Mike Trout and the Angels have had a second consecutive nightmare start to their season. By Owen Main

I’m not a fan of the new Mike Trout. I miss the old one. I long for the top of the order small ball hitter, who changed games with his speed and his glove. I miss the lead off guy who set the steak for Pujols, not this new power pull hitter looking to eat off the shananigans of Pete Bourjos.

The worst thing that ever happened to Mike Trout was hitting 30 home runs.  He hit them on accident. His compact swing and his plate discipline, resulted in middle of the diamond fast balls.  As a result of this success, the kid gained 15 pounds of unnecessary muscle in the off season and lost his dynamic first step.

Was that necessary in a lineup with Albert Pujols, Josh Hamilton and Mark Trumbo? Through May 2nd, the now left fielder, is hitting a lusterless .263 with only three jacks and four stolen bases. He continues to look for the long ball and his patience has gone to waste as he’s consistently falling into unfavorable counts.

The Angels could muster all of four hits in last night’s 5-1 loss to the visiting Baltimore Orioles. Trout and the rest of the team are pressing. Now 10-18, they sit in last place in the AL West — and I’m worried.

Josh Hamilton, shown here in spring training, has has a rough start with the Angels after signing a big contract in the off-season. By Owen Main

Have you seen Josh Hamilton? Since last June, he’s hit just .239.

I have a suspicion that he’s pressing. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that the former American League MVP is out of sorts. He looks uncomfortable, swinging at bad off-speed pitches and missing his usual meaty low-ball strikes.

I had the pleasure of seeing the star-studded Halos lineup last week, against the Rangers. Unfortunately for us, Yu Darvish was on the mound. Darvish pitched the most dominant game I have ever seen, striking out eleven in six innings.

Is it abnormal to say that any batter looks uncomfortable against Darvish? Not at all. The guy’s five pitch arsenal is the strongest since Mark Prior in 2003, and I have a strong inkling, when it’s all said and done, Darvish will be a 200-win guy with at least a few Cy Young Awards studded in his cap.

But on two occurrences, Hamilton looked elementary in the face of his former teammate. So much so, the easily impressed Angels fan base, uncharacteristically booed the 125-million dollar man. He swung at bad pitches all night, striking out twice, not to mention his two game-altering blunders in the outfield.

And was there any response? Any fire in the belly of the man who nonchalantly smacked 43-home runs last year? Nope. Just the same old same old strike-out strolls back into the Scoscia’s crumbling lair.

So I guess Canada has some baseball to root for, but there don’t look like many people at the game in Toronto. By Oaktree b at en.wikipedia, from Wikimedia Commons

Two weeks ago Erick Aybar was scratched from the Angels Spring Training roster. The reason: He’s needed as the starting 2nd baseman for the Dominican Republic, for the World Baseball Classic.

What is the World Baseball Classic?

According to the International Olympic Committee, baseball is only a sport followed in the Americas, Canada and Asia. Though that is much of the world, Europeans choose not to see it that way. They consider irrelevant socialite experiences like Badminton and Fencing, worth a whole lot more of our time.

Baseball is a game of patience, persistence, clarity, mental toughness and preparation. And while one could argue Erick Aybar is doing just that sort of thing playing in the WBC — a world affair smaller than College Basketball’s somewhat unwatched conference tournaments — I argue otherwise.

Last year, Aybar barely hit .200 through April, May and most of June. This year’s Angels are reliant on his speed and switch hitting versatility at the top of the order, to ignite things for Mike Trout, Albert Pujols, Josh Hamilton and Mark Trumbo.

Had we the 2016 Olympics to look forward to, Major League ball players could focus their attentions solely on the grueling 162-game task that awaits them. Instead we’re left wondering whether or not our franchise faces might land themselves on the Disabled List in March. And all for what? A cheap Olympic-like knock off played on ESPN2?

