Thoughts on Gary Matthews
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by user The Beast
So the Los Angeles Angels have signed former Texas Ranger Gary Matthews for a $50 million dollar contract. Matthews is coming off his best year, but on the down side he is 32 and by the end of his five year deal, he'll be 37. While, Matthews may not be that big bat the Halos have been looking for, he certainly fills a need and could be a big steal come spring training.
After speaking with several Ranger fans and reading various blogs around the web, I have come to these five conclusions on how Matthews will effect the Angels this season.
1. Gary Matthews is Vince Carter in a baseball uniform.
Like Carter makes the acrobatic dunks, Matthews makes the acrobatic catches in addition to his strong arm. Where the Carter comparisons really come in is the fact that he makes mistakes. Both he and Carter go for the splash instead of the simplicity. Last season he had 7 errors.
2. Matthews won't provide that big bat.
"His .313 batting average is good, but his accompanying .371 OBP doesn't bloor the doors off." His 20 home runs clearly aren't the offensive firepower Moreno had promised.
3. He is an injury waiting to happen.
Matthews is a reliable center fielder when healthy. However, his durability is a major concern. At 32, he just played 146 games in 2006, which is surprisenly the second-most of his career (152 in 2001). He has four seasons with fewer than 145 games played.
4. He fits into the Angels offensive strategy.
While Matthews obviously lacks a power bat, he is a double-hitting machine. Last year he was 7th in the American League in doubles. The Angels encourage the type of players who can get on base any way they can, singles, doubles, walks, you name it. Matthews is already tops in the AL in doubles. When leading off, he could be in scoring position very often.
5. He fills a need.
This is the most obvious and important note of this acquisition. The Angels have lacked a true center fielder for the past two years. They've tried Chone Figgins, but his natural position is in the infield. Darin Erstad is clearly past his prime and injuries are starting to take their toll. Matthews can provide a constant defensive presence in center field, which the Halos have lacked. He will be slated to start 162 games if he is healthy.
In addition to playing center, he fills the need of a lead-off hitter. Since Figgons strikes out too often, Matthews is a welcomed improvement. This allows Figgy to play second leadoff, batting ninth.
Final Verdict: Matthews is an addition, a piece, but not the answer. He will not solve the Angels' offensive struggles, but he could be a major contributor on a World Series team. Yes, I said World Series because this team can win it all with a Manny Ramirez-type bat.
So is he good for the Angels. Yes! Undoubtedly so. At 50 million? Well that's a little different. Matthews is a solid addition to the Angels this offseason even at 50 million. There is no doubt he will contribute to their championship surge. However, if they plan on winning it all they still must find some power.
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