Glory Hallelujah!  The Angels finally made a signing!!!

Is it Pujols?  Ummm, no.

OK, so it must be Wilson, right?  Not quite.

Then who is it?

...

...

It's LaTroy Hawkins.  Yeah, I know.  Alden Gonzalez has all the "juicy" details

Alden_Gonzalez Alden Gonzalez Baseball source confirms it's a one-year, $3M deal for LaTroy Hawkins. Still pending a physical. #angels

So there you have it.  Two straight days of Winter Meetings cockteasing and all we have to show for it now is an ancient middle reliever.  That's most definitely not a big splash.  It barely even registers as a ripple.

OK, enough jokes.  Here is what the Angels are getting in Hawkins:

• He's been in the bigs since 1995, which means he must have lots of great wisdom thus making him an ideal mentor for Jordan Walden.
• He has limited experience as a closer and his strikeout rate isn't what it used to be, so he isn't a threat to Walden.  Basically, he's Jordan cool new older brother.
  
• He broke in with the Twins and is good friends with Torii Hunter, so he must be a good dude. 
  
• If you remove the 2010 season, Hawkins has been a pretty reliable reliever for a number of years.  Then again, we can't just ignore a season, so there is a chance that he could suck in 2012.
• As I mentioned, he doesn't miss many bats anymore, but he also doesn't issue a lot of walks but does get a decent amount of grounders.  At best, that makes him like a right-handed version of Scott Downs.  At worst, it makes him a $3 million mop-up man.

So, yay.  The Angels have more bullpen depth.  Given the small investment in Hawkins, I'd say there is still a chance they add more depth if the right bargain comes along, but now they also could just stand pat with what they have and hope that Hawkins defies Father Time for another season, that Walden improves and that Mike Scioscia becomes cognizant of the existence of Rich Thompson.

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Next up on in our the MWaH/LAAI Top 30 Angels Prospect countdown is the possible third baseman of the future for the Angels, Luis Jimenez, that is assuming his free-swinging ways don't hold him back.

Luis Jimenez
Position: 3B  Level: Double-A
Bats: Rightt Throws: Right  Height: 6'1" Weight: 205 lbs.
Age: 23 Born: January 18, 1988

2011 Season Stats (AA): 490 AB, .290 AVG, .335 OBP, .486 SLG, 40 2B, 1 3B, 18 HR, 94 RBI, 72 SO, 15 SB, 6 CS, .303 BABIP

2011 Season Stats (DWL): 117 AB, .222 AVG, .260 OBP, .402 SLG, 4 2B, 1 3B, 5 HR, 16 RBI, 21 SO, 3 SB, 1 CS

Bat – B+. Hits for average & power, but is still undisciplined. Rarely walks, but no K’s either.

Speed – B. Above average for 3B, has stolen over 20 in minors.

Arm – A-. Very strong arm, very quick release, not inaccurate but could be better.

Performance - A. AA all-star, Futures Game participant. Very good numbers in AA.

Projection – B. Doesn’t look like an all-star but has the upside of being a solid starting 3B.

Comp – Floor: Jorge Cantu. Ceiling: Adrian Beltre

Estimated MLB Arrival Date: Any time in 2012.

Video: Jimenez takes some practice cuts in preparation for the Future’s Game.

(*As always, the above scouting report is provided by Scotty Allen of LA Angels Insider)

In case you haven't heard, the Angels are in contract negotiations with Albert Pujols aka the Greatest Player in the Game.

Or they aren't.  It sort of depends on who you ask.  And, as of Tuesday night, even the standard top reporters in the rumor mill can't seem to figure it out.

Is it for real?  Is it a bluff?  Is it just bad reporting?

To be honest, I kind of don't care because it has given me a chance to dream, if only for one night.

A guy can dream, can't he?

