Teixeira Makes Angels World Series Contenders

Wow. The Angels made a rare deal tuesday to show that they are serious about this whole playoffs, world series thing. Monday the Angels traded Casey Kotchman and a minor league pitcher to the Braves for the switch-hitting slugger Teixeira.

The Angels already had the best record in baseball and a top-flight rotation and now they have a top-flight lineup to go with it. Since their 2002 World Series championship, the Angels have won three division titles but just a single playoff series. Twice they were swept in the division series, including last October by the Red Sox. The problem has been with the offense, and in finding a hitter dangerous enough to bat effectively behind Guerrero. The Angels give up a bit of tomorrow for some runs today and the problem is more than solved!

Teixeira gives the team great power and run-production. He is also going to help out Vlad Guerrero a lot. Oh and did I mention he plays great defense? I know a lot of people in Haloland loved Casey Kotchman and the way he played but they both play great defense and Teixeira is going to produce quite a bit more at the plate (from both sides at that!). Plus, if they can win a world series this year maybe they can resign Teixeira too!

I'm liking this trade a lot for the Angels. I think the entire AL better watch out. My prediction is that if everyone can stay healthy this team is going to roll over everyone on their way to an AL West crown (already leading the division by 11.5 games) and all the way to the World Series.

This team was dangerous before but this solidifies it in my mind. The Angels are built to win a championship this year. I believe that the Angels are going to the World Series (notice how in saying Angels I did not say Yankees or Red Sox!). With Mark Teixeira behind Vladimir Guerrero in their lineup and ahead of Torii Hunter and Juan Riviera the Angels are World Series-bound in my opinion.

Jeremy Shockey Makes the Saints Dangerous

It has been a story that wouldn't go away. The Saints have been trying to land Giants TE Jeremy Shockey since before the NFL draft and now they have. According to multiple media outlets (first reported by Fox's Jay Glazer), the Saints have landed Shockey for 2nd and 5th round picks in next year's draft. The deal is pending league approval and a physical.

The Saints apparently have been consitent with their talk about acquiring Shockey. There have even been reports that the Saints tried to get involved in the Jason Taylor trade talks to help facilitate a 3-team deal, but that fell through when Taylor was dealt to the Redskins yesterday.

The Saints already had a very good No. 1 wide receiver in Marques Colston and the potential for a strong running game with Deuce McAllister, Reggie Bush and Pierre Thomas. They also have one of the smartest quarterbacks in the league in Drew Brees.

With Shockey, they've tied everything together. New Orleans needed someone to take some of the attention away from Colston and Meachum. Defenses won't be able to roll the Cover Two on him because Shockey will sit down in the middle all day and take coverage away and cause matchup problems for safeties and linebackers.

The Saints, I believe, are definitely the cream of the crop in the NFC South. Their offense is about as well-rounded as they come and if their defense can stand up they could be an elite squad in the entire NFL. Let's just hope that Sean Payton learned a thing or two about dealing with Shockey when he was with the Giants because that's the main reason New York gave him away. They didn't want to deal with the Shockey distractions all season. If good guys like Drew Brees, Deuce McAllister and Scott Fujita can welcome him with open-arms and he becomes a part of this team and not a me-first guy, then this trade will work out great. If he comes in and complains about his contract, playing time or any number of other things, it could be a suckfest for the Saints.

Nevertheless the Saints are completely built to win now. My main concern with this trade comes with the 2009 draft. The Saints are built to win now but are they sacrificing the future with these deals? Next year's draft will be a lean one with 2nd and 5th rounders going to the Giants, a 6th rounder going to Green Bay (trade back in the 2008 draft for Adrian Arrington) and 3rd or 4th rounder is still tied to the Jonathan Vilma deal (depending on how things play out). So the Saints will possibly only have a 1st, 3rd/4th and 7th round picks in '09. That's only three selections, using the Washington Redskins draft strategy. Overall though I'm loving the deal for the Saints!

What an offseason

Hey TSF readers, I am back to lay some more baseball insight into this fine fine blog. Back in July I wrote a post judging the trade deadline deals, and I'm back to look at what has gone on this offseason so far, and what could potentially take place.

Santana Mania
We all know that the best pitcher to throw a baseball since Roger Clemens was in his prime is on the market, but where will Johan Santana end up? This whole situation is about to get very interesting, because not only are the Red Sox and Yankees the only realistic options out there, but no one knows if they're actually trying to trade for Johan or just jacking up the price for the other team.

I say that the Yankees and Sox are the only real contenders because unlike anyone else on the current trade market, Johan Santana controls his own destiny. He can veto a trade if the team the Twins agree to terms with doesn't give him the extension he wants (rumored at around 23-25 million per year for 5-6 years). This makes this trade difficult in two ways - sure the Angels and Dodgers have the prospects to get a deal done, but they then have to sign Johan to a long term deal. If I were to guess, the Yankees eventually cave in and give up Ian Kennedy AND Philip Hughes, with Melky Cabrera and another minor leaguer (possibly Eric Duncan?) and get Johan. Trading that many prospects is completely against Theo Epstein's and Brian Cashman's philosophy, but the difference will be that Cashman isn't running the show anymore, and Theo is.

WTF White Sox?
What in the world were the White Sox thinking in giving Scott Linebrink that ridiculous contract? No one knows, but what we do know is that it has skyrocketed the reliever's market, and that is shown by Francisco Cordero's contract with the Reds. My prediction: They work out for a year, and then the contracts become albatross's hanging around both team's necks for the remainder of them. Thanks for setting back baseball a few years Kenny Williams.

Twins get a bat, Rays get an arm
Yes the Twinkies finally got another bat to stick in the lineup I like to call M&M and 7 random guys. Morneau and Mauer power that offense now that the Angels overpaid for ANOTHER aging center fielder (let's not forget Gary Matthews Jr.'s ridiculous contract from last year) when they signed away Torii Hunter. The problem is, Mauer doesn't hit for power, and while Cuddyer has been solid, they stil found their offense to be anemic at times even with Hunter having a contract year. Delmon Young will be for real, and he will help the Twins for however long he can keep his head on.
I still give this trade to the Rays, however, because the shortstops traded in this trade dramatically favors the Rays, and the prospect the Rays got will eventually be a solid 10th or 11th arm in the bullpen. The two players the Twins got back are bench players at best. Matt Garza also isn't too shabby, and I think Garza and Kazmir will make a solid 1-2 punch for the Rays.

Really LAA?
I already mentioned my thoughts on this signing above, but I will say this: If Torii Hunter is worth 90 million over 5 years, I'm good for about 750,000 over 3, and I didn't even play baseball my senior year of high school.

Cabrera Sweepstakes
Not since the Clippers and the Lakers fought to sign Shaq have two L.A. teams fought for the right to complain about how overweight a player on their roster is. Eating habits aside, Cabrera is a STUD, and while the Dodgers and Angels are being leveraged against each other by the Marlins (ask the LA Angels' owner how he feels about that), I think the Angels come out on top. Another reason why the Angels don't get Johan - they will trade their prospects to get Cabrera.

With so much happening so far this offseason (I didn't even delve into the Yankees re-signings drama), this offseason has promised to be a great one. When was the last time we saw two teams trade top prospect for top prospect like the Rays and Twins did? And when was the last time THIS MUCH top pitching talent has been available (make the right offer, the A's will give you Joe Blanton and Cy Young runner-up Dan Haren). As a baseball enthusiast, I am loving this offseason, and with the Winter Meetings around the corner, it should just get even better.