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LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- The second day of the Winter Meetings passed much as the first with a lot of talk and little movement.

The Angels returned as a central figure in the Manny Ramirez giveaway, but the club is not any closer to getting him now than it was a year ago. A much greater possibility seemed to gain momentum, though, in the form of Braves first baseman Adam LaRoche.

The Red Sox, in need of a closer, have expressed interest in either Francisco Rodriguez or Scot Shields and they also like right-handed starter Ervin Santana. Orlando Cabrera has surfaced as a possibility to fill Boston's need at shortstop while outfielder Juan Rivera is another player that could fill out the potential deal.

But where a deal for Ramirez begins to unravel is not what he can bring but where he would go. A well-placed source within the Angels organization said Ramirez is not a good fit for the team, which already has four outfielders with three of those slated to fill the designated hitter slot on a rotating basis.

Ramirez would have to share left-field duties with Garret Anderson, appearing as the DH on days that Anderson is in the outfield. But he can't play right and wouldn't be able to do the same on days that Vladimir Guerrero needs a rest, a role Rivera filled last season and is projected to again in 2007. Gary Matthews Jr. is in center.

"The question you have to ask is: Does it make your club better and does it help your organization?" general manager Bill Stoneman said.

At issue on most of the proposed deals in front of the Angels is their pitching -- other teams want their young arms and the Angels would prefer to hang on to them. At the beginning of last season, the Angels had both Bartolo Colon and Jeff Weaver in the rotation.


Chone Figgins' name continued to be prominently mentioned in Angels' trade talk. (Matt Sayles/AP)

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