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07/27/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Two weeks after the Texas Rangers acquired the marquee pitcher in this year's trade market, Angels general manager Tony Reagins answered the bell on Sunday by acquiring the other top pitcher.
By trading Joe Saunders and a trio of prospects to Arizona in exchange for three-time All-Star Dan Haren, Reagins sent a message that the Angels are not willing to go quietly into the night. Right away, Haren will join Jered Weaver atop the rotation to give the Halos a very formidable one-two punch.
There is no disputing that Los Angeles is a better ballclub with Dan Haren. In Haren, L.A. gets a guy who has regularly logged 200-plus inning seasons since 2005, and who left Arizona as the NL leader with 141 strikeouts and only 29 walks. Weaver leads all Major League pitchers with 147 punchouts. But the real question is, how much better are the Angels? And is the addition of Haren enough to close the 7 1/2-game gap separating the Angels and the first-place Rangers?
To his credit, Reagins did acquire third baseman Alberto Callaspo from the Kansas City Royals last Thursday. However, while Haren does rank among the elite pitchers in the game, the fact remains he was 7-8 with a 4.60 ERA upon joining his new team, and he has given up 23 home runs on the year. And, on the same day they acquired their new starter, the Angels dropped a 6-4 decision at Rangers Ballpark. Texas took three of four in the head-to-head series to widen the margin between the division rivals. The Angels have lost six of nine meetings this season. Still, they are not conceding anything just yet.
"We still have a lot of games left against each other," Hideki Matsui said. "It's too early to quit now."
Contract-wise, Haren is locked up through 2012 with an option for 2013. His yearly salary will bump up from $8.25 million this year, to $12.75 million each of the next two seasons. His 2013 option is for $15.5 million and comes with a $3.5 million buyout.
Talent-wise, Reagins said he sees Haren as being on Lee's level.
"I would say he has that potential," Reagins said. "Cliff is obviously a dominant pitcher. Dan Haren is a dominant pitcher. We're not expecting him to be the guy. We're expecting him to do what he does -- give us quality innings and help us accomplish our goal."
Haren made his first start as an Angel Monday night against Boston, but left in the fifth inning after being hit in the right forearm by a line drive from Kevin Youkilis. After the game Haren said he was a little sore but he wasn't worried about the injury. In the meantime, the Angels will hold their breath until Tuesday's X-ray results come back. Before leaving, Haren racked up eight strikeouts and no walks in 4 2/3 innings, allowing two runs on seven hits.
In any case, to truly accomplish their goal of surpassing the Rangers, the Angels will need more than just Dan Haren. Specifically, they haven't found a replacement for injured first baseman Kendry Morales and his run production. And the bullpen has allowed a league-high 45 percent of its inherited runners to score.
If Reagins has proved anything in recent seasons, it's that he's not afraid to wheel and deal to improve his ballclub at the trade deadline (see Mark Teixeira, Scott Kazmir). With Saturday's trade deadline fast approaching, Reagins has said he will continue to keep an eye out for other opportunities.
A'S KEEPING PACE
While they aren't exactly nipping at the heels of the Texas Rangers, the Oakland Athletics have gotten hot enough lately to remain very much in the conversation for the AL West title. Winners of nine of their last 11, the A's (50-48) entered Tuesday tied with the Angels for second place in the division.
Beginning Tuesday night in Arlington, they'll have a shot to narrow the gap a bit more as they take on the Rangers in a three-game series. They'll meet up again in Oakland during the first week of August.
"It's just another series, but at this stage, every series is a big series," A's manager Bob Geren said of the upcoming schedule. "We'll see them again at home soon, so those are six big games right there."
Standing in Oakland's way in the series opener Tuesday night is newly-acquired ace Cliff Lee, who is coming off his first win as a Ranger. He'll oppose A's starter Gio Gonzalez, who has won three of his last four starts.
Meanwhile, All-Star closer Andrew Bailey is expected to be available Tuesday night. Bailey (1-3, 1.56 ERA, 20 saves) has not pitched for a week because of an upper back strain. In addition, outfielder Rajai Davis may return after missing three straight games with a strained hamstring. Davis and Bailey both benefited from the team's off day Monday. Starting pitcher Brett Anderson made what is expected to be his final rehab start for Triple-A Sacramento on Sunday. He could rejoin the rotation August 2 against Kansas City.
