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INDIANAPOLIS -- There is little doubt that the Rangers were the big winners among the four AL West teams during the Winter Meetings. In fact, the Rangers and the Mariners were among the only teams that added anyone of significance, and the Rangers did so while also lopping a big chunk off their payroll. Plus, they've got another deal on the way that could boost their offense, which was surprisingly their weakness last year.Big Winner
Texas reached an agreement with Rich Harden, a deal that could prove to be one of the more prudent ones of the offseason. Yes, Harden has a history of injuries, but let's not forget that over the past two years he's made 51 starts with a 3.05 ERA. He's also just 28 years old. When Harden is right, he's one of the nastiest pitchers in the majors.
The Rangers also got rid of Kevin Millwood, dumping him to the Orioles and having Baltimore take $9 million of Millwood's $12 million salary for 2010. Millwood had a decent year in 2009, but overall he was a disappointment in Texas, going 48-46 with a 4.57 ERA. Reliever Chris Ray came over from Baltimore in the Millwood deal.
Finally, as the Rangers left Indianpolis they had the framework of an agreement to get Mike Lowell from the Red Sox in exchange for minor-league catcher Max Ramirez, with the Red Sox picking up most of Lowell's salary. Lowell, who will be 36, has seen his best days, but he should be at least a 20-homer player who plays solid defense. He may also be the DH and providing a fallback to Chris Davis at third.Unfinished Business
The Angels and A's matched each other in inactivity during the winter meetings, but it's more of a problem for the Angels. The A's have said all along they plan to stay "disciplined" and let the young players grow, rather than bringing in veterans to speed the rebuilding. The Angels, though, still need a starting pitcher and a big bat. They are still trying to re-sign John Lackey, and they have a shot at Roy Halladay, although it would most likely be as a rental since Halladay prefers to stay in the East. As for the bat, owner Arte Moreno said he's not interested in Matt Holliday (probably because he's still ticked at Scott Boras for last year's Mark Teixeira negotiation) and manager Mike Scioscia said he didn't think they'd get Jason Bay.
The Angels also lost Chone Figgins, the spark-plug at the top of the lineup, and they lost him to the Mariners, so they'll have to deal with him 19 or 20 times a year.
Conclusion
Although there is a long way to go this winter, right now the AL West race looks pretty interesting, with the Rangers and Mariners both helping themselves and the Angels getting worse. Although the A's have done nothing, they've got enough good young pitching that if a few of those guys simply take the next step in their development, that could push them over the .500 mark as well.
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