Angels Trade Options: Is Cliff Lee More Realistic Than Roy Halladay?

The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are like some lovelorn high school teen in the midst of puberty.

They roam around in this swirling landscape of emotion and change with some gaping hole inside that needs to be filled, but with no idea how to fill it.

So they resort to the most convenient methods. First, they mirror the behavior of others.

Like so many teenage boys, the Angels are lacking any real sense of identity. They badly want to be like cool jocks who get all the attention—those Yankees and Red Sox—so they follow their lead and go after the hottest girl in school.

In this case, Toronto ace Roy Halladay.

But only the Prom King gets to dance with the Prom Queen, and being the insecure teen that it is, this Angels team has resorted to that next tried-and-true method of high school dating: Fall in love with every piece of flesh that trudges through your field of vision.

When the Angels were in Arizona, rumors started leaking out about a possible deal for Dan Haren, a suitable ace and current ERA leader in the National League.

So far, those rumors have remained as such, and no mention has been made of them since interleague play.

Now, the Cleveland Indians are in town for a three-game set and they've brought along that pretty little Cliff Lee, as good as any No. 1 in the league and ripe for the plucking.

According to MLB.com, the Angels may be taking themselves out of the Halladay sweepstakes.

Toronto is reportedly asking for the sun, moon and the stars for their ace, and while the Angels might be willing to move one or two heavenly bodies, they are not ready to part with the whole firmament.

Fair enough.

The report went on to suggest that Lee might be on L.A.'s radar.

Well that's wonderful, but just because Cleveland is out of the running this season doesn't mean they're not going to expect reasonable compensation for the reigning Cy Young Award winner.

The Angels have to start being reasonable about their options instead of flinging prospects at the closest team with an appealing arm.

They must find themselves before they go out in search of new partner—trade partner, that is.

Without a clear idea of what they want—or need—these desperate efforts to fill the void will only be a torturous endeavor with no satisfying outcome.

Like some acne-ridden adolescent in search of his first love, the Angels need to look at their current situation before they can ever hope to improve it.

Monday night's calamitous affair against the Cleveland Indians only underscores the Angels' desperate need for some mound-based modification. 

To start, Joe Saunders continued his string of stunningly poor outings by going just five innings while surrendering four runs on 10 hits.

Twice he was handed a lead by his offense; twice he blew it.

On the third time, there would be no charm. Manager Mike Scioscia was clearly fed up with his left-hander's performance and turned a 6-4 lead over to his bullpen.

Saunders' name had apparently come up in the Halladay trade talks, along with Brandon Wood and Erick Aybar.

These would seem to be reasonable options, but the Angels are simply not ready to risk too much of the future on success in the present.

No worries.

Like a nerd dating the hot blond at school that every guy is after, the Angels would find themselves indescribably happy with Halladay. He is a legit ace who is as consistent as he is dominant, and will vastly improve any team's chances in the playoffs.

But take a look at the Angels' situation.

We need someone to make us happy, but it doesn't have to be the head cheerleader. That cute girl with the dark hair and the 3.00 ERA will do just fine.

And the risk of going after someone like that is far less than what the cheerleader might cost.

The Angels already have two excellent starters in John Lackey and Jered Weaver. 

What they really need now is not the best pitcher in the league, who will, perhaps, cost too much in a trade They need a solid No. 1 or 2 guy who can throw six or seven innings most nights and keep his team in the game.

Instead of “mortgaging the future” for Halladay, as so many detractors have called it, the Angels could put together a fine package of one or two prospects and one or two Major Leaguers for another talented but less-coveted starter.

Scott Kazmir of the Tampa Bay Rays has come up in trade conversations.

Despite his surprising 6.69 ERA this season, Kazmir is already a two-time All-Star with postseason experience—and he's only 25.

Pittsburgh Pirates lefty Zach Duke is also being talked about right now, but like Kazmir, his name is hardly setting the trade world on fire. Any contender would do well to retain either of their services.

With only days before the July 31 trade deadline, the Angels have plenty of soul-searching to do. 

Let us hope they find some measure of self-esteem before those reasonable options dry up.