Ryan Kuhn

Winter is a time when teams get to reevaluate themselves and figure out not who they are but how good they are and how they can improve. Many teams improved this offseason, whether it was trades, signings, a new logo or even a new stadium but one team improved even without talking about their new poster boys.

I have lived in Northern California for almost two years now and for those two years I have been given a hard time. Why? Because I am a Los Angeles Angels fan.

Although the signings of Albert Pujols and C.J. Wilson were probably the biggest signings in Angels history, the organization made moves I feel were extremely crucial in order to sign these key players.

For the last two seasons, the Angels had disappointing seasons. In 2010, they finished third behind the Texas Rangers and Oakland A’s and while last season was better, it was still not enough to raise another division championship flag in left field – a change was needed.

The hiring of Jerry Dipoto was the biggest move the Angels made all offseason. Previous general manager, Tony Reagins made only one good trade while holding onto the position. On July 26, 2010 he traded pitcher Joe Saunders and a pair of prospects to the Diamondbacks for pitcher Dan Haren.

In his four-year reign as general manager, Reagins traded for Scott Kazmir, who finished two seasons with an ERA of 5.31 and only 11 wins. Vernon Wells batted a dismal .218 last season and signed an over-the-hill Bobby Abreu whose contract included a $9 million option.

Just one month after moving into his office, Dipoto became busy making his first move by sending young starting pitcher Tyler Chatwood to the Colorado Rockies for catcher Chris Iannetta. Although Iannetta is not a household name, this will be the first time the Angels will hopefully not have a catcher by committee since 2005. In the seven-year period, the team has used six different catchers including its best offensive option in Mike Napoli, who was traded by Reagins.

If manager Mike Scioscia sticks to one catcher, Iannetta should give the club 15 home runs and 65 RBIs, along with stability behind the plate to control the pitching staff.

Another key move this offseason for the Angels was the signing of relief pitcher LaTroy Hawkins, who significantly improves their bullpen.

Hawkins last year finished with a 2.42 ERA and 28 strikeouts while only walking 10 batters. In his 18th year in the league, he will bring experience to a young bullpen and hopefully take the Angels closer, Jordan Walden, under his wing.

With retaining second baseman Howie Kendrick to a four-year deal and during the season resigning ace Jered Weaver to a five-year deal, the Angels have made significant upgrades to compliment Pujols and Wilson.

Spring training is right around the corner and now the only thing fans can hope for is another playoff appearance. They have the players, they have the front office, they just need to win.

Ryan Kuhn can be reached at [email protected].

David Somers

The Angels had by far the best offseason of any Major League Baseball team this year. And the best thing about it was no one saw it coming.

The Halos crept in under the radar and swiped up two of the biggest names in free agency in what appeared to be an all-out attempt to prove they’re not just that other team in Los Angeles.

C.J. Wilson was by far the best pitcher available, and being born in Orange County probably made it much easier for him to leave the Rangers. Last season he had career highs in innings pitched, wins, strikeouts and WHIP; not to mention his best ERA since converting to a starter after the 2009 season.

But there is one pretty alarming question mark hanging over Wilson.

Last year he became the only pitcher to lose an All-Star game, a Division Series game, a League Championship Series game and a World Series game during the same season. This leaves one wondering how well he can perform on the biggest stages against the best players. And the acquisition could come back to bite the Angels.

But Wilson was not the biggest acquisition the Angels made. That distinction belongs to the greatest baseball player of his or any other generation – Albert Pujols.

Pujols has put up ridiculous numbers. Apart from falling one run short in 2007 and one RBI and batting average percentage point short last season, Pujols has batted better than .300, hit at least 30 HR, knocked in more than 100 RBIs and scored 100 or more runs in every season he’s ever played in the big leagues.

The statistics of legendary Hall of Famers like Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams cannot even keep pace with the offensive numbers Pujols has put up.

If the Angel’s pitching holds up, look for manager Mike Scioscia’s team to make a run for its second World Series title. The 10-year anniversary of the team’s last championship seems like a perfect time to win another.

David Somers can be reached at [email protected].

Dustin Nosler

It’s easy to choose the Angels as the “winner” of the offseason. When a team signs one of the top two hitters in the game, it makes that choice pretty easy.

But the Florida … I mean, Miami Marlins are my offseason winner.

The Marlins, muddled in mediocrity for the last eight years, made quite the splash in free agency by landing three big-name free agents: Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle and Heath Bell.

The team spent more on free agents this offseason on these three players ($22 million) than its entire payroll in the 2006 ($14.99 million) and 2008 ($21.81 million) seasons. That’s quite the commitment from a team known to pinch its pennies in the past.

The team also took a flier on former Cub Carlos Zambrano, who is not far removed from being a Cy Young contender.

The Marlins are moving into a new stadium this season and with that comes more revenue for the team. It also bring more responsibility to put a quality product on the field, which is what the Marlins should do in the coming years.

In a division where the Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves reign supreme and the Washington Nationals are quickly becoming legitimate, the Marlins needed to do something to keep up. Bringing in one of the best shortstops in baseball, a crafty left-handed pitcher to tutor a young rotation and a closer who is one of the game’s elite goes a long way to keeping up with the other teams.

Oh, and the Marlins were after Albert Pujols. If not for the Angels offering him an insane amount of money, he might have ended up in Miami, too.

Josh Stanley

The Miami Marlins signed Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle and Heath Bell, but they missed out on the best player in baseball and that is why the Los Angeles Angels are awarded with the “Best Offseason” trophy for 2012.

Albert Pujols has been the most consistent and dominant player in baseball for the past decade and arguing that makes you look like a fool.

Pujols’ season average is a .328 batting average, 40 home runs and 121 RBIs. Pujols also averages 155 games played and the most games he’s missed in a season was 19 in 2007 when he still had a career-high 49 home runs and 137 RBIs. The man is durable.

But adding the best player was not enough for the Angels.

They went and picked up one of the best pitchers on the market in C.J. Wilson.

Wilson has been a starter the last two years after being a closer the previous three seasons and he has been nothing but great since the switch.

In the two seasons, Wilson has won 15 and 16 games and has averaged 188 strikeouts and a 3.15 ERA.

But for the Angels, Wilson will only be their third best pitcher.

Aces Jered Weaver and Dan Haren are top-10 pitchers in front of Wilson and the fourth starter Ervin Santana could arguably be a top-2 pitcher on another team.

The Angels also have a star-closer in the making in young Jordan Walden and he will look to build off of his all-star rookie season and slam the door for the Angels.

With Pujols, veterans Bobby Abreu, Vernon Wells, Torii Hunter and young stars Mark Trumbo, Peter Bourjos and Mike Trout, the Angels look like the team to beat in not only the AL West, but in all of Major League Baseball.