Could the Angels be the answer to two of the hottest of Hot Stove League questions: Who's going to sign CC Sabathia? And who's going to trade for Jake Peavy?
It's at least a possibility laid out by MLB.com's Lyle Spencer, and the more you think about it, the more sense it makes -- except perhaps for the impact on the Angels' payroll.
But if you know anything about the Angels in the Arte Moreno/Mike Scioscia era, it's this: 1) They firmly believe that starting pitching is the key to success; and 2) they strike quickly and boldly in reshaping their roster each winter.
And, after a quick -- and very disappointing -- exit from the playoffs after posting the AL's best regular-season record, you have to be thinking the Angels are aiming to build a better playoff-type team. Which means, first and foremost, three dominant starting pitchers at the top of the rotation. How do Sabathia, Peavy and John Lackey sound?
So let's look at all the key players in this scenario, and see how this could fall into place -- longshot as it may appear to be:
It should be apparent that Sabathia doesn't really want to take the New York Yankees' offer, which is thought to be six years and $140 million. It's been sitting out there for more than a week now, and Sabathia can't be thinking he's going to get more money elsewhere.
No, he's hoping for other bidders, especially from his native California, where it's no secret he'd like to play. At least three different reports (here's one) have the Angels jumping in, and taking a different route in light of Mark Teixeira's hope of landing a 10-year contract -- a length they wisely aren't willing to go to keep the All-Star first baseman.
Meanwhile, the San Diego Padres still haven't found a suitable match for a Peavy deal, as talks with the Atlanta Braves have ceased, and the Chicago Cubs need a quality reliever more than a starter in the wake of re-signing Ryan Dempster. Given their severe budget cutback -- an expected drop from $73 million to the $40-million range -- the Padres can't hang onto a player who will take up 20-25 percent of their payroll, as Peavy will. So a deal is coming, sure enough.
The other four teams reportedly on Peavy's list -- he has trade veto rights -- are the Dodgers, Angels, Yankees and Astros. And among those four, the first two clearly could put together the best packages to fill a handful of Padres' needs -- a quality young starting pitcher to plug into the big-league rotation, a catcher to pair with young Nick Hundley, a middle infielder (both spots could be open if disappointing Khalil Greene is traded), and a center fielder.
The big question is, can the Angels afford both Sabathia at $20 million or so annually, and Peavy, who has $63 million coming over the next four seasons? Their 2008 payroll was just under $120 million, sixth-highest in the majors.
But keep in mind, the contracts of Garret Anderson ($14 million last season), Jon Garland ($12 million), Frankie Rodriguez ($10 million), Teixeira ($12 million -- not all paid by the Angels), Darren Oliver ($2 million) and Juan Rivera all have come off the books, so there is some wiggle room.
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