WM offer Halos chance to find finishing touch
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LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- During the news conference to introduce Shohei Ohtani on Saturday, manager Mike Scioscia relished the impact of landing the Japanese two-way star but also acknowledged that work remains to be done for the Angels and their front office this offseason.
"I know that [general manager] Billy [Eppler] and [owner] Arte [Moreno] aren't done this winter to make our team the well-rounded, championship-caliber team that we can be," Scioscia said. "But getting Shohei here is obviously a tremendous boost to where we want to end up."
• Angels officially welcome 2-way star Ohtani
Eppler and his staff will look to continue to improve their roster at this week's Winter Meetings which last through the Rule 5 Draft on Thursday.
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The Angels have already made a few notable acquisitions this offseason aside from winning the Ohtani sweepstakes, re-signing left fielder Justin Upton and adding veteran reliever Jim Johnson to their bullpen.
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Los Angeles' main priority at the Winter Meetings will be hunting for a second baseman, though it could also seek a corner infielder to shore up the offense and explore the market for pitching help. The Angels had been connected to a few free-agent first basemen, but their focus could shift to third base with the expectation that Albert Pujols will play more first next season to clear the way for Ohtani to be a part-time designated hitter.
• Hot Stove Tracker
While the Angels will have to pay Ohtani's former Japanese club a $20 million posting fee, Eppler said he doesn't expect the expenditure to have a "compromising" effect on the club's budget this offseason.
• Eppler 'stunned' by Ohtani choosing Angels
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"Just continue to improve the ballclub," Eppler said Saturday when asked to describe his goals for the Winter Meetings. "Look to add offense if I can, and if there's avenue to help in run prevention -- whether that's on the mound, or whether that's through a player that's more defense-oriented -- I've got to be open-minded to that as well."
Scioscia will hold court with the media on Wednesday at 12 p.m. PT to discuss the outlook for the Angels' 2018 season and other topics of interest. Stay tuned to angels.com for news every day from the Winter Meetings.