--General manager Tony Reagins said he has had no reason to rethink his stance on the Angels' decision not to pursue free agent OF Manny Ramirez. "I made my position clear," Reagins said. On more than one occasion this winter, Reagins has said Ramirez would not be an Angel.
--Tigres del Licey were eliminated from championship contention in the Caribbean Series, but SS Erick Aybar continued to play well. After batting .348 during the regular season, Aybar was 4-for-15 with a two doubles in the Tigres' first four Series games.
--INF Freddy Sandoval reached the Caribbean Series with his Mexican League team. Sandoval was 3-for-11 with two RBI in Mazatlan's first four Series games.
BY THE NUMBERS: 765 -- Runs scored by the Angels in 2008, 10th in the American League.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "If you're comparing what we're doing here to what the Braves did in the '90s, I think it's, first of all, very complimentary. Our goal is to win world championships by reaching one goal at a time. That's the only way you can go about it. And you have to keep getting better. I feel that we're on the right track to be perennial contenders, and that's the first step you have to take." -- Manager Mike Scioscia on the Angels' combination of regular-season success but postseason disappointment in recent years.
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The best regular season in franchise history was followed by a postseason result that has become all too common for the Angels recently. After the franchise's first 100-win season and fourth division title in the last five seasons, the Angels were ushered out of the first round of the playoffs by the Boston Red Sox for the third time in the last five seasons. The Angels took an unexpected approach to breaking that pattern of regular-season success and postseason disappointment -- they spent most of the offseason watching key players leave by free agency while adding only one significant part (LHP Brian Fuentes).
ARRIVALS: LHP Brian Fuentes (free agent from Rockies).
DEPARTURES: RHP Francisco Rodriguez (free agent, signed with Mets), RHP Jon Garland (free agent, signed with Diamondbacks), 1B Mark Teixeira (free agent, signed with Yankees), OF Garret Anderson (unsigned free agent).
SPRING FOCUS: Replacing the offense lost with the departures of Teixeira and Anderson will be key. But the Angels will also audition several young pitchers to replace Garland as the fifth starter.
1. RHP John Lackey
2. RHP Ervin Santana
