Jered Weaver

With pitchers and catchers due to report to Spring Training this week, the race to find the next ace for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim is about to heat up.
Typically a strength in Anaheim, it was the Angels' pitching staff that set an ominous tone at the start of the 2009 season.
John Lackey injured his shoulder just weeks before Opening Day. Ervin Santana was sidelined after straining his forearm early on in Spring Training.

Angel management used to be very forthcoming with fans in the past.  Whether it was real or imagined we fans always felt as if we understood the direction the team was going.  That could mean something non-baseball related, like the clubs desire to improve our experience in the stadium, to the intricacies of player movement.

When the club signed Mark Teixeira the risks were spelled out to fans.  Where Teixeira was plan A, Kendry Morales was plan B.  It was clear, it was spelled out it was, and it remains a good way to do business.

Okay Angels fans, we’ve got a "good news, bad news" situation on our hands.

The good news: Word on the street is the Angels are again in the hunt for the great Roy Halladay.

The bad news: Word on the street is their offer might include Jered Weaver.

And that is very bad news, indeed.

The L.A. Angels have been one of the many potential suitors seeking to make a trade to land Roy Halladay, the Toronto Blue Jays' ace. The Angels will need to trade a lot as Halladay will cost a pretty penny.

The Angels should trade players that are at their peak value, and who the team could easily lose in one more season.

The Blue Jays expect a team to hand over one of its young starting pitchers to get Halladay. Jered Weaver, Ervin Santana, and Joe Saunders are all options.

Previewing the Yankees-Angels series position by position

Catcher

Jorge Posada and Jose Molina vs. Mike Napoli and Jeff Mathis

Jorge Posada and Jose Molina make a more formidable tandem. Jorge has great offense, and Molina has a great rapport with A.J. Burnett. Jorge, mostly known for his offense, has hit .308 against the Angels, but Jose Molina has hit only .038 against the Angels. The Yankees will only need Molina to catch Burnett.

NOTE: Stats and records updated thru Sunday afternoon, June 29.

1. Los Angeles Angels (40-32)

Out of the top five teams in the majors, (Dodgers, Red Sox, Yankees, Angels, Tigers), the Angels are the hottest team, no doubt.

They are the only team to have won seven of their last ten games, and are currently on a four-game winning streak. They just took over the AL West lead by a half-game over the slumping Texas Rangers.  

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Saturday will mark just the 21^st time in Major League history that brothers will face-off against each other as opposing starting pitchers.

32-year-old Jeff Weaver will start for Los Angeles in place of Eric Milton, who isn’t eligible to come off the DL until Sunday. Jeff’s Dodgers will face his little brother Jered and their cross-town counterparts, the Los Angeles Angels.

The Dodgers’ organization has actually seen brothers face each other twice before.