The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and the Chicago White Sox completed a one-for-one trade in which the Angles send Gold Glove SS Orlando Cabrera to the South Side for SP Jon Garland. With each player under contract through the 2008 season, neither team gains any cost certainty beyond the 2008 season.
More interestingly is both teams added a player to positions that each have already addressed. The White Sox recently signed last season's SS Juan Uribe, and the Angels already have a starting five of John Lackey, Kelvim Escobar, Jered Weaver, Joe Saunders and Ervin Santana.
For the White Sox, Uribe either becomes trade bait or slides over to his left or right depending on what the White Sox do with 3B Joe Crede. While Miguel Cabrera would certianly qualify as a "big fish", this deal didn't do much for the prospects of a trade with the Florida Marlins. The Marlins would need a 3B if Cabrera was dealt, and neither Joe Crede, Juan Uribe or Orlando Cabrera fits that bill. However, rookie Josh Fields would fit that requirement. However, the White Sox weakened their hand by dealing a starting pitcher and leaving that hole in their own rotation. Without dealing a young arm, the White Sox do not have the pieces to meet the reported asking price of the Marlins.
The Angels could certainly meet that price with Jon Garland taking the place of either Weaver, Saunders or Santana. The Florida papers have already reported the Marlins interest in Jeff Mathis. Along with Wood and Saunders, the Marlins would get their asking price of top prospects and young major-leaguers while filling three of their four holes. (Just CF remains unaddressed.)
More interesting is what the Angels have in mind for SS. Will it be Erick Aybar? Macier Izturis? A combination of the two? Or will the team move top prospect Brandon Wood back to SS where his power would make-up for his strikeouts?