Los Angeles Angels Tickets

2010 Los Angeles Angels Season Preview The Los Angeles Angels won the American League West and reached the championship series last year, but plenty of changes are on the way in 2010.

If any team took a hit in free agency this offseason, it was the Angels.

Los Angeles watched as starting pitcher and ace of the rotation John Lackey left for a big deal with the Boston Red Sox, the team the Angels knocked out of the playoffs last year.

The team then let outfielder Vladamir Guerrero walk away, thanking him for all he did for the organization but realizing that his better days were well behind him at this point. He ended up going to the Texas Rangers, a division rival.

The Angels then watched as another division rival, the Seattle Mariners, aggressively went after third baseman Chone Figgins and pryed him away from Los Angeles.

Los Angeles, who was looking to cut some payroll and certainly not trying to overpay players, then went out and made some smaller free agent splashes of their own.

They signed World Series MVP Hideki Matsui to a contract and play to use him at the designated hitter spot vacated by Guerrero.

The Angels also brought in pitcher Joel Piniero to replace Lackey in the starting rotation and added reliever Fernando Rodney to the bullpen.

Los Angeles has a strong farm system which will help them replace some of the losses, as well as some youngsters already on the big league roster that they are hoping will blossom into future stars.

Players like infielders Brandon Wood, Erick Aybar and Howie Kendrick are being counted upon to be the backbone of future championship teams.

Of course, the team still have plenty of veteran players like outfielders Torii Hunter and Bobby Abreu and pitcher Scott Kazmir who will lead the Angles for the forseeable future.

Despite the offseason defections, don't count out the Angels in what seems to always be their division to lose.