On Deadlines

I'm going to have to disagree with AAW here. I think that Stoneman's stonewalling on the trade deadline was a good thing, but only if you accept one fact: we're not going to the World Series this year.

This is a rebuilding year, not a contention year. True, we're not exactly wallowing in a pool of our own waste--the team has a perfectly good shot at winning the division this year. But let's remember a couple of facts:

We have a large number of rookies in our starting lineup. Our catcher and (temporary) first baseman are playing in the bigs for the first time. Napoli's bat has been a pleasant surprise after Mathis fizzled out, but he's been in a hitting slump that has allowed that wayward Molina brother a chance to grab a few starts. Howie Kendrick is on his way to becoming one of the great second baseman of this generation, but with Adam Kennedy hanging around and Scioscia's obsession with veterans of the 2002 campaign, he'll be relegated to first base. He's never played at that position, and the number of errors he's committed during his tenure there speaks to his inexperience.

Our rotation, which may be the best in baseball, has two rookies on it. Jered Weaver is a media-acknowledged phenom, though AAW is right that he has had trouble his past two starts. I don't think this is a problem of talent, however. During his last start against Texas, supposedly Weaver the Younger was hyperventilating; it was likely the pressure of the situation that was getting to him. The ability to deliver under fire is the trademark of a great pitcher, especially in the playoffs, and it remains to be seen if Weaver the Younger can avoid his elder brother's problem of allowing his emotions to consume him. Joe Saunders, while lacking the outright talent of Weaver, seems to have a lot of poise. In his last start against Texas, he got in several jams but got through them without much hand-wringing.

The rotation is the key, and second, point to mention here. Most of the deals involving marquis names like Tejada or Soriano involved our starting pitching, notably Ervin Santana. With Colon on the disabled list, it is key to keep our rotation intact.

This is not to say that we should be satisfied with complacency. The player market this season was simply unworkable--anyone we could have acquired that would have significantly helped out the team would have cost us a substantial part of our major league talent. However, with Kennedy and Erstad unlikely to return next year, we have a bit of money to offer the many free agents who will be available during the offseason.

I agree with AAW in that Stoneman, while making a wise decision during this trade deadline, should not consider himself blessed with invulnerable job security. This team is literally one big bat away from a serious shot at the Fall Classic. Stoneman has shown a tendency to opt for inaction instead of making the big deal, no matter how necessary. Despite the team's flaws, this is the best incarnation of the Angels since 2002. Stoneman cannot be the Stoneman of the past--unless he makes a huge move (something like acquiring Vladdy in 2004) in the offseason, I say boot him.