Los Angeles Angels Hopes Of Trading Vernon Wells Offically Over?

Yesterday’s signing of Delmon Young by the Philadelphia Phillies confirms the one thing we knew all along was probably going to happen. Vernon Wells is unlikely to be traded anytime soon. The Phills were probably the team’s last hope of trying to get rid of his contract.

September 13, 2012; Anaheim, CA, USA; Los Angeles Angels left fielder Vernon Wells (10) during a stoppage in play in the seventh inning against the Oakland Athletics at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez tweeted last night that a source told him that Wells being moved was unlikely. The problem is, who was going to take him? The Phillies needed an outfielder, however, if I’m Ruben Amaro, I give Delmon Young the deal the Phillies gave him rather than trading for someone like Wells.

Young is for one year and Wells is for two. Young at this point is the better hitter, even if he isn’t exactly Ken Griffey Jr. in the outfield. Even if the Angels were willing to pay the entire freight or 95% percent of it, it still may have cost the Phillies more money.

The Phillies were really the team’s only hope of trading Wells. The Yankees aren’t going to take him with the cost cutting measures they have taken this off-season. The rumor earlier in the off-season for John Lackey doesn’t make sense now for either the Angels or the Red Sox. The only team i could see maybe taking a shot at Wells if the Angels paid 95% of the money owed would be the Mets, but even that is a stretch.

No, Wells will more than likely be an Angel for the foreseeable future. With the way the state of team’s payrolls are, his contract is just too hard to get rid of. He will just be the most expensive fourth outfielder in the game, unless Jerry Dipoto can pull off something we don’t see coming or a team gets a critical injury during spring training.