Camelback Ranch is one of the best places to watch your favorite prepare for the season ahead. By Ray Ambler (www.raphotos.com)

In this day and age, three and a half weeks into spring training means most baseball fans have the same thoughts circulating throughout their head: “How am I going to set up my fantasy team this year?;” “I hope my team hasn’t suffered a devastating injury;” or my personal favorite, “Last year may have been bad, but thank god I’m not a Cubs fan; at least my team still has hope of winning.” Don’t worry Los Angeles baseball fans, because over the last two years the Dodgers and Angels have combined to spend over $600 million on player contracts, while also agreeing to nearly$10 billion dollars in television deals, proving their respective desire to win immediately. Haven’t had any time to keep up with the Dodgers and Angels this spring? Worry not, for I am here to provide you with a reminder of what has gone on since the start of spring training:

Dodgers:

• The Dodgers still have eight starting pitchers, which is not a bad thing. Last year they used nine starting pitchers, and no team has gone through 162 games using the same five starting pitchers since the 2003 Mariners with Freddy Garcia, Jamie Moyer, Ryan Franklin, Gil Meche and Joel Pineiro. Management should make every attempt to keep as many as possible. Injuries are bound to occur throughout the season and the saying goes, “You can never have enough starting pitching.”
• Clayton Kershaw, who is coming off back-to-back seasons in which he finished in the top two for Cy Young voting, has thrown 13 innings, giving up 19 hits and eight earned runs during spring training. While these stats seem alarming, last I checked it was still spring training. You have nothing to worry about Dodger fans.
• On March 1, Carl Crawford was shut down from any fielding or hitting for at least a week for what he described as tightness and soreness in his arm, rather than pain. Unfortunately, this is a result from his Tommy John surgery last August, causing some people around baseball to wonder whether or not he will be ready for spring training. As of March 7, Crawford has been cleared to start hitting and throwing, but he won’t return to a Cactus League game for at least another week, and a return by Opening Day is still up in the air.
• Big League Chew announced Matt Kemp will be featured on the package of their iconic bubble gum brand. This will make Kemp the first active professional athlete to be featured on the package of gum that’s become synonymous with the baseball youth; part of the sales will go to Kemps charity, Kemp’s Kids.
• Zach Grienke was sent back to Los Angeles with a sore arm to talk to the Dodgers’ team doctor. Uh oh.

There are also eight players in the Dodgers organization participating on six different teams in the World Baseball Classic:

–   Mexico: Luis Cruz, Adrian Gonzalez

–   Puerto Rico: Andres Santiago (minors), Mario Santiago (minors)

–   Brazil: Felipe Burin (minors)

–   Dominican Republic: Hanley Ramirez

–   Italy: Nick Punto

–   Venezuela: Ronald Belisario

For constant updates on the Dodgers throughout the day, I recommend following Bill Plunkett on twitter @billplunKettocr. He is the Dodger’s beat writer for the Orange County Register and provides phenomenal information on a daily basis.

Angels:

• The latest high-profile acquisition for the Angels, Josh Hamilton, made his spring training debut on March 2. He went 0-for-3 against the Arizona Diamondbacks, but has since gone 5-for-7 with one home run and two RBIs. Of course, fans and critics need to keep in mind that his performance during spring training—whether it’s good or bad—will not reflect how a he performs during the regular season, especially with how unorthodox of a personality he has proven to have.
• For some reason a big deal was made when the Angels announced they had renewed Mike Trout’s contract to a four percent increase from the league minimum, meaning Trout will make $510,000 instead of $490,000.  I certainly believe Trout deserves a much larger raise solely based on the only season in his major league career; however, the kid is only 21 years old and even he doesn’t seem to mind, clearly understanding he will have a very long career filled with plenty of paychecks.
• The best hitter the post-steroid era has seen to date, Albert Pujols, had surgery in October on his right knee and made his spring debut on March 5going 0-for-3. He hasn’t played since, but he assured Angel fans that he would be more than prepared for the regular season, regardless how many at-bats he gets in spring training.
• Four individuals—Ernesto Frieri, Kevin Jepsen, Scott Downs and Sean Burnett—have emerged as potential candidates to take over the closer role, as Ryan Madson will likely start the season on the disabled list. It appears Frieri will get the opportunity to start the season, with playing time probably dictated by performance.

