Angels Leadoff Links – January 2, 2015

More from Halo Hangout

The New Year is finally here! 2015 is the year the Angels will once again climb to the top of the mountain and be crowned World Series Champions. The Halo Hangout Leadoff Links are your home for the best stories of the last 24-hours from around the FanSided baseball network.

If big league general managers started as they mean to go on this year, baseball writers around the country may soon be out of work. Not surprisingly, there was a noticeable lack of baseball storylines on New Years Day. Luckily, the talented writers at FanSided did not let this stop them from cultivating fascinating articles.

Conor Duffy, co-editor of BoSox Injection, believes ex-Angel Mike Napoli will make a positive impact on the Red Sox next season. Napoli is playing for a contract so you can bet the bearded batsman is likely to rebound from a down 2014.

Next: Mike Napoli plays huge role in Red Sox lineup

Toronto Blue Jays skipper John Gibbons led the Jays to an up and down year in 2014, but he is quite popular amongst Blue Jays’ fans and media alike. Kyle Franzoni, co-editor of Jays Journal, explains the quirk in Gibby’s contract that took effect on Thursday.

Next: New Years is Christmas for Blue Jays Manager John Gibbons

The Kansas City Royals made the postseason in 2014 for the first time since 1989. David Hill, co-editor of Kings of Kauffman, is adamant last season was not a fluke, and bigger things are in store for the Royals in 2015. Since it is the new year we will do our best to forget what the Royals did to the Angels this past October.

Next: Royals Playoff Run Will Be More than a One Year Appearance

The Cincinnati Reds acquired veteran outfielder Marlon Byrd this week from the Philadelphia Phillies. Jesse Borek, co-editor of Blog Red Machine, makes the case that adding Byrd was a great move for a Reds squad hoping to return to the postseason in 2015.

Next: Why acquiring Marlon Byrd was a sound decision

The Los Angeles Dodgers have been adding and subtracting pieces all offseason, but Adrian Garcia of Lasorda’a Lair believes the club might not be done tinkering. Garcia suggests that the Dodgers still need to acquire another starting pitcher before heading east to Arizona.

Next: The Dodgers Still Need Another Starter