Angels lose out in bidding for Japanese pitcher

The Angels are on the verge of falling to 0-2 this off-season. After their top free-agent target, Aramis Ramirez, signed a five-year, $75-million deal Sunday to remain with the Chicago Cubs, the Angels are expected to learn today that the Boston Red Sox have won negotiating rights for Japanese pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka.

The Angels were among the eight or so teams that submitted bids for the highly regarded right-hander, but several websites, including ESPN.com and SI.com, reported Monday that the Red Sox posted the high bid of at least $42 million.

The Seibu Lions are expected to announce they have accepted the bid today at 5 p.m. in a joint news conference with Major League Baseball. The Red Sox then will have 30 days to negotiate a contract with Matsuzaka, who is expected to command a multiyear deal worth about $12 million a year.

The Angels won’t spend the rest of the general managers’ meetings in Naples, Fla., sulking, though. GM Bill Stoneman said Monday that he’s “thrown some offers out there already,” and one is believed to be to slugger Alfonso Soriano, possibly for six years and about $80 million.

“Every offer we make is a serious offer,” Stoneman said. “But you never know how quick someone will respond to you.”

At least six other teams -- the Dodgers, Cubs, Phillies, Orioles, Mets and Padres -- are expected to make strong bids for Soriano, who hit .277 with 46 home runs, 95 runs batted in and 41 stolen bases for Washington this year.

Diego Bentz, one of Soriano’s agents, is expected to meet with Stoneman and other GMs this week, and one baseball source said Soriano may travel to Florida to take part in several of those meetings.

Though the Angels appear set at Soriano’s two primary positions, left field (Garret Anderson) and second base (Howie Kendrick), they could move Kendrick to first base, Anderson to designated hitter or open up center field for Soriano.

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Darren Balsley agreed to a two-year contract to remain as San Diego’s pitching coach under new Padres Manager Bud Black, eliminating the possibility of Angels triple-A pitching coach Charles Nagy joining Black’s staff. Nagy appears to be the leading candidate to replace Black as Angels pitching coach.

mike.digiovanna@latimes.com