The Angels have signed 32-year old righty swinging catcher Chris Snyder to a minor league deal.  He is going to have a really solid shot of winning the backup catcher job for the Angels for 2013.  He played in 76 games for the Astros last year and he was 39 for 221 (.176 avg, .602 OPS) with 23 runs scored, 7 homers and 24 RBIs.  Snyder has now played in 706 games in his first 9 years in the majors and he is 465 of 2,067 (.225 avg, .714 OPS) with 227 runs scored, 77 homers and 297 RBIs.  This was a good pickup for the Angels.

The Angels have acquired 25-year old righty reliever Mike Cisco from the Phillies for literally nothing.  Cisco pitched in 40 games (0 starts) in AA+AAA-ball for the Phillies last year and he was 5-3 with 3 saves, a 1.80 ERA and a 1.23 WHIP.  He has now pitched in 127 games (47 starts) in his first five years in the minors and he is 29-22 with 6 saves, a 2.93 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP.  This is a no lose situation for the Angels, as they didn’t give anything up for Cisco.

The Angels should have an improved bullpen for the 2013 season.  32-year old righty Ryan Madson was signed over the winter to be the closer for the Angels, but he’s not going to likely be ready on opening day.  Madson missed all of the 2012 season due to Tommy John surgery.  Madson pitched in 62 games (0 starts) for the Phillies in 2011 and he was 4-2 with 32 saves, a 2.37 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP.  He has now pitched in 491 games (18 starts) in his first nine years in the majors and he is 47-30 with 52 saves, a 3.59 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP.  27-year old righty Ernesto Frieri will likely be the closer if Madson isn’t ready to rock when the season starts.  He pitched in 67 games (0 starts) for the Angels and Padres last year and he was 5-2 with 23 saves, a 2.32 ERA and a 0.99 WHIP.  He has now pitched in 161 games (0 starts) in his first four years in the majors and he is 7-5 with 23 saves, a 2.32 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP.  37-year old Scott Downs and 30-year old Sean Burnett are going to be the top lefties in the pen for the Angels in 2013.  Downs pitched in 57 games (0 starts) for the Angels last year and he was 1-1 with 9 saves, a 3.15 ERA and a 1.31 WHIP.  Downs has now pitched in 496 games (50 starts) in his first 11 years in the majors and he is 34-32 with 26 saves, a 3.55 ERA and a 1.33 WHIP.  Burnett pitched in 70 games (0 starts) for the Nationals last year and he was 1-2 with 2 saves, a 2.38 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP.  He has now pitched in 354 games (13 starts) in his first six years in the majors and he is 15-23 with 10 saves, a 3.58 ERA and a 1.34 WHIP.  28-year old righty Kevin Jepsen pitched in 49 games (0 starts) for the Angels last year and he was 3-2 with 2 saves, a 3.02 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP.  Jepsen has now pitched in 196 games (0 starts) in his first five years in the majors and he is 12-13 with 3 saves, a 4.31 ERA and a 1.44 WHIP.  26-year old righty Michael Kohn will compete with the losers in the competition for jobs in the rotation (Garrett Richards and Jerome Williams) for the last couple of bullpen spots in 2013.  Kohn pitched in 14 games (0 starts) for the Angels last year and he was 0-1 with 1 save, a 7.30 ERA and a 1.87 WHIP.  He has now pitched in 38 games (0 starts) in his first two years in the majors and he is 2-1 with 2 saves, a 4.01 ERA and a 1.66 WHIP.

PROJECTION FOR THE BULLPEN IN 2013:  B+

The Angels will be without 27-year old lefty reliever Brandon Sisk for the 2013 season as he needs Tommy John surgery.  Sisk came to the Angels in the Ervin Santana trade with the Royals over the winter.  Sisk pitched in 50 games (0 starts) in AAA-ball for the Royals last year and he was 3-2 with 8 saves, a 2.54 ERA and a 1.35 WHIP.  He has now pitched in 198 games (9 starts) in his first five years in the minors and he is 20-18 with 42 saves, a 2.59 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP.  This is a bad break for Sisk, as he was likely going to get a shot to pitch for the Royals at some point in 2013.

26-year old lefty reliever Andrew Taylor is out indefinitely due to a small tear in the labrum.  He pitched in 53 games (0 starts) in AA+AAA-ball for the Angels last year and he was 3-4 with 2 saves, a 4.27 ERA and a 1.44 WHIP.  He also pitched in 3 games (0 starts) in his first taste of the majors last year with the Angels and he was 0-0 with a 11.57 ERA and a 3.00 WHIP.  Taylor came into this season as the Angels’ #27 prospect and he was expected to pitch for them at some point in 2013.

