Mailbag: Manny on the Angels? Beat writer Mike Scarr answers fans' queries By Mike Scarr / MLB.com The possibility of the Angels making a deal for Red Sox outfielder Manny Ramirez grabbed attention of a number of Angels fans. Another popular topic was voting for the annual Gold Glove Awards. Losing Darin Erstad, in a trade for Manny Ramirez, doesn't seem to be a smart move. Erstad is not only an incredible first baseman, but seems like a voice of reason and a spark plug for the team. We really don't need another high priced outfielder to disrupt morale for "potential" home run power. -- Kathy S., Riverside, Calif. Erstad has been a cornerstone of the Angels throughout his career and provides solid defensive play at first base, elevating the entire infield in the process. But his offense, outside of 2000 when he hit .355 with 25 homers and 100 RBIs, has never quite matched his abilities in the field that have earned him three Gold Gloves. This is more a case of the Angels trying to improve and looking for a bat, which they sorely need. The club also needs to make a decision on Casey Kotchman, and opening a spot at first would do just that. Most in the organization believe that Kotchman will prove to be a productive Major League hitter and could be a solid defender. There is no question that Erstad provides a steadying influence to the ballclub, but Ramirez is not known to be a bad clubhouse guy. His antics get magnified in the public, but he is generally liked by his teammates and would likely be a good support for Vladimir Guerrero. It's also hard to ignore the offense that Ramirez brings. He hit 45 homers with 144 RBIs, both of which ranked third in the American League, and scored 112 runs this past season. He also posted a .982 OPS, a few ticks better than Guerrero's .959. But this deal is still more a case of "what if," would probably require moving more than just Erstad and Ramirez, and would likely include a third team. The Angels should completely drop the idea of trading for Ramirez. His reputation as a bad clubhouse person and the enormous expense to acquire him would have a negative effect on the team. Remember Jose Guillen? Paul Konerko would be a much better fit. His offensive production is similar to Ramirez's, and the savings could be used to acquire pitching. -- Tony B., Vancouver, Wash. On the face of it, the cost for each player would be pretty similar. Ramirez is owed about $60 million for the next three years, while Konerko is reportedly seeking a four-to-five year deal in the $50-60 million range. But any deal for Ramirez would be a trade, meaning the Angels would shave at least $8 million from the books by dealing a player like Erstad, and the club would likely insist the Red Sox assume a portion of Ramirez's contract. Ramirez could actually be cheaper, but the machinations of acquiring him will be more complicated making a simple cash deal for Konerko the more likely course of action for the Angels as they target new additions for the roster. If the Angels do not in fact trade Steve Finley, how do you think he will fare next year? He is not getting any younger. -- Nathan E., Allen Park, Mich. Finley's days as a starting center fielder are most likely behind him, and if he is not traded or released and he does not retire, he'll be a reserve outfielder behind starter Chone Figgins or a possible free-agent signee. Finley had a tough time accepting that his skills had eroded this past season and said on a couple of occasions that he would still like to prove that he can be a productive Major Leaguer. Finley will be 41 by next Opening Day, but he is an excellent athlete and will report to Spring Training in shape, unless he decides his time has come. If he does return, though, he will likely have to accept more bench time than he would prefer. Is it time to drop off the remaining players from the 2002 World Series? Adam Kennedy, to name one, could be replaced by a better player. I feel the Angels were unable to win the American League Championship Series as a result of poor supporting players. A team cannot exist with just two players, as people have said in the loss to the White Sox, with mostly Figgins and Guerrero getting the blame. -- Albert W., Southern California It would be tough to hang the Angels' failure to reach the World Series on Kennedy. He hit .300 during the regular season and .258 in the postseason. Kennedy was one of three players, joining Erstad and Orlando Cabrera, to get a team-leading four hits in the ALCS. Kennedy also returned from double knee surgery this year to play well defensively and formed a solid double-play combo with Cabrera. More than jettisoning Kennedy, though, will be the issue of elevating Howie Kendrick, who was co-Minor League player of the year with Brandon Wood. Kendrick hit .342 in 46 games at Double-A Arkansas this season after hitting .384 in 63 games at Class A Rancho Cucamonga. Kendrick is also performing well in the Arizona Fall League and is likely ticketed for Triple-A in 2006. But the ascendance of players like him, Wood and Kendry Morales portend some changes on the Angels roster in the near future. There were a number of messages regarding this year's balloting for Gold Glove. Here are two views: How is it possible that not one Angel won a Gold Glove this year? They had several worthy candidates, including Erstad and Kennedy, but for Orlando Cabrera not even to get one is ridiculous. -- Matt C., West Covina, Calif. OK, I admit being a biased, life-long Angel fan, but how did Cabrera and Kennedy not win Gold Gloves this year? I admit that AL second base honoree Orlando Hudson was great, too, but Derek Jeter, who won at shortstop in the AL, had nearly twice the errors. Boooooooo! -- Tom H., Garden Grove, Calif. 嘿嘿 我怎麽看都觉得这篇关於曼尼拉米雷兹的部份是用来堵乡民攸攸之口的 XD --

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