ANGELS UPDATE: TROY AS TRADE BAIT?

Byline: Joe Haakenson Staff Writer

ANAHEIM - While rumors regarding the possible sale of the team swirl around them, the Angels are trying to go about their business to improve the team for next season.

The Walt Disney Co.'s search for a new owner, as well as the unsettled labor situation and the possibility of contraction, have left the Angels' management to operate under unusual circumstances. Though he won't acknowledge it publicly, it seems general manager Bill Stoneman's hands are tied financially, limiting the club's ability to sign the top-notch starting pitcher it so desperately needs.

But there are other ways to acquire help, and Stoneman admitted the chances of fulfilling the team's needs via trade are more likely. The Angels didn't have a whole lot to offer in exchange for pitching, but that was before closer Troy Percival's blow-up at the end of the season.

Percival is signed for next season and will make $5.25 million, but he will be a free agent after the season and has said he wants out. The reason? Percival was upset that details of negotiations on a contract extension were leaked by Angels management late in the season. Sources close to the situation said club president Tony Tavares was the leak, though he has denied it.

Though the season has been over for the Angels for six weeks, Percival's stance has not softened.

``I've talked to Troy three or four times this winter and he still feels the same as he did at the end of the year,'' Angels manager Mike Scioscia said.

With a good chance the Angels could lose Percival after the season and get nothing in return, it stands to reason the club would listen seriously to offers for the hard-throwing right-hander. Percival saved 39 games in 42 opportunities in 2001 and is considered among the top three or four closers in the game.

There are plenty of teams interested, including St. Louis, the New York Mets, Texas, Arizona and Oakland. The Dodgers also have expressed interest, but a source said talks between the two teams ended recently when the Dodgers deemed the Angels' asking price too high.

Stoneman does not talk about negotiations with other clubs and specifically will not answer questions about Percival, because showing a willingness to trade him would hurt the club's leverage.

``Every team wants a closer and a few teams are looking for a closer,'' Stoneman said. ``But I'm not going to overreact about the stuff that popped out last season. I'm planning to have Troy back next year. He's a key part of the club.''

Of course, Stoneman said the same thing about center fielder Jim Edmonds in the spring of 2000, only days before trading him.

Trading Percival seems to be the Angels' best bait for getting a quality starter, especially since Stoneman is not high on the free-agent pitchers available.

``When you look at the free-agent pitchers, really, how many out there are better than our three core starting pitchers?'' Stoneman said, referring to Ramon Ortiz, Jarrod Washburn and Scott Schoeneweis. ``There's a pretty limited field out there.''

There are quality pitchers available, such as Chan Ho Park and Jason Schmidt, but they probably are out of the Angels' price range.

Stoneman will leave Sunday for Boston and next week's annual winter meetings. Things are expected to start happening then and the Angels have needs beyond pitching. After a dismal season offensively last year, the team also would like to add a bat.

The Angels have flexibility because they can acquire either an outfielder, a first baseman or a designated hitter since they can move Darin Erstad from the outfield to first base, and move Mo Vaughn from first base to DH.

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The Angels could end up trading unhappy closer Troy Percival in exchange for a starting pitcher, something the team desperately needs.

Eric Risberg/Associated Press