There are also three players in the Angels organization playing on three different teams in the World Baseball Classic:

–   Dominican Republic: Erick Aybar

–   Mexico: Efren Navarro

–   Puerto Rico: Fernando Cabrera

As I mentioned before with Bill Plunkett, if you would like to receive updates on the Angels throughout the day, I recommend following Bill’s counterpart at the OC Register, Jeff Fletcher on twitter @JeffFletcherOCR.

Everyone else is doing top-10 lists for this year, so I thought I’d weigh-in. Here is my list of the top sports things that happened that I wrote about or covered at some point in 2012. You may disagree on the order (sorry Giants fans), but here is my end of year top-10.

Kristaan Ivory’s nose for the end zone helped Cal Poly upset FBS Wyoming in Laramie early in the 2012 college football season. By Owen Main

10. The Warriors and Clippers are kind of relevant

The Clippers started their march toward relevancy when Blake Griffin was drafted. Signing Chris Paul last offseason and a group of other really solid players this past offseason has put them squarely in first place in the Pacific Division with a 25-6 record. The Clippers have won 17 straight games and look like they could be serious contenders with Oklahoma City for the best record in the West. While the Lakers have been a bevvy of turmoil, Donald Sterling’s team has become really good. Those are words I never thought I’d utter.

As for the “Clippers North,” Golden State has started to reap the benefit of new ownership and the consistency of Mark Jackson‘s system. The Warriors are 21-10, would be the 4-seed if the playoffs started today, and are currently 5 1/2 games ahead of the Lakers. Yep, almost halfway through the NBA season the Warriors and Clippers both have better records than the Lakers. By far.

9. The Giants won the World Series… Again

This one would have been higher, except that SLO County is split between Dodgers fans and Giants fans. For the second time in three years, the Giants are World Champions. As much as it sickens me to say it, the Giants had to make this list. They have done it in every way a big market team dreads. Pitching, defense, timely and patient hitting have been hallmarks. The Giants have taken really great pitching and key no-name players and done what their cross-bay rivals never could — brought home the trophy.

As a side note, the World Series trophy will visit the Central Coast again around Valentine’s Day. I don’t know why they’re bringing both of their two whole trophies they’ve won in San Francisco, but they are. And you can be there to get your picture taken with it or something. I’ll probably be there with my camera and some Dodgers gear on.

8. The Lakers keep themselves relevant, but at what cost?

With the offseason acquisitions of Steve Nash and Dwight Howard, the Lakers looked like they were creating a dream team of their own to compete with Oklahoma City and Miami. The only question in fans’ minds was whether Mike Brown was the right guy for the job.

The answer, as was always the case, was a resounding “no.” Brown was let-go just five games into the season and the Lakers have struggled to stay at or around .500. They are 9 games behind the Clippers, in third place in the Pacific Division, and in 10th place in the Western Conference. In other words, if the playoffs began today, they’d be out. Not out of home-court advantage. Out of the playoffs. The team has been front-page news all year, which is what is really important in Los Angeles, but it hasn’t gotten them any closer to a title. Yet.

As a side note here, how much is their coaching situation like the movie Gladiator? Phil Jackson could be Russell Crowe, Jim Buss could be Commodus (the Joaquin Phoenix character), Jerry Buss as Marcus Aurelius, and Jeanie Buss as Princess Lucilla. It could work. Here’s the Gladiator IMDB page.

7. The Dodgers get new ownership

The Guggenheim group, led by Magic Johnson, won the bidding war for Los Angeles’ most valuable sports franchise. In doing so, they erased about a decade of questionable ownership decisions (see #1 below) and moved the Dodgers firmly out of “Laughing Stock” category as a franchise. If the Giants hadn’t won the World Series it would be even better. Even so, Dodger fans can look toward a future that’s a lot brighter than it had been.

