ANGELS NOTEBOOK: DEADLINE IS NO BIG DEAL HERE.Byline: BEN VILLA Staff Writer ANAHEIM -- There are few things people can absolutely count on these days, but two of them happened Monday. The sun came up in the morning, and the Angels stood pat at the trade deadline. Once again, the Major League Baseball "MLB" and "Major Leagues" redirect here. For other uses, see MLB (disambiguation) and Major Leagues (disambiguation). Major League Baseball (MLB) is the highest level of play in North American professional baseball. trade deadline came and went without the Angels making a deal for the big bat they desperately coveted cov·et v. cov·et·ed, cov·et·ing, cov·ets v.tr. 1. To feel blameworthy desire for (that which is another's). See Synonyms at envy. 2. To wish for longingly. See Synonyms at desire. . In fact, the Angels have never made a major deal at the trade deadline in Bill Stoneman's seven years as general manager. ``It wasn't for a lack of trying,'' Stoneman said before Monday's game against the A's. ``Our sights were aimed real high ... but we just couldn't come to a deal. We were involved in all the big deals and we were right in the mix right up until the very last minute. ``We took our shots, but we feel pitching is important and that's what everybody wanted from us. We didn't want to hurt our pitching staff for the sake of a big bat. ``But I think the team we have now is very talented and we absolutely have a shot at the pennant.'' The Angels are 1 1/2 games out of first place behind the A's in the American League West The American League West is one of three divisions in Major League Baseball's American League. The division currently has four teams, but it has had as many as seven teams before the 1994 realignment. , but one of the reasons they couldn't pull a trigger on a deal for Alfonso Soriano Alfonso Guilleard Soriano (born January 7, 1976 in San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic) is a Major League Baseball outfielder for the Chicago Cubs. Before joining the Cubs in 2007, he played for the New York Yankees, Texas Rangers, and Washington Nationals. or Miguel Tejada Miguel Odalis Tejada (born May 25, 1976 in Baní, Dominican Republic), nicknamed "Miggi", is currently the shortstop of the Baltimore Orioles Major League Baseball team. , was the health of Bartolo Colon. With last year's American League American League (AL) One of the two associations of professional baseball teams in the U.S. and Canada designated as major leagues; the other is the National League (NL). Cy Young Award winner going on the disabled list for the second time this season July 27 with right triceps triceps, any muscle having three heads, or points of attachment, but especially the triceps brachii at the back of the upper arm. One head originates on the shoulder blade and two on the upper-arm bone, or humerus. tendinitis, the Angels could ill afford to give up one of their starting pitchers. The Angels are second in the AL in ERA (4.09) but if they dealt Ervin Santana Ervin Ramon Santana (born December 12, 1982 in La Romana, Dominican Republic) is a right-handed starting pitcher for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Career Santana was a starting pitcher for the Angels' double-A affiliate, the Arkansas Travelers early in 2005, where he , who was rumored to be in a deal for Tejada, or rookie phenom Jered Weaver, their depth at the major-league level would be seriously weekend, especially when considering Kelvim Escobar's right elbow isn't completely 100 percent healthy, either. Hot in July: One of the reasons why the Angels were comfortable not making a trade for a big bat is the way they've been playing in July. The Angels finished the month with a 19-7 record in July, the best in the majors and they were batting .308 while averaging 6.4 runs a game. He's back: Joe Saunders was back in the Angels clubhouse Monday and even though he wasn't officially named as the Angels starter for tonight's game, Scioscia said it's pretty obvious why he's back. Saunders, who won his only start of the season on July 18 when he beat the Indians 7-5, figures to take Colon's spot in the rotation. |
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