting a little bit older now. We should be fine in the pitching area. 

Angelswin.com: Any chance of looking at a front-line starter as far as a free agent? 

Tony Reagins: You never say no on really any opportunity . Some opportunity may present itself that we weren't expecting but makes sense for us, and if that's the case and it materializes we'll act on it. 

Angelswin.com: Is there any concern with Nick Adenhart? He struggled up here which most pitchers do when they first come up, especially at his age, but when was sent back down to Salt Lake he was walking a lot of batters. Is there any concern with his control or maybe mentally? 

Tony Reagins: I think that's an important aspect. I think most players when they get to this level physically have the tools to compete and compete at a high level. But what separates them is the mental side of it. The mental preparation and being able to execute pitches, throwing the baseball where you want to and at what time you want to in the count. I think those are areas that Nick needs to continue to work on. I like his stuff, like his ability, he's healthy, he just has to put it all together. We haven't given up on him by any means. 

Angelswin.com: You mentioned that there were pitchers within the organization that you think can actually step in and contribute. Who else would you consider in that position? 

Tony Reagins: Obviously Dustin Moseley has done it before so he could be an option. Shane Loux is an option. Adenhart's an option. Anthony Ortega is an option. Nick Green has struggled in the off-season so he's probably a longshot. Those type of guys are probably capable of doing that role. 

Angelswin.com: As far as Frankie's concerned, we really haven't heard anything as far as any kind of negotiations .. 

Tony Reagins: That's a good thing. 

Angelswin.com: That we're not hearing about it? 

Tony Reagins: Yeah 

Angelswin.com: With this organization, I guess it is! 

Tony Reagins: (laughs) Right 

Angelswin.com:... because usually when we hear something it's wrong anyway. 

Tony Reagins: (more laughter) 

Angelswin.com: Well, if he doesn't come back, do you think Mike's comfortable having Jose Arredondo close or do you think it's something where he would turn to Scot Shields and maybe give him the first crack at it since he's done it before, albeit on a limited basis and he's been here for quite a while? 

Tony Reagins: We think both players are capable of getting those last 3 outs at the end of a game, but we haven't turn the page on Francisco yet, so it's just a matter of how this whole off-season plays out as to what the roles will have in the bullpen. 

Angelswin.com: Another player we haven't heard much about is Juan Rivera. Is there any chance he comes back? I mean, he's one player we haven't heard anything about, not only from this organization but from the outside looking in. 

Tony Reagins: Good player. Healthy he's a real good player. Yeah, there's a chance that he returns. There's a chance that he goes elsewhere. He's going to have the right in a couple of days to shop his services so we'll see how that plays out. 

Angelswin.com: Speaking of that, we're reading you're waiting to give Mark Teixeira an offer until he hits the open market. Was this the strategy all along or is it something that just kind of played out that way? 

Tony Reagins: We've had discussions with Mark's people and we've just understood how this was going to take place. It's not something we did not expect. The off-season’s still very young. 

Angelswin.com: What about Brandon Wood? Is he somebody you're looking at playing the shortstop position or is he more suited to play 3B? Or is it something that you'll just wait and see what happens in the Spring? 

Tony Reagins: Well, the good thing about Brandon is that he showed last year that he could come up and play here. I think the more repetitions he gets the better he'll become, but he can play short or third and that gives you some flexibility to do things. 

Angelswin.com: So you do think he's capable of handling the shortstop position at the major-league level? 

Tony Reagins: Is he capable ? Yes. 

Angelswin.com: What about Sean Rodriguez? Where does he fit in? 

Tony Reagins: Good player. Versatile. He can move around the diamond, he can play 2nd, he can play short, he can play 3rd, he can play the outfield. In a young player you like that versatility. Again, you saw him last year and when he got a chance to play regularly he did a good job. Defensively he was fine. He struggled a little bit on the offensive side, but he got better later on and drove the ball. So there's good opportunities for him. He's playing Winter ball and doing very well so we'll see how that goes. 

Angelswin.com: Staying with the outfield, is there any concern in the organization that it hasn't produced any power-hitting outfielders in quite a while? 

