Even if that NL team is the Giants.

Even if CC actually pitches well for the Giants.

And, if they get CC and Peavy, you’re betting that Teixeira isn’t coming to Anaheim, and Vlad will be walking after the 2009 season. So the Angels offense will suck horribly.

How did we feel going into last season with the Tigers lineup? I think everyone thought they would KILL, and they sucked hard. How many times over the years did the Yankees put together a dream team only to have them barely compete? I am not afraid. Looks good on paper is not the same as 162 games, injuries, sub-par seasons. Looks ominous, but they are only human.

The Angels’ modus operandi vis-a-vis free agents in recent years has been to sneak up on guys that the market was somewhat overlooking (Hunter, Matthews, Guerrero) and working quickly to offer them more money and/or more years than anybody else…basically, giving them offers they couldn’t refuse before other teams had a chance to react.

That certainly won’t be the case with CC. The Yankees have and will likely continue to offer Sabathia significantly more money and a longer contract than deep pockets Moreno or any other owner will likely offer. So the Angels won’t be able to offer any type of distinct financial advantage. They could bank on CC willing to take 10 or so million less and a year or two less to be on the West Coast, but that’s a huge stretch…even if he was willing to do that, why wouldn’t he prefer to sign with the Giants or Dodgers instead where he can continue to dominate the National League and would age better? I just don’t see what the Halos’ major selling point would be…

I think the Peavy possibility is even more far fetched, but I would encourage them to try. To get him, the Angels would have to absolutely gut their farm system, which has significantly thinned-out over the years. They would then assume the $50+ million owed to him over the next 4 years. Since they’re already talking extension with Lackey on top of that, we would be looking at an Angel team that from 2009-2011 would have a nice 1-2 punch at the top of their rotation, but would be hamstrung with the Hunter and Matthews contracts (especially since those two will be in the twilight of their careers at that point) and would have a barren farm system and holes all over the diamond.

Basically, I’m all for the Halos trading for Peavy…

Like Taj and PT said, I’m not sure where the Angels would find the chips to land Peavy. If Towers really like Kendrick, then I could see him plus Weaver going a long way to getting a deal done but there’d still have to be another major piece involved.

and is in line for a HUGE raise - probably somewhere in the neighborhood of an extra $10$12m on top of his 2009 salary … having all three of them past 2009 would probably cost upwards of $60m per …

they also have $29m per committed to Matthews and Hunter, which would leave them with five players making $90m, and $30m or so to fill out the rest of their roster …

Speier and Shields are also owed a combined $11m in 2010 …

Santana will be in his second year of arbitration …

If their remaining 17 players all made minimum wage, that would lave their payroll somewhere around $113m … which isn’t going to happen, because 2010 is going to see virtually all of their young players hit arbitration (Morales, Kendrick, Willits, Napoli, Saunders, Mosely, Aybar, Mathis) …

In short, the rotation might be able to hold the opposition under 700 runs … but I wouldn’t be on the offense topping that number …

Figgins (injury risk, but hits and gets on base when healthy)
Kendrick (injury risk, but hits for average when healthy)
Guerrero (in his declining years, still will put up numbers but again, injury risk)
Hunter (the one guy who I see staying consistent, though I feel like his defense will start to diminish, I saw him make a wrong step on a ball a few times this season)
Napoli (30 homer guy if they let him start on a regular basis)
Morales (nothing scary.)
Matthews (overpaid, overplayed, useless)
Wood (do they really give this guy another shot?)
Aybar (league average guy, maybe a bit better)

There you have it, a completely league average offense, with some gaping holes. I would say the A’s offense next year (with an upgrade at SS, hopefully Furcal, maybe someone else) would easily match up at almost every position. I would be fine with them putting that money towards Sabathia (if they get Sabathia, they will not get Peavy, there’s no way they have the depth to make a deal, plus San Diego wants major league ready talent, so I would assume they would lose at least one starting position player…

I don’t think the Angels are going to give up most of their young talent in the minors to trade for Peavy and then sign Sabathia.

More likely they make a run at Tex first and then maybe another pitcher, but it seems like an awful lot to hope for all of the above to happen unless you have unlimited payroll and are also rolling in prospects.

   Just looking at postseason #’s, Lackey is a far better pitcher.

   Even without Tex, their offense isn’t as bad as everybody thinks. At least not if the young players keep progressing. However, with Tex, Look out cause they will be full of dangerous hitters, as long as the youth progress.