Nothing doing for Angels at trading deadline
A swarm of trade rumors circulated Saturday, speculating about this move or that.
But few mentioned the Angels, who made nary a peep as the trading deadline came and went without a deal.
General Manager Tony Reagins wouldn’t discuss specifics, except to say that a few teams inquired about some of the team’s more veteran players, but that none of the talk “made sense for what we wanted to accomplish.”
The Angels traded for two players in the 10 days leading to Saturday’s nonwaiver deadline, acquiring right-hander Dan Haren from Arizona and third baseman Alberto Callaspo from Kansas City.
The Angels can still acquire players by the Aug. 31 waiver deadline for postseason eligibility, and Reagins said they will remain active.
But Reagins, Manager Mike Scioscia and Angels players said that one thing the team needs is to simply play better.
“The frustrating part about this for us as a staff is that it’s our responsibility to get the team to play at a certain level,” Scioscia said. “We haven’t done that.”
The Angels began Saturday’s game with Texas with a 53-52 record, having lost seven of their last nine games, and were eight games behind the first-place Rangers in the American League West.
“Guys have to step up, but we haven’t given up on this season by any means,” Reagins said.
The Rangers certainly haven’t either, acquiring four players in the last month: first baseman/third baseman Jorge Cantu (Florida), second baseman Cristian Guzman (Washington), pitcher Cliff Lee (Seattle) and catcher Bengie Molina (San Francisco).
“Whenever you’ve got the lead like that and you’ve got the champs for the last five or six years chasing you, go ahead and put the foot down,” center fielder Torii Hunter said. “And those guys are doing that.”
Hunter said part of the Rangers’ urgency to win now is increased because the team is in bankruptcy proceedings.
“Winning cures everything,” he said.
Hunter, who aspires to become a major league general manager, said he wasn’t surprised the Angels didn’t add another hitter, not that it would have been easy to fill the gap left by first baseman Kendry Morales, who was leading the Angels in batting average, home runs and runs batted in before suffering a season-ending leg injury in May.
“If you do get a guy like that, you have to give up a lot,” Hunter said.
Hunter said he heard the team went after Chicago Cubs first baseman Derrek Lee, but that Lee, who is batting .246 with 11 home runs, rejected the deal.
“That would’ve been a good option,” Hunter said. “But who do you get? Prince Fielder has another year on his contract. I don’t know.”
Angels ace Jered Weaver said the Angels don’t really need more parts, just improved play.
He added: “It just hasn’t been our season.”
Kazmir on the mend
Left-hander Scott Kazmir, who has been on the disabled list because of shoulder fatigue, was scheduled to throw off a bullpen mound Saturday.
Scioscia said that Kazmir would be evaluated and that there’s a possibility Kazmir would make a rehabilitation start Monday.
Kazmir is 7-9 with a 6.92 ERA.
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