Nothing against Maicer Izturis, but the Angels' lineup would look infinitely more frightening with Holliday batting third, ahead of Vladimir Guerrero.
The Rockies have made clear any package would start with Nick Adenhart, the Angels' top pitching prospect. The Angels might swallow hard and say yes, but beyond Adenhart they face the same dilemma the Dodgers do: Their best young players -- their most valuable trade chips -- already are filling key roles on the major league club.
"I don't want to disrupt this roster," Moreno said.
However, should the Angels wish to pursue Holliday, they'll need to dig deeper than one minor league pitcher. The Rockies are believed to be interested in completing a package with second baseman Howie Kendrick, who might hit 60 doubles in Coors Field, and one of the Angels' All-Star starters, Ervin Santana or Joe Saunders.
That might be a starting price, but it's a steep price, as it should be.
"They're going to want three or four guys," Moreno said, without providing any names. "And Holliday is a Scott Boras guy."
A guy with Boras as his agent generally does not pass up free agency, so the Angels could count on Holliday for no more than one year and two months.
Should the Rockies opt to trade Holliday, Boras is believed to consider the Angels a fine fit.
The Angels have one of baseball's best stables of young starting pitching, along with the San Francisco Giants, Tampa Bay Rays, Minnesota Twins and Toronto Blue Jays, so they might be the team that could best afford to trade a pitcher and afford to sign Holliday for the long term as well.
"Everybody wants pitching," Moreno said, speaking generally. "They want top-line pitching, and they want guys who are inexpensive."
Santana cannot file for free agency until after the 2011 season, Saunders and Jered Weaver until after 2012.
The Angels would be hard-pressed to convince Colorado to accept a minor leaguer in place of Santana or Saunders. Beyond Adenhart, they have to dig all the way to Class A before they find another top-line pitching prospect, Jordan Walden and his 100-mph fastball.
The Angels danced this dance last winter, when they told the Florida Marlins they could have one but not two starters in a potential trade for Miguel Cabrera.
Since then, the Angels' depth beyond their current rotation has all but evaporated, with Kelvim Escobar set for shoulder surgery and Adenhart, Nick Green and Dustin Moseley struggling at triple A.
