Virtually all positive for the Jays.
Wait, You Mean Someone Wants To Pay Vernon Wells? From Deadspin:
Wells will earn $23 million next year, so the Angels had better hope he repeats his "bounceback" .273, 31 HR, 88 RBI 2010 — and then repeats it over again in the second half of the season.
The Blue Jay Hunter: The Silent Assassin Strikes As Vernon Wells Gets Traded
Honestly, I was (and still am) completely and utterly shocked that the Blue Jays traded Vernon Wells. It still hasn't sunk in, and the aftermath of this trade probably won't settle for a few days ... and it might even take a few weeks.
Albatross Flies West | Blog Archive | Getting Blanked | Blogs | TheScore.com
The Vernon Wells trade gives the team, not wiggling room, but jump around like it’s a bouncy castle room, when that budget gets set. That means that the Toronto Blue Jays will be able to acquire the type of players they need to build that consistently sustained winner that the front office has been promising.
Batter's Box Interactive Magazine - What Does Juan Rivera Mean?
Many posters have been speculating about what Juan Rivera's role will be with the 2011 team. Others think it will be non-existent. I'm in the latter camp. He's in the trade because the Angels don't need him and don't want to pay his salary. This doesn't necessarily mean the Jays don't want him, but I just can't see why they would. I think they're committed to Bautista staying in right, obviously Snider needs to play every day, and, well, Juan Rivera is not a center fielder.
The Blue Jays have next to nothing in payroll obligations for 2012 | HardballTalk
The Blue Jays are now blessed with tremendous financial flexibility moving forward. In fact, according Cots Contracts, the Blue Jays have only $17.4 million in payroll commitments for 2012
The other thing I wanted to say is this: Wells gets a lot of grief for things that are largely out of his control. The deal isn't his fault, and the injuries aren't his fault. Could he have, I dunno, popped up less? Sure, whatever. but he was one of the best human beings in the game, a constant ambassador for the Jays and for the sport, and in the front ranks of charitable contributions. The jays do lose something in this deal - they lose the example that Wells could have provided day in and day out about the sort of role model a professional athlete should be. That deserves our respect and our appreciation.
Jays trade Wells to Angels | Baseball | Sports | Toronto Sun
Well, I wouldn’t rule out another trade that would bring in one more big bat, perhaps at third base to allow Bautista to stay in right field. Anthopoulos has no concerns about using some of the assets he has accumulated to improve the quality of the roster and now he can safely take on some salary on his own terms if need be. The fact of the matter is that he may have to make another trade. Rather than bringing clarity to the Blue Jays roster just three weeks shy of spring training, the picture is rather murkier today than it was yesterday. Another player — Napoli — has been added to the first base/DH/third base/catcher traffic jam, joining Adam Lind, Edwin Encarnacion, J.P Arencibia, Jose Molina, Bautista and, possibly, Brett Lawrie.
Griffin: Wells deal shows Jays are moving forward - thestar.com
While Wells is surely a wonderful human being — running a charitable foundation in Texas, and helping to build homes for needy families — he’s not exactly what the Jays need in terms of clubhouse presence. His sincere style doesn’t fit with the team that the Jays want to be over the short term.
Anthopoulos lauds 'a great Blue Jay' - The Globe and Mail
"We lost a great player today, we lost a great Blue Jay," Anthopoulos said Friday night. "I hope fans celebrate Vernon’s career more than anything else. It’s not about me at all. "This is about making tough decisions for this organization."
Jays confirm trade of Wells to Angels | Posted Sports | National Post
"It’s going to be a blast," Vernon said. "I’ve had a smile on my face the last two days and getting a chance to talk to Tony and to talk to [Scioscia], to hear in their voices about the upcoming year, it kind of lights a fire under me.
Angels Acquire Vernon Wells for Napoli, Rivera | FanGraphs Baseball
For Toronto, it’s impossible not to love this trade. The Jays clear scores of cash, giving a young, pitching-rich team financial flexibility to add other pieces as they see fit. With a cheap, youthful roster, a shrewd front office and seven of the first 80 picks in next year’s amateur draft, the Jays are building the sort of organization that may be able to compete with the AL East’s titans sooner rather than later.
From the Angel's side, some are near suicidal:
Angels Release Mike Napoli, Sign Juan Rivera To Four-Year, $86 Million Extension - Halos Heaven
Wells, whose contract was a regular feature on the waiver wire, was previously thought to be unmovable. Tony Reagins, Arte Moreno, and Mike Scioscia are now the owners of the back-end of a deal back-loaded at the time of signing to account for uncertainties in the US-Canadian exchange rate.
Angels, Rays and Blue Jays take gambles in two sets of surprising trades - MLB News | FOX Sports on MSN
No one with an ounce of sabermetric or economic sensibility likes the Angels taking Wells for $86 million over the next four years while losing outfielder Juan Rivera and especially catcher/first baseman Mike Napoli in the process.
Angels needed to act, but . . . - CBSSports.com
The Angels just got someone big, someone who hit 31 home runs last year, someone who has been on the All-Star team three times. After a winter in which the Angels seemed to fear every big contract, the Angels just got someone with one of the biggest contracts in the game. And it's hard to get away from the thought that they were better off when they were doing nothing.
Angels, Jays swap problems - Los Angeles Angels Blog - ESPN Los Angeles
The most stunning aspect of Friday's trade was that the Angels got no cash back from Toronto to help pay for what was considered one of the worst contracts in the sport. In the Kazmir trade in August 2009, the Angels got nothing back from Tampa Bay. They'll owe the left-hander $25.5 million over the next two seasons, and he's coming off a season in which he had a 5.94 ERA.
Check out the fanposts from Teejay1324 and SuckaMD too. From the Blue Jays side, it is a hard trade not to like. Of course, if the Jays just take the money saved and put it in their pockets, we won't feel quite so positive about it.