November 12, 2012 Page 1 of 38 Clips (November 12, 2012) November 12, 2012 Page 2 of 38 Today’s Clips Contents From the Los Angeles Times (Page 3) High-priced pitching confronts Angels' Dipoto at GM meetings Angels may have to turn to free-agent market to fill pitching void From the Orange County Register (Page 6) Fulfilling a fantasy and feeding the hungry, all thanks to Angels' groundskeepers Scout saw Trout's potential Tim Bogar, Mike Hampton join Angels minor league staff From ESPN.com (Page 12) Source: Dodgers chasing Torii Hunter Restocking the Angels' rotation From Angels.com (Page 14) Trout transcends in rookie season unlike any other From MLB.com (Page 18) AL has deep Rookie of the Year field The Week Ahead: And the winners are ... From SportsIllustrated.com (Page 22) AL MVP debate highlights top storylines for awards week From USA Today (Page 24) Trout vs. Harper: Which rookie has the higher ceiling? From Sports on Earth (Page 27) No Rookie Mistakes From Examiner.com (Page 33) Utah farm teams highlight development challenge faced by GM Jerry DiPoto From Beisbol Por Gotas (Page 35) Trout vs Cabrera, atracción entre premios-2012 November 12, 2012 Page 3 of 38 FROM THE LOS ANGELES TIMES High-priced pitching confronts Angels' Dipoto at GM meetings One report has Zack Greinke seeking a six-year, $150-million deal. Jerry Dipoto is looking for at least two starters but says the market will settle out over time. By Mike DiGiovanna, Los Angeles Times November 10, 2012 Jerry Dipoto said this week's general managers meetings were "like a setup," a chance to meet agents and GMs in the casual atmosphere of an Indian Wells resort and lay the groundwork for potential free-agent signings and trades, not to consummate deals. "We tried to digest as much information as we could," the Angels GM said. Some of that information might be hard to stomach. One report said pitcher Zack Greinke, the Angels' top winter target, is seeking a six-year, $150-million deal. Another said pitcher Anibal Sanchez, a quality right-hander but part of a not-so-appealing group of second-tier free-agent starters, wants six years and $90 million. Dipoto, who would like to acquire at least two front-line starting pitchers, was neither scared off by nor overly concerned about what might be perceived as a sudden spike in the market. "You're always going to get inflated expectations at the start of the off-season, not just for free agents but in the trade market," Dipoto said. "Nobody comes in and low-balls you. We're watching the landscape and will see how things unfold." Dipoto met with Casey Close, Greinke's agent, this week but would not say much about negotiations with the right-hander who went 6-2 with a 3.53 earned-run average in 13 starts for the Angels after being acquired from Milwaukee for three prospects July 27. "I'm not going to give you a progress report," Dipoto said. "The market doesn't run like that," he added, snapping his fingers. Case closed? With Rafael Soriano rejecting the New York Yankees' qualifying offer Friday and the Detroit Tigers reportedly not that interested in the relief ace, might the Angels aggressively pursue Soriano? Don't count on it. Yankees President Randy Levine said agent Scott Boras believes he can command a deal in the four-year, $60-million range for Soriano, who went 2-1 with a 2.26 ERA and November 12, 2012 Page 4 of 38 42 saves. Dipoto considers that kind of long-term investment in the volatile relief market to be extremely risky. "You're never really looking for big-ticket items in the bullpen," Dipoto said. "You're looking for guys who can handle the role." Dipoto did not pursue closers such as Heath Bell, Jonathan Papelbon and Ryan Madson last winter, going into the season with Jordan Walden as closer before acquiring Ernesto Frieri, who went 4-2 with a 2.32 ERA and 23 saves, from San Diego in early May. "With starting pitchers, you have track records, and you have a good idea what you're going to get out of position players," Dipoto said in October. But spending lavishly on relievers "is akin to going to Las Vegas and throwing it down on double-zero green." Short hops The Angels hired Tim Bogar to manage double-A Arkansas and former All-Star Mike Hampton as pitching coach. Bobby Scales has been hired as director of player development, and Michael Noboa as coordinator of Latin American operations. Angels may have to turn to free-agent market to fill pitching void Several teams have pitchers they may be willing to part with, but Angels General Manager Jerry Dipoto might lack the chips to deal in order to fill three rotation