Angels Are Finding It Easier to Keep Everybody Happy : Baseball: Team is making long-term deals with top young players, avoiding acrimony and arbitration down the road while managing to stick to budget.

Bill Bavasi was kneeling on the asphalt in the Angels’ parking lot Friday morning, holding a screwdriver in his right hand and mumbling about his dilemma.

He discovered a malfunction in his left turn-signal Thursday night, but even after installing a new bulb, it still wouldn’t work.

“Can you believe it?” he said. “I pay out $15 million in contracts, but I can’t fix a 59-cent part.”

Perhaps no one will ever mistake him for Mr. Goodwrench, but in only two months since becoming general manager of the Angels, Bavasi has accomplished a modern-day miracle.

He has created the illusion the Angels are emptying their pockets, tossing away all of their budgetary constraints. But in truth, the Angels will have a payroll of about $19.2 million in guaranteed salaries for their projected opening-day roster, according to salary information obtained by The Times.

That is lowest projected payroll in the American League West and the Angels’ smallest total since 1990.

The payroll could rise by more than $5 million with incentives and award bonuses, but Bavasi has manipulated the budget in a way to make everyone satisfied. He has created a feeling of exhilaration among the players and a rejuvenated spirit among fans, while delighting ownership.

“One of the complaints of the past,” Angel President Richard Brown said, “is that the Angels are not taking actions conducive to winning the pennant.

“Well, the actions we have taken dispel any of those theories.

“It’s very clear that we’re no longer going to be happy just being competitive. We want to win the World Series. We want that brass ring, but it better not be brass, it better be gold.”

The Angels’ sudden optimism is the result of a suggestion by team attorney Mark Rosenthal in December that the club start offering multi-year contracts to their young stars. It would not only be more economical than negotiating year by year, but it would eliminate the uncertainty of arbitration.

“Baseball is the only business that I’m aware of that sets its budget,” Brown said, “before it knows its cost.

“And that is a prescription for disaster.”

The Angels combatted this Thursday by signing right fielder Tim Salmon to a four-year, $7.5-million contract, center fielder Chad Curtis to a three-year, $4.5-million contract