ANGELS UPDATE: ANGELS GLAD TO RE-SIGN BRAD.

Byline: Gabe Lacques Staff Writer

The Angels ensured their World Series-winning lineup will return virtually intact when they signed designated hitter Brad Fullmer on Monday to a one-year contract worth $1 million.

Fullmer hit .289 with 19 home runs and 59 RBI in 116 starts in 2002. He wanted to return this season, and the Angels wanted him back. But general manager Bill Stoneman took a calculated risk when he did not tender a contract offer to the arbitration-eligible Fullmer by Dec. 20, making him a free agent.

That risk paid off when the market became glutted with free-agent designated hitters and first basemen. Stoneman said the Angels had conversations with several free agents, including former Detroit Tiger and Cal State Northridge player Robert Fick.

But Fick signed a one-year, $1 million deal with the Atlanta Braves late Sunday; he will be their starting first baseman. At the same time, the Angels were putting together their deal with Fullmer, which was finalized Monday and also is believed to be worth $1 million.

Fullmer, who was traveling from Anaheim to his offseason home in Nevada, was not available for comment, and the team did not release details of the contract.

It's believed Fullmer signed for considerably less than the $3.75 million he made in 2002; he could have commanded as much as $5 million through arbitration, so Stoneman's decision not to tender him a contract offer saved the team money and ensured it will fit into the roughly $82 million payroll Disney has approved for this season.

``Everything you do in this business is a risk,'' Stoneman said. ``We knew at the time we decided not to tender, there were players out there who expressed a desire to come to the Angels. I'm not sure how much of a risk it was, because there were a lot of players out there before Dec. 20, and more after Dec. 20.''

Fullmer, a Montclair Prep of Panorama City graduate, and Fick appear to be victims of the ``market correction'' that owners hoped would occur in the wake of last summer's new labor agreement. Fick, who's entering the prime of his career, took a pay cut from his '02 salary of $1.15 million to join the Braves.

The Angels had several options to fill the designated-hitter slot and the two reserve outfield spots vacated by free agents Alex Ochoa and Orlando Palmeiro. And they could have signed a front-line outfielder and relegated right fielder Tim Salmon to the DH spot more often.

But those options dwindled when outfielder Chris Singleton signed with Oakland, leaving players such as former Dodger Todd Hollandsworth, former Angel Ron Gant and veteran left-handed hitter John Vander Wal on the market.

Eventually, the Angels signed free agent Eric Owens to fill one of the bench spots and then moved on Fullmer.

``Without landing on one guy, we did open it up with a number of other players,'' said Stoneman, who said the decision not to tender Fullmer a contract was purely economic. ``In the end, we decided to go after Brad. He was part of last year's club, he's a good offensive player, an aggressive player. When you add it up, other players we talked to had pluses and minuses.''

Fullmer will turn 28 on Jan. 17, which is the one-year anniversary of his acquisition from the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for Brian Cooper. Fullmer is eligible for free agency after this season.

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BRAD FULLMER

The Angels' DH will be back with the world champions after signing a one-year contract.