Derrek Lee to the Angels?

Does this juicy rumor have legs to it? You be the judge.

Excellent baseball sources are telling us the Angels and the Cubs may be involved in trade talks that could send Derrek Lee to L.A. The Angels lost their starting first baseman, Kendry Morales, last weekend when he broke his leg in a celebration after he hit a walk-off grand slam. Lee was a late scratch from Wednesday's lineup because of tightness in his right hamstring.

It's hard to believe that the Cubs would wave the white flag on the 2010 season this early when they are only 6.5 games out of first place. The team has played very poorly so far (hence they are five games under .500), but it would seem logical to give this team at least another four to five weeks to pull it together. Like many his teammates, Derrek Lee has struggled this season at the plate, but right now does not seem to be the optimal time to cut bait with the fan favorite.

As for the Angels, the acquisition of Derrek Lee would be a home run in my eyes (depending on what they have to give up, of course). The Angels have to plan the rest of the season with the feeling that they will not have Kendry Morales until 2011. If he comes back in September, then the Angels have a good problem on their hands. But if GM Tony Reagins does not feel comfortable with Mike Napoli at first base or if he is looking to add some offensive punch to the lineup, then Lee would seem to make a lot of sense for the Angels. Despite his struggles this season, Lee was one of the best hitters in the National League last season and has 299 lifetime homeruns, which tells you that Lee has been a consistent power threat throughout his career.

I'm skeptical that this deal will go down anytime soon, but it's fascinating to hear that these two sides are talking.