Angels with Mark Saxon
Welcome to SportsNation! On Thursday, Los Angeles Angels writer Mark Saxon will stop by to chat some baseball.Saxon is a staff writer for ESPNLosAngeles.com. He spent six years at the Orange County Register, and began his career at the Oakland Tribune, where he started an 11-year journey covering Major League Baseball. He has also covered colleges, including USC football and UCLA basketball.Send your questions now and join Saxon Thursday at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT!
Mark Saxon
The Angels are struggling since the All-Star break and we've got plenty of topics to explore, so let's get started, shall we?Q (Monrovia)
Mills had a great outing against BAL, is there any talk of calling him up to fill their needs in the bullpen or even as a starter to fill for Haren or Santana? It would be great to have another Lefty in the rotation or even middle relievf since Takahashi has been so dissapointing.Mark Saxon
Q, They've said they're totally committed to Haren and Santana in the rotation, so I wouldn't expect anything to happen there any time soon. On the other hand, Jerome Williams' leash might be getting shorter and shorter. It sounds like they need Mills as rotation depth, so I don't think they want to turn him back into a reliever. Also, that experiment didn't go well at Triple-A.Josh (Irvine)
Is there any timetable to get Jean Segura into the bigs anytime soon? Or is it possible he gets dealt with the middle infield signed for the next couple years?Mark Saxon
Josh, I would say there's a relatively good chance he gets dealt, mostly because the Angels don't have many minor-league commodities that teams covet and he's one of them. Also, of course, Aybar and Kendrick are signed for the next four years. Is Segura an option at third? Maybe, but he doesn't have huge power or great on-base skills.Josh (Irvine)
Do the Angels pick up some bullpen help before the trade deadline?Mark Saxon
I think they'd like to, Josh, and I would expect Jerry Dipoto to get something done, whether it's in the bullpen or rotation. If he does, I would expect it to be a youngish pitcher with a few years left of affordability.Chris Fiegler (Latham,NY)
Is Angels Outfielder Mike Trout Related to Former MLB Pitcher Steve"Rainbow"Trout?Mark Saxon
Chris, No, he's not.Shea (Santa Paula,CA)
Mark, Heard the Rays are looking for a young catcher what about Hank Conger for one of their pitching prospects? I really like Hank and don't know why he isn't at Majors?Mark Saxon
Shea, I haven't looked too closely at Tampa's pitching prospects but the scenario you mention isn't so farfetched. Remember, Joe Maddon is acquainted with Hank Conger from spring training and Tampa typically has young pitching in spades.Shea (Santa Paula,CA)
Mark, with all the rumors about the Angels looking at these star pitchers to trade for do you really think Jerry Dipoto will risk the future players for a couple of months?Mark Saxon
He says he won't, Shea, so I think we have to take him at his word until something happens to change that.Rob (Tustin,CA)
with the deadline two weeks to go which Angels player will likely be dealt? What rumors have you heard?Mark Saxon
Hey Rob, the trading deadline must be approaching because this seems to be the theme of the day. Any pitcher who is reportedly available who is signed beyond this season I would imagine has been discussed internally. Remember, the Angels might have two or more holes in their rotation to fill next year if they decline some pricey options on Dan Haren and Ervin Santana. I'd be shocked if that consideration wasn't a big part of their planning.Alex (Anaheim)
Was yesterday just a blip for Wilson?Mark Saxon
It seemed like it, Alex. He periodically struggles with his command and it sounds like he just couldn't control the movement on his pitches. I think one of the reasons C.J. has been known to struggle in big games is that his command isn't as pinpoint as someone like Jered Weaver's for example.Mike (Los Angeles)
Two questions: Do you think the Angels have any interest in bringing KRod back? If they did, maybe it could be a bigger trade. Our catchers are below average. But, with Lucroy coming back for the Brewers, they have multiple catchers, but their middle infield is awful. What about a package where the Angels get KRod and either Lucroy or Maldonado, and the Brewers get Segura and a pitcher, maybe Richards. Mark Saxon
