Tampa Bay GM Andrew Friedman has turned the Rays into perennial playoff contenders. Imagine what he could do in Anaheim. (Getty Images)

My colleague Kalup Alexander has done a fine job on this blog keeping us abreast of the Angels continued search for an General Manager to replace the deposed Tony Reagins. In his post today, Kalup addressed the team’s interest in Jerry Dipoto and Damon Oppenheimer. With top candidate Theo Epstein leaving Boston and signing a 5 year/$20 million deal to similarly resurrect the woeful Cubs, LAA now has to cross his name from prospective candidates. The move also puts the Red Sox at the top of any potential GM’s bucket list. Even if Boston gets their pick of the litter, there are still numerous front office execs that can steer the Angels in the right direction. Kalup offered up Dipoto and Oppenheimer. Here are ten more after the jump:

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(Photo Credit: Yardbarker.com)

I’d like to take you back a bit, to a simpler time. A better time. A happy time. It was a mere 204 days sooner, and the Angels were getting the monkey that is the Red Sox in the playoffs off their back, finishing up a sweep at Fenway to advance to the ALCS. It happened in dramatic fashion, with the pitching letting us down early, but the offense storming back to win the game by scoring three runs in the 9th, and off closer Jonathan Papelbon no less. It was amazing, and sweet, and nearly as good as winning it all in 2002. It felt like a team that was on a mission, a team that was going somewhere, that could beat anyone. Angel fans everywhere walked just a little bit taller the next day.

Fast forward past those 204 days, and we find ourselves going back to Fenway for the first time since that magical ALDS sweep. This team has had significant changes, obviously – gone is Vladimir Guerrero, Chone Figgins, and Darrin Oliver – but some would say the core of the team is still there. Of course, now that we’ve gotten over the hurdle that is the Red Sox in October, we have their number… right?

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