The December 7th, 2011 Winter Meetings edition of daily news for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim including Angels might have made a big offer to Albert Pujols, Scioscia would rather add good pitching than good hitting, Morales rehabbing but the Angels aren't counting on him and much more...

The Story: The Angels might be the mystery third team who has made a 10-year offer to Albert Pujols.

The Monkey Says: This is HUUUUUUUUUUGE news.  It also might be total BS because the Angels probably don't have that kind of money.  At this point, it is really just free agency porn for Angel fans.  In fact, by the time this posts, the Angels might have totally debunked the rumor.  All I know is the idea of Pujols playing for the Angels, even if it is for insane money, is giving me a John Holmes-esque baseball boner.

The Story: Mike Scioscia can't get enough good pitching.

The Monkey Says: This sounds to me like Sosh just towing the party line.  By the way, it also make sense.  Let's set aside the Pujols stuff for a minute.  If the Angels really are going to limit their spending, then they should be sure to get the most bang for their buck.  Right now, the value in this market is in starting pitching, not hitting.  If they Angels can't overhaul their lineup, they might as well double-down on their pitching strength and focus on winning a lot of 3-2 games instead of 9-7.

Next up on in our the MWaH/LAAI Top 30 Angels Prospect countdown we take a look at one of the rising stars of the farm system in 2011, second baseman Taylor Lindsey.

Taylor Lindsey
Position: 2B  Level: Rookie
Bats: Left Throws: Right  Height: 6'0" Weight: 195 lbs.
Age: 20 Born: December 2, 1991

2011 Season Stats : 290 AB, .362 AVG, .394 OBP, .593 SLG, 28 2B, 6 3B, 9 HR, 46 RBI, 46 SO, 10 SB, 4 CS, .407 BABIP

Bat – B. Tearing apart Orem, but that isn’t saying much.  Still, a very good bat for 2B.

Speed – C+. He’s faster than the average player, but for it’s not a part of his game.

Arm – B. It’s strong enough for SS, though his range isn’t, but it’s a great arm for a 2B.

Performance - A. He’s been the best hitter on his team at each level of Rookie Ball.

Projection – B. An offensive minded 2B with good defense.

Comp – Floor: Sean Rodriguez. Ceiling: Ian Kinsler

Estimated MLB Arrival Date: Late 2014

Video: Lindsey base hit while playing for Orem.

(*As always, the above scouting report is provided by Scotty Allen of LA Angels Insider)

What is going on with Aramis Ramirez?  First the Angels say they don't want him, then they are rumored to be on the verge of making him an offer, then they admit they have interest, but only in a cursory sense.  Should the Angels even pursue him?  If so, for how much?  And for how many years should said offer be?

Not that it is going to make a lick of difference to Jerry Dipoto, but today I leave answering those questions to you, the fans.

Depending on who you ask Ramirez could be the best or the worst signing the Angels could make this off-season.

The December 6th, 2011 Winter Meetings edition of daily news for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim including Angels still pushing for C.J. Wilson, getting stiff competition for Aramis Ramirez, backing off pursuit of relief pitchers and entertaining several trade scenarios and much more...

The Story: The Angels plan to meet with C.J. Wilson again, but also threw water on the idea of going more than five years and $85 million for him.

The Monkey Says: The Halos clearly still have Wilson as their top priority, but action is heating up with him as one team, supposedly the Nationals, have offered Wilson a six-year deal.  The Nats are denying it, but everyone thinks some team that isn't the Rangers has gone to six years, which will probably be a deal-killer for the Angels.  It seems like Wilson's market is peaking now, so one would expect him to make a decision pretty soon.

The Story: The Phillies are the latest team believed to be making a strong push for Aramis Ramirez.

The Monkey Says: With a rich team like Philly involved, Aramis' price is probably going to get out of reach for the Angels, which is probably for the best.  Still, Dipoto is starting to talk about landing a potent bat now and Ramirez is the most logical free agent fit, so don't rule them out on Ramirez just yet.