The Angels have moved on.
There is no pining for the lost love of Mark Teixeira in the Angeles organization, they are getting on with their lives.
And they have their site set on a new target, Rockies free agent closer Brian Feuntes. He picked up 30 saves with a 2.73 ERA last seaon, playing half his games in hitter-friendly Coors Field. He is known for being particularly tough on left-handed batters.
Fuentes, who grew up in Modesto and still lives there in the offseason, told his hometown paper that the Angels were his first choice.
He would step into the void left by Franciso Rodriguez, who took his 62 saves last year and left to join the New York Mets in a big free agent contract (three years, $37 million).
Securing the closer spot is a start, but with Teixeira out of the picture the Angels still need a big bat in the lineup. There are not a lot of good free agent options, and Angeles officials have said the chances are slim the team would go after Manny Ramirez at the years and price he is asking.
It looks like the Angeles will go into the season with 25-year-old Kendry Morales trying to prove he belongs there. In two years in the majors, he has hit a pedestrian .249 with 12 home runs and 45 RBIs. However, Morales has been tearing up the Dominican winter league, hitting .411 with eight home runs so far. But that is very different than tearing up major league pitching.
