After a decade of Bill Stoneman's Stonewalling, Angels General Manger Tony Reagins sure leaks to the press like a politician instead of a Ninja.
So what office is Tony running for? Wouldja believe Mayor of Lackeyville? Could all of the leaks of his meetings with Toronto be designed to light a fire under John Lackey to deal with the Angels?
Roy Halladay coming to Anaheim pretty much spells the end of the John Lackey era in L.A. of A, that is a fact. Does John's agent pick up the phone to get John back into Angel red faster when a truer ace is in the pipeline? With one suitor down he has less to deal with.
Meanwhile Toronto is taking its sweet time because it really doesn't want to deal Halladay to the Yankees or Red Sox unless it can put a dent in one or the other thru prospect extraction. Wouldn't you be stretching things out and allowing leaks to get other clubs to join the fray? Look, here come the Phillies, it looks like it worked!
The winter meetings are in the rear view mirror but they managed to garner enough headlines to put a Halo on Lackey and gave everyone else the chance to tell Vlad that he cannot get a job in their outfield or for more than one year. The Angels will sign Lackey before the new year so that he can get a fat signing bonus on this year's income statement and will ink Vlad to a one-year deal before February.
The only question then will be Darren Oliver, having basically spent the winter replacing Chone Figgins with Brandon Wood. Mission Accomplished?