spots. By Mike DiGiovanna, Los Angeles Times November 9, 2012 Atlanta has a surplus of starting pitchers and might be willing to part with Tommy Hanson, Julio Teheran or Randall Delgado. Arizona is reportedly willing to trade Trevor Bauer, the former UCLA star who was the third pick in the 2011 draft. Tampa Bay (James Shields, Jeremy Hellickson), Cleveland (Justin Masterson), the New York Mets (R.A. Dickey) and Chicago White Sox (Gavin Floyd) also have pitching assets that might interest the Angels, but General Manager Jerry Dipoto may lack the chips required to deal for such starters. A commitment to start Peter Bourjos, long coveted by others, probably removes the speedy center fielder as potential trade bait, and with three rotation spots to fill, the Angels are not about to trade hard-throwing 24-year-old Garrett Richards. There is no surplus of outfielders, unless you consider overpaid, underachieving Vernon Wells a tradable commodity, or middle infielders beyond Erick Aybar and Howie Kendrick. November 12, 2012 Page 5 of 38 There isn't much power beyond Albert Pujols, Kendrys Morales and Mark Trumbo, who will fill the middle of the order, and the Angels used three top prospects — shortstop Jean Segura and pitchers Johnny Hellweg and Arial Pena — to acquire pitcher Zack Greinke in July. There is little high-end talent in the system above double A, and Mike Trout isn't going anywhere. So where does that leave Dipoto in his search to fill rotation voids left by Greinke and Dan Haren, who are free agents, and Ervin Santana, who was traded to Kansas City? Probably in the free-agent market. "Trades are very rarely connect one dot," Dipoto said at the general managers' meetings in Indian Wells. "You're not typically trading A for B — there's usually more than one name. There are a variety of ways to make trades. I can't say I've spent a whole lot of time thinking through it, because I don't know that that's Plan A." Plan A is to go full bore for Greinke and add another pitcher to a rotation that consists of Jered Weaver, C.J. Wilson, Jerome Williams and Richards. But Dipoto seems reluctant to break up his core to do so. "We like our position-player club," Dipoto said. "If at all possible, we'd like to keep that club together. Any time you add through a trade, you have to take away." Improving the bullpen is also a priority, and that pursuit could take the Angels to Japan. Dipoto confirmed he's interested in free-agent closer Kyuji Fujikawa. Fujikawa, 32, was 3-3 with a 1.24 earned-run average and 41 saves for the Hanshin Tigers last season and would like to play on the West Coast. The right-hander mixes a 93-mph fastball with a split-finger fastball and slider. "There's an attraction there for the player and for us," Dipoto said. "We've seen him against major league hitters. There's no question about his ability. He's a talented guy." Etc. The Angels signed reliever Mitch Stetter, 32, to a minor league deal. The left-hander appeared in 132 games for Milwaukee from 2007-2011, going 8-2 with a 4.08 ERA. … Trout is the first Angels rookie and 17th player in franchise history to win a Silver Slugger Award, given to the top offensive producers at each position. November 12, 2012 Page 6 of 38 FROM THE ORAN GE COUNTY REGISTER Fulfilling a fantasy and feeding the hungry, all thanks to Angels' groundskeepers Angels groundskeepers will open Angel Stadium for their annual canned food drive, allowing fans on the field to hit, pitch and field in exchange for a donation of food or money. By MARCIA C. SMITH COLUMNIST THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER ANAHEIM – Barney Lopas has taken care of the field at Angel Stadium so long that this workplace - after maintaining it for 81 Angels baseball home games, converting it into a CIF football field and grooming it for exhibition ballgames - sometimes can become just that: a workplace. The Angels' head groundskeeper and his crew meticulously care for this major league ballpark year-round. They mow and water its Bermuda rye blend. They seed its worn patches. They rake its warning track and infield dirt. They chalk its lines. But every November, months after major league baseball ends, Lopas can't help but be reminded of how special this diamond of baseball history remains. That's when hundreds of baseball enthusiasts make a pilgrimage, some driving long distances or flying in from far-flung hometowns, for an opportunity simply to step on the same field where Albert Pujols and Mike Trout come to work, where Nolan Ryan once took the mound and where the Angels won their 2002 World Series.