We've got the players involved in the Vernon Wells trade all figured out now. According to Ken Rosenthal and his assortment of sources, Wells is getting sent from the Blue Jays to the Angels, along with an undisclosed amount of money. Headed the other way will be Mike Napoli and outfielder Juan Rivera.
Wells, we've discussed - he's an aging, power-hitting outfielder with an enormous contract, much of which the Blue Jays will be picking up. What's unknown is how much money is changing hands, here, as the amount could tip the scales in either team's favor. He's due $86 million over the next four seasons. He's going to play either center field or right.
Napoli, we've also discussed - he's a catcher, first baseman, and DH who swings for the fences and fits in with Toronto's powerful lineup. He's under team control for another two years.
The final piece here is the 32-year-old Rivera, a righty-hitting outfielder. The Angels have been anxious to move him and his $5.25 million 2011 salary, as he didn't have a set role in Anaheim. He should end up with a fair amount of playing time in Toronto. Over the past three years, Rivera has batted .266 with a .445 slugging percentage. He's a corner outfielder without a ton of defensive value.
There are a lot of pieces who're affected by this trade, and how it'll all shake out for each team isn't entirely known. What is known is that the Blue Jays and Angels just grabbed headlines on an otherwise sleepy Friday evening.
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