BOSTON -- Both at the July 31 trade deadline and as the hot-stove season heated up, the name of Scott Downs seemed inextricably linked to the Red Sox. The non-tender of Hideki Okajima in late November only fueled the rumors that the Red Sox would bid heavily for the services of a lefty who had posted a 2.36 ERA in 262 appearances for the Toronto Blue Jays in the previous four seasons.

The 35-year-old Downs, who made 13 appearances at Fenway Park during his six seasons with the Blue Jays, was more than familiar with the Red Sox and the city of Boston. He was more than receptive when the Red Sox came calling over the winter, too.

But when the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim offered him a three-year, $15 million contract shortly after the winter meetings in December, Downs signed on the dotted line.

"I know they were in the mix, of course," he said from the Angels' clubhouse on Monday. "When it was all said and done, I chose here. Coming here and playing for six years, you can't beat it. To say that Boston was one of the top teams on my list would be an understatement. It's just one of those things that the business part of it worked out. That's the way it goes."

Downs hasn't had the start to the season he might have envisioned when he signed his contract. He started the season on the disabled list with a broken left big toe, and he was placed back on the disabled list on April 22 (retroactive to April 14) after a bout with food poisoning. He was activated on Friday and tossed three scoreless innings against Tampa Bay over the weekend.

"It's kind of a helpless feeling," he said. "But the season is six months long, seven months long, and I'd rather be there at the end. If I have to miss the beginning, even though I don't want to, when I'm looking at the long term, I can swallow it a little easier even though I wasn't happy with the way things went. It was kind of frustrating. It is what it is. It's part of the process. I'm here now, and I'm hoping that I'm back for good."