A year ago, the Angels chased one of the big fish in baseball's offseason, free agent first baseman Mark Teixeira. When they came up empty, the chopped up those resources and signed three players instead -- outfielders Juan Rivera and Bobby Abreu and closer Brian Fuentes. That same scenario could play out again with a different set of names. The Angels have already taken themselves out of the running for free agent outfielder Matt Holliday, and manager Mike Scioscia downplayed the team's interest in free agent outfielder Jason Bay. "I think there are some more pressing needs that we have right now than what the talent that Jason can bring," Scioscia said. "He's an extraordinary talent. But we definitely have to look for some balance in some areas and that might not make Jason a great fit for our club. "We have more pressing needs. Obviously, you try to be balanced and have as deep a club as you can. With some of the things we're looking at, we have an opportunity to get deeper. We might not be able to make that one big splash with that one guy that Jason is right now."
If the Angels are going to make that kind of big-ticket move, Scioscia said he would rather it be a pitcher -- perhaps their own free agent ace, John Lackey.
"I don't think you can ever have too much pitching," Scioscia said. "So if you are going to make a financial commitment, certainly the pitching end of it is something you're going to consider.
"If we do sign John, I think there are some other things that can be done to give us a balanced team. Maybe not two big splashes but certainly something that could make us a better overall club."