UPDATE:  (3/31/2013) - The Angels have officially placed Andrew Taylor on the 15-day D.L.

UPDATE II:  (4/9/2013) - The Angels have moved Taylor to the 60-day disabled list to open up a roster spot for reliever Dane De La Rosa, who was called up earlier today.

30-year old righty Jered Weaver and 32-year old lefty C.J. Wilson return as the Angels’ #1 and #2 starters again in 2013.  Weaver pitched in 30 games (all starts) for the Angels last year and he was 20-5 with a 2.81 ERA and a 1.02 WHIP.  Weaver has now pitched in 207 games (all starts) in his first seven years in the majors and he is 102-52 with a 3.24 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP.  He is one of the best starting pitchers in all of baseball and I don’t see that changing any time soon.  C.J. Wilson pitched in 34 games (all starts) for the Angels last year and he was 13-10 with a 3.83 ERA and a 1.34 WHIP.  He has now pitched in 359 games (107 starts) in his first 8 years in the majors and he is 56-45 with 52 saves, a 3.65 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP.  26-year old righty Tommy Hanson, 32-year old righty Joe Blanton and 30-year old lefty Jason Vargas will be the #3, #4 and #5 starters in 2013….but the order will be determined this spring.  Hanson came to the Angels in a deal over the winter with the Braves.  Hanson pitched in 31 games (all starts) for the Braves last year and he was 13-10 with a 4.48 ERA and a 1.45 WHIP.  He has now pitched in 108 games (all starts) in his first four years in the majors and he is 45-32 with a 3.61 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP.  As long as Hanson’s shoulder holds up, I think he will pitch well for the Angels in 2013.  Blanton pitched in 31 games (30 starts) for the Phillies and Dodgers last year in which he was 10-13 with a 4.71 ERA and a 1.26 WHIP.  Blanton has now pitched in 237 games (228 starts) in his first 9 years in the majors and he is 83-75 with a 4.37 ERA and a 1.34 WHIP.  Vargas had a rock solid year for the Mariners last year.  He pitched in 33 games (all starts) for the Mariners last year and he was 14-11 with a 3.85 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP.  He has now pitched in 150 games (130 starts) in his first seven years in the majors and he is 42-50 with a 4.35 ERA and a 1.31 WHIP.  The Angels have great depth in the rotation as 24-year old righty Garrett Richards, 31-year old righty Jerome Williams and 28-year old lefty Brad Mills could step in if needed in 2013.  Richards pitched in 30 games (9 starts) for the Angels last year and he was 4-3 with 1 save, a 4.69 ERA and a 1.56 WHIP.  Richards has now pitched in 37 games (12 starts) in his first two years in the show and he is 4-5 with 1 save, a 4.87 ERA and a 1.58 WHIP.  Williams pitched in 32 games (15 starts) for the Angels last year and he was 6-8 with 1 save, a 4.58 ERA and a 1.26 WHIP.  He has now pitched in 118 games (92 starts) in his first seven years in the majors and he is 33-37 with 1 save, a 4.29 ERA and a 1.34 WHIP.  Mills pitched in 21 games (19 starts) in AAA-ball for the Angels last year and he was 5-10 with a 5.86 ERA and a 1.59 WHIP.  Mills also pitched in 1 game (1 start) for the Angels last year and he was 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA and a 0.60 WHIP.  Mills has now pitched in 15 games (10 starts) in his first four years in the majors and he is 3-3 with a 7.76 ERA and a 1.71 WHIP.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE STARTING ROTATION IN 2013:  B+

27-year old righty reliever Bobby Cassevah has rejected an outright assignment to the minors from the Angels and he has become a free agent.  Cassevah pitched in 4 games (0 starts) for the Angels last year and he was 1-0 with a 7.20 ERA and a 2.20 WHIP.  He also pitched in 49 games (0 starts) in A+AAA-ball last year for the Angels and he was 4-1 with 11 saves, a 5.79 ERA and a 1.66 WHIP.  Cassevah pitched in 50 games (0 starts) in his three years with the Angels and he was 3-3 with a 3.20 ERA and a 1.38 WHIP.  This is not a big loss for the Angels.

