McCaskill or Witt? One Is Out : Angels: Team has bait to trade for offense, but one veteran starting pitcher probably will go.

If Kirk McCaskill wins, he loses. Same for Mike Witt. As much as each would rejoice if he isn’t traded, each would be genuinely sorry to see the other go. And one of the two marketable right-handers is sure to be dealt in any move the Angels make to fortify their offense.

Their names were frequently mentioned in deals that never took place over the winter, but the opening of camp has brought about the re-opening of trade talks. However, with pitching an especially valuable commodity this spring--and rosters expanded from 24 to 27 until the end of April--they could get a reprieve, at least for a while. Inevitably, though, six starters will be one too many, and either McCaskill or Witt will have to leave his family and the new house he recently purchased.

“We talked about it once,” McCaskill said of the uncertainty he and Witt face. “Mike and I are good friends. I don’t want to go and I wouldn’t want to see Mike get traded, either. Mike’s helped me a lot in my career.”

Still, McCaskill knows both can’t stay.

“It wouldn’t be fair,” said McCaskill, who will be 29 next month and is almost a year younger than Witt. “I don’t think either one of us is relievers . . . Obviously, I want to stay with this team for a number of reasons. I’ve spent my whole career with the Angels and I’ve established roots in the community. This is a good club, with a good chance to win.”

Witt led the Angels in victories for five consecutive seasons before falling to 9-15 in 1989. Still, the Fullerton native became the first Angel to pitch more than 200 innings in six consecutive seasons, and he allowed only 26 walks, third in the American League behind Doyle Alexander and Charlie Hough.

The signings of Mark Langston and Mike Smithson and the acquisition of Scott Bailes loosened Witt’s hold on a starting spot.

Left-handers Langston and Chuck Finley are assured of starting spots, as are Bert Blyleven and 22-year-old Jim Abbott, who was 12-12 as a rookie last season. Smithson is slotted for long relief and occasional starts. McCaskill is coming off a season that in many ways was his best: He was 15-10 with a 2.93 earned-run average and four shutouts, which tied him for second in the AL.

McCaskill has had only three relief appearances in 133 games, most recently in 1987 after he underwent elbow surgery. Witt hasn’t appeared in relief since 1983, but split that season between the bullpen and the starting rotation. He was 3-3 in relief with five saves and a 3.48 ERA.

Like McCaskill, Witt has heard the trade rumors, and he has steeled himself to ignore them and focus on preparing for the season.

“I know what the reality is and what the numbers are,” he said Wednesday. “All I can do is get in shape and prepare to do my job, wherever it may be. I just can’t worry about it and I don’t. If that’s what they end up doing, I’ll take it as it comes.

“If the time comes, I’m sure I’ll sit and think about everything that’s happened in the last nine years. But I haven’t had the opportunity or the inclination to think about it.”

Manager Doug Rader intended to start the season with 11 pitchers but will instead keep 12 or 13 because starters may last only a few innings in their first few outings. Rather than regard his abundance of starters as a problem, he considers it a gift that gives him room to maneuver.

“Look at the Oakland A’s. What made them successful was the flexibility of their pitching staff because their pitchers were interchangeable,” Rader said. “Look at the (Super Bowl champion) 49ers: they had two top-flight quarterbacks. I know it’s a difficult situation for them to be in, but from my standpoint, I have to direct myself toward winning.

“Who’s to say Mike Witt’s not going to be a starter? It looks cut and dried right now, but it’s not. We have at least six healthy major league starters available and we need to figure out how to best utilize their talents instead of pigeonholing them.”

McCaskill hopes he’s not being utilized as trade bait.

“It’s hard to differentiate to what extent the Angels are trying to trade me and to what extent other clubs are asking about me,” he said. “They (Angel officials) don’t come up to me and say, ‘We’re trying to trade you.’ I talked to (pitching coach) Marcel Lachemann about it, because I just wanted to let him know I’m preparing to be part of this staff and I’m going about my business and I want to be part of this team.

“To be honest, I don’t think they should trade me. I think I can help this team by winning ballgames. But it’s not in my hands. I can’t control it.”