Projected lineup
1. 3B: Maicer Izturis
2. DH: Bobby Abreu
3. RF: Torii Hunter
4. 1B: Kendry Morales
5. LF: Vernon Wells
6. 2B: Howie Kendrick
7. 3B: Erick Aybar
8. CF: Jeff Mathis
9. C: Peter Bourjos
Projected rotation
1. SP: Jered Weaver
2. SP: Dan Haren
3. SP: Ervin Santana
4. SP: Joel Pineiro
5. SP: Scott Kazmir
CL: Fernando Rodney
Five tips
• Bourjos offers a nice power-speed package, and you can probably consider his .204 batting average last season to be a fluke. Still, his job security should be viewed as shaky. The Angels will flank Bourjos with two former Gold Glovers (Wells, Hunter) and have Bobby Abreu at designated hitter. If Bourjos struggles, the easy move would be to put Abreu back on the field, and slide Wells or Hunter back to center.
• Morales is recovering slowly from a broken ankle he had when celebrating a walkoff home run in May. He’s 13th in the first-base rankings, and reports from Arizona haven't made us feel godo about him.
• Kendrick finally played a full season, and it was just OK. If he doesn’t put up one of those Ty Cobb-like batting averages he had in the minors, then he’ll just be an average real player AND fantasy player. Kendrick is 12th in the rankings at the position. Another 10 homers and 14 steals would be nice, but weren’t we all hoping for more?
• What the heck happened to Weaver? An MLB-leading 233 strikeouts? A 3.01 ERA woth a 1.07 WHIP? Holy cow! There was literally nothing to complain about regarding Weaver’s 2010 season, and he’s ninth in the starter rankings.
• Haren whiffs 200 batters a year, and even though his ERA went up with his move to the American League, he’s still a top-20 starter.
Plus:
• Odd man out: Izturis will be a jack-of-all-trades in the Halos’ infield, but will probably take more playing time from Alberto Callaspo than anyone else. Former power prospect Brandon Wood is in the deepest, darkest recesses of Mike Scioscia’s doghouse. He might never get out.
• Top prospects: Mathis is so bad, the Angels almost have to give a chance to Hank Conger (11 HRs, .847 OPS at Triple A last season). You know, since Conger can actually hit a baseball once in awhile.
Also, it seems silly not to at least mention outfielder Mike Trout, even though he was in A ball last season. The 19-year-old Trout is considered baseball’s top prospect, projecting to be a power-speed monster. In keeper leagues, he should be at the top of your minor-league draft board.
• Backup closer: Rodney is as shaky as shaky gets, and the smart bet is against him keeping the closer’s job all season. Scott Downs is really good, but lefties tend to get pigeonholed as matchup guys. Firebreathing, flame-throwing Jordan Walden made the conversion from starter to reliever last season, and whiffed 23 batters in 15 1/3 innings in his late-season audition with the Halos. If he can maintain his control improvements, he could supplant Rodney at any time.
