Angels in the outfield are imported

Quick (answer in next paragraph) quiz: Name the only American League team whose projected starting outfielders each hit at least 20 home runs last season.

Answer: The Angels, a team perennially in search of a big bat.

"I've looked at that," center fielder Torii Hunter said. "If we stay healthy, I definitely think it can be one of the best-hitting outfields in the game."

Yet, within the tight-knit Angels camp, the trio of Hunter, left fielder Bobby Abreu and right fielder Vladimir Guerrero might stand out more as imports than power hitters. The Angels develop pitchers, catchers and infielders in rapid and sometimes spectacular fashion, but they have not produced an impact outfielder since Darin Erstad in 1997.

And, now that Garret Anderson has followed fellow mainstays Erstad and Tim Salmon out of Anaheim, the Angels' projected opening-day outfield does not include a homegrown player for the first time since 1992.

"What we try to do is to acquire the right player at the right time," General Manager Tony Reagins said. "We've brought in Torii Hunter and Vladimir Guerrero and Gary Matthews Jr. Those were pieces we needed at the time."

Those pieces were costly. Angels owner Arte Moreno spent $225 million to sign those three players, more than the $183.5 million he spent to buy the club six years ago.

Matthews, signed for five years and $50 million, was benched in the second year of his contract. He left camp for one day Sunday after the Angels told him he would start the season behind Hunter, Guerrero, Abreu and Juan Rivera, the latter two signed this winter for a combined $17.75 million.

The necessity of those free-agent signings can be traced to the draft. Since 2000, the Angels have selected 45 players in the first five rounds -- 24 pitchers, three catchers, nine infielders and nine outfielders.

The Angels failed to sign four of the outfielders. The other five have combined for 4,120 minor league at-bats -- only 11 above the Class-A level.

"You don't draft for position," Manager Mike Scioscia said. "You don't say, 'We need an outfielder.' You draft the most talented kids you can find. If you have to make a trade or sign guys later [to fill a position], so be it.

"You're not going to slot a guy with less talent above a guy with more talent because of need."