--Manager Mike Scioscia said OF Vladimir Guerrero would meet with the team's medical staff in mid-October to discuss the possibility of knee surgery this winter. Surgery was recommended two years ago, but Guerrero opted against it. His right knee was particularly troublesome this season, and he played only DH in the Angels' playoff series for the second year in a row.
--A handful of the Angels' young players will play winter ball for a team in the Dominican Republic run by Angels coach Alfredo Griffin. Among those playing for Griffin will be C Bobby Wilson, OF Reggie Willits and INF Brandon Wood.
--Despite the team's early exit from the playoffs, 1B Mark Teixeira said his two-month experience with the Angels will give him "something to think about" during free agency this winter. "I really wasn't thinking about Anaheim until I got traded here," he said. "This is an amazing organization. I have great respect for everyone from Arte (Moreno) to Tony (Reagins) and Mike (Scioscia) to the last guy on the bench."
--1B/OF Kendry Morales made four pinch-hit appearances in the AL Division Series against Boston and had two hits. That ties the record for successful pinch hits in an ALDS.
--2B Howie Kendrick finished the AL Division Series against Boston with just two hits in 17 at-bats. He came up with runners on base 10 times (including times when he delivered sacrifice bunts) and stranded a total of 18.
BY THE NUMBERS: 43 -- Baserunners stranded by the Angels in their four-game series with the Red Sox (the Division Series record is 49 by Seattle in 1995).
QUOTE TO NOTE: "It's frustrating. We lost to a team that's not better than us. ... They were better than us last year. They're not better than us this year." -- RHP John Lackey after the Angels' latest playoff elimination by the Red Sox.
The Angels thought they had put together a team capable of winning the team's second championship. It didn't work out that way, and now they are faced with some difficult contract decisions. While the roster that won 100 games for the first time in franchise history might be worth keeping together for another run at the World Series, financial pressures make that all but impossible.
BIGGEST NEEDS: The addition of 1B Mark Teixeira in midseason seemed to fill the Angels' gaping need for a dangerous presence in the middle of their lineup to team with OF/DH Vladimir Guerrero. Now they have to decide if they are willing to pay what it will take to keep Teixeira. That is just the biggest of several offseason questions the front office will have to address. "I think it's pretty obvious it's going to be tough to keep every piece in that room here. That's the reality of it," manager Mike Scioscia said.
FREE AGENTS: RHP Francisco Rodriguez, 1B Mark Teixeira, RHP Jon Garland, OF Juan Rivera, LHP Darren Oliver.
Teixeira should be the Angels' top priority. But re-signing him will take a clash of negotiating styles between the Angels (who like to move quickly) and Teixeira's agent, Scott Boras (notorious for playing the market out to get his clients the most money possible). Rodriguez is as good as gone after his record-setting season. There are cheaper in-house alternatives in Scot Shields and Jose Arredondo. If the Angels can save enough money on some decisions (like letting Rodriguez and Garland go), they could become players for free agent LHP CC Sabathia as well.
ARBITRATION-ELIGIBLE: 3B Chone Figgins, RHP Ervin Santana, C Mike Napoli, INF Maicer Izturis, INF Robb Quinlan.
