BOUND FOR ANAHEIM?; GLAUS ROLLING, COULD END UP IN MAJORS SOON.

Byline: Joe Haakenson San Gabriel Valley Tribune

Troy Glaus is ready. And waiting.

Glaus, the Angels No. 1 draft pick (third selection overall) in the 1997 draft, has shown the team he is ready for the big leagues. All Glaus needs now is an opening on the major-league roster.

The former UCLA shortstop, who has been converted to third base, began the season in Double-A Midland. There, he hit .309 with 19 homers and 51 RBI in 50 games. Now he's at Triple-A Vancouver, where he was hitting .258 with six homers and 18 RBI through his first 35 games.

While the Angels have been careful not to rush Glaus, his steady and swift progress has been impossible to ignore.

``I think it's easy to get excited about all the numbers he's put up, especially in the Texas League,'' said Jeff Parker, the Angels' director of player development. ``We have to remember, it's still only been a year since he came out of college. He's made a lot of progress, he's come a long way already. But we might be pushing it to say he'll play in Anaheim this year.''

However, Parker added: ``If something were to happen, we wouldn't hesitate to bring him up.''

That's where things get interesting. There are a couple of scenarios that could lead to Glaus' promotion.

The Tim Salmon factor. Salmon, who has a partially torn ligament in his left foot, is limited to DH duty. But the Angels are concerned that his foot could blow out at any time.

If that were to happen, the Angels could call up Glaus and move third baseman Dave Hollins to first base and first baseman Cecil Fielder to DH. Hollins and Fielder could alternate between first and DH.

The Hollins factor. The Angels have made it clear to other teams they'd like to trade Hollins, but so far have had trouble finding a taker. The Angels would like a pitcher in return for Hollins but might be forced into taking whatever they can get.

Angels general manager Bill Bavasi wouldn't speculate on a possible promotion of Glaus, saying only: ``As of today, right now, he's not ready. Tomorrow? Sure, anything can happen.''

While Bavasi prefers to be tight-lipped, there is no denying the club is thrilled with Glaus' development.

``He's playing excellent third base, he's making the plays on defense,'' Parker said. ``He's hitting with power, he's making the progress he's supposed to make. If he was in Anaheim right now, he'd strike out a lot, but he'd still hit his home runs. From a developmental standpoint, it's a no-brainer.''

Glaus has made his share of errors, particularly at Midland. But Parker said the minor-league staff realizes the condition of the infields in the Texas League are far from being major-league quality.

``I don't think his defense is holding him up, it's more a conservative developmental approach,'' Parker said.

The Angels, though, might have no other option than to promote Glaus, and it could come after the All-Star break.

``The cream is going to rise,'' Parker said. ``The timetable for each player is different. It's all in Billy's hands. We (minor-league staff) report what we know to Billy. (Glaus) is as far as we can take him.''

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PHOTO TROY GLAUS

The former UCLA star and Olympian has been impressive in his first season in the Angels' farm system. His statistics:

Midland (Double-A) 50 games: .309 batting avg., 19 HRs, 51 RBI.

Vancouver (Triple-A) 35 games: .258 avg., 6 HRs, 18 RBI

Note: Vancouver statistics through Thursday.