Angels’ Rite of Spring: Looking for a Deal

Pick an outfielder, any outfielder.

There’s a good chance the Angels are trying to trade for him right now.

As opening day draws nearer with Claudell Washington still the right fielder and Mike Witt still the No. 6 starter, the Angels are flooding the Valley of the Sun with trade rumors. Dave Winfield’s coming. No, Tom Brunansky. Scratch that, Vince Coleman.

The Angels have pitching to burn, and for power they yearn, so Mike Port gets to act like Crazy Eddie. Make him a deal. You got a spare Rob Deer? Let’s talk about it.

The footing can be treacherous, though, and Port, no doubt, would feel more comfortable in front of a Sharper Image catalog. There are pluses and minuses to consider, reservations about limitations, and the real trick at hand is getting your money’s worth. Or your Witt’s worth.

A consumer’s guide to the latest names making the rounds:

Ellis Burks

Why: Because it doesn’t look like Devon White’s going to be the Next Ellis Burks. The original is a legitimate 30-30 threat, capable of batting .300, driving in 100 runs and winning Gold Gloves in center field. His addition would mean moving White back to right--White’s position as a rookie--which might rate an improvement over the 1988 center field/right field tandem of Chico Walker and Chili Davis.

Why not: The price tag. Last spring, Boston general manager Lou Gorman dangled Wade Boggs in front of Port, asking only for Chuck Finley, Jack Howell and a cast of dozens in return. Boggs bats .330, but he’s also 31, slow afoot and a spray hitter with negligible power. Burks is 25 and can do everything. Port might not be in the mood to part with Mark Langston and Jim Abbott.

Von Hayes

Why: He can play all three outfield positions plus first and third base--Doug Rader’s on this versatility kick--and he does exactly what the Angels want: produce runs. Hayes accounted for 145 of them in 1989, third in the National League behind Kevin Mitchell and Lonnie Smith. He also stole 28 bases and walked 101 times, or 70 times more than the Angels’ White.

Why not: You’re paying for the label. With Mike Schmidt gone, Hayes is the marquee name in Philadelphia--The Franchise, or whatever’s left of it. The Phillies won’t let him go for anything short of a windfall, considering that they spent five players to get him in 1982.

Tom Brunansky

Why: He knows the area. Brunansky broke in as an Angel before his infamous trade to Minnesota for Doug (That Ball’s in Orbit) Corbett. Since then, Brunansky has won a World Series, switched leagues and hit 20 or more home runs for eight consecutive seasons. Cal Ripken, Dwight Evans and Dale Murphy are the only others who can match that home run streak. Brunansky also plays a strong right field, plays for a team looking to trade an outfielder and punches the clock for 150 games and 85 RBIs every season.

Why not: Unfortunately, he also punches in between .240 and .250 most seasons. And, he’s streaky--dangerous on a team that did absolutely nothing in moderation in 1989.

Vince Coleman

Why: He used to be the National League’s answer to Rickey Henderson, one-time stealer of 326 bases from 1985 through 1987. He’s still the reigning league champion in that department and he bats leadoff, which means White wouldn’t have to. And, St. Louis isn’t averse to the idea of moving him.

Why not: Because St. Louis isn’t averse to the idea of moving him. Coleman’s stolen base totals have slipped from 109 to 81 to 65 the past three seasons and last year, he totaled but 32 extra-base hits and 28 RBIs while batting .254. His arm also limits him to left field, which would mean shifting Chili back to right, which is no solution at all.

Dave Winfield

Why: Career totals of .287, 357 home runs and 1,438 RBIs. A .322 average, 25 homers and 107 RBIs in his last full season. A longstanding friendship with Port, dating back to their years in San Diego, and a longstanding feud with George Steinbrenner, his current employer.

Why not: His most recent full season was 1988. He didn’t play an inning in 1989 after undergoing back surgery in the spring. He’s 38. Knowing the Angels’ history with this sort of thing, do we need to know more?

Lenny Dykstra

Why: He can bat leadoff and he can lead by example. With the Mets, Dykstra ran into fences, dove on the warning track and hit four home runs in 20 postseason games. With the Angels, that kind of performance would be described in one word. New.

Why not: Once Dykstra realized he’d been traded from the Mets to the Phillies last season--it took about a month to sink in--he decided to blend into the scenery. He batted .203 after the All-Star break and drew criticism for playing out the last month at half-speed. The Angels already have players who can do that.

Rob Deer

Why: Home runs. Deer hits them, at a clip of 27.5 per season, and hits them to any field. Over the same four-year span, Deer has averaged 79 RBIs. He also plays a deceptively efficient right field, his strong throwing arm accounting for 10 assists in 1989.

Why not: Strikeouts. The Angels had 1,011 last season to lead all American League teams. Deer had 158 to place second among all American League players. Adding fuel to this fire is not a winning idea.

Best Buy?

Brunansky. He isn’t the perfect fit, but he’s probably the most feasible. Brunansky won’t bat leadoff or hit for average, but he will play right field, play it every day and drive in runs. He’s also 29 and not coming off back surgery.

St. Louis, too, needs pitching. Brunansky and Witt used to be roommates. Now they could be paired in another way, filling the different needs of different teams in different leagues. You could call it room service.