By C. Trent Rosecrans

The Angels apparently don't have a spot for outfielder Bobby Abreu and he's not real happy about it. Abreau told Enrique Rojas of ESPNdesportesLosAngeles.com that he'd rather be traded than be a platoon player.

"I'm an every-day player. I can still be in the lineup for a Major League team," Abreu, still in his native Venezuela, told Rojas on Tuesday. "I will not be on the bench knowing that I can play.

"If the Angels don't have a position for me, then the best thing is to trade me. It would be the correct [thing] to do. I won't be able to do nothing sitting on the bench."

Abreu is in the final year of his contract with the Angels and will make $9 million this season. He will turn 38 next month.

There seems to be the odd man out in the Angels' outfield, with Vernon Wells, Torii Hunter and Peter Bourjos as the probable lineup. There's also the case of Mike Trout, one of the top prospects in baseball, who also plays the outfielder. The team is also crowded at DH, with Kendrys Morales and Mark Trumbo having to play somewhere after the team signed Albert Pujols.

Abreu told Rojas that Angels manager Mike Scioscia told him he'd like to play him in both corner outfield spots and DH, still playing most every day. But Abreu said if he's strictly a bench player, he'd prefer a trade.

"I want to play, and I believe I can help this team," he told Rojas. "But if there's no spot for me, then I would prefer to play somewhere different."

Abreu hit .253/.353/.365 last season with eight home runs in 585 plate appearances. His batting average and on-base percentage were similar to his 2010 performance (.253 batting average, .353 on-base), but his power dropped considerably, with his slugging percentage dipping to .365 and failing to reach double-digit home runs for the first time as a full-time player.

Abreu is the only left-handed hitter among the team's outfielders, which could help his case. Trumbo is also a right-hadned hitter, while Morales is a switch-hitter. Last season, Abreu hit all eight of his homers off of right handers, and hit .259/.366/.400 against right-handers and .238/.319/.279 against left-handers and he's always hit right-handers better.

Of course, Abreu can want a trade, he has very little leverage when it comes to forcing it to happen.

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By C. Trent Rosecrans

There's nothing like the Super Bowl to remind you that spring training is just around the corner. And with pitchers and catchers packing up their bags for Florida and Arizona, we here at Eye on Baseball will look at some of the key positional battles on tap for this spring, starting with the American League West.

Los Angeles Angels
Designated hitter: Mark Trumbo vs. Kendrys Morales vs. Bobby Abreu vs. Vernon Wells

At the end of the 2011 season, it seemed first base could be a battle for the Angels heading into 2012. That position was settled pretty easily with $240 million. The two previous candidates, Trumbo and Morales are now with BAbreu looking for playing time at DH. Add the wild card of Mike Trout possibly pushing either Torii Hunter or Wells into the DH competition and the team has a lot of players for one spot. Sure, the Angels are saying Trumbo can play third, but he's still not all the way back from an ankle injury and he hasn't proven he can handle the day-in, day-out rigors of third base (look at what it did to Kevin Youkilis last season). There's also the chance that Morales won't be healthy. There are so many variables to the Angles lineup that the only thing that seems certain at this point is that Albert Pujols will be at first base, batting third.

Oakland Athletics
Closer: Grant Balfour vs. Brian Fuentes vs.  Fautino De Los Santos vs. Joey Devine

One of the many players Billy Beane got rid of this offseason was closer Andrew Bailey, who went to the Red Sox for three players, leaving an opening at closer for 2012. Fuentes recorded 12 saves in Bailey's spot last season, while Balfour picked up two as well. Those two veterans should be seen as the favorites, but De Los Santos and Devine could surprise. De Los Santos struck out 43 batters in 33 1/3 innings last season, while Devine impressed in his first action since Tommy John surgery. Even if the two youngsters don't get the call after spring training, either are just one trade away from getting their shot -- and with the A's current situation, nobody in Oakland should be buying, just renting.

Seattle Mariners
No. 3-5 starters: Blake Beavan vs. Charlie Furbush vs. Hector Noesi vs. Kevin Millwood vs. Hisashi Iwakuma

Felix Hernandez, of course, is the Mariners' No. 1 starter and Jason Vargas figures to be the other Mariner to start in the team's two-game series in Japan. After that, it gets interesting. Seattle signed Iwakuma to a $1.5 million contract in the offseason, so he figures to be in the rotation somewhere. Noesi was acquired along with Jesus Montero in the Michael Pineada trade and should be somehwere in the mix, as well. That leaves the youngsters Furbush (25) and Beavan (23), to go against the veteran Millwood (37). Furbush and Beavan showed flashes during 2011, but are hardly proven products. After stints in the minors for the Red Sox and Yankees, Millwood went 4-3 with a 3.98 ERA in Colorado and should benefit from pitching at Safeco Field.

