I spoke to my Angels source recently, and he had all sorts of good info about the team.
A recent hot surge has landed the Halos just two games out in the AL West. Because of this, GM Bill Stoneman is upping his demands and won’t cave in and send any of his future stars to the Nationals for Alfonso Soriano. The Angels are pleased with 28 year-old Juan Rivera and think he’s developing into a big bat in his own right. Rivera is hitting .277/.337/.505 on the season and has had a blistering July. Baseball Prospectus considers him most similar to Lou Piniella at the same age, though Rivera has more power.
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Most of the Angels’ top prospects are untouchable: Nick Adenhart, Jose Arredondo, Howie Kendrick, Joe Saunders, and Brandon Wood won’t be moved (click their names to view their minor league stats this season). A couple of excellent young players who could be used in trades this month or in the offseason: Jeff Mathis and Erick Aybar. Aybar’s big league showcase didn’t generate the interest Stoneman wanted, and a Mathis became expendable with the emergence of Mike Napoli.
Some other players who have a good chance of being dealt are Brendan Donnelly, J.C. Romero, and Dallas McPherson. On McPherson, my source says he "would’ve been the centerpiece of a Soriano trade had he not been hurt." Mathis, Aybar, and McPherson will bring a fine bounty eventually, whereas the two relievers will be used more to acquire spare parts.
