The Angels surprised many on Sunday when they shipped Vernon Wells to the Yankees and received a significant amount of salary relief in the deal. The Halos are happy to have the Yanks pick up $13.9MM of the $42MM owed to Wells over the next two seasons and the outfielder is likely enthused about seeing more playing time in New York. Here's more on the Angels and the rest of the AL West..
- The Wells trade didn't just help the Angels' finances, it paved the way for Peter Bourjos to take over in center field, writes Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times. General Manager Jerry Dipoto believes that Bourjos has plenty of room to grow and sees him excelling now that he has the everyday job and can relax.
- Angels manager Mike Scioscia doesn't think that his club's bench necessarily took a step back by losing Wells, writes MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez. Because Wells is accustomed to starting over the course of his career, Scioscia doesn't believe that he was going to get into a rhythm without consistent playing time.
- While some have been critical of the Astros' thin payroll, commissioner Bud Selig says that he doesn't have a problem with it, writes Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle. "I do trust the organization," Selig said. "Look, every organization goes through certain phases. They have chosen the path with some very qualified people. And the only way you can really build a solid organization, a solid team, is through a very productive farm system. And I think they're doing it the right way. There's no question in my mind."
