MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez has more from Trumbo on leaving the Angels:
"I’m a lifelong Angels fan, and all my memories as a kid revolve around the Angels, and as a pro, spent 10 years with the organization. It’s all you ever know and these are the friends you meet. But you also understand as a player that these things are part of the game, and where the Angels stood, there were some holes that they needed to fill and only a few possible options as far as how they were going to do that. For me, looking at that situation, it’s almost painfully obvious that either myself or Howie where the ones who were going to bring back what the team needed."
Hector Santiago had a 4-9 record with a 3.56 ERA and 1.40 WHIP in 34 games last year with the White Sox. He's 25 years old and pitched 149 innings last season, including 23 starts. Tyler Skaggs compiled a 2-3 mark with a 5.12 ERA and 1.37 WHIP in seven starts with the D-Backs in 2013.
The 27-year-old All-Star Trumbo is coming off a career year that saw him record 100 RBI and 34 home runs in 159 games despite struggling to make a positive impact night in and night out. He batted just .234 with an on-base percentage of .294.
Both of those marks were considerable drop-offs from his career highs of .268 and .317, respectively, in 2012.
According to CBS Sports baseball insider Jon Heyman (via Mike Axisa), a dozen teams were rumored to be interested in acquiring Trumbo prior to the announcement.
While there are legitimate concerns regarding Trumbo's struggles at the plate, there's no denying that his versatility makes him a worthwhile addition for the Diamondbacks. He has appeared at four different positions for the Angels in each of the past two seasons, including third base, left field, right field and first base.
Trumbo has shown flashes that suggest he can become a solid all-around defensive player, but he's certainly no game-changer in that regard, at least not yet.
It will be interesting to see how Trumbo fares in a new city, though, considering he grew up in Anaheim and played his high school baseball in Villa Park, Calif., before being called up to the majors. The 6'4", 235-pound slugger has made a name for himself by crushing the long ball in L.A., but he will face new challenges as he looks to fulfill expectations in Arizona.
Trumbo was selected in the 18th round of the 2004 Major League Baseball amateur draft by his hometown Angels. However, he wouldn't make his major league debut until September 2010.
