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BOSTON -- A double-digit lead in their division. A near no-hitter from their ace, in a ballpark where he had sported a career 7.46 ERA. And best of all, the best available hitter on the trade market was heading their way.

Yes, it was a pretty good to be the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, who must be tempted to hit the fast-forward button on the regular season and go directly to the playoffs.

While beating the Boston Red Sox Tuesday night for the seventh straight time -- and coming within two outs of a no-hitter by John Lackey -- the Angels' chief accomplishment for the day was landing Mark Teixeira.

The Angels, arguably baseball's best team, just got better.

The acquisition seemed to send a charge of electricity through the Angels' clubhouse at Fenway Park.

In recent years, the Angels have been linked in possible trades to a number of top hitters. They were rumored to have interest in, among others, Manny Ramirez, Alex Rodriguez and Miguel Cabrera. They had a deal in place for Miguel Tejada at the 2006 deadline, only to have it killed by Orioles owner Peter Angelos. And last summer, they almost pulled off a deadline deal for Teixeira himself.

But Tuesday, there was no coming close. Instead, the Angels acted in a bold manner, a fact not lost on the players, some of whom praised first-year general manager Tony Reagins.

"He's like, 'Forget that, I've got to win,'" Torii Hunter said about Reagins. "He came after me, Teixeira. He's very aggressive. I can't say it's a bad thing -- it's a great thing. A lot of people wanted that extra bat in the lineup; well, now you've got it. You've got it. There's not too many guys who can hit like this guy. Wow. That's all I can say."

Finally, Vladimir Guerrero has some company in the Angels' batting order.

Since winning the 2002 World Series, the Angels have gotten past the first round of the playoffs just once. Twice, they were summarily swept out of the postseason in the Division Series by the Red Sox.

In October 2007, in a humiliating exit, the Angels mustered just four runs in three games and didn't produce a single homer. They had just six extra-base hits in 27 innings. Guerrero wasn't completely healthy, and neither were Garret Anderson, Casey Kotchman and Gary Matthews Jr.

But beyond Guerrero, the Angels looked like a lineup that could be pitched to, especially by good staffs. In October, all the opposing staffs are good. The Angels' offense, meanwhile, was only average.

Teixeira's arrival changes that and sends a signal to the rest of the American League: The Angels mean business.

Asked how he would ultimately judge the success of Tuesday's deal, which sent Kotchman and pitching prospect Stephen Marek to the Braves, Reagins said: "Hopefully, we're playing deep into October. We're in it to win a world championship. I think this [trade] speaks volumes about that."

Anderson, the most tenured Angel, praised the front office and ownership for taking the necessary steps to "improve this team."

There were other hitters available, but the Angels aimed high. Over the past 162 regular-season games, only Philadelphia's Ryan Howard has amassed more RBIs than Teixeira.

"He's a presence for sure," manager Mike Scioscia said. "When he's hitting in the middle of the lineup, he can make guys around him better. He's a difference-maker."

"We're not expecting Mark to be a savior," Reagins cautioned. "We're just expecting him to be a good fit, just play his type of baseball. We're looking forward to him doing what he does and being part of our team."

This marks the second season in a row Teixeira has been dealt right before the deadline. He was sent from Texas to Atlanta last year, and while he did all he could -- his prorated numbers for a full season: 51 homers and 168 RBIs -- the Braves fell short in their playoff push.

This time, the Angels are a virtual lock for October, with an 11½-game lead in the AL West, easily the biggest edge in the standings of any of the six division leaders.

Teixeira wouldn't say that his impending arrival makes his new team the one to beat, but he couldn't squelch his own enthusiasm.

"I'll say this," Teixeira said in a conference call with reporters. "The Angels have always been one of the best teams in the American League. … I just want to hopefully get them over the top. I'm not going to make any predictions."

The addition of Teixeira won't change the team's style. Under Scioscia, the Angels will still force the issue, still go from first to third more than any other team and still play with an aggressiveness that recalls 1980s National League clubs.

Now, however, they'll have another big bat -- to go with Guerrero -- to drive in big runs.

How long Teixeira stays is open to debate. Teixeira and the Angels won't discuss the future until after the season. The Angels have the resources to keep Teixeira and, with the departure of Kotchman, avoid leaving a hole at first base.

"I think we're all very, very sensitive to the fact that we're not comfortable with just renting a player," said Scioscia, minutes after the deal was announced. "But this player, at this time, was very important to us, and this was our only chance to get him."

Finally, it seems, the Angels have a front office as aggressive as the team it has on the field.

Sean McAdam of The Providence (R.I.) Journal covers baseball for ESPN.com.