Into the deep end

That big bat the Angels craved for years finally materialized last July 29, when the team that always seemed reluctant to pull the trigger on a trade deadline deal acquired slugger Mark Teixeira from the Atlanta Braves.

And what do the Angels have to show for it? Nothing, really. They led the major leagues with 100 wins and had a nice middle-of-the-order threat to pair with Vladimir Guerrero, but the Angels lost to the Boston Red Sox -- again -- in the first round of the playoffs.

Now Teixeira is gone, having spurned the Angels’ eight-year, $160-million offer to sign an even richer deal with the New York Yankees, and in his wake is the burning question for 2009:

What do the Angels have to add to their current club to return to the World Series after falling short the last five years, a span that included four division titles and a trip to the AL Championship Series in 2005?

“Nothing,” Torii Hunter said.

Nothing?

“I would add nothing at all,” the Angels’ center fielder said. “Down the line, if there’s an injury, you can add something. Right now, we’re fine. You tell me what we need for this team.”

How about a hitter like Teixeira?

“That’s my point,” Hunter said. “Big bats aren’t always the answer. If something is missing, please tell me, because we had the big bat last year, and we didn’t win it all.

“The chicks-dig-the-long-ball era is over. You want athletes, guys who can play and stay healthy, and that’s what we have.”

Then how about a pitcher like Jake Peavy?

“The Angels, with Kelvim Escobar, have the best rotation in the game,” Seattle pitcher Jarrod Washburn said. “They’re still the team to beat.”

Washburn’s quote, of course, presumes that Escobar will come all the way back from shoulder surgery and that the elbow injuries that have sidelined John Lackey and Ervin Santana won’t be long-term.

That’s the irony for the Angels, who open the season Monday night against Oakland. A team that for years has been rich in pitching and short on hitting enters 2009 with far more questions about its rotation than its offense.

With good health, the Angels appear strong enough to win the division, maybe challenge for the pennant, but barring a big trade-deadline move, there are at least three keys to their having a shot of reaching the World Series for the first time since 2002:

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Get well soon

The Angels don’t do knee-jerk reactions. When Santana and Lackey were shut down this spring, they did not rush to sign a free-agent such as Pedro Martinez or Paul Byrd. They think they have the depth to absorb short-term pitching losses.

But does anyone seriously think they can win the division if Dustin Moseley, Nick Adenhart and Shane Loux are all in the rotation for an extended period?

Lackey, shut down in late March because of a forearm strain, needs to return this month. The ace has a 31-14 record and 3.32 ERA over the last two years, and his bulldog mentality rubs off on the rest of the staff.

Santana, shut down in early March because of a sprained elbow ligament, needs to return in May. He was the team’s best starter last season, going 16-7 with a 3.49 ERA and 214 strikeouts in 219 innings.

Escobar, who sat out all of 2008 after going 18-7 with a 3.40 ERA in 2007, could ease the loss of Lackey and Santana if, as expected, he returns in late April.

But if Lackey or Santana -- or both -- suffer setbacks upon their return, General Manager Tony Reagins may have little choice but to explore a trade for a pitcher.

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Swing guys must hit

Middle-of-the-order hitters Bobby Abreu, Guerrero and Hunter have long track records, and leadoff batter Chone Figgins has put together a nice body of work in five years as an Angels regular.

The team is confident these four will have the kinds of seasons they’re capable of, with Abreu’s patience, power and on-base ability easing Teixeira’s loss and Guerrero’s surgically repaired right knee giving him more durability.

But there are three wild cards, players without pedigrees, hitters on whom the Angels’ offensive fortunes could swing.

If second baseman Howie Kendrick, first baseman Kendry Morales and outfielder Juan Rivera have solid to above-average seasons, the lineup could be deep and productive, perhaps lacking a bit in power but also lacking in easy outs.

Kendrick, a line-drive machine, is a .306 career hitter in two-plus seasons but was limited by hamstring injuries to 92 games in 2008. If he remains sound, he should get plenty of fastballs to hit in the two hole, between Figgins and Abreu.

Morales has some huge spikes to fill, but the switch-hitter showed promise this spring, batting .395 with three homers, 10 doubles and 16 RBIs.

Rivera hasn’t been a full-time starter since 2006, when he hit .310 with 23 homers and 85 RBIs -- his career was derailed by a broken leg in the winter before the 2007 season -- but he has been productive when he gets regular playing time.

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Do the tighten up

Outstanding defense has been an Angels hallmark in recent years, but this team does not appear as good. Only three regulars, Hunter, shortstop Erick Aybar and Figgins, are potential game-changers on defense.

Morales, while making great strides since signing in 2004, is nowhere near as athletic as many of his Angels predecessors -- Teixeira, Casey Kotchman, Darin Erstad, J.T. Snow -- and he had trouble this spring digging balls out of the dirt. He has played in only 127 big league games, and his lack of experience could hurt.

Kendrick, through years of hard work, has evolved into a capable defender, one who is especially strong in the double-play pivot, but he is still considered below-average by big league standards.

Mike Napoli’s potent bat could earn him more starts behind the plate, but Jeff Mathis is the better defensive catcher.

Abreu and Guerrero were ranked among the bottom five right fielders in John Dewan’s Fielding Bible, and now Abreu is moving to left field, where he has played 16 big league games.

One of Hunter’s motivations for losing seven pounds this winter was so the eight-time Gold Glove winner can cover more ground.

“I have to take on more responsibility -- it’s a no-brainer,” Hunter said. “I might be skinny by the end of the season. You can burn a lot of calories running in that big outfield.”

The last time the Angels had a subpar defensive team? In 2006, the only year they failed to make the playoffs since 2004.

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Move to ponder

A trade for Peavy. The Padres are trying to shed payroll and are not expected to contend in the National League West. Peavy is their most attractive and expensive -- he has four years and $63 million left on his contract -- piece to sell.

But in addition to wanting a young shortstop such as Aybar or Brandon Wood, the pitching-thin Padres would want young arms such as Adenhart, relievers Kevin Jepsen or Jose Arredondo, and possibly Jered Weaver.

The Angels can’t afford to part with pitching right now, but they may be in a better position to come July.

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mike.digiovanna@latimes.com