The Halos Must Buy Out Vernon Wells
See? We told you Brian Bixler had a weak bat. (AP Photo/Pat Sullivan)
When we last checked in on Vernon Wells in late-September, we acknowledged that he had been better this year, but remained a serious bust because he simply had no way to live up to that silly contract Toronto gave him. Well, he didn’t play much after that and overall, he did manage to reduce his strikeout rate this season, so that’s something.
The problem is Wells is still owed $21 million for each of the next two seasons, which is going to make it hard for the Halos to rid themselves of that deal. But make no mistake, they need to try to do so for payroll flexibility purposes. In two seasons in Anaheim, Wells has compiled 36 homers, 95 RBI and a .221 BA. Ugh. It’s time for the Angels to channel their inner Mets and bite the bullet like New York did with Jason Bay.
Suddenly, the Angels need pitching and making some kind of deal to get out of the Wells contract would go a long way to helping them address their mound issues.
Quick Hits
- Last year, we wondered how Brian Bixler held down a big league job considering his complete lack of pop. Well, he finally flashed some modest sock this year, but he couldn’t even reach the Mendoza Line, so the Astros (yes, the Astros!) DFAed him in August. It’s pretty sad when a Triple-A team masquerading as a big league team can’t use you. Down at the farm, Bixler saw plenty of action, but again failed to show anything with the stick. Last month, he opted for free agency with the hopes of landing another major league gig in 2013. Um, good luck with that, man.
- One of the big questions for the Yankees in 2013 is will CC Sabathia hold up, health wise? He definitely showed signs of breaking down physically this year, but when push came to shove, he was the man in the ALDS. He had minor elbow surgery after the season and the team plans to keep an eye both on his pitch counts and his overall workload in 2013, a sure sign that the Yanks are also worried about their ace. It’s definitely something to consider when you are ranking Sabathia on your 2013 cheat sheets.
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