| Craig Sternberg. 8th June, 2010 - 2:06 pm
 After a painful start to the Angels season, a season highlighted by an accumulation of injuries and players struggling offensively, the Angels were dealt their biggest blow in the form of a broken ankle to their best player.
After hitting a huge walk off grand slam against the Mariners, Kendry Morales trotted the bases and jumped toward home plate where he slipped and turned on his ankle, effectively putting him on the shelf for the foreseeable future. While its possible Morales could return in time for September, the most likely scenario is that he is out for the season.
How will the struggling Angels effectively replace their best player and get back into the AL West race? Let?s analyze all the possible options the Angels might look into before making a final decision:
Paul Konerko
The first option on the Angels list will undoubtedly be Paul Konerko, who has long been coveted by the Angels front office and has ties to Mike Scioscia when they were involved with the Dodgers. Konerko has been one of the top slugging first basemen in the American League the past decade and would replace most of Morales production at first base. He is also a perfect candidate because his contract is expiring at the end of the season, which will leave first base open for Morales next season. What remains to be seen is if White Sox GM Kenny Williams is willing to deal with the Angels at a time when the Angels have virtually no leverage and little to offer in terms of prospects compared to years past. Konerko would certainly prove to be the best fit for the Angels out of all the options but probably isn?t the most likely to end up in Anaheim.
Lance Berkman
Lance Berkman is another quality first basemen with his contract expiring that could possibly be on the market. The Houston Astros and Berkman have struggled this year and the Astros could be in a position to deal their best players Roy Oswalt and Berkman. Berkman would be a solid addition to the line up if he returns to form as he?s capable of being a big bat that can carry a team for stretches. His switch hitting capabilities make him even more comparable to Morales and the fact that he?s played multiple positions in his career could be appealing to manager Mike Scioscia. Concerns about his drop off in production this season and the switching of leagues could be a factor, but its not often you find a guy available on the market who has averaged .298 avg, 33 HR and 111 RBI the past nine seasons.
Mike Lowell
Mike Lowell is one of the cheaper options on the market and could very well fill multiple needs the Angels have yet to address but it remains to be seen how much, if any, interest the Angels have shown in the corner infielder. Lowell has championship pedigree and is known to be a great clubhouse presence. Unfortunately for Lowell, he?s fallen off quite a bit after an injury-plagued season last year. He could be had for very cheap though and could fill in at either first or third base (for the struggling Brandon Wood). Lowell presents one of the more realistic options to play at first base or potentially come off the bench albeit more then he has in Boston.
Angels Players
The in house options that are immediately available for the Angels are Mike Napoli and Robb Quinlan. Napoli certainly has the pop to provide an offensive boost at first and has come on strong as of late. He hasn?t played much first base in his career, last having appearances at first in the minor leagues. The Angels pride themselves on having versatile players who can fill a void when an injury like this happens, so expect Napoli to put in time at first base in the near future. Robb Quinlan is another option and has been a solid bench player for the Angels for several years, but dipped off so much in production this year that the Angels sent him down to the minors. While Quinlan has the experience at first, it remains to be seen if his bat would hold up over the course of a season.
Other Options
Many other options exist for the Angels, such as Jermaine Dye (another favorite of Mike Scioscia), Carlos Delgado (who will return from injury sometime in June), Ryan Garko, Adam LaRoche and Russel Branyon. Longshots include guys like Adam Dunn, Prince Fielder and Adrian Gonzalez. Whatever route the Angels choose to go, it will be hard to imagine that someone can replace Kendry Morales production as one of the best first basemen in the league. |