The Angels stole 31-year old lefty swinging Josh Hamilton from the division rival Texas Rangers.  They have high expectations for him in 2013.  Hamilton played in 148 games for the Rangers last year and he was 160 of 562 (.285 avg, .930 OPS) with 103 runs scored, 42 homers, 128 RBIs and 7 stolen bases.  He played in only 2 games in RF last year for the Rangers.  He did played in 84 games (52 starts) in LF last year and he had 3 assists and 3 errors there while showing off good range.  Hamilton should be an excellent defensive RF for the Angels.  He has now played in 737 games in his first six years in the majors and he is 858 of 2,825 (.304 avg, .913 OPS) with 471 runs scored, 161 homers, 553 RBIs and 43 stolen bases.  25-year old lefty swinging Kole Calhoun could win a bench job for the Angels this spring.  He played in 21 games for the Angels last year and he was 4 for 23 (.174 avg, .457 OPS) with 2 runs scored, 1 RBI and 1 stolen base.  He played in 14 games (1 start) in RF for the Angels last year and he had 0 assists and 0 errors there while showing off outstanding range.  Calhoun also played in 105 games in AAA-ball last year and he was 122 of 410 (.298 avg, .877 OPS) with 79 runs scored, 14 homers, 73 RBIs and 12 stolen bases.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE RIGHT FIELDERS IN 2013:  A+

25-year old righty swinging Peter Bourjos will be the Angels’ starting CF in 2013.  He played in 101 games for the Angels last year and he was 37 of 168 (.220 avg, .606 OPS) with 27 runs scored, 3 homers, 19 RBIs and 3 stolen bases.  He played in 90 games (48 starts) in CF for the Angels last year and he had 2 assists and 1 error there while showing off out of this world range.  Bourjos has now played in 299 games in his first three years in the majors and he is 210 of 851 (.247 avg, .703 OPS) with 118 runs scored, 21 homers, 77 RBIs and 35 stolen bases.  If anything happens to Bourjos and he has to miss a lot of time, Mike Trout would replace him in CF.  Trout played in 110 games (108 starts) for the Angels in CF last year and he had 2 assists and 2 errors there while showing off outstanding range there.  Josh Hamilton could also play some CF if needed.  He played in 95 games (84 starts) in CF last year for the Rangers and he had 2 assists and 4 errors there while showing poor range.  28-year old lefty swinging Scott Cousins could make the team as a backup outfielder this spring.  Cousins played in 53 games for the Marlins last year and he was 14 of 86 (.163 avg, .467 OPS) with 7 runs scored, 1 homer, 3 RBIs and 1 stolen base.  He played in 18 games (8 starts) in CF last year for the Marlins and he had 0 assists and o errors there while showing off outstanding range.  Cousins has now played in 128 games in his first three years in the majors and he is 32 of 175 (.183 avg, .523 OPS) with 14 runs scored, 2 homers, 9 RBIs and 2 stolen bases.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE CENTER FIELDERS IN 2013:  B-

21-year old righty swinging Mike Trout is moving to LF for the Angels in 2013.  He played in 139 games for the Angels last year and he was 182 of 559 (.326 avg, .963 OPS) with 129 runs scored, 30 homers, 83 RBIs and 49 stolen bases.  Trout led the major leagues in both runs scored and stolen bases in 2012.  He was the Rookie of the Year in the American League and he finished 2nd in the MVP vote (to Miguel Cabrera).  He also made the All-Star team and he won a Silver Slugger Award in 2012.  Trout played in 67 games (29 starts) in LF for the Angels last year and he had 0 assists and 1 error there while showing off outstanding range.  Trout has now played in 179 games in his first two years with the Angels and he is 209 of 682 (.306 avg, .911 OPS) with 149 runs scored, 35 homers, 99 RBIs and 53 stolen bases.  34-year old righty swinging Vernon Wells will be Trout’s caddy in 2013.  Wells played in 77 games for the Angels last year and he was 56 of 243 (.230 avg, .682 OPS) with 36 runs scored, 11 homers, 29 RBIs and 3 stolen bases.  He played in 69 games (59 starts) in LF for the Angels last year and he had 0 assists and 1 errors there while showing off outstanding range.  Wells has now played in 1,601 games in his first 14 years in the majors and he is 1,695 of 6,218 (.273 avg, .788 OPS) with 885 runs scored, 259 homers, 908 RBIs and 102 stolen bases.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE LEFT FIELDERS IN 2013:  A+++++