Big move for both the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and Chicago White Sox today, as the teams swapped 33-year old short-stop Orlando Cabrera to Chicago in exchange for 28-year old SP Jon Garland. Being the Angel fan that I am, my first instinct about the move was simply wow. We just traded a 2007 Gold Glove winner who served as a team captain and kept the team together through hard times,hitting higher than .300 in the process. What's worse is that we acquire another starting pitcher, something that we are already extremely strong in. If we would of moved Cabrera for lets say Miguel Tejada, the deal would of been fine, but not for another pitcher.
But looking closer at the deal, it does make quite a bit of sense for the Angels. For one, they receive a pitcher who possesses amazing durability, pitching 200+ innings the last 4 seasons. Garland is also only 28 years old and will serve as a tremendous number 4 starter. Even though he is $3M more than Cabrera and was acquired for a package of Cabrera and even more cash, the Angels are still saving a good $6M from last year's payroll, ridding Bartolo Colon's horrific contract from their dues.
The best part of the deal is that it is a sign that in the very near future, the Angels are going to make another trade for either a short-stop or a third baseman known as Miguel Cabrera. If the Halos were to move lets say Conger/Kendrick/Santana/Saunders to Florida for Miguel Cabrera, they would be able to let him play the position he loves and would move last year's third-baseman Chone Figgins to short-stop, the position he played coming up with the club way back in 2002. New general-manager Tony Reagins is sure winning the hearts of Angel fans, proving that he can actually construct a deal, something Bill Stoneman had trouble with.
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