Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

Roy Halladay is in Philly. John Lackey is in Boston.

Now is the winter of the Angels' discontent.

Just days after baseball's Winter Meetings ended, after which GM Tony Reagins claimed his team had laid “groundwork,” the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim watched their hard work melt away like snow in the coming spring.

For those unfamiliar with the situation, or if you've just been living under a baseball-free rock, let's recap the events of the Angels' Black Monday:

Lackey Signs with Boston

The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim free agent pitcher John Lackey, above, is reportedly headed to the Boston Red Sox after signing a five-year deal worth $85 million.

That means the Angels will be without both Lackey and Chone Figgins, who was also a free agent and departed for a four-year deal worth $36 million with the Seattle Mariners.

The Mariners were also just involved in a three-way trade with the Toronto Blue Jays and the Philadelphia Phillies.

John Lackey pitched the first game of a double-header between his Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park back in 2007. 

The Angels' ace had looked good, dominant even, all season long. But this just wasn't his day.

After surrendering five runs in the first inning, Lackey walked off the back of the mound and muttered to himself, glaring up at the outfield bleachers and shaking his head as he did: “F*** this place.”

That was then. This is now: John Lackey is the newest addition to the Red Sox' parade of aces. 

Arte Moreno had us all fooled.

Thanks to the free agent signings, the stadium improvements, and the winning ball club, we all thought Anaheim was a big market city.

We loved the atmosphere at Angel Stadium, the rally monkey, and the perennial winner.

You fooled us all, Arte!

I looked the other way when the Angels lost Chone Figgins—no easy task when you consider it was a loss within the division.

I understood when word came that no attempt was being made to re-sign Vladimir Guerrero. 

When Major League Baseball's Winter Meetings got underway on Dec. 7, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim were said to be serious contenders in the bidding war for outfielder Jason Bay.

By week's end, Bay remained unsigned and Angels manager Mike Scioscia told reporters his team had “more pressing needs” to address.

Scioscia may have meant a new starting pitcher, but he might as well have been talking about his bullpen.

On Friday, the Angels announced reliever Jose Arredondo will undergo Tommy John surgery in January and miss the entire 2010 season.

The Mariners are fast. T3 fast.

Team officials announced that they had come to terms with free agent Chone Figgins.

With the announcement, the Mariners have added a dangerous one-two at the top of their lineup with Ichiro and Figgins.

In addition to obtaining Franklin Gutierrez last year and bringing up Michael Saunders, the Mariners have speed.

Throw Ichiro into the mix, and you have four guys who will burn up the base-paths.

Throw in some power and the awesomeness of Ken Griffey, Jr., and you've got yourself a contending ball club.

The thrill is gone. At least in Anaheim.

Chone Figgins, the spark plug for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, has left sunny Southern California behind in favor of the soggy skies of Seattle.

Well, that, and a four-year contract reportedly worth $36 million.

Shocking as it may be to some—and it certainly is to me—Figgins has traded in his halo for the drab blue/green garb of the Seattle Mariners, a divisional rival of the Angels and one that looks to improve dramatically next season.

Okay Angels fans, we’ve got a "good news, bad news" situation on our hands.

The good news: Word on the street is the Angels are again in the hunt for the great Roy Halladay.

The bad news: Word on the street is their offer might include Jered Weaver.

And that is very bad news, indeed.

The L.A. Angels have been one of the many potential suitors seeking to make a trade to land Roy Halladay, the Toronto Blue Jays' ace. The Angels will need to trade a lot as Halladay will cost a pretty penny.

The Angels should trade players that are at their peak value, and who the team could easily lose in one more season.

The Blue Jays expect a team to hand over one of its young starting pitchers to get Halladay. Jered Weaver, Ervin Santana, and Joe Saunders are all options.