The Los Angeles Angels have to be loving what's going on up in Oakland. For the first half of the season, the upstart Athletics had the Angels looking over their shoulders a bit more than they would have liked, but with the recent trades that have sent Rich Harden and Joe Blanton to the National League, the Angels have just about clinched the AL West.
They've got an eight game lead on the A's now, and a 9.5 game lead on the Rangers, and at this point it doesn't look like either of those two teams is going to pose a real threat. So the Angels GM Tony Reagins is at that point where he knows he doesn't have to make any moves, as he told ESPN's Buster Olney yesterday.
"We're comfortable with our club at this point," Reagins said. "We're confident. At this point, I don't see us making any drastic moves. ... As of today, I don't see us changing the makeup of the club in a major way."
But as Olney goes on in today's blog entry, that doesn't mean they won't be making any "minor" moves. They're not going to be looking to add a bat--even though Gary Matthews Jr.has a torn ACL--but there may be some interest in Orioles All-Star George Sherrill. According to Olney, the Orioles are quietly letting teams outside the AL East know that Sherrill is available, and George does make a lot of sense for Los Angeles.
He can be that lefty specialist they've needed for a while, and he provides some insurance should K-Rod sign elsewhere this winter.
