The Los Angeles Angels have done just about everything they could over the course of the past 18 months to help pitcher Scott Kazmir regain the form that made him one of the American League's elite left-handed pitchers in the mid-2000s.

On Wednesday afternoon, the Angels finally cut the cord.

The news comes on the heels of another disastrous rehab start for Kazmir for the Triple-A Salt Lake Bees on Tuesday, during which he gave up six runs and couldn't get out of the second inning.

Angels' GM Tony Reagins and former GM Bill Stoneman were on hand to witness Kazmir's latest start, and obviously the decision was made to finally release the struggling southpaw.

Kazmir struggled mightily in 2010, posting a 9-15 record with an American League-worst 5.94 ERA for pitchers registering at least 150 innings pitched.

During the offseason, at the Angels' request, Kazmir participated in rigorous conditioning at the Angels' complex in Arizona to work on rebuilding arm strength and improving flexibility.

He was largely ineffective in Spring Training, posting a 1-2 record, 6.65 ERA and walking 13 batters in 21.2 innings. In his only regular-season start on April 3 against the Kansas City Royals, Kazmir was absolutely abysmal, giving up five runs on five hits in 1 2/3 innings, walking two and hitting two batters.

The Angels placed him on the disabled list with what was then called a lower back sprain, and through five rehab starts, Kazmir was 0-5 with a 17.02 ERA.

There is no doubt this will go down as one of the worst acquisitions in Angels' history, having spent more than $20 million since trading for Kazmir in 2009 and having absolutely nothing to show for it. At just 27 years old, Kazmir's fall from the top of the left-handed heap is still a mystery, and while it is certainly understandable the Angels wanted to try to recoup some of their investment, it also remains clear that due diligence was NOT performed at the time of the trade.

The Angels are still on the hook for approximately $9.5 million, with Kazmir still due $7 million for the rest of 2011 and a $2.5 million contract buyout for 2012.

The question now remains, can Tony Reagins continue to survive in Anaheim himself?

Doug Mead is a featured columnist with Bleacher Report. His work has been featured on the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, SF Gate, CBS Sports, The Los Angeles Times and The Houston Chronicle. Follow Doug on Twitter, @Sports_A_Holic.