Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim second baseman Howie Kendrick has been a reliable hitter, fielder, and fan favorite during his time in a Halos uniform, but is it time for the Angels to move him for starting pitching?
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim started the offseason debating whether to hold on to star 2nd baseman Howie Kendrick, with two obvious holes to fill — third base and pitching.
And now with Spring Training rapidly approaching (pitchers and catchers report in 30 days!), the Angels have addressed most of their holes.
The Halos made two roster moves: First acquiring 3rd baseman David Freese and bullpen pitcher Fernando Salas for OF Peter Bourjos and two young pitchers, then receiving Hector Santiago and Tyler Skaggs for Mark Trumbo.
By sending Trumbo to the D-backs, the Angels not only received two young, inexpensive pitchers in Skaggs, 22, and Santiago, 25, they cleared $4 million in payroll. Now the Angels have roughly $13-$15 million of cap room before hitting the $189-luxury tax threshold. This gives general manager Jerry Dipoto some flexibility in the free agent market to further address their pitching needs.
Right now, the Angels have potentially five Major League starters on their roster (three with Minor League options): Jered Weaver, C.J. Wilson, Garrett Richards, Hector Santiago and Tyler Skaggs. Still the Angels could add another 3rd or 4th starter either via trade or free agency.
Enter Howie Kendrick.
It’s been reported the Angels have shown plenty of interest in free agent Matt Garza and Japanese ace Masahiro Tanaka - both believed to be looking for a total contract figure north of $100 million. If the Halos signed one of them, they would be set for their starting pitching rotation: Weaver, Tanaka (Garza), Wilson, Santiago, Richards and Skaggs adding depth.
But it is highly possible Garza and Tanaka sign elsewhere. The Angels could potentially turn their attention towards Paul Maholm, Jason Hammel and Chris Capuano, who pitched for the Los Angeles Dodgers last season.
But the Angels still possess a likely trade candidate in Kendrick if Garza and Tanaka sign elsewhere.
Kendrick is signed through 2015, making $9.35 million in 2014 and $9.5 million in 2015. If the Halos decided to ship the second baseman, this would create payroll space for another move. The Halos could get a decent return for Kendrick as he is a top 10 guy with a good bat. Kendrick is a career .292 hitter and has had double-digit home runs in 4 of his past 5 seasons, including a career-high 18 in 2011 when he was an All-Star. He’s above average on defense and isn’t as expensive as others – which makes him bait for teams in need of a hitter in the 2-hole.
On top of that, the Angels already have a replacement in the wings – Grant Green. He has potential to be the next Howie Kendrick, except cheaper, younger, and under team control longer.
The Angels recently signed veteran pitcher Mark Mulder to a minor league deal with a big league invite. Mulder, 36, hasn’t pitched since 2008 due to shoulder injuries, but will get a chance to compete for a starting spot. This move doesn’t exactly fill the pitching depth void.
That still leaves a trade chip in Kendrick. However, after making two roster moves, it’s unlikely Dipoto will unload another.
Angels definitely need more pitching, but trading a reliable hitter may not be the answer, especially with the uncertainty of Green filling the hole at second.
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