Tony Reagins: Power, it doesn't grow on trees. It's like the last tool that shows up and we haven't produced a high-level impact all-star for a while. But I think if you just focus on that area you get kind of shortsighted. I think we need to get good players across the board and continue to try to develop those players that can impact our club in the major leagues in a significant way. So there are some young players that we really like. Whether they have power, that remains to be seen. But there's some that have power potential. 

Angelswin.com: What about Kendry Morales? 

Tony Reagins: There's one right there. 

Angelswin.com: Is he somebody that can maybe move to the outfield? 

Tony Reagins: It's a possibility. We know that he can go out there and play either corner. Again, he's playing Winter ball as well. 

Angelswin.com: Is that something he's working on? 

Tony Reagins: That's something he's going to work on a little bit, yeah. 

Angelswin.com: Has there been any kind of decisions made as far as players that will or will not be offered arbitration or is that something that's up in the air ? 

Tony Reagins: Yeah, I think it's a case-by-case basis that hasn't taken place yet. 

Angelswin.com: OK, that's about it on the baseball side of things. What about inner-city programs? Are the scouts, yourself, the organization involved much in that? 

Tony Reagins: Yeah, there's a couple of programs that we're involved in. We're involved in the Buck O'Neill Scouts Association which is really geared to getting not only inner-city kids but coaches an introduction into the game of baseball and giving them a venue to come and express their opinions and dialogue about their struggles. Actually, we're having our meeting this weekend along with the clinic at the Urban Youth Academy in Compton, and that's another area where we try to support and do things, but the game in the inner-cities is important so that's something we've contributed to and find value in. 

Angelswin.com: Now I know you're extremely busy, but do you get an opportunity to go out and speak to kids, schools or different organizations? Being an African-American General Manager is a top position and a very well-respected position. 

Tony Reagins: Yes, I do. I get a chance to get out in the community and do a lot of stuff back home in the desert. So, yeah, whenever I see an opportunity I like to get out there and talk about the Angels. 

Angelswin.com: Recently Barack Obama was elected as the first African-American President, last year after being named the GM of the Angels we now have 2 African-American General Managers in Major League Baseball ... what does that mean to you? 

Tony Reagins: It just shows that you can do anything and anything can happen. You just have to work hard and when the opportunity presents itself you prepare yourself for it. In very general terms, it just shows that there's opportunity out there for everyone. 

Angelswin.com: Thank you for that. A couple more questions.... What is your favorite Tempe restaurant? 

Tony Reagins: Favorite Tempe restaurant.....(laughs) if I tell you that you guys might show up there. 

Angelswin.com: Come on, we're not that crazy! 

Tony Reagins: City Hall. That's not necessarily Tempe, it's Scottsdale. Where do I go in the city of Tempe? 

Angelswin.com: Don't tell me Diablo Stadium hot dogs either. 

Tony Reagins: Hmmmm, I never really go eat in Tempe. I usually go to eat in Scottsdale or Chandler. 

Angelswin.com: OK, last question... favorite menu item at Del Taco? 

Tony Reagins: Favorite menu item? Combo burrito. 

That concludes our interview with Tony Reagins. Post your comments and engage in discussions with other Angels fans regarding this interview on our website.

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A Crucial Juncture in Angels History

Miguel Cabrera would sure look good in Red, but at what cost?

Instant Gratification or Long-term Success?
By J. "Angelsjunky" Northrop

I’m going to pause with my ongoing series on The Angels: Past, Present and Future to offer a perspective on the currently most pressing issue of Angeldom: Miguel Cabrera and more so, what this means to the Angels, now and in the future.

I will gladly admit my bias in terms of baseball philosophy: Primary emphasis on player development, minimal free agency and trades--only to fill specific needs or weaknesses but almost never at the expense of the future. It just seems obvious to me: If you have to pick, choose "the foreset" over the "tree", the instant gratification of the big bat with big numbers. Is it not better to have a healthy and full farm system to draw from rather than one depleted through trades for high-priced, aging players? Are not the franchises that are the most successful over long periods of time the ones that focus on player development? And have we not seen the downfall of franchises when they opt to emphasize free agency at the expense of the farm?

