If You Didn't Believe in Los Angeles Angels Before, You Should Now

Whatever piece of the championship puzzle the LA Angels may have been missing, they filled by acquiring 1B Mark Teixeira from the woeful Atlanta Braves Tuesday.

They already had the best record in the majors (66-40) and had a great pitching staff. The batting lineup is solid, and now has a veteran power-hitter to boost. If they're not scary now, they will be come October.

The Angels already had the AL West locked up, which means they are clearly thinking championship. They have the tools to do it and have to be considered the favorite to win in October.

You know that baseball's balance of power is slowly starting to change when neither the Red Sox nor the Yankees are the clear-cut favorites. The Yankees did add Pudge Rodriguez earlier today, which will help control the damage of losing Jorge Posada.

The Red Sox seem to have fallen back from the favorite in the AL, to possibly the third or fourth favorite in a matter of 24 hours. You also still can't forget about the AL Central, which is still a good division.

The Angels have taken seven of eight from the Red Sox this season, and that was obviously before the Teixeira deal. They play the Yankees nine more times, including a huge three-game series that begins Thursday at Yankee Stadium.

If the Angels can win six or seven of their nine remaining games against the Yankees, it will do wonders for the team's already skyrocketing confidence.

Another factor to seriously consider is that the Angels will basically coast into the postseason. They are a virtual lock to win the AL West barring some kind of 2007 New York Mets breakdown.

Meanwhile, teams like the Rays, Red Sox, Yankees, Twins, and White Sox will already be in playoff mode weeks before the season starts. This works into the Angels' favor because they will be well rested and focused to enter the postseason.

If the Angels bring home anything short of a World Series crown, then this deal will be a complete bust. With a lock-down closer in Francisco Rodriguez, great hitters such as Vladimir Guerrero and Tori Hunter, adding Mark Teixeira all but locked up the World Series crown for the LA Angels.

The Angels have always been an "under the radar" team since 2002. With this deal, you would have to be blind for them to not be No. 1 on your radar.