I don't know about that one, Mike. I think the Angels already got Francisco Rodriguez's best years and can they really afford to give up Garrett Richards with so many question marks popping up in the rotation. Starting pitching, taken collectively, is clearly the most important facet of a baseball team.Dannesh (Tucson)
Any real interest by teams for Wells? I know JD says he doesnt want to give up Borjous, but chances of him and Morales being sent some where? If somehow the angels traded for hammels the chances of him staying on board after this season? Mark Saxon
I imagine Cole Hammels has some interest in pitching close to where he grew up in San Diego, Dannesh, but it also sounds like -- if Philly can't get him signed -- he is keen on testing the market. That means he'll probably take the best offer, regardless of geography. As for Wells, I'm sure teams aren't exactly calling Jerry Dipoto frantically to get their hands on him. It's probably more like him trying to interest other teams in Vernon and them listening or not listening depending on how much of the $42 million left on his deal the Angels pick up.Mike (San Diego, Ca)
Do you see Albert Pujols having a monster 2nd half that will put his numbers to his normal production?Mark Saxon
He's showing signs of that, Mike, and he had a very good second half last year. But the phrase "monster numbers" mean something different with Albert because of the ridiculously high standard he has set for himself. I don't think there's any way his numbers get back to vintage Pujols seasons, but if he can get them up to what they were last year, that would be impressive and might carry the Angels to the playoffs.Chris Pepper (LA)
The Hank Conger situation is ridiculous. They could've used the last two months to determine if he can be the guy. Instead we still don't know. And we find out that Hester and Wilson are who they are. Journeyman 3rd option catchers. What is Sosh's fascination with playing sub .200 hitters at catcher? Conger seems to be lighting up the minors AGAIN. I don't think you're doing your job if you can't dig a little deeper than this. Mark Saxon
Hey Chris, I've asked Mike about Conger many times and I've talked to Hank about the situation multiple times. I called him after he was demoted and he seemed to be taking it in stride. Offensively, the Angels are leaving a lot on the table by not playing Hank these games, but would they be giving up something on the pitching side if they play him? It's tough to be too critical about the situation if you don't know the ins and outs of what pitchers and others are saying behind the scenes. I still think Hank will have a thriving career at some point, but it may not be with the Angels.Matt (Tarzana, CA)
Do you think it would be worth it to package a deal around Borjous in order to get that top of the line starter in Greinke or Hamels even if they aren't guaranteed to stay here after next year? Should the angels first thought be, win this year? Mark Saxon
I wouldn't do it, Matt. What if you trade Bourjos and get one of those guys and still don't make the playoffs -- or lose in the one-game wild card round? Then, you go into next year with the very real possibility of Vernon Wells being an everyday outfielder again. We saw how that went.Stephen (Irvine, CA)
Hey Mark! What has been the problem with Angels starting pitching of late? Or have they just run into much better offenses?Mark Saxon
Definitely, a lot of the latter, Stephen. It's easy to look great when you're facing the Dodgers, Giants or Mariners. Not so easy against the Yankees or Tigers. But the Dan Haren and Ervin Santana situations, combined with whatever's going on with Jerome Williams, are very real concerns.Q (Monrovia)
What's your best guess as to what Soc will do with Vernon Wells when he gets back off of the DL? They can't deal him because of his contract, but Trout, Trumbo and Torii are all performing very well and Trumbo at 3B did not go well at all.Mark Saxon
Mike said Trumbo and Trout will play every day, so you can breath easy again, Q. I expect Jerry to try very hard in the next two weeks to unload Vernon for whatever salary relief he can fetch, but that's a tall order. Failing that, I think they'll keep him as a fourth outfielder and part-time DH. Who knows, he may even get a big hit for him in September and everybody will love him, at long last.
