Edmonds’ Return Is Possible

Jim Abbott did it. So did Wally Joyner, Jack Howell and Dick Schofield. Could Jim Edmonds be the next player to begin his career in Anaheim, leave for a few years and come back, possibly finishing his career with the Angels?

“You know what they say,” veteran outfielder Tim Salmon said. “Once an Angel, always an Angel.”

Edmonds told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch on Tuesday he expects the Cardinals to spend $3 million to buy out his $10-million option for 2007, which would make the eight-time Gold Glove-winning center fielder a free agent.

The Angels could be in the market for a center fielder this winter, and because Edmonds will undergo off-season surgery to repair a partially torn rotator cuff and remove bone spurs in his right (non-throwing) shoulder, he could come at a more reasonable price.

At 36, Edmonds, who averaged 35 home runs and 98 runs batted in from 2000-2005 after being traded from Anaheim to St. Louis for Kent Bottenfield and Adam Kennedy, could be an attractive short-term fix before center fielders such as Vernon Wells and Torii Hunter hit the free-agent market after 2007.

“We’ve essentially heard nothing from the Cardinals, so we’re moving forward with a game plan,” said Paul Cohen, Edmonds’ agent. “We’ve made a list of 10-12 teams Jim would play for, and the Angels are one of them. He always loved playing there.”

Injuries have played a part in his subpar 2006 -- he’s batting .259 with 17 homers and 63 RBIs -- but Edmonds, a Diamond Bar native, is confident he’ll bounce back after surgery and would like to play two more years.

“If he’s healthy, as a guy who could come in and play defense ... holy cow, it doesn’t get any better than that,” Salmon said. “And he can hit a little. I’m sure he’d love to come back and play here.”

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Manager Mike Scioscia acknowledges he has some concerns about the physical well-being of young starters Jered Weaver and Joe Saunders as the season steams from August toward September.

Weaver, who threw a combined 100 2/3 innings in the minor leagues and the Arizona Fall League last year, has already amassed 142 1/3 innings between triple-A Salt Lake and Anaheim and has been dealing with a mild case of biceps tendinitis.

Saunders has thrown 155 2/3 innings between Salt Lake and Anaheim and by September will have soared past his career-high of 169 2/3 innings last season.

If either needs extra rest between games, Scioscia said he won’t hesitate pushing back their starts by a day or two.

But Scioscia said has no concerns about the mental well-being of the two pitchers, who will experience pennant-race pressure for the first time.

“There are some things that concern us, but youth is not one of them,” Scioscia said. “They’ve shown they’re going to make their pitches and not scare off. ... You’re never going to know until a guy gets in there, but they’ve shown they’re going to pitch their game, not be afraid of contact and go after guys with their best stuff.

“That bodes well for how they’re going to pitch in big games. Ervin Santana, John Lackey and Francisco Rodriguez have pitched remarkably well in big games, and we think Weaver and Saunders have the same makeup.”

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“Access Hollywood” is sending a crew tonight to interview Howie Kendrick about a recent play in Fenway Park, when he bumped into actor Ben Affleck while catching a foul ball.