OF Wells reworks swing: The Orange County Register reports Angels OF Vernon Wells is working with renowned hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo, who is the Cubs batting coach. The two have been working in a batting cage that Wells had built at his Dallas-area home this offseason. Wells said Jaramillo has rebuilt his swing from scratch and "top to bottom." “He’s awesome,” Wells said. “I finally have a load in my swing, which will be fun.” Wells said some of his struggles in 2011 -- his first with the Angels -- resulted from being in his head too much. He felt uncomfortable with his new surroundings and that caused him to swing for the fences often. Wells appears on track to rectify that. “The number that needs to be up is my doubles," he said. "I'll hit my share of home runs. I know what to expect now. I feel like I’ve been here for years now.” (Updated 01/30/2012)
Injury Report
No information available at this time (Updated 2/12/12).
Fantasy Analysis
The biggest change Wells said about his approach is that he is getting loaded early on pitches that will help him catch up to more hittable pitches. It will also help him lay off the bad pitches and stay shorter in the rest of his swing. Wells sounds really amped about working with Jaramillo and the changes he has made to his swing. Wells' average slumped to .218 last year, but if he gets his stat line closer to what he did in 2010 with the Blue Jays (.273, 31 HRs, 88 RBI), then he is looking at a bounce-back year. Wells will likely fall to the late rounds in Fantasy drafts coming off a down campaign, but he could end up a great value pick. Just don't reach for him on Draft Day. (Updated 01/30/2012).
02/07/2012 16:48 Five years is the Jays' deal limit; can they be competitive with it?
The Blue Jays will not sign a player for more than five years. While admirable in today's spend-to-win world, it keeps them from the biggest free-agent names. Danny Knobler wonders if the strategy is practical.
Vernon Wells endured one of the worst campaigns of his career in his first season with the Angels a year ago. He struggled to hit for average all season and saw a dip in his power numbers. He batted just .197 and slugged .332 over the first 49 games, with seven homers and 20 RBI. He remained a mainstay in the lineup, however, and was able to pick up his numbers a bit down the stretch. Wells would hit .214 after the All-Star break, with a .415 slugging percentage, and finished with 25 home runs and 66 RBI. The 33-year-old is a career .274 hitter so his average should revert back to near normal in 2012, especially with Albert Pujols now in the Angels' lineup. Plus, he still has the power to hit 20-30 homers. His RBI production could pick up as long as he raises his average, so target Wells in the later rounds of mixed leagues on Draft Day. (Updated 1/11/12)
Actual 
AccuScore Projections) Note: Points are rounded down.
