Angels’ Vernon Wells to Yankees? Probably not

TEMPE, Ariz. — The most interesting spring development regarding the Angels on Sunday happened in Florida, where Curtis Granderson of the New York Yankees suffered a broken arm.

Granderson is not expected to return until May, so might the Yankees fill the void by taking Vernon Wells off the Angels’ hands?

Probably not. However, Wells was well aware of the Granderson injury by the time he spoke with reporters midway through the Angels’ Cactus League game against the Oakland Athletics.

Wells reached base in each of his two plate appearances, once on an infield single and the other on an error, but he was more than ready to assess the impact of the Granderson injury.

“It just stinks for them. It has nothing to do with me,” Wells said. “I’m wearing an Angels uniform. I want to win in this uniform.

“It’s going to be a tough one for them. They always find a way to work around injuries.”

If the Angels did not owe Wells $42 million over the next two seasons, and if the Yankees were not on an austerity kick for 2014, there might be a match. But the Angels are not likely to pay off enough of that $42 million to interest the Yankees, particularly with Wells as the only experienced protection against an injury to a starting outfielder or a lack of offense from center fielder Peter Bourjos.

The Yankees could use a right-handed bat to complement starting outfielders Granderson, Brett Gardner and Ichiro Suzuki. But the Yankees have former Angels and Dodgers outfielder Juan Rivera in camp on a minor league contract, and the performances of Wells and Rivera last season were comparable. Wells, 34, hit .230 with 11 home runs and a .682 OPS in 77 games. Rivera, 34, hit .244 with nine home runs and a .661 OPS in 109 games.

Virtually every injury to an outfielder on a contending team this spring will trigger speculation about Wells. He says he monitors trade rumors, but not too closely.

“If you can tell me what’s going to happen April 1, you have the wrong job,” Wells said.

Wells, a three-time All-Star with the Toronto Blue Jays, has earned a bench spot by hitting .222 in two years with the Angels.

“I put myself in this position,” he said. “I had a rough couple years. Everybody loves a comeback story. I’m going to work for one.”

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