Only the Final Details of TV Deal Remain

Owner Arte Moreno said Thursday that the Angels’ new 10-year television deal with Fox Sports Net, which could be worth as much as $500 million, is “a done deal” except for some final paperwork and details.

The deal, which is expected to double the Angels’ average annual local broadcast revenue, is for 150 games a year, but FSN West will televise only 100 to 110 of those games. Under terms of the agreement, Fox has the right to sell up to 50 games a year to another station -- probably Channel 13 or Channel 5.

The over-the-air telecasts will enable the Angels to reach the estimated 10% to 12% of Southern California households without cable or satellite television.

Moreno had hired a consultant and a New York investment banker to explore the possibility of starting a cable television network, much like the New York Yankees have. But after meeting with FSN officials, Moreno abandoned those plans.

“Our belief was that they’re in the TV business and we’re in the baseball business,” Moreno said. “I didn’t want to be in a situation where seven or eight years down the line we didn’t have a deal that was good for the organization all the way through.”

The FSN deal “puts us in the upper-echelon of teams for revenue, which was one of the missing pieces,” Moreno said. “When I [bought the team] in 2003 we had 90 games on TV and $12.5 million in revenue, so we’ve come a long way. We’re in the No. 2 media market in the country. We’ve got to act like it.”

The boost in broadcast revenue, combined with surging attendance -- the Angels maxed out at 30,000 season tickets sold this season and expect to surpass last year’s 3.4-million attendance mark -- should keep the team competitive in the market for high-priced talent.

“We want to compete for a championship every year,” Moreno said.

But Moreno won’t do it at the risk of damaging the overall health of the organization. He remains committed to the Angels’ strong farm system and reiterated that the Angels would not meet the Boston Red Sox’s extremely high asking price for slugger Manny Ramirez, who is due $57 million over the next three years.

“We’re not ready to gut the organization to bring in one superstar,” Moreno said. “We’re just not going to do it.”

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Brandon Wood, the Angels’ top prospect who batted .321 with 43 home runs and 115 runs batted in at Class-A Rancho Cucamonga last season, hasn’t arrived for his first big league camp yet, but when the 20-year-old shortstop does, he’ll be in for a surprise.

Most of the minor leaguers are put on opposite sides of the clubhouse from the big leaguers, but Wood’s locker is right between those of Vladimir Guerrero and Darin Erstad.

Are the Angels sending Wood a message?

“Let me see,” veteran Tim Salmon said, “we want you to hit like Vladdy and have the game face of Ersty.”

Equipment manager Ken Higdon said after organizing the clubhouse the way he usually does, in clusters by position and seniority, the locker between Guerrero and Erstad was the only one left for Wood. Not that Manager Mike Scioscia minded.

“I guess he’s up with the big boys,” Scioscia said. “I kind of like it.”

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With the renovation and expansion of the Angels’ spring-training complex nearly complete, Moreno says the project will come in between $2 million and $5 million over the $20-million budget. The city of Tempe and the Arizona Tourism and Sports Authority contributed $20 million. Any cost overruns come out of Moreno’s pocket.... Closer Francisco Rodriguez did not join the Angels for workouts and will not report to camp for a couple of days so he can travel to Cuba to accompany an aunt who is undergoing major surgery.... Pitcher Kelvim Escobar, who missed most of 2005 because of arm injuries, threw a bullpen session but was held out of fielding drills because of tendinitis in his knee.