Now it is not so black and white. A team can emphasize player development as primary while still occasionally signing a big name free agent and/or making a blockbuster trade. And of course ever so often a free agent is worth the multi-year huge contract; signing Vladimir Guerrero a few years ago is a case in point, a marquee player in his prime (28) to below-market value because of a supposedly bad back. Miguel Cabrera is also a very special case: He is not a 30-something at the tail-end of his best years, but a 24-year old superstar that should just be getting going. To put it another way, Miguel Cabrera is no Mo Vaughn. At an age when most players are just breaking into the big leagues, his numbers so far are only equaled by Hall of Famers and future Hall of Famers.

How much should the Angels give up for a player like Miguel Cabrera? The deal that seems to be required is Howie Kendrick, Nick Adenhart, Reggie Willits, and Jeff Mathis, or some variation of similar packaging. That is, a young second baseman on the verge of stardom who could compete for a batting title as soon as next year; a top pitching prospect who could be anything from a #1 to #3 starter; a natural lead-off hitter capable of a yearly .370 OBP and 40 sb; and a former top catching prospect who should still be at least a good platoon player, perhaps even eventually an above average starting catcher. Is Cabrera worth this high cost?

Just how good is Cabrera?

Much is made of the fact that Cabrera is only 24—2008 will be his age 25 year (that is, he will turn 25 before July 1^st). He has already played 720 games, compiling a line of .313/.388/.542 and a career 143 Adjusted OPS+ (Guerrero’s is 148). His individual season OPS+ have been 106, 130, 151, 159, 150. To give a frame of reference, an OPS+ of 150 is MVP-calibre--that means that Cabrera’s last three seasons have been of MVP quality. As for his defense, he is very average: he has a lifetime fielding percentage of .954, which is also the NL average for 3B over his career. His range factor per nine innings is slightly below average: 2.52 to 2.70.

Despite these impressive numbers—more so because they have been accomplished before he has seen his 25^th birthday—there are two relatively minor quibbles to take note of. His last three seasons have been virtually identical. Impressive, yes, but still no sign of further improvement. This does not mean that he will not have another career spike, but it is also possible that what we’ve seen is what we’ll get. Secondly, while his career defense has been average—both at 3B and in LF—his 2007 defense, 154 games at 3B, was markedly below average: a .941 FP (.954 league average) and a rf/9 of 2.51 compared to 2.68.

But let’s not quibble too much: the young man is a terrific hitter and even if he doesn’t improve will remain one of the ten or so best hitters in the game. Any team would love to have a player whose three most similar players through age 24--according to Baseball Reference’s player Similarity Scores--are Hank Aaron, Ken Griffey Jr, and Frank Robinson, three of the hundred or so best players to ever play the game.

How much is Miguel Cabrera worth?

In one of my blog entries I gave a system for rating players in tiers:

• 1st tier: Superstar – Among the best players in the game (e.g. A-Rod, Johan Santana, David Ortiz).
• 2t: Star – Among the best players in the league at their position; all-star (e.g. Victor Martinez, Chase Utley, John Lackey).
• 3t: Borderline Star – Very good player with occasional star-calibre season; possible all-star (e.g. Mike Lowell, Kelvim Escobar, Steve Finley in his prime).
• 4t: Quality Regular – An average or above average player (e.g. Bengie Molina, Mark Grudzielanek, Adam Kennedy as an Angel).
• 5t: Mediocre Regular/Quality Bench – (e.g. Darin Erstad as a first baseman).
• 6t: Poor Regular/Decent Bench – (e.g. Jose Molina).
• 7t: Scrub – How did he get to the major leagues? (e.g. Erick Aybar in 2007).

Furthermore, I offered a tentative valuation whereby, as with chess pieces, you can assign a point-value for each tier. From 7t to 1t: 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 10, 15. These numbers are, of course, arbitrary—but allow me to play with them a bit.

Now Miguel Cabrera is, and should remain, a 1t player--a true superstar. I am tempted to call him "just" a 2t star based upon his excellent hitting but merely mediocre defense, but his age and potential puts him up a notch. His 143 Adjusted OPS+ is only surpassed by nine active players, and equal to Gary Sheffield, Todd Helton, and Chipper Jones.

What about the four Angels mentioned above? It is hard to say, but potential-wise there is a range:

• Kendrick - 3t to 2t
• Adenhart - 4t to 2t
• Willits - 4t
• Mathis - 5t to 4t

If we use the point-system, Cabrera is worth 15; Kendrick 7-10, Adenhart 5-10, Willits 5, and Mathis 3-5. So the Angels package is worth between 20-30 points--up to twice Cabrera's value...if they fulfill their potential.