The A's will need all hands on deck, as 12 of their next 15 games come against teams that are currently in first place.
BIG STRETCH AHEAD FOR RANGERS
Already with a 7 1/2-game cushion in the AL West, the Texas Rangers can expand that margin the old-fashioned way, with some head-to-head matchups against the very teams that are chasing them.
Beginning with this past weekend's series against L.A., Texas plays 16 straight games versus division opponents. On the season, the Rangers are 17-8 against division foes, and nearly half of their final 67 games will be played against the AL West.
Manager Ron Washington said he was happy to take three of four from the Angels, but conceded there are still a lot of games left to be played. Starting pitcher Tommy Hunter, who has set a team record by winning his first eight games to start the season, said he feels pretty good about his team's chances. While the Rangers are most renowned for their potent lineup, Hunter said it's the defense that has gotten somewhat overlooked.
"We have a great infield, a fast outfield that can run down balls and a pretty good catching crew," Hunter said. "That's what it is. Look at the plays that were made behind me. It happens every time out. I'm just happy to come out and have these guys behind me. It's pretty tough to beat with those guys in there."
FIGGINS FALLOUT IN SEATTLE
If this was Chone Figgins' way of letting the organization know that he wants out of Seattle, consider the message notarized, signed, sealed and delivered. In the fifth inning of Friday night's game against Boston, manager Don Wakamatsu approached Figgins and told him that he was being benched for lack of effort on a play at second base.
Figgins took issue with the decision, confronted his manager, and had to be separated by several teammates in the dugout. In what has been a historically bad season for Seattle, Friday's mess was the boiling point.
Since then, the players and coaches alike have talked about moving on. On Saturday, Figgins sat down with Wakamatsu and general manager Jack Zduriencik to clear the air. Following their sit-down, a closed-door team meeting was held. While nobody has discussed the details of those meetings, the takeaway message had to do with accountability.
"It's more about the play," Wakamatsu told the Seattle Times. "It's not so much about the individual. There's some accountability with, not just (Figgins), but we're asking of everybody. Again, when there's tight ballgames and one or two plays affect the outcome, it seems to be more critical."
The M's went on to win two straight against Boston over the weekend, before Monday's 6-1 loss to Chicago in the opener of a seven-game road swing.
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BILLS (+10) at Steelers SPORTSBOOK LINES
It's impossible to gauge how a team will react after something like the Steve Everett situation, and it probably doesn't matter. That being said, the Bills are going to lose several games this year where they keep things close but fall short in the end to superior teams. Ben Roethlisberger and company could have a field day against Buffalo's decimated defense, but I like the Bills to cover.
BENGALS (-7) at Browns SPORTSBOOK LINES
All you can ask out of your NFL team is that it has a plan. You may not always agree with it as a fan, but as long as it appears the organization is going in some sort of direction, you have to go with it. Which brings us to the Cleveland Browns. You flip a coin to determine whether Chuck Frye or Derek Anderson should start the preseason opener. You start Frye in Week 1, but pull him in the first half. And then you deal him to the Seahawks for a sixth-round pick? Hmm... the Bengals could get six turnovers again this week.
COLTS (-7) at Titans SPORTSBOOK LINES
Tennessee signed ex-Colts cornerback Nick Harper in the offseason so that should help slow down Peyton Manning. Just ask Jason David and the Saints. Oh wait... One of these weeks, I'm going to learn to not pick against Tennessee, which has won seven of its last eight games. But it's not happening against Indy.
TEXANS (+6.5) at Panthers SPORTSBOOK LINES
Houston's Mario Williams, the first pick in the '06 draft, has more touchdowns than Reggie Bush after one week. Somehow I don't see that lasting. Meanwhile, Carolina bottled up what was expected to be a pretty high-octane offense in St. Louis in Week 1. Could this be the Panthers' defense everyone expected last year? Maybe. This feels like a 20-16 Carolina win.
RAMS (-3) vs. 49ers SPORTSBOOKS LINES
Absolutely love this game. Everyone's favorite pick for this year's surprise team -- the 49ers -- laid an egg on Monday night (not that anyone was watching with the game ending in the middle of the night for those of us on the East Coast). St. Louis wasn't much better, delivering a lackluster effort against the Panthers that included two Steven Jackson fumbles and panic from his fantasy owners. Jackson rebounds this week, and the Rams get their first win.
