TOP 10 PROSPECTS Mike Trout, of Tyler Chatwood, rhp Jean Segura, 2b Hank Conger, c Jordan Walden, rhp Kaleb Cowart, 3b Garrett Richards, rhp Fabio Martinez, rhp Mark Trumbo, 1b/of Cam Bedrosian, rhp BEST TOOLS Best Hitter for Average Mike Trout Best Power Hitter Mark Trumbo Best Strike-Zone Discipline Hank Conger Fastest Baserunner Mike Trout Best Athlete Mike Trout Best Fastball Jordan Walden Best Curveball Tyler Chatwood Best Slider Fabio Martinez Best Changeup Trevor Reckling Best Control Tim Kiely Best Defensive Catcher Alberto Rosario Best Defensive Infielder Andrew Romine Best Infield Arm Kaleb Corwart Best Defensive Outfielder Mike Trout Best Outfield Arm Angel Castillo The 2007 Angels won 94 regular-season games, captured the American League West by six games and had no shortage of optimism for the future. The organization's young, homegrown core had arrived. John Lackey won 19 games and led the American League with a 3.01 ERA, first-round phenom Jered Weaver completed his first full season and 25-year-old closer Francisco Rodriguez saved 40 games. Howie Kendrick and Casey Kotchman had terrific seasons after claiming starting jobs in their early 20s, and Chone Figgins batted .330 and stole 41 bases. On the farm, shortstop Brandon Wood and righthander Nick Adenhart stood as the Angels' two brightest prospects. They ranked 16th and 24th on our Top 100 Prospects list and seemed about a half-season away from making major contributions in Los Angeles. Fast-forward three short years, and only Weaver, now the staff ace, and Kendrick, coming off his worst year, remain in the picture. In the course of two years, the Angels lost Figgins, Lackey and Rodriguez as free agents. They traded Kotchman to the Braves to rent Mark Teixeira, who filed for free agency three months later. Los Angeles acted prudently in letting the free agents walk, in light of the dollars involved or the players' subsequent diminished production. But the farm system has struggled to fill in the gaps. Despite recently graduating quality regulars such as Erick Aybar, Kevin Jepsen and Kendry Morales, the Angels simply didn't have the talent on hand, homegrown or imported, to contend in 2010. Los Angeles went 80-82, its first losing record in seven seasons, and finished third in the AL West, 10 games behind the Rangers. The Angels' offense never recovered from the loss of Morales—who broke his leg celebrating a walkoff homer May 29—or the departure of Figgins and lesser years by Aybar and Kendrick. All told, the club scored 202 fewer runs than it did in 2009, plummeting from an exemplary 5.5 runs per game to a below-average 4.2. Wood's failure to develop has hurt the offense. In parts of four seasons with the Angels, he has hit .169, the second-lowest average in major league history for a player with as many as his 479 plate appearances. The loss of Adenhart, killed by a drunk driver in April 2009, also continues to hurt. Los Angeles surrendered there young pitchers, including standout lefty Alex Torres, to acquire Scott Kazmir from the Rays in August 2009. It made a similar move last July, sending four pitchers, most notably athletic lefties Tyler Skaggs and Pat Corbin, to get Dan Haren from the Diamondbacks. After going without a true first-round pick three times in four years from 2005-08, the Angels had six picks among the top 100 in each of the past two drafts, compensation for all their free-agent losses. Those choices included dynamic center fielder Mike Trout, their No. 1 prospect, as well as Skaggs, Corbin, third baseman Kaleb Cowart and righthander Garrett Richards. Despite the recent draft bounty, Los Angeles opted not to renew scouting director Eddie Bane's contract at the end of the season. His seven drafts with the club yielded Weaver and promising 2010 rookies Peter Bourjos, Hank Conger and Jordan Walden, and Bane also signed Morales on the international market. The Angels promoted national crosschecker Ric Wilson to take over as scouting director. --

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