Texas Rangers
5th starter: Matt Harrison vs. Alexi Ogando vs. Scott Feldman

Unless the Rangers do sign Roy Oswalt, it appears the first four spots in the Texas rotation are set with Yu Darvish, Colby Lewis, Derek Holland and Neftali Feliz, leaving three pitchers battling for the final spot. Last season the Rangers moved Ogando from the bullpen to the rotation with some success. They're looking to do the same with Feliz this season and possibly sending Ogando back to the bullpen. Ogando was 13-8 with a 3.51 ERA, but seemed to tire down the stretch. Harrison was 14-9 with a 3.39 ERA last season, but still has to battle for his job. And then there's Feldman, who is a long-shot here, but is used to the yo-yoing from the bullpen to the rotation. If the team does sign Oswalt, the three could be stretched out in spring, but return to the bullpen once the season starts.

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By Matt Snyder

Considering the offseason the Angels just had, where they signed Albert Pujols and C.J. Wilson within hours of one another, new general manager Jerry Dipoto has to be a fan favorite. And it just keeps getting better.

Have you ever thought about writing a letter to the GM of your favorite team with a trade suggestion? I'd guess through the years most of us die-hard baseball fans have. Well, a fan named Aaron recently wrote Dipoto and actually heard back -- in the form of a personally hand-written response from Dipoto.

Aaron's proposal was to trade Bobby Abreu and Alberto Callaspo to the Orioles for a pair of minor-leaguers who finished last season in High-A ball. My guess is Aaron's thinking it would be a salary dump that could also free a lineup spot for phenom Mike Trout (if Vernon Wells was moved to DH and Mark Trumbo worked out at third). It makes a great deal of sense for the Angels. 

Here was Dipoto's response, via the OC Register:

Aaron,

A quick note to thank you for your recent letter. I enjoyed reading your thoughts and the creative idea you shared. Clearly you have a solid knowledge of the league and potential “players” on the horizon. Unfortunately, trades are always very complex, as you alluded to in your letter. Salaries and finance tend to become an overriding factor.

Know that I do appreciate the suggestion and creativity you’ve shown.

All my best, Jerry Dipoto

That's awesome. Kudos to Dipoto for taking the time to respond to one of his fans. Now he should probably brace for a lot more ideas, since word of this has gotten out.

Hat-tip: Big League Stew

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By Matt Snyder

More than 18 months since breaking his ankle while celebrating a walk-off home run, Kendrys Morales' long and winding road to a hopeful return continues. The latest news, via LATimes.com, is that Morales has been cleared to "ramp up" baseball activities, as he's been running "on his own body weight" recently. He's also been hitting off a tee.

“The news has been consistently positive, and we’re hopeful of a healthy return,” general manager Jerry Dipoto said earlier this week (LATimes.com). “With the depth we have at the corners, we’re not contingent on his return by opening day, but we’re optimistic that could happen.”

Ah, yes, the depth at the corners. Specifically first base. The Angels have the runner-up for 2011 AL Rookie of the Year in Mark Trumbo ... and you may have heard of this dude they just signed in early December? His name is Albert Pujols.

In all seriousness, the Pujols signing actually should help Morales. He doesn't have to worry about playing the field any time soon. If Morales can get close to full health with that ankle and swing the bat the way he's capable --  he hit .306/.355/.569 with 34 homers and 108 RBI in 2009 -- he can be the designated hitter and bat cleanup as protection for Pujols. Should that happen, the Angels have a logjam with people like Trumbo and Bobby Abreu, but it would sure be a nice problem to have.

Still, there have been so many setbacks with Morales' rehab, there's very little reason to be more than cautiously optimistic for his chances of a healthy return.

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By Matt Snyder

What if players were only permitted to stay with the team that originally made them a professional? No trades, no Rule-5 Draft, no minor or major league free agency ... once you are a professional baseball player, you stay in that organization. This series shows how all 30 teams would look. We give you: Homegrown teams. To view the schedule/past entries of this feature, click here.

The most interesting thing about our latest installment in this series is that I believe this would have been one of the better teams in the majors had we done the exercise three or four years ago. How good would a Johan Santana, Roy Oswalt, Freddy Garcia top three in the rotation have been a handful of years ago -- along with Lance Berkman, Hunter Pence and Bobby Abreu leading the offense? Alas, we're doing it now and some of that sounds far less enticing. Still, let's check it out.

