Some argue that the Los Angeles Angels are putting all of their eggs into the same basket by shedding contracts in hopes of re-signing righthander Zack Greinke. However, what they really are doing is tossing all of their eggs out of that basket.

The rotation, expected to be a strength heading into last season, instead was a disappointment. The enigmatic Santana (and his 5.06 ERA, $13 million salary) had to go, but Haren was a proven starter whose struggles can be largely blamed on a back problem. Greinke excelled with the Angels, but re-signing him is no sure thing, especially not with the Texas Rangers expected to pursue him.

"We're not isolated on Zack Greinke as a stand-alone," Angels general manager Jerry Dipoto told the team’s website. "There are a lot of pitchers out there on the open market right now, and there are a lot of pitchers that can be accessed in different ways. We'll keep an open mind to all of them.”

But Greinke clearly is the focus.

Losing 60 percent of your rotation never is advisable, especially when there isn't a surefire way to reload. As of now, Jerome Williams and Garrett Richards, neither of whom had an ERA below 4.50 this past season, are penciled into the starting five.

And the losses aren’t limited to the rotation.

Also gone is right fielder Torii Hunter, who wasn’t given a qualifying offer Friday. His best days are behind him at 37, but Hunter still played solid defense, was a great leader and finished second on the Angels in RBIs (92), batting average (.313) and on-base percentage (.365) in 2012.

The good news for the Angels is that, unlike with the rotation, they have considerable outfield depth. So much, in fact, that Vernon Wells will be a reserve/DH next season. The projected starting outfield of Mike Trout, Mark Trumbo and Peter Bourjos is young, productive, speedy and affordable.

And those traits might be listed in the wrong order.

At long last, the effects of the team’s big spending are being felt, even if Dipoto tries to spin it otherwise.

"Torii is an asset to the club, to the community, but we also have Trout, Trumbo, Bourjos and Wells, and you have to have a logical conclusion as to how those pieces fit together on a 25-man roster and payroll," Dipoto told the Los Angeles Times. “It wasn't that we couldn't fit Torii's salary in. We made the decision to allow Trout, Trumbo and Bourjos to play on an everyday basis."

But the numbers say otherwise.

The 10-year, $240 million contact the Angels gave first baseman Albert Pujols and the five-year, $77.5 million they gave Wilson last offseason aren’t the only problems. The monstrosity of a deal the previous regime inherited with the ill-advised trade for Wells also is crippling its payroll flexibility. Wells is owed $42 million over the next two seasons and has a full no-trade clause.

The Angels, picked by many to at least reach the World Series after their offseason spending spree last season, finished third in the AL West. And although it is early in the 2012 offseason, things are looking even bleaker.