Back from the Dead...

I'm back, guys.

I have returned.

And I've been busy as hell.

Lots of things to talk about, so let's get right to it.

Angels
We're in on Roy Halladay.
We're not really in on Halladay.
Blue Jays: The Angels are in.

So ok, the Angels have been looking into what it would take to bring Doc Halladay, without a doubt, among the top 1 or 2 pitchers in the game for several years, to Anaheim.

He's under contract through NEXT season, would more than fill the gap in Lackey left after this one, and is probably as much a preventative move as a legitimate need move (i.e. we better get him before the Dodgers/Red Sox/Yankees do).

If I were GM, and there are about 100000000000 reasons why I'm not - - I'd do something like this for Doc:

Erick Aybar
Hank Conger
Trevor Reckling
Ervin Santana

I know that Santana's been better of late, and that this is a high risk high return for both teams, but it keeps Wood in the fold (even though the Angels have made it clear THEY haven't kept him in mind for real playing time) should Figgins jump ship this off-season and head out of town.

It also keeps Weaver here, clearly the season's staff Ace, and someone that should be in Halo Red for years.

Anyway this plays out, KEEP WEAVER in ANAHEIM.



NEXT up on my Halos list: Angels have won 5 out of 6.

Their only loss of late was last friday when Joe Saunders got beat like he stole something. Somehow, the score, which wasn't THAT lopsided at 7-3, didn't show the real suffering that Saunders was going through on the mound with his inability to put batters away once he got ahead.

Saunders line: a career high 6 walks in 6.0 innings of work, 5 runs, 4 earned, a homer, and just 52 pitches for strikes out of 95 total.

IN six innings?

Santana seems to have turned the corner in his recent struggles, with his last start an impressive victory at oakland.

Saunders is stuck in a funk, and I don't know what it'll take because it seems like his mechanics are good, and he claims to be healthy. The problem seems to be mental, and he looks really nervous on the mound out there.

This isn't the same pitcher that helped carry the team early this season.

Also, props to Bobby Abreu for his game winning homer in the tenth inning of a wicked pitchers duel in Oakland on Sunday.

Ducks
Anaheim GM Bob Murray continued his retooling efforts this offseason, and the Ducks are positioned to be really strong this coming season because of them.To date the Ducks have lost (via trade/free agency/Retirement):

Francois Beauchemin
Chris Pronger
Bret Hedican (retiring)

They've signed/picked up/re-upped:Joffrey Lupul
Luca Sbisa
Saku Koivu
Steve McCarthy
Nick Boynton
Todd Marchant (re-upped)
James Wisniewski(re-upped)

This makes the Ducks much deeper in scoring, and provides some accounting for the loss of stalwart Defenders in Pronger and Beauchemin.

Let's see what the rest of this summer brings for both teams.