ANAHEIM -- The Angels finished second last season and that just won't do.
Not when they have an owner in Arte Moreno, who doesn't simply want to operate a successful business, he wants to field a baseball team that wins championships -- and divisional crowns are not the titles he has in mind.
So despite winning 89 games and staying in the race until the last week of the season, there is work to be done for the Angels as the Hot Stove League heats up, and probably more than less.
In many ways, 2006 was a repeat of 2005, when the offense struggled to score runs over significant chunks of the season and far too seldom put the team on its back and said, "Let's go."
But a departure from the '05 campaign, which resulted in a second consecutive American League West title and a trip to the ALCS, was a defense that went from first to worst. For a team that leans on its pitching staff as much as the Angels do, not catching the ball is a recipe for disaster.
And in borrowing a familiar theme, the team will be approaching this offseason much as it did the last with an eye (and possibly a hand and a foot) toward improving the offense, while maintaining its focus on quality pitching.
"We're aiming high and we're going to aim higher and aim for an impact bat in the lineup," general manager Bill Stoneman said. "There are guys that could fit in at the front of the lineup or the middle. You know that you're not going to get every player you want, but you keep trying."
That lift could come in the form of a center fielder, and the Angels have interest in Gary Matthews Jr. and Vernon Wells, according to several published reports. Each player would also require a different approach, as well as providing the club with differing styles.
Matthews is a free agent and reportedly is seeking a three- or four-year deal in the $18-24 million range, depending on the term. The switch-hitter came into his own this past season, when he hit .313 with 19 homers and 79 RBIs and posted a .371 on-base percentage as the leadoff hitter for the Rangers. He also flashed his athleticism by playing a Gold Glove-caliber center field.
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Halos hoping to add big bopper
Halos hoping to add big bopper
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