Dylan Royer’s sharp shooting helped Cal Poly muster a huge upset in Westwood. By Will Parris

6. The Dodgers new ownership spends A LOT of money

Having new owners isn’t the only thing that got Dodger fans’ hearts pumping this year. In August, the Dodgers traded for Josh Beckett, Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford, and Nick Punto. Punto aside, that’s a lot of unrealized talent and payroll to take on all at once. Adding the star power of Gonzalez along with the depth of Beckett and possible awesomeness of Crawford made a lot of Dodger fans really happy. Alongside newly aquired Hanley Ramirez, the former Red Sox couldn’t put a dent in the Giants’ World Series run, but they give the Dodger faithful hope for the future.

With the addition of ace Zack Grienke this offseason, the Dodgers will have (BY FAR) the biggest payroll in baseball in 2013. Whether it brings a World Series back to Los Angeles is yet to be seen, but it makes up for some of the frugal heartache Dodger fans have experienced over the past few years. Again, reason to be hopeful for those of us who bleed Dodger blue.

5. The Angels keep up with the Joneses (Guggenheims)

An argument could be made that the new Dodgers ownership actually had to do what they did to keep up with Arte Moreno. Though they didn’t make the playoffs, the Angels were (arguably) the most talented team in baseball in 2012. Albert Pujols, Mike Trout, Jered Weaver, and a pitching staff that looked (on paper) like the best rotation in baseball created a fervent preseason buzz around the Orange County team. The season itself was a disappointment, but the spending of Arte Moreno set the bar for and put the pressure on the Dodgers’ new ownership to spend the same way.

In the offseason, the Angels got their hands on Josh Hamilton. Mike Scioscia will be stacking-up Mike Trout, Hamilton, and Pujols in a lineup that should have no trouble drawing attention. The Angels remain relevant and, in Southern California, that is of the utmost importance.

4. Cal Poly football wins in Wyoming

It was early-on in what would be one of the most storied FCS seasons Cal Poly football has ever seen. A lot of things lined up right for the Mustangs including a down season from Wyoming, a Cal Poly team that was coming into their own, and some big plays early-on in the game. Being in Laramie and hearing that big crowd go quiet was pretty incredible. Withstanding Wyoming’s comeback bid and winning the game launched the Mustangs into as successful a season as they’ve ever had in FCS.

3. Cal Poly footabll wins the Big Sky Conference title and makes the playoffs

In their first season in the Big Sky Conference, Cal Poly earned a share of the conference title and a playoff birth. As a part of the Big Sky, Cal Poly can rest assured that winning their conference alone will guarantee them a playoff birth, something they could never rely on in the Great West.

A season like they one they had in 2012 should boost recruiting for Tim Walsh and could help Cal Poly to be a consistent FCS contender.

2. Cal Poly basketball upsets 11th-ranked UCLA

It was simply the greatest win in the history of Cal Poly basketball. On November 25, Cal Poly visited UCLA for the second time in three years. It was Shabazz Muhammad’s first home game at the newly renovated Pauley Pavilion. Keeping the game close would have been a successful road trip.

Instead Dylan Royer, a senior from Los Osos, drilled six 3-pointers en route to 18 points and Cal Poly scored the signature program win.

The day Frank McCourt no longer owned the Dodgers was a great day for Los Angeles. By Jake N. (Mrmiscellanious) (Own work) [CC-BY-2.5 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5)], via Wikimedia Commons

Whenever I’m having a bad day, I just remind myself that the Dodgers are no longer owned by McCourt. It’s always a reliably uplifting experience, speaking to the atrocity that was the McCourt ownership. I’m sure that there are even worse owners still in play in sports, but McCourt used my team like a disposable bank account and was rewarded with over $1 billion profit on the sale of the team. It still makes me sick when I think too much about it and for that, the cessation of McCourt’s ownership is my number 1 story of the season.

