Trade Deadline Reality

The past week or so has been littered with trade deadline scenarios and surely the next month and a half will be also. People seem to be asking the same questions:

1. Who can we get to make a run?

2. Who can we trade to get value for?

3. When will the Angels decide to be buyers or sellers.

I think the answer is painfully obvious, but reality is often overlooked in the process of being a fan (I had this happen post-Wells-agedon, when I overlooked reality to believe that our management had a plan with the move.). 

The reality of the situation that Angels fans find themselves in right now is as simple as one sentence. We can debate the merits of being sellers or buyers at the deadline, or whether or not the Angels actually have a chance at winning the AL West. It can all be answered with this.

The Angels don’t give up. 

Rationally, the Angels should have realized last season was lost after Kendry broke his leg and instantly become sellers. But the management didn’t, and hasn't during any season during the Moreno/Reagins/Soth era (which will hopefully end this season by cutting out the middle man).

What makes anyone think the mentality of the Front Office is suddenly going to change this year?

Personally, I’ll believe it when I see it.

Reality is that the overwhelming odds are the Angels either standing pat, or making a move for an overpaid or overrated guy who isn’t a difference maker (like Aramis Ramirez or Mark Reynolds) to give the fans the illusion that “We still have a chance.” This has been the message we constantly are sent as fans at the deadline.

This is where doom and gloom comes into play in my realistic scenario, which is odd for me because I've been riding the positivity train for most of the season.

The All-Star break will come around, we'll get screwed out of at least one player making the All-Star team (probably Haren or Howie leaving us with Weaver as the only player). Weaver will probably start on Saturday or Sunday before the break, and won't get to pitch as we watch the Yankees, Red Sox and Captain Crackhead battle the best from the National League. We'll finish out this season middling around .500, within shouting distance of contending in the West but never really threatening Texas. No one will hit 30 HRs, maybe 1 player will bat over .300. Trumbo won't finish in the top 3 in ROY voting despite having the best numbers. Vernon and Torii will combine for less HRs and slightly more RBIs then Curtis Granderson. Weaver will get snubbed out of a Cy Young because Lester will have 20+ wins behind the Red Sox offense with inferior numbers to WTY in every other way. Mathis will still be splitting time with Conger. The Red Sox will go on to win the World Series and guarantee even less coverage for any team west of the Mississippi.

Then we will end up doing nothing of note this offseason except getting outbid for Pujols and Fielder. And when we inevitably miss out on those guys, we will hear the same old bullshit about, “When we get Kendry(s) back, it’s like trading for a 30 HR, 100 RBI guy for nothing.” Then Kendry will come back and not be close to the player he was.

And then we’ll find some way to not bring up Trout until 2013 because he hasn’t mastered slapping the ball to the opposite field to Hatcher’s liking yet. We’ll end up eating $60+ million of Wells’ contract while he plays in AAA for the Nationals or somebody. Weaver will sign a record contract with the Yankees when his arbitration runs out.

Our lineup will still consist of 6 middle infield type hitters, Mathis half the time and overpaid veterans. And our pitching staff will still be an overpaid bullpen, and who knows what our rotation will be when we inevitably lose Weaver.

Truth Hurts.