Remember the Angels' golden era? Discover the legendary free agent signings that defined their success and etched their names in franchise history.
The Los Angeles Angels have lived in baseball infamy in recent memory. Before the 10 consecutive losing seasons, 16 seasons without a postseason win, and several disastrous contracts, however, the Angels were once a well-run team that regularly finished near the top of the standings.
The 2000s were especially great for Angels fans, as they made six postseason appearances, including a World Series win in 2002. They had five seasons with at least 90 wins and even a 100-win season in 2008. While baseball fans have gotten so used to seeing the Halos at the bottom of the standings in the past decade or so, it’s important to remember the successes of the once-great franchise.
In a recent Bleacher Report article by Joel Reuter selecting the Mt. Rushmore free agent signings of each MLB team, Angels fans were taken back to much more positive times when the front office consistently made the right moves. The four faces on the Angels’ Mt. Rushmore of signings were Vladimir Guerrero, Bartolo Colon, Torii Hunter, and Bobby Grich.
Vladdy signed with the Angels on a six-year, $85 million deal before the 2004 season, and he continued his reign as one of, if not the best, hitters in baseball. He took home the MVP award in his first season in Anaheim after a 39 home run and 126 RBI season.
In his six-year Angels career, Vladdy made four All-Star Games, won four Silver Sluggers, and recorded a .319/.381/.546 slash line with a .927 OPS. When you think of Angels baseball in the 2000s, Vladdy is almost always the first player that comes to mind, rightfully earning his place on the club’s Mt. Rushmore.
Colon joined the Angels the same offseason as Vladdy on a four-year, $51 million deal. He won the Cy Young award in 2005 after a 21-win, 3.48 ERA season. As one of baseball’s greatest gifts of all time, Colon threw nearly 600 innings as an Angel, totaling 46 wins during his tenure. Angels fans were lucky to see Big Sexy on the mound every fifth day in Anaheim in the mid-200s.
Hunter was also a member of the 2000s Halos squad, although he signed a bit later before the 2008 campaign. He made two All-Star games in his five seasons with the Angels, taking home two Gold Gloves and a Silver Slugger in the process. He recorded a 122 OPS+ and 105 home runs during his time with the Angels.
Lastly, Grich signed with the Angels back before the 1977 season on a five-year, $1.5 million deal. He ended up staying with the club for the rest of his career, totaling 1,103 hits, 154 home runs, and 557 RBIs. Grich made three All-Star games as an Angel and also added a Silver Slugger award to his trophy case during his tenure in Anaheim.
Vladdy, Colon, Hunter, and Grich cemented themselves in the franchise’s history after signing with the team in free agency, forever altering the history of the Angels. Since these signings, the front office has made several poor decisions in free agency, but there’s hope that one day the club can get back to being one of the best-run teams in all of baseball.
All four of these players tremendously helped the team win games and make the Angels a feared team – something fans hope will return in the near future. For now, the focus is on the front office as this year’s free agency gets closer to an end.