Lineup

1. Hunter Pence, CF
2. Jose Altuve, 2B
3. Ben Zobrist, RF
4. Lance Berkman, LF
5. Bobby Abreu, 1B
6. Chris Johnson, 3B
7. John Buck, C
8. Aaron Miles, SS

Starting Rotation

1. Johan Santana
2. Roy Oswalt
3. Wandy Rodriguez
4. Bud Norris
5. Jordan Lyles

Bullpen

Closer - Brad Lidge
Set up - Chad Qualls, Matt Albers, Troy Patton, Fernando Abad,
Long - Felipe Paulino, Freddy Garcia

Notable Bench Players

Ramon Castro, Carlos Guillen, Drew Sutton, Brooks Conrad, Brian Bogusevic

What's Good?

The trio of Pence, Zobrist and Berkman makes the front part of the offense look really attractive and Abreu offers decent protection for the Puma. Fitting in that two-hole would also do wonders for the development of the young Altuve. Can we assume health in this exercise, considering it's for fun? Sure, I will. So the starting rotation looks pretty good -- albeit not dominant anymore -- with Johan as the ace and Oswalt a good number two (remember, back issues hampered him last year). If Lyles isn't ready yet, we can plug in Garcia or Paulino as the five.

What's Not?

Lidge and Qualls aren't bad, but there is nothing in front of them worth much except two starting pitchers -- and, again, we may need one of the two in the rotation. The bottom part of the batting order isn't very good either and the bench is thin. But let's focus on what is really bad: The defense. I fought back and forth with whether to put Abreu or Berkman in LF, but either one is a bad choice. I just feel like Berkman can move better at this point. I also had to shift Pence to center, even though he's better suited in right. Miles is much better used at second base and he's not even really good there.

Comparison to real 2011

Well, the 2011 Astros were the worst team in the majors and in franchise history. This team isn't particularly good, but it's better than that. With that rotation, a decent back-end of the bullpen and some offense, these Astros should be able to work close to the 75-win range. One thing is for sure, they wouldn't be the worst team in the NL Central. I also feel like the best news for Astros fans is there would actually be some name players here to root for, after having seen the likes of Oswalt, Berkman, Pence and Michael Bourn traded over the past two real seasons. Still, you can't help but think that there are enough pieces here that the Astros could have properly built a real-life team that was still in contention in 2011 -- had they made the right moves.

Next: Los Angeles Dodgers

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By C. Trent Rosecrans

While owner Arte Moreno's deep pockets and the rich California market make the Angels a perceived potential landing spot for any high-priced free agent, new Angels general manager Jerry Dipoto said Friday that he probably wouldn't pursue either of the two biggest names on the free agent market, Prince Fielder and Albert Pujols.

"You have to be open to the possibility, but it's not something we're going to aggressively pursue," Dipoto told reporters, including the Los Angeles Times. "I don't think you're going to get a financial bargain swimming in that pool."

That pool is already $120 million deep for 2012, including the sucking vortex that is $48 million for Vernon Wells, Torii Hunter and Bobby Abreu. Moreno has reportedly capped the team's spending for 2012 at $140 million.

"Right now, it creates confinement, but it doesn't necessarily have to say that way," Dipoto said. "That's where you can be creative in building a 25-man roster, by not including all 25 guys who are on it today."

Dipoto did acknowledge the team had contracted the agents for top free agent starter C.J. Wilson. 

However, Dipoto said he'd prefer to explore the trade market than sign free agents.

"A complete overhaul isn't necessary," Dipoto said. "There are tweaks to make, holes to fill. We'll exhaust all possibilities."

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By Evan Brunell

SINKING: Mike Pelfrey thinks he has his sinker back and is hoping to reclaims some optimism during a season where Pelfrey crumbled under the weight of being considered an ace, regressing from a 3.66 ERA in 204 innings last night to a 4.55 mark to date.

"Mike takes such pride in what he does," pitching coach Warthen told the New York Daily News. "I see a guy who was forcing his pitches instead of throwing them."

Pelfrey, for his part, believes that mechanics were an issue. The right-hander's bread and butter has been his sinker, but that lost effectiveness when he altered his arm slot to make his secondary pitches more effective. While Pelfrey isn't scrapping his arm slot, he did say he has to make sure to get his arm out in front of his body more when he throws the sinker. Perhaps then, Pelfrey thinks, he can start racking up the numbers he produced last season even though his peripherals in both 2010 and 2011 are rather similar.

"... I've never seen anybody that can command a baseball as well as he can," Warthen added. "So when he goes out and walks three, four, five guys, I'm just baffled. It's beyond my belief that that can happen with a guy who can do the things he can with the baseball."