PACKERS (+1.5) at Giants SPORTSBOOKS LINES
Do you really trust this guy to win an NFL game if Eli Manning can't go? I say no. I'd feel alot better about this Packers team if it had any semblance of a running game, but I still think Green Bay's defense is good enough to give it a 2-0 start.
JAGUARS (-10) vs. Falcons SPORTSBOOKS LINES
Does it scare me to pick Jacksonville to cover a double-digit spread after it scored just 10 points last week against the Titans? Absolutely. But can I bring myself to pick Atlanta under any circumstances? No. Check out this poll on ajc.com. It asks what Atlanta's most urgent deficiency is: offense, defense, specials teams or all of the above. "All of the above" has 57 percent of the votes. Ouch.
SAINTS (-3) at Buccaneers SPORTSBOOKS LINES
I'm picking way too many road teams this week. Oh well. New Orleans has had some time to reflect on its lackluster showing in the opener, and the Buccanneers just aren't a very good football team. Anyone else surprised Tampa Bay hasn't made a move to sign Byron Leftwich? I thought that's what they do.
VIKINGS (+3) at Lions SPORTS BETTING LINES
Run the ball and stop the run. Minnesota can do both, and that will keep them in a lot of games this season. Even though it was only one week, Adrian Peterson looks like he was a steal at No. 7 in last year's draft. Not only will he produce, but Peterson delivers excitement to what otherwise would be one of the league's most boring teams.
DOLPHINS (+3.5) vs. Cowboys SPORTS BETTING LINES
Lost in the Tony Romo lovefest is just how bad the Cowboys' defense was last week. I know they're banged up, but Dallas' 'D' allowed 438 yards to the Giants' offense, and backup running back Derrick Ward averaged 6.8 yards per carry. Meanwhile, Cam Cameron's decision to split carries between Ronnie Brown and Jesse Chatman sounds about as can't-miss as Larry David's plan to show up to Marty Funkhouser's party a night late. Still, gotta go with Miami to cover at home.
SEAHAWKS (-2.5) at Cardinals SPORTS BETTING LINES
I'm probably missing something, but this game seems too easy. Arizona blew Monday night's game against the 49ers in typical Cardinals fashion, and the Seahawks beat Tampa Bay by two touchdowns. Love Seattle in this one.
BRONCOS (-9.5) vs. Raiders SPORTS BETTING LINES
Special teams was a major story line in Week 1. Take a look at the Broncos. They had to rush on to the field to get a Jason Elam field goal as time expired against the Bills. Denver drove into Buffalo territory on eight of 10 drives but came away with just a pair of field goals and a touchdown. Look for more scoring from the Broncos this week against an Oakland defense that gave up 36 points to Detroit in Week 1.
BEARS (-12) vs. Chiefs SPORTS BETTING LINES
Everyone talks about Rex Grossman when dissecting the Bears' offense, but Chicago's quarterback got no help in last week's loss to the Chargers. Meanwhile, Kansas City confirmed what we all thought while watching Hard Knocks: The Chiefs are going to stink this year. It could be a rough first month for Larry Johnson fantasy owners. Kansas City's RB was limited to 43 yards on 10 carries in Week 1, and the Chiefs face the Bears, Vikings and Chargers the next three weeks, all formidable run defenses.
RAVENS (-10) vs. Jets SPORTS BETTING LINES
A big dose of Willis McGahee and a usual sound defensive effort will give the Ravens their first win. According to Football Outsiders, no team in the NFL rushed only three defenders on pass plays last year more than the Jets. And according to my special Jets correspondent Ben Stauber, New York did the same in Week 1. Whoever starts at quarterback for the Ravens should have all day to throw.
PATRIOTS (-3) vs. Chargers
Friends and I were discussing how Bill Belichick goes about paying his $500,000 fine for cheating. Does he just write one check to the NFL? Do you need some sort of clearance to make such a monstrous financial transaction? I guess I shouldn't complain about the security deposit I have to put down on my new apartment. Anyway, two of the league's best teams square off in what should be a good one Sunday night. The Patriots always respond well just when you think they're in trouble. And their offensive attack was the story in Week 1.
Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting.
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