On April 19th, Jerry Dipoto inked Erick Aybar to a four-year, 35 million dollar deal, solidifying Aybar as the Angels shortstop (barring a trade) through 2016. How did Aybar respond? By putting up terrible numbers through March (.222/.259./.272) and continuing his dismal start through May (.223/.247/.287). Fortunately, Aybar corrected the ship big time in the second-half  putting up a .361/.484/.845 line.

His torrid second-half left Aybar’s season numbers strikingly similar to his career numbers over the past four years. Sprinkle in some solid defense at a premium position and Aybar was once again worth 4 WAR in 2012 (according to baseball-reference), good for the 4th highest on the Angels.

Best Game of 2012

Aybar came up big for the Angels down the stretch. While the Angels still didn’t make the playoffs, it certainly wasn’t because of the Angels feisty shortstop who had 21 multi-hit games in August and September. You could have your pick of any one of these contests, but a September 18th game against the division rival Texas Rangers stands out. Aybar went 3 for 5, scored two runs and knocked a man in resulting in a 11-3 defeat.

2013 Outlook

Looking at Aybar’s numbers against his previous full seasons, there is nothing that would suggest Aybar will change much. If one wants to nitpick, elements of Aybar’s game are bothersome (his low BB% rate for one). But at a premium position with a scarcity of solid big league talent ready to play there, Aybar is one piece of the team puzzle that the Angels shouldn’t have to worry about much in 2013.

We can also probably expect some more of Aybar’s “grab-ass” antics with Pujols as well:

Best game of 2012

The thing about Callaspo is that he is quietly solid and as a result, rarely grabs the headlines. However, on May 26th, Callaspo smacked a pinch-hit grand-slam against Felix Hernandez to put the Angels ahead for good. Not what you would expect from a light hitting third-basemen.

2013 Outlook

Alberto Callaspo isn’t going anywhere. There’s nothing that would indicate Alberto won’t continue to be who he always has been: a solid, cheap infielder who plays good defense and puts the ball in play. For the casual baseball fan, Callaspo may not be the most exciting player on the field. However, when looking past the basic counting stats, Callaspo proves to be a bit of a sabermetric gem that is exactly what the Angels need with their bloated payroll.

Credit: Jim Cowsert-US PRESSWIRE

On May 3rd, Ernesto Frieri was traded from the San Diego Padres to the Los Angeles Angels in exchange for infielder Alexi Amarista and minor league pitcher Donn Roach. What proceeded was one hell of a first-half honeymoon. Frieri quickly established himself as the most solid relief pitcher in the Angels bullpen and nabbed the closer position.

His first 25 1/3 innings in Angels red, Frieri didn’t allow a single run. In his first 9 innings with the Angels he struck out 20. Only 3 other pitchers have done that in the history of baseball. He struck out 40 of the first 91 batters he faced and allowd only six hits. He also was the first pitcher since 1921 with 20-plus strikeouts and no earned runs in his first 10 innings with a new club (according to Stats LLC).

Somehow, in his first half of 2012 with the Angels, Frieri went from the fifth man out of the Padres bullpen to suddenly becoming one of the best relievers in baseball. It seemed improbable.

And guess what? It was. In the second-half of 2012, Frieri put up an 4.50 ERA, allowed 7 home runs in 28 innings of work and blew 3 saves. A far cry from his near perfect first-half performance.

2012 Game of the Year

Every game Frieri pitched in the first-half for the Angels could be a viable candidate for his best game of 2012. His June 2nd game against the the Texas Rangers in front of over 44,000 Angels fans in Anaheim might be the best, though. Not only did Frieri earn his second save in a row in as many nights against the division rivals, but he did it on three strike outs, ending with a swinging strikeout by Josh Hamilton, leaving the bases jammed. It wasn’t his best pitching performance but it showed Frieri had a tough, closer’s mentality. Or so it seemed at the time.

2013 Outlook

Is Ernesto Frieri the dominant closer-type pitcher the Angels saw in the first-half or the good but not great, middle-reliever type they saw in the second-half? It’s hard to tell but don’t be surprised if Frieri isn’t named the opening day closer in 2013.

Frieri’s success as a pitcher is the result of being able to get a lot of swing and misses on the movement of his four-seam fastball, a pitch he throws 85% of the time and that batters swung at almost 50% of the time in 2012. It’s by far his best pitch. The problem lies in that Frieri doesn’t have a reliable secondary pitch to go with it. So if he’s not locating that fastball, then he becomes hittable or starts walking batters. And with not much else but a shaky curveball in his bag of pitches, that can be a bad combination.

Despite having a very different second-half from his excellent start in 2012, the overall numbers are very similar to his 2011 season with the Padres. If that’s any indication, the Angels acquired a mostly solid relief pitcher in 2012 with a penchant for a low WHIP and a good K/BB ratio.

Is he the closer of the future for the Angels, though? Don’t bet on it.