Trout tops prospects list ... again
--OF Mike Trout was named the top prospect in Keith Law's Top 100 rankings for ESPN.com. It is the second consecutive year Law has placed Trout at the top of the list. Trout was also named Baseball America's Minor League Player of the Year for 2011.
--Three other Angels farmhands were included in ESPN's ranking of the Top 100 prospects in baseball -- SS Jean Segura, RHP Garrett Richards and RHP John Hellweg. Segura and Hellweg are likely headed to Class AA this year while Richards will go to spring training with the Angels with a chance to compete for the fifth spot in their starting rotation. Richards made the jump from Class AA to a brief stint with the Angels last season and is likely ticketed for more seasoning in Class AAA this year.
--1B-DH Russell Branyan has signed a minor-league contract with the New York Yankees. Branyan, 36, was released by the Arizona Diamondbacks last May and signed with the Angels. In 37 games, he batted .185 (12 for 65) with four home runs and 12 RBI. The Yankees are the 12th team Branyan has signed with during his major-league career.
--Former Angels broadcasters Rex Hudler and Steve Physioc have been hired to join the Royals' broadcast team for 2012. Hudler and Physioc worked together on Angels' broadcasts for 10 years until their contracts were not renewed following the 2009 season. They will share time on the Royals' TV and radio broadcasts with Ryan Lefebvre, Jeff Montgomery and Denny Matthews.
--OF Vernon Wells said in a recent radio interview that he has been working with former Rangers and current Cubs hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo near Wells' off-season home in the Dallas-area. Wells is trying to bounce back from the worst season of his career. He hit just .218 with a .248 on-base percentage (lowest among AL hitters who qualified for the batting title) in his first season with the Angels in 2011.
BY THE NUMBERS
17-59 -- Angels record last season when scoring three runs or less.
QUOTE TO NOTE
"Vernon's our left fielder." -- Angels GM Jerry Dipoto when asked if Wells and Mike Trout would compete for that spot in spring training.
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