Angels may look to Holliday to upgrade offense
The Angels, after getting shut out in pursuits of hitters such as Mark Teixeira and Miguel Cabrera in the past year, are again exploring the trade market for offense, according to major league sources.
Rockies left fielder Matt Holliday is among the hitters on the Angels' potential wish list, and the team also is monitoring other options, sources say.
General manager Tony Reagins, in a telephone interview with FOXSports.com, said that he is speaking to rival clubs about deals but not focusing on any one particular area of improvement.
"The confidence level in our offense is still high," Reagins said.
The Angels, however, are tied for next-to-last in the American League in runs per game, even after rallying from a one-run deficit in the eighth inning Tuesday to defeat the A's, 5-3.
While the Angels lead the A's by 4 ½ games in the AL West, they could face another early postseason exit if they fail to upgrade their offense.
Holliday, according to Tracy Ringolsby of the Rocky Mountain News and FOXSports.com, is drawing interest from the Angels, Dodgers, Rays, Cardinals and Royals.
Reds outfielders Adam Dunn and Ken Griffey Jr., Pirates outfielders Jason Bay and Xavier Nady and Rockies third baseman Garrett Atkins are among the other hitters who could be available before the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline.
The Angels are comfortable with Chone Figgins as their third baseman and leadoff man, sources say. Their preference would be to acquire a player under contract beyond 2008 rather than a potential free agent such as Dunn.
One potential complication: For the Angels to obtain Holliday or another outfielder, they almost certainly would require their trading partner to take outfielder Gary Matthews, who is earning $9 million this season and guaranteed $33 million from 2009 to '11.
A team's willingness to take Matthews would hinge on the quality of prospects and amount of cash that the Angels included in a deal. Holliday, who is under contract for $9.5 million this season and $13.5 million next season, is signed for two fewer years than Matthews.
As recently as last week, manager Mike Scioscia indicated that he was satisfied with the Angels' offense, which — despite a surge from right fielder Vladimir Guerrero and the returns of Figgins and second baseman Howie Kendrick from injuries — finished last in the AL in runs in June.
Reagins, too, conveyed little urgency Tuesday.
"Our pitching has been fine. It has put us in position to be where we are," Reagins said. "We think some of our (hitters) are pressing a bit. But these players have performed over the years. We think they're capable of getting to a level that will help us long-term. There's no panic button being pushed here."
Panic isn't the Angels' style, and the team routinely backs off ambitious trade pursuits when it deems the cost in players to be too high. Reagins, in his first season as the replacement for former GM Bill Stoneman, would signal a shift in philosophy if he made a major trade.
The Angels' biggest competition for Holliday likely would come from the Dodgers, who could offer outfielder Matt Kemp as the centerpiece of their package. The Dodgers even could pursue both Holliday and Atkins, but they've shown reluctance to part with their prospects, much less the number that would be required to complete such a blockbuster.
The Rays plan to explore trades on all fronts. Their direction could depend upon the price of each acquisition in players and dollars, but their preference is to add pitching, particularly if outfielder Rocco Baldelli returns from a rare disorder that causes chronic fatigue. Baldelli's continued absence would increase the team's desire for a right-handed hitting outfielder, with Holliday, Bay and Nady their most likely targets.
Holliday would make sense for the Angels not just for this season, but also for 2009 and possibly beyond. The Angels are certain to decline left fielder Garret Anderson's $14 million club option, making him a free agent. Guerrero almost certainly will return on a $15 million club option, but like Holliday, is a free agent after '09.
If the Angels acquired Holliday while parting with Matthews, they would gain a short-term replacement for Anderson and possible long-term replacement for Guerrero. Holliday, 28, is four years younger than Guerrero, and a better bet physically at this stage of their respective careers.
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