Los Angeles sports fans, eat your hearts out.

You already had 4 courses. And the dessert is going to be pretty sweet, too.

Already in 2012, Los Angeles has seen its share of stars. The 2012 baseball season featured arguablly the best player in baseball, Albert Pujols joining the ranks of stars in Los Angeles. OK, he didn’t quite make it to Los Angeles, but Orange County isn’t bad.

Mike Trout became the best player in baseball last season at the age of 20. By Keith Allison from Owings Mills, USA (Mike Trout Uploaded by Muboshgu) [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Across town, the Dodgers did nothing if not raise their star profile. It started with Magic Johnson and the Guggenheim group buying the team for over $2 billion. Matt Kemp was already a star. So was Clayton Kershaw. The Dodgers traded for Adrian Gonzalez, Hanley Ramirez, Josh Beckett, and Carl Crawford, all of whom have been in the top two or three at their position at some point in their careers.

The Lakers have always been star-driven. Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol have been stars for years. Metta World Peace thinks he’s one, although I’d argue against it. In the offseason, the team acquired Dwight Howard and Steve Nash, both of whom are definitely stars.

The Lakers’ Staples Center roommates, the Clippers, are also beginning to gel with their own superstars, Chris Paul and Blake Griffin, leading the way.

At the Home Depot Center, the Galaxy had stars this year. In David Beckham’s last season. Robbie Keane and Landon Donovan are among the world’s best players and, alongside Beckham, led a star-driven team to its second straight MLS Cup.

The team with the fewest stars is the only team other than the Galaxy to win a championship this year. The Los Angeles Kings, led by Dustin Brown, Anze Kopitar, and Jonathan Quick won the Stanley Cup for the first time.

Zack Greinke had Los Angeles baseball fans abuzz this week, but he doesn’t get close to cracking the top-10 sports stars in Los Angeles. By Keith Allison on Flickr (Originally posted to Flickr as “Zack Greinke”) [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

If the Western Divisions of the National and American League end up the way they look on-paper now, a freeway World Series in southern California is a distinct possibility. I don’t want to digress into a different topic, but if things went like they “should” go based on preseason predictions, the Lakers wouldn’t be struggling so much.

Struggling or not, the Lakers have remained relevant with stars. However they do in 2013, both the Angels and Dodgers have positioned themselves to be relevant all season. As I’ve said before, when it comes to Los Angeles, sometimes it’s more important to be relevant, than good. And fans in southern California don’t complain when their teams are both.

Owen’s List of Star Power in Los Angeles sports in 2012

1) Kobe Bryant

2) Albert Pujols

3) Matt Kemp

4) Mike Trout

5) Blake Griffin

6) Chris Paul

7) David Beckham

8) Clayton Kershaw

9) Josh Hamilton

10) Dwight Howard

Honorable Mention — Steve Nash, Adrian Gonzalez, Landon Donovan, Pau Gasol, Jared Weaver, Hanley Ramirez, Robbie Keane, Jonathan Quick, Anze Kopitar, Dustin Brown, Serena Williams, Zach Greinke, Andre Ethier.

Did I miss someone? Do you not agree with my top-10? Post below and tell us what you think.

Pau

I know, it’s a cliche. I don’t know why, but every Major League Baseball team circles that 119th game. After the 119th game, you can really tell which teams are serious. After all, there are only 43 games left. If you aren’t in contention, you need at least 44 games to get back into the race…

Now that that’s out of the way, I want to evaluate to some actual Major League Baseball-related statements I’ve head lately:

Mike Trout is better than Matt Kemp

Of all the bold statements on today’s list, this is the one that I’m most torn about. Trout is good. REALLY good. The 22 year-old has been performing for most of the season at the level that would make him a top-5 player in the game. Since his May call-up, Trout is batting .340 with a .998 OPS. His athletic ability is explosive. He is like the five-tool player A’s General Manager Billy Beane would have been has he been a successful major league player. There just don’t seem to be any holes in his game. Great baseball players don’t have to be great athletes, but he absolutely is both.

