Of all the remarkable achievements that likely will send retired third baseman Adrian Beltre to the Hall of Fame, this one stands at the top of the heap.

Beltre affected the direction of two clubs at the same time.

In the first week of 2011, Beltre came off the free-agent market by accepting a six-year deal with the Rangers. The Los Angeles Angels, willing to go only five years, finished runner-up.

Both clubs have not been the same since.

The Rangers reached the World Series once, won three American League West titles and made four playoff appearances in Beltre's eight seasons.

The Angels fell from dominant team in the West to one playoff appearance -- swept by Kansas City in an AL Division Series -- and four winning records in that span.

Beltre alone did not cause the difference between the clubs. It is safe to say the West would have had a different look over the last eight seasons the Angels gone to a six-year offer and lured Beltre back to his him in southern California. Here's why:

-- Angels owner Arte Moreno panicked

Stung by criticism for failing to sign Beltre, Moreno gave out $442.5 million in contract to three players, including former Rangers Josh Hamilton and C.J. Wilson, after the 2011 and '12 seasons.

Hamilton, an outfielder, got a five-year, $125-million deal. He played poorly and had a relapse of his battles with drug and alcohol addiction. The Angels gave $63 million for the Rangers to take him back.

Wilson, a left-hander, was effective but lasted only four years on his five-year, $77.5-million contract.

Albert Pujols continues to haunt the Angels. Moreno would not go to a sixth year with Beltre, but the Angels gave Pujols a 10-year contract worth $240 million despite showing signs of decline in his final season with St. Louis.

"If we want to call 'decline' going from superhuman to great," Angels general manager Jerry DiPoto crowed after signing Pujols. "I don't think we've seen the last great days of Albert Pujols, or we wouldn't be sitting here today."

Pujols will start next season at age 39. He has three years, at $87 million, remaining on the contract.

By the fangraphs.com WAR metric, Pujols has been the second-worst player in the majors over the last two seasons with a rating of -2.0. Only Baltimore's Chris Davis is worst, at -3.0.

-- Dipoto took over with the Angels in October, 2011. Moreno wanted him to restore payroll flexibility and improve the farm system

The contracts to Hamilton, Pujols and Wilson eliminated both possibilities.

The deals disrupted the Angels' payroll structure. They also cost the Angels three high draft picks, sending the player-development system into a tailspin.

St. Louis used pick No. 36 in 2012 to select outfielder Marc Piscotty, who has become an established major leaguer. The Rangers used pick No. 39 in the same draft to select slugger Joey Gallo.

The Rangers also had pick No. 30 in 2013 but missed, taking infielder Travis Demeritte.

-- With Beltre, the Rangers have had eight seasons of exceptional play from third base

In that span, the Rangers ranked first in average (.294) and OPS (.836), second in RBIs (755) and third in homers (208) from third base. The Angels, with a revolving door at third base, were 29th in average (.252) and OPS (.682), 23rd in RBIs (511) and 24th in homers (100) from third.

It's the same in the field. According to fangraphs.com, Beltre was a plus-77 for runs saved with the Rangers. Halos third basemen were a minus-33 in that period.

After his final home game with the Rangers, Beltre said "it was more than I expected. ... I could not imagine making a better decision eight years ago.'' That decision elevated the Rangers and doomed the Angels.

A look at the leaders for Defensive Runs Saved at third base, according to fangraphs.com, since 2011: