Angels’ GM goes for the bold

Tony Reagins has shown a flair for the dramatic during his six weeks on the job, and isn’t that a welcome change coming from the office of the Angels’ general manager?

As the successor to ever-cautious Bill Stoneman, who couldn’t or wouldn’t acquire a big bat to protect Vladimir Guerrero in the middle of the lineup, Reagins hasn’t hesitated to act swiftly and boldly.

No tiptoeing into the room for Reagins.

Just a trade with the White Sox last week for right-hander Jon Garland, who gives the Angels a formidable rotation and a wealth of pitching assets that could make them a major player during next week’s winter meetings in Nashville.

And just agreeing with seven-time Gold Glove center fielder Torii Hunter on a five-year, $90-million contract, an addition that may help the Angels as much off the field as defensively and at the plate.

Reagins may have a tough time matching the impact of his first two deals, but he won’t stop trying -- or deflecting the credit.

“This is not about me, let me tell you. It’s about this ballclub. It’s about the people in this organization,” he said. “We want to get something done. We want to win and that’s really the bottom line.

“Going into the off-season we wanted to pitch better and we wanted to play good defense, and if we could add some offense, we wanted to do that as well. And I think we were able to accomplish that with these moves.

“And we’re not going to be close-minded. If an opportunity presents itself that makes us better, we’re going to look at it.”

When Hunter wasn’t rhapsodizing over the weather during a news conference Wednesday at Angel Stadium or joking about enhancing his tan, he was asking owner Arte Moreno how high Moreno would like him to jump and praising the forcefulness of Reagins and the Angels’ front office.

“That’s why I came here,” Hunter said. “This guy is not afraid, and Arte’s behind it.

“These guys are not afraid to make big moves and it’s going to work out. You’ve just got to get the good group, that core of guys, that good personality, everything that fits.”

Hunter, bringing speed and enthusiasm and coming off a season in which he hit .287 with 28 home runs and 107 runs batted in, appears to be a good fit.

“It’s going to be awesome,” said pitcher John Lackey, who watched his new teammates pose for photographs wearing their Angels jerseys and caps.

“He’s going to be a great guy in the clubhouse. He’s going to be awesome to have behind me. Our outfield has the potential to be probably the best in the game out there.”

If opponents hit the ball in the air, Lackey said, “I like my chances.”

Of course, there’s the problem of what happens on ground balls without the vacuum-like glove of shortstop Orlando Cabrera, who was traded for Garland.

Possible solutions include Erick Aybar and Maicer Izturis if the Angels stay in-house, or a trade for Baltimore’s Miguel Tejada. The Angels are still pursuing power-hitting Florida third baseman Miguel Cabrera, although the Marlins’ ever-increasing demands have made him a moving target, and Minnesota pitcher Johan Santana remains on their shopping list.

“They got something else up their sleeve, that’s what I think,” Hunter said, smiling.

If they do, it’s likely to be another stunner -- and to have the signatures of Reagins and Manager Mike Scioscia all over it.

Scioscia was given more input into personnel decisions when Reagins took over, and that can only be good.

Who knows better than Scioscia what he needs, and who better to get it than Reagins, formerly their farm-system director, working with assistant general manager Ken Forsch, scouting director Eddie Bane and chief talent evaluator Gary Sutherland?

“He really just hit the ground running with this position and had a lot of insights into things he thought would be important to this club,” Scioscia said of Reagins.

“Tony has been really up on what we’ve been doing for the last eight years here because he’s been through every meeting. He’s been in our evaluation meetings, both spring training and postseason.

“He did his homework. He didn’t just fly by the seat of his pants.”

Moreno credited the Angels’ baseball operations staff for smoothing Reagins’ ascent.

“You’re hearing Tony’s name, but I will tell you that everybody is involved,” Moreno said. “There’s more ‘We-we’ than ‘I-I’ in this deal.”

Which makes them-them worth watching.

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Helene Elliott can be reached at helene.elliott@latimes.com.

To read previous columns by Elliott, go to latimes.com/elliott.