An active offseason that witnessed some of baseball’s best players changing teams clearly would buoy some and sink others. For the following five teams, their offseason moves could vault them into bona fide postseason contention and divisional relevance, due mainly to the wheeling and dealing of their general managers. Here are five GMs who have improved their clubs to “win now” (tomorrow: five GMs who helped their teams long-term):
1. Jerry Dipoto, Los Angeles Angels
In Albert Pujols, the Angels acquired the best power hitter in the game, and they stole left-hander C.J. Wilson, the ace of the division rival Texas Rangers, and slotted him into their rotation behind Jered Weaver and Dan Haren. Dipoto also tendered a contract to first baseman Kendrys Morales, who has recovered from a serious leg injury. Morales offers another possible 100-RBI bat in the lineup with Pujols. Another key acquisition was reliever LaTroy Hawkins, who helped the Brewers win the NL Central in 2011 with critical sixth- and seventh-inning appearances. His veteran leadership should be valuable to a young closer and bullpen. In all, the Angels are poised for the postseason and perhaps to take back the American League West.
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Jim Bowden
Bowden, who served as the senior vice president and GM for the Cincinnati Reds and the Washington Nationals, is an analyst for ESPN.com. In 1992, Bowden became the youngest GM in MLB history when the Reds hired him at age 31. The Reds finished in first place twice during his 10 years as GM, and he was named MLB Executive of the Year by Baseball America in 1999. After working for ESPN in 2004, Bowden became the first GM of the Washington Nationals when the franchise relocated from Montreal to Washington, D.C., in 2005, working in that role until the 2009 season. Bowden co-hosts the "Inside Pitch" radio show on Sirius XM satellite radio. Follow on Twitter: @JimBowdenESPNxm.
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