In my MLB predictions earlier today, I stated that the Los Angeles Angels had some “early injuries that have me concerned.” If you’re an Angels fan, your concern might be closer to sheer terror. The Angels will open play tomorrow with five players on the disabled list.

Jered Weaver: Biceps Tendinitis
Bartolo Colon: Torn rotator cuff
Chone Figgins: Broken fingers
Juan Rivera: Broken leg
Dallas McPherson: Back Surgery

That’s absolutely brutal. Fans expected that Colon wouldn’t be quite ready for Opening Day. He hasn’t pitched since July and all indications show that his rehab efforts are going very well. He’s thrown some batting practice sessions and could find himself in a rehab start in the next week.

However, injures to Weaver, Figgins, and Rivera are all a major blow. The one that worries me most is Weaver. After going 11-2 in his rookie season, you hate to see an injury spring up so quickly before his second season. Mike Scioscia definitely was cautious with him last year; Weaver never finished 8 innings in any starts. But tendinitis suggests overworking the arm. That’s bad news.

We all know it’s a long season. But the Halos have serious World Series ambitions. To realize their potential, they need to be fortunate enough to avoid these types of setbacks. I could think of several more desirable situations than having five regulars on the disabled list before the first pitch is even thrown.

Scot Shields earned himself a nice three year contract extension yesterday to the tune of $14.6 million. I would say that this is a pretty good contract for Soct, especially since he’s only a setup man. With that said, he has definitely earned it, having pitched in 74 games last year with a 2.87 ERA.

Shields has proved year in and year out that he can lock down the eighth inning and when Francisco Rodriguez can finish the job in the ninth, this is a lethal combination. I think everyone is just hoping the Angels don’t try to move Scot into the closer role. With Rodriguez in that role I don’t think they have any intentions of doing that, but we’ve seen the disasters that happen when set up men are moved to the ninth. Shields just signed a $3.4 million one year contract, so this extension comes as somewhat of a surprise.

Scot said that he is just happy that his children will be set for life, I’m just hoping that now that he has $14.6 million to spare, he can get that legal name change to add the second “t” to his name. That isn’t enough money for him to buy the Angels and rename them back to Anaheim, but I guess one name change is enough for now. Shields should enjoy his new money, he has certainly earned it, but the Angels need to be careful that he doesn’t fall into complacency and lose his edge.

For the entire month of March, the Sportable Staff will look at one Major League Baseball team a day. We?ll look at their lineups and pitching and in the end, assess their playoff chances. Previews will be done by division, starting with the American League East. Each new division will also feature a new podcast devoted entirely to that division.

California/Anaheim/Los Angeles/Orange County Poised for Playoff Return: I’m still not exactly sure what to call this team. They’re officially the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. But because I don’t want to sound like a douchebag, I’m going to leave out Anaheim. Regardless of what you call them, the Toontown Angels are a very good team. They missed the playoffs for the first time since 2003 but still went 89-73. General Manager Bill Stoneman didn’t make many huge moves in the offseason. But he did sign outfielder Gary Matthews Jr. and added some veteran role players to an already talented roster. Read the rest of this entry »

Hosts: Sonny, Ryan, Kevin, and Rich: This episode focused solely on the American League West. We expect it to be a close race with the usual contenders: the Angels and Athletics. Will Oakland be able to rebound from the loss of Barry Zito? Or will Anaheim ride Vladimir Guerrero to the playoffs?

You can snag Episode 15 here.

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Wow, the market for outfielders is really, really crazy. Gary Matthews Jr. and Juan Pierre have new addresses for the 2007 Major League Baseball season. While both Matthews and Pierre will help out their new teams considerably, I think they were overpaid quite a bit.

Matthews had a career season last year, hitting 19 homers and playing phenomenal defense in center field. Playing for Anaheim, he’ll definitely be an upgrade over Steve Finley. Matthews Jr. made his first all star game last year and delivered the catch of the year in my opinion. But I’m still a bit weary over giving him $50 million over five years. I’ve followed him throughout his career and he never quite put it together. He played for five different teams before settling in Arlington, where he’s finally found a spot in a lineup everyday. He’s not a youngster in the Padres’ system anymore, he’s a 32 year old veteran with just one good season to his name. One reason to be optimistic is the improved power numbers the past few years. I’m a bit concerned that Matthews’ power won’t carry over to the Angels, simply because Arlington was such a good hitter’s park. Nevertheless, Matthews will play gold glove defense and add far more speed than the Angels’ options from a season ago, Darin Erstad and Steve Finley. Read the rest of this entry »