.jpg&w=244&h=193&zc=1 "Mike Trout and the sophomore slump that wasn't")
Halo Headlines: Phillies could pursue Hunter, 'exit polls' of BBWAA writers suggest Trout will lose AL MVP, Rangers to make Greinke 'top target'
The October 12th, 2012 edition of daily news for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim including Phillies could pursue Hunter, 'exit polls' of BBWAA writers suggest Trout will lose AL MVP, Rangers to make Greinke 'top target' and much more...
The Story: The Phillies could go after Torii Hunter in free agency.
The Monkey Says: Fret not, this is just reporter speculation. The Phils have been linked much more to the likes of B.J. Upton. Frankly, I have a hard time believing that the Phillies are interested in adding a player of Torii's age.
The Monkey Says: None of the writers actually vote on the award, but the BBWAA is not exactly known for having wildly diverse opinions. I can't say I am surprised by this and you shouldn't be either.
The Story: Expect the Rangers to make signing Zack Greinke their top off-season priority.
The Monkey Says: All the more reason for the Angels to try to lock him up before free agency begins. Texas absolutely should go after Greinke. Even if they don't land him, they will at least drive the price up on the Angels. I don't get the feeling that they are bluffing though. The Rangers need more frontline pitching (doesn't everyone?) and Greinke is the best available.
The Story: Mike Trout reflects on his historic rookie season.
The Monkey Says: This isn't nearly as exciting as it sounds since Trout apparently went to the Crash Davis School of Cliched Interview Quotes.
The Story: Mike Trout is amongst the biggest WAR outlier seasons, as is Darin Erstad.
The Monkey Says: They correctly point out that Trout is something of a false positive since their only comparison season was his pre-rookie 2011 audition. Erstad though, well, yeah. What a tease that was. Back to Trout though, there is a real chance that his 2012 could still be an outlier years from now. The kid is good, but a 10+ WAR season is so astronomically good, that he may struggle to approach it again even if he continues putting up MVP numbers.
The Story: Should Torii Hunter be re-signed?
The Monkey Says: It is a legit question, but nobody is asking it much anymore. We are all probably being duped a bit by his 2012 campaign, but I think he has a little life left in him and there is something to be said for his clubhouse presence. It all boils down to price though, as does everything in pro sports.
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To be honest, I am starting to hope some team outbids the Angels for Hunter. We fans are not the best GM's in the world (I include myself there); does anyone still admit to being wroth beyond all measure by Reagins "missing out" on Carl Crawford or Tex anymore? Or even Lackey? Seems to me we did pretty well on those "losses". But I don't see the Phillies being the team that does the outbidding. If The Flyin' Hawaiian, at 31, was too old for them why would they spend good coin of the realm on Hunter?
The Rangers may make Greinke's signing a priority. Or it may be a fake that does nothing but drive up his price. If it's a BIG fake with too many years maybe the Angels should just let him go. Doesn't seem to me he can perform as well in Arlington as he could in Anaheim. Even though he misses a lot of bats, when contact is made it can be deadly. As we all saw up close and personal.
I'll bet Trout has fungus-free shower shoes, though. Probably had them without even being told.
How can we be certain it's an outlier season when it's his ONLY full season? I'm not saying he will perform this well EVERY season but if he's even close I'll be all smiles, at least until free agency kicks in. Think how much the Phillies might be willing to throw at him then.
Maybe the Angels should try to sign Hunter. But it only makes sense to me at the right money/years combo. And they scrape Wells off. And they use Hunter correctly. And...
Forget that, it's almost time to go to Harbor Freight's parking lot sale!
