Who’s on Second for Angels? Spike Owen

It hardly will make the Angels contenders, and it was far from the blockbuster trade discussed with the New York Yankees, but the Angels finally found themselves a second baseman.

They hope.

Spike Owen, who signed a three-year, $7-million free-agent contract with the Yankees a year ago, was traded Thursday to the Angels for minor league reliever Jose Musset.

There is a provision that requires the Yankees to pay the Angels about $3.25 million of the remaining two years of Owen’s contract, according to sources, leaving the Angels responsible for $1 million. The Yankees will pay $500,000 of his $1-million contract in 1994 and about $2.75 million of his $3.25 million in 1995.

Owen, 32, has played only shortstop in his 11-year career. The Angels plan to start him at second, move second baseman Damion Easley to third and third baseman Eduardo Perez to left field. That will provide time to get triple-A second baseman Kevin Flora ready.

“I haven’t played second base since, geez, my freshman year in high school, but there’s no doubt in my mind I can do it,” Owen said.

General Manager Whitey Herzog has been trying to get a second baseman from the Yankees since the World Series. The Angels sought Andy Stankiewicz, would have preferred Mike Gallego and talked about a major trade involving starting pitcher Mark Langston, only to wind up with Owen.

Owen, who played 2 1/2 seasons for Angel Manager Buck Rodgers in Montreal, is considered a hard-nosed, team-oriented player with diminishing skills. He batted only .234 last season with two homers and 20 runs batted in and lost his starting job in July.

Musset, 25, who saved 21 games but had a 5.49 earned-run average at double-A Midland, is labeled by scouts as a marginal prospect.