Pelfrey will face the Marlins on Monday night and has long struggled against Florida with a career 1-7 record and 5.25 ERA in 15 starts. He'll look to use his sinker, which pushed him to a complete-game victory last time out, to walk away with a win. (New York Daily News)

TOP GMS: You usually see a winners or losers list come out of the trade deadline, but what about a list of best GMs for those who focused on the short-term and then long-term? Unsurprisingly, contending teams dominate the first list, rebuilding the latter. (ESPN's Jim Bowden)

BAD BACK: Clay Buchholz appears to have a stress fracture in his back, which will shut him down for the rest of the season and most likely the postseason as well. David Wright recently missed two months with a stress fracture. (CSNNE.com)

BELL EXTENSION: Now that Heath Bell is staying in San Diego, the talk can turn toward the Padres potentially signing him to a contract extension. Bell, for his part, continues to stand by his proclamation that he will accept a three-year deal with a hometown discount to stay with the Pads. (North County Times)

Dodgers DEAL: The Dodgers are considered one of the biggest losers of the trade deadline, dealing a blue-chip prospect for three organizational players. Steve Dilbeck pens a defense, saying the blue-chipper in Trayvon Robinson clearly didn't fit in Los Angeles' plans, plus they finally got the prospect catcher they coveted in Tim Federowicz. GM Ned Coletti says Federowicz could make the roster next spring training. (Los Angeles Times)

Cubs DON'T DEAL: Carlos Pena, who is expected to resign with the Cubs should Chicago miss out on Prince Fielder in free agency, was thrilled the Cubs stood pat at the trade deadline.

"I'd rather have someone really working toward our common goal, instead of (trading players) just for show," Pena said. "Our GM is not like that. He's not trying to 'look' like he's working. He's working. It's totally different than [thinking] 'I can fool the world by switching a couple pieces here,' and it really looks like he's making moves, making changes. When in reality it's just all for show.

"He's not like that. He's doing something that's going to mean something at the end of it all, something substantial, and we're going to reap the benefits. I'd rather have that. We put all our heads together, all our energy together, and personally, I'm excited about the possibility of me being part of that team. Even with our record at this point, with our difficulties, I can say the same thing. I'm excited about what's coming."

Sorry, Carlos. Hendry still messed up. (Chicago Tribune)

THAT'S NICE: That's the reaction of columnist Dejan Kovacevic on the Pirates' haul at the trade deadline, bringing in Derrek Lee and Ryan Ludwick. Unfortunately, they may be arriving aboard a sinking ship as Pittsburgh's pitching regresses. (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)

BEHIND THE SCENES: Here's a quick look behind the scenes of the Francisco Rodriguez trade that sent the Mets closer to Milwaukee. K-Rod requested that his vesting option for 2012 be waived so the Mets were free to make baseball decisions about Rodriguez's usage. Alderson used that information to convince other teams the closer would void the option, which is exactly what happened once the righty moved to Milwaukee. (New York Times)

LOOKING FORWARD: Manager Eric Wedge won't let the Mariners get complacent the rest of the way, even if the trades made at the deadline deleted two strong pitchers from the staff and clearly set Seattle back this season. "What we're not going to do is spin our wheels," Wedge said. (MLB.com)

TOP DH: One of the best DHs in baseball history is Frank Thomas, who wasn't afraid to proclaim David Ortiz an all-time great at the position. Also, Thomas is a believer that DH gets a bum rap when it comes to Hall of Fame voting and perception of the position. "You ask any DH in the league how tough it is to sit there and pinch hit four times a day and put up monster numbers,” he said. (Boston Herald)

OPTION VESTS: Bobby Abreu's option for 2011 vested with his 433rd plate appearance of the season, reaching the milestone in the ninth inning Sunday against the Tigers. Abreu is now tied to Los Angeles for one more season at $9 million.

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By C. Trent Rosecrans

Anaheim is hardly out of the American League West race, just three games behind leader Texas and 2 1/2 games behind second-place Seattle, but owner Arte Moreno has already told general manager Tony Reagins not to spend any more money this season, ESPNLosAngeles.com's Mark Saxon writes.

Saxon cites a "baseball source" as saying the Angels won't spend any more money for the rest of the season after eating what was left of Scott Kazmir's $14.5 million salary this season and taking on the albatross contract of .193-hitting Vernon Wells. Oh, and they're still paying Gary Matthews Jr. $12.4 million this season for a grand total around $140 million for the team's 2011 payroll.

The Angels can still make move, but they won't be able to take on any payroll, so a deal would have to be a wash financially or in the Angels' favor.

Reagins has shown a willingness to deal at the deadline in recent years. The Angels added Mark Teixeira in 2008 at the trade deadline and Kazmir a year later. Last year the Angels picked up Alberto Callaspo and Dan Haren for a stretch run. 

The Angels could try to unload Joel Pineiro ($8 million) and Fernando Rodney ($5.5 million) in a search for more offense. They could also try to move Bobby Abreu, who has a vesting option worth $9 million for next season with another 147 plate appearances.

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