Is this really an accurate assessment of comparative worth? Not really, but as an intellectual exercise it illustrates some important issues. In fantasy baseball it is usually a good idea to trade two good players for one great one as the latter are far more difficult to come by than the former, and you can always pick up a decent player having a good year on the waiver wire. But that is fantasy baseball which A) includes an artificially bloated waiver wire, and B) Is usually played for just one season.

The second point (B) is the important one. The Angels probably have enough talent that they could trade for both Miguel Cabrera and Johan Santana. Think about that for a moment...

...Holy crap!!!

OK. Both are far from the quintessential aging free agent star; Cabrera will be 25 next year, Santana 29. Both are among the ten most valuable commodities in all of baseball. These are the packages that the Angels could offer for them, and probably be successful:

• Cabrera: Howie Kendrick, Nick Adenhart, Reggie Willits, Jeff Mathis.
• Santana: Jered Weaver, Brandon Wood, Ervin Santana, and maybe another decent prospect.

That is a lot of young talent. Certainly the Angels would (finally) be on a level with the Red Sox, and for years to come. But how many years? Around 2010 some of the regulars would be in serious decline, with little money or young talent to replace them. Not to mention that signing Santana and Cabrera long-term, in addition to Guerrero and Torii Hunter, would lock up an enormous amount of money in just four players: over $80 million a year just for those four. Focusing such a large portion of a franchise's resources on a few players is enormously risky.

I am not suggesting that there is an easy answer here, for certainly a team featuring three bonafide superstars in Guerrero, Cabrera, and Santana would be something to watch--and considering that they are all Latino would only drive revenue through the roof for the Los Angeles metro area baseball club. We also have to remember that Arte Moreno, from everything that I can tell, is a business man first, a baseball man second. That means that the bottom line for him is profit. And so far he has done quite a job, with a team valued at almost three times what he paid for it (I forget the source for that--but I read it somewhere on the internet ;)). He has also said, on more than one occasion, that he wants to make this team successful for the long-term, which is certainly something to be hopeful about.

But as a baseball fan, and multi-decade Angels fan, I want to see the emphasis on the farm system, on the players that I, that we, have followed up through the organization for the last few years, since around the time that the Golden Era of Angels baseball began in 2002. I want to see Howie Kendrick win multiple batting titles, as if we were getting Rod Carew again but this time in the first half of his career, not the second. I want to see if Nick Adenhart can receive the torch from John Lackey, who received it from Chuck Finley, as the team's homegrown ace. I want to see if Brandon Wood can fulfill the promise he showed in his historic 2005 season. I want to see if Jered Weaver becomes the Angels answer to Tom Glavine. And so on.

Don't get me wrong, I would love to see Miguel Cabrera and/or Johan Santana wearing Angels uniforms. I would love to see our team march into Fenway without the characteristic feeling of dread that we all feel come October. And I'd love to win the World Series again. But I'd rather do it with our own players. Someone it just seems more...meaningful.

I want to see our own young players remain Angels, even if it makes a World Series win less of a seeming sure thing. I want to see if the Angels, our Angels--not imports, no matter how flashy--can win it all.

The Angels are at a pivotal point in their organizational history. Five years after their first—and very surprising—World Series championship, we have seen three playoff appearances in four years, including two first round sweeps to the Red Sox. Everyone can agree that the Angels have been just a little shy of greatness—a very good team, but not quite good enough. In addition to Torii Hunter, Miguel Cabrera or Johan Santana would likely change that—Cabrera and Santana would almost certainly change that, vaulting the Angels to equal footing with the Red Sox. But so too might the natural maturation of Howie Kendrick, Brandon Wood, Casey Kotchman, Jered Weaver, Nick Adenhart, and the rest of our young players. As I’ve said, this is not a clear-cut, black and white decision. It is not either/or--for certainly the Angels can trade for a Cabrera or Santana and still retain much of their core youth. But let us hope that they don’t go overboard and lose sight of the long-term for instant gratification. Let us hope...

Discuss this article with the author and other Angels fans

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