Trout masters the balance between hustle and savvy. He has scored 93 runs and swiped 38 bases in 95 games.

And here’s where the “but” comes in. Trout has only played 135 games in his career. While he has been the best player in the game since May, I’m not ready to crown him.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYKIcnj1MJY

With the two best center fielders in the game in the Los Angeles area, the comparisons are natural. Kemp has 4 1/2 full seasons in addition to two partial ones under his belt. Kemp has made the All-Star team each of the past two seasons. He has two Gold Gloves, two Silver Slugger Awards and should have won the MVP last season. He is 27 years old and has proven how great he is over 3100-plus at-bats in the big leagues. During the season that Trout has broken-out, Kemp’s OPS is 1.058. Remember, during Trout’s monster season, his OPS is .998.

Matt Kemp’s Career Stats

In comparison, Trout has just over 500 at-bats in the Major Leagues. He is only 20 years old and a physical specimen, but… well… he’s 20 years old. His promise is both exhilarating and tempting. But it needs to be taken as just that. Promise. Lots of players have had amazing single seasons. Not as many have had them at the age of 20 though, and not quite like Trout. If he stays healthy, he could be really, really great.

Mike Trout’s Career Stats

A friend of mine said about Trout, “he needs to do it for three seasons before you can call him the best player in the game.” While I like the concept of waiting, I don’t think we should have to wait three full years. Give me until the end of next year. If Trout is still performing at this high a level, I’ll consider it. Until then, he remains chalk-full of promise and excitement. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.

The Angels have a better shot at the World Series than the Dodgers

Since we’re at the 119-game mark, let’s talk about which team in Los Angeles is better. The Dodgers stand at 65-54, completing a successful road trip and ready for a end-of-season run. Despite having the fewest home runs in the Major Leagues — mostly thanks to having James Loney and Juan Uribe as the “ideal” starting corner infielders for most of the year…. — their pitching has given up the third-fewest runs in the majors. Yes, they play in a much weaker division, but the bet with Luke was that the Dodgers would finish with a better record. And they are on-pace to do just that.

The Angels are so much better on paper though. They have two or three ace starting pitchers and it’s a wonder they ever lose with a lineup that sometimes seems like it should be in the Bronx rather than Orange County.

Baseball doesn’t always turn out following the numbers though, and my prediction is that, whether it’s because of the easier record or better players, the Fansmanship site will be flush with Dodger Blue come October.

The Dodgers’ offense is now a potent lineup that should be feared by opponents.

I’m a Dodgers fan. Let’s be clear here. But this is flat wrong.

While the Yoyers have given up the third-fewest runs in baseball, they have also hit the fewest home runs and are 24th in runs scored. That’s not very high for a division leader. While Hanley Ramirez and Shane Victorino bring better name recognition than Juan Rivera/Jerry Hairston Jr. and Juan Uribe, the addition of these two players does not cause the Dodgers lineup to become one of the top-10 even in the game.

As a fan, I don’t think they have to be top-10. They only have to make the playoffs and be hot like recent Cardinals and Giants teams have proven.

Andre Ethier. What gives?

This is actually my question. Because in the end, the big difference for the Dodgers might not be their big acquisitions at all. It may be whether Andre Ethier can get back on-track.

Since signing his contract extension, Ethier has basically disappeared. His power numbers have waned and he is far from the potent hitter he was at the beginning of the year. If the Dodgers want to make a deep run, the former Sun Devil will have to find his pop again. If the Dodgers are to make a run, Ethier must perform better than he has over the past four weeks, during which time he has hit .255 with zero home runs and only 7 RBIs.

According to a recent tweet by Jon Morosi of Fox Sports News, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim have the piece to lure Cole Hamels away from the Phillies.  

With Victorino headed for free agency, Bourjos likely would intrigue the #Phillies in any Hamels talks.

— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) July 5, 2012

A move that makes the speedy 25 year-old Bourjos all the more alluring from a trade standpoint, considering Cole Hamels and starting centerfielder, Shane Victorino’s, looming free agencies. 

Boujos is clearly the Angels’ most movable player right now for a myriad of reasons. He’s young  and cheap — signed through 2014 on a rookie level contract — and has been replaced by the emergence of Mike Trout. Through 63 games Bourjos is hitting just .233 despite an impressive debut last season.  Despite his slow start to the season, he has tremendous offensive upside coupled with a gold glove in the outfield.

The question is whether or not the Angels have the ability to realistically ink Hamels long-term while solidifying  Trout and Mark Trumbo as the franchise faces. Hamels will seek a long-term contract worth at least $20 million per season. While I look forward to the concept of slotting him third of fourth in a rotation abounding with lock-down guys like Jared Weaver, Dan Haren and C.J Wilson, I’m uncertain as to how prudent signing another mega contract would be.

Despite Ervin Santana’s inconsistency in the fourth slot in the rotation, the 29 year-old has historically been a second half pitcher. Last year, he started 1-9 in the first half and finished 10-3 with a low two era and a no hitter in late July.  Signed through 2013 the Halos have another year to assess whether or not Santana is worth another three to five year contract extension at his affordable 11.2 million dollar rate.

I would welcome a move only if the Angels can package Santana and either Maicer Izturis or Alberto Callaspo alongside Bourjos in exchange for Hamels. But all the Hamels talk has been speculation without word from the Halos camp regarding Bourjos’ future in Anaheim.

At the moment, according to this article by Ken Rosenthal, the Angels are unwilling to part with Bourjos because of his future as a major team building block and Garret Richards, who is a solid low-cost option at the bottom of the rotation. Angels’ General Manager Jerry DiPoto is thinking not only about the team now but the team in the near future when big names like Torii Hunter, Vernon Wells and perhaps Santana, come off the books.  Shoring up their long-term ability to retain Trout and Trumbo alongside future hall-of-famer Pujols and a top-five rotation would seem to be the primary goal at this point.

Considering their 37-19 record over their past 56 games, sitting solid in a wild card slot, and scoring more runs than anybody in baseball right now there really isn’t the need there to make a major move. Hamels would make more sense in a Dodger uniform behind the formidable Clayton Kershaw, to help relieve tension in what is becoming a disturbingly odd season of highs and lows for manager Don Mattingly’s team.

The Dodgers before injuries to Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier, Dee Gordon and Mark Ellis, held the best record in baseball through mid-June. Since then, they have slid into turmoil, slugged by inefficiency at the plate and a rotation plagued by Chad Billingsly’s erratic performances. Currently 1 1/2 games ahead of the surging San Francisco Giants, the Dodgers have a hard road ahead of them if they hope to get themselves into the postseason.

After a deal for first-baseman Carlos Lee fell through early this week, Matt Kemp according to this article remains hopeful. “It’s always good to get people to make your team better,” Kemp said. “I don’t know exactly what people think we need. We did a great job with what we have here. If we get somebody, that’s good. But if we don’t, it keeps going on and we have to keep playing the way we have in the first half.”

But I wonder how Dodger fans must feel. How long will the team sit around and wait for a potato sack at first like James Loney to make a difference? According to Mike Potriello of mikescosciastragicillness.com, fans might be willing to listen to offers for a prospect like right hander Zach Lee, in exchange for a bat like the above average Chase Headley at third.  Which proves just how desperate the Dodger fan base is to get into the postseason now rather than tomorrow.

Both teams have had moody beginnings to the 2012 season, but one is surging and the other is desperately limping just to remain relevent. The Angels are looking for that 4th starter to shore up a small blight while the Dodgers seek a plethora of parts just to keep the engine running. It’s all a matter of how far DiPoto’s team can fly but a desperate matter of how long Colleti’s bunch can keep their heads above water.  And that all goes without saying whether or not Tim Lincecum decides to become Tim Lincecum again.