All-Star outfielder Carl Crawford, whom the Angels deemed the perfect fit to rejuvenate their offense, instead went to the Boston Red Sox.
The Angels are back at the drawing board, determining their next course of action after missing the playoffs for the first time since 2006.
"I'm optimistic we're going to improve our club," general manager Tony Reagins says. "Sometimes it's not the big splash everyone would like to have and hear, but there are a lot of ways to improve the club."
The Angels, who offered a six-year, $108 million contract for Crawford, only to lose out to the Red Sox's seven-year, $142 million deal, are focusing on free agent third baseman Adrian Beltre and other offensive help.
"We do need to add offensive depth," Angels manager Mike Scioscia says, "and it might not be the one impact guy, but it definitely needs to be guys that have an idea what to do in the batter's box.
"I think that there's still a feeling of being proactive and going out there and trying to improve our team. If it happens to be a high-profile guy, nothing like that has been ruled out. If it happens to be where you're bringing a couple of other guys for depth, the key is to make your team stronger."
The Angels might need to open their wallet again if they want to move forward.
They have a huge opening at third base with Brandon Wood struggling badly (.146 with four home runs and 14 RBI in 226 at-bats) when given the chance in 2010. Beltre appears to be the perfect solution. He hit .321 with 28 homers, 49 doubles and 102 RBI last season for the Red Sox.
"Obviously, Adrian has a home in Los Angeles, and he's played in L.A. (for the Dodgers)," says Scott Boras, Beltre's agent. "He's very comfortable in the marketplace."
The Angels, meanwhile, think they have vastly improved their bullpen with free agent acquisitions Scott Downs and Hisanori Takahashi.
They give the team two valuable lefties to go with closer Fernando Rodney. The Angels would like Rodney to be their everyday closer. If he falters, they can turn to Downs or one of their other hard throwers.
"I think with the power arms that we have in the back end of our 'pen," Scioscia says, "I really feel that we're going to have a closer that is going to emerge. Fernando Rodney at the beginning of the season last year was lights out. He had a tough last month.
"I think you have the power arms there. Some young arms coming up, too. We have a little balance now that might take some pressure off some of those guys and get thoselast outs."
Still, the Angels must generate offense to make sure there are late-inning leads to protect. They never overcame the loss of first baseman Kendry Morales, who missed the rest of the season after breaking his leg May 29 while celebrating a walk-off homer. The Angels fell from second in the majors in runs scored (883) in 2009 to 19th (681); from first in batting average (.285) to 23rd (.248); from third in on-base percentage (.350) to 27th (.311); and from first in batting average with runners in scoring position (.297) to 28th (.242).
Known for their adept, aggressive baserunning under Scioscia, the 2010 Angels stole 96 bases (seventh) and were caught 49 times, the second-highest total. They were inept overcoming late deficits, going 2-63 in games they trailed after seven innings.
"Our team got one-dimensional," the manager says. "Early runs were more important to this team than any we've had. We didn't have the dynamic offense to come back like we did last year.
"Kendry's return could be enough, but the depth portion of our offense needs to be addressed. We had a lot of guys that underperformed. Independent of Kendry coming back, we need some guys that are going to get on base and make some things happen. …
"But there are multiple areas we need to tighten up in.
"I'm very, very confident that we're going to be a better team as we open up spring training than we were when we finished last season. I think the nucleus of a championship-caliber club is here."
Where the Angels stand at each position:
The Angels want to use Jeff Mathis as their everyday catcher. But Mathis hit .195 with three homers in 2010, tough to stomach even with his top-flight defense. They will use Bobby Wilson as the primary backup while grooming Hank Conger, who will open the year at Class AAA Salt Lake.
Kendry Morales was having an All-Star-type season in 2010 (.290 with 11 homers and 39 RBI in 51 games) when he broke his leg in a celebration at home plate. The Angels believe he'll be ready by spring training. They can also turn to Mike Napoli or Mark Trumbo if he needs more time.
This could be a huge season in determining Howie Kendrick's future with the organization. He took a step backward last year, finishing with a .279 batting average and a .313 on-base percentage. His batting average declined for the third consecutive season, and his on-base-plus-slugging percentage (.721) was a career worst. If he struggles this year, they won't hesitate to turn to Maicer Izturis or Alberto Callaspo. Jean Segura is their second baseman or shortstop of the future, but he figures to be at least two years away from reaching the major leagues.
The Angels would love to write in the name of Adrian Beltre. But he's a free agent, so for now they're going with Izturis, who missed 79 games because of injuries last season and hit .250. They were hoping Brandon Wood, a first-round draft pick by the Angels in 2003, would be their everyday man, but he struggled badly last season, hitting .146, and is at the crossroads of his career.
The Angels were hoping Erick Aybar would step up his game last season, but his batting average plummeted 59 points after hitting .312 in 2009. He also committed a career-worst 21 errors.
Bobby Abreu isn't ready to surrender his position to be the DH. He played in 153 games lest season, matching Willie Mays' big-league record of playing at least 150 games in 13 consecutive seasons. He also has had five seasons of hitting at least 20 homers with 40 doubles and 20 stolen bases, the most in major league history. Yet, the Angels plan to give him occasional time off in the outfield, starting him at DH, making room for Juan Rivera and backup Reggie Willits. Power hitter Trumbo spent time in winter ball playing the outfield and could fit in.
The Angels brought up Peter Bourjos on Aug. 3, and he supplanted nine-time Gold Glove winner Torii Hunter in center field. Bourjos plays a mean defense, with eight outfield assists in his first 26 games, but he struggled offensively. He hit .134 the final month. Angels manager Mike Scioscia says he'll return Hunter, 35, to center field if Bourjos, 23, struggles at the plate. The man they're waiting on is Mike Trout, 19, considered one of the finest prospects in baseball. If Bourjos performs well and proves he's a bona fide center fielder, they can use Trout in left field.
Hunter wasn't crazy about the move, playing a corner outfield spot for the first time in 11 years, but he swallowed his pride and moved to right field to make room for Bourjos. Hunter proved to be adept in right but not a Gold Glove winner. He continues to be the Angels' steadiest offensive player, hitting .281 with 23 homers and 90 RBI. Abreu, Willits and Trumbo will be his backups. Jeremy Moore is a rising prospect who could man the position in a few years.
The Angels concede they blundered when they let Vladimir Guerrero depart last year while signing Hideki Matsui. Guerrero hit .300 with 29 homers and 115 RBI for the division rival Texas Rangers. Matsui hit .274 with 21 homers and 84 RBI. The Angels likely will use a combination of Napoli, Abreu and Trumbo.
The Angels have a solid rotation, led by Jered Weaver, who struck out 233 with a 3.01 ERA and a .222 opponent's batting average. They also acquired frontline starter Dan Haren from the Arizona Diamondbacks in July. The rotation was sensational down the stretch, yielding a 2.73 ERA from Aug. 29 on, second in the majors. They are set with Weaver, Haren, Ervin Santana and Joel Pineiro as the top four, but Scott Kazmir has been a bust. He went 9-15 with a 5.94 ERA in 2010. Scioscia declined to give him the edge as the fifth starter for 2011, despite the $28 million they owe him the next two seasons. They have Tyler Chatwood and Trevor Reckling lurking; Chatwood has a shot at cracking the rotation this spring.
The bullpen was 19th in ERA among big-league teams. The Angels acquired Scott Downs and Japanese setup man Hisanori Takahashi to go with young relievers Jason Bulger, Jordan Walden and Kevin Jepsen. Scioscia says the bullpen could be the team's strength.
They dumped Brian Fuentes over the summer and are going with a committee of Fernando Rodney, Downs and Walden. They would prefer Rodney to win the job.
Prospect report:
The Los Angeles Angels' farm system appears to be on the verge of flourishing. Several prized prospects are knocking on the major league door.
Five intriguing Angels prospects:
•OF Mike Trout: Trout, 19, has emerged as one of baseball's finest prospects. He won the low-A Midwest League's MVP award despite getting promoted to high-A in mid-July and missing the final six weeks.
He stole 56 bases in 71 attempts overall and has a fabulous eye at the plate, exiting low-A with a .454 on-base percentage. He doesn't have tremendous power, hitting 10 homers last season, but scouts believe it will come in time. He is on the Angels' radar but likely won't be a factor in their big-league plans until next season.
•C Hank Conger: Conger, 22, was the MVP of the All-Star Futures Game, showing that he's close to being ready for the big leagues. The Angels project him to be a .270 hitter capable of hitting 20 homers a year. He has a solid arm but struggles defensively, which could keep him longer at Class AAA Salt Lake (Salt Lake City).
•RHP Tyler Chatwood: Chatwood, 21, will be given a shot to win a starting job in spring training. Realistically, he will be the Angels' first call-up when they need a starter this season.
He went 13-9 with a 2.84 ERA combined last year in high-A, Class AA and Class AAA and was the Angels' minor league pitcher of the year. He throws 92 to 96 mph with a great curveball, which he's working on commanding. The Angels plan on using him as a starter but would like him to increase his strikeout rate.
•2B Jean Segura: Segura, 20, finally was healthy this past season and showcased his talent in style. He ranked second in the low-A Midwest League with a .313 batting average and stole 50 bases. The Angels want him to work on his plate discipline. He has good hands, and the Angels plan on playing him at shortstop in Class A in 2011.
•RHP Garrett Richards: The Angels aren't sure whether he'll be a starter or reliever in the big leagues but were impressed with his power arm and command last season. Richards, 22, led Angels' minor leaguers with 149 strikeouts in 143 innings and had a 3.52 ERA. He has four pitches, but his two best are his 91- to 96-mph fastball and his 81- to 83-mph slider. He's expected to open the season at Class AA Arkansas (North Little Rock).
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