ANGELS : Gaetti Is Free to Seek Own Trade

Veteran infielder Gary Gaetti, who appears to be relegated to the bench this season, said Friday that he has received permission by the Angels to seek his own trade.

Agent Jim Bronner said he had requested that the Angels trade Gaetti and was told that he could contact teams directly to assist in a trade.

“We’ve already talked to some teams that have a specific need,” Bronner said. “And they told us they have interest. They’re planning to watch Gary this spring, and if he has a good spring, I would think he’d be traded.”

The Angels, who are obligated to pay Gaetti $6 million on the remainder of his $11.4-million contract over the next two seasons, said they would be willing to pay a portion of his contract.

“Right now we haven’t been tempted by anybody,” said Dan O’Brien, vice president of baseball operations, “because there has been no interest.”

Gaetti batted a career-low .226 last season with 12 homers and 79 runs batted in.

It appears he has lost any chance of starting this season because of the off-season acquisitions of designated hitter Chili Davis and first baseman J.T. Snow. Although third baseman Kelly Gruber is sidelined because of rotator-cuff surgery, Rene Gonzales has been declared the starting third baseman.

“It’s frustrating right now,” Gaetti, 34, said. “And I’m not sure if I have anyplace to go. I’m in a position where I make too much money to be traded. And teams are not going to be giving up talent for a player that they wonder can still play.”

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Angel President Richard Brown said he knew the Florida Marlins would select bullpen stopper Bryan Harvey in the expansion draft and was relieved to eliminate Harvey’s salary from the club payroll.

Harvey, who underwent elbow surgery last season, is guaranteed $11.25 million over the next three seasons.

“He wasn’t put out there with us hoping he wouldn’t be taken,” Brown said. “We knew he’d be gone. We let Bryan Harvey go because he has an ‘iffy’ arm.

“He’s got three years left on a contract for big bucks, and we were pretty well convinced he’s not healthy.”

Brown said he was convinced that the Marlins would draft Harvey because pitching coach Marcel Lachemann left the Angels to join the Marlins in the off-season.

“Marcel knows our organization better than anyone,” Brown said. “But we also know Marcel.”

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Rookie first baseman Snow, one of three players acquired by the Angels in the Jim Abbott trade, signed a one-year contract worth $110,000.