Angels Pay Langston $16 Million

The Angels have captured the biggest prize in this year’s free agent sweepstakes, signing Mark Langston to a five-year, $16-million contract, The Times learned today.

The deal will make the 29-year-old Langston baseball’s highest-paid player. He joined Kirby Puckett and Rickey Henderson, who signed earlier this month, as $3-million-a-year players.

Sources said the contract would probably be announced at 3 p.m. PST, about the time the Angels’ delegation was to arrive in Nashville, Tenn., for the start of baseball’s winter meetings.

Langston’s five-year contract, which includes a no-trade clause, is the longest pact since the mid-1980s. It is also the most guaranteed money ever, surpassing the minimum $13.6 million Dave Winfield was assured in his 10-year contract with the New York Yankees.

Langston, one of baseball’s best left-handed pitchers, played for Seattle and Montreal last season. He went 4-5 with a 3.56 earned run average for the Mariners and, after being traded for three young pitchers, was 12-9 with a 2.39 ERA for the Expos.

The Angels, Dodgers and New York Yankees were the finalists in the bidding, but Langston said he wanted to pitch for a Southern California team and the Angels’ offer included a no-trade provision, which he considered an added measure of security.

“I’m in a state of shock and as excited as you can get,” Langston said.

Arn Tellem, his agent, said: “They made the offer late last night, and we sort of agreed that it would be a deal. I told teams if you want to play, it has to be at least five years or I wouldn’t even be interested in talking.”

Langston was 16-14 last season with Montreal and Seattle. He has led the American League in strikeouts three times and his 2.39 earned-run-average last season was third-best in the National League.

Langston is Seattle’s all-time winner with a 74-67 since joining them in 1984. He did that despite pitching for a team that has never had a winning season.

Last winter, though, with free agency looming, the Mariners made him the prime subject of trade talks with the New York Mets and several other clubs.

The Expos finally got him on May 26 for Randy Johnson, Brian Holman and Gene Harris. Langston did well initially and helped the Expos move into first place in the National League East.

But National League batters, more accustomed to fastballs than their American League counterparts, eventually caught up with him. Langston was only 1-6 after August as the Expos faded and finished fourth at 81-81.

Montreal wanted to keep Langston but had no chance. The Expos were not able to spend enough money, or create a good enough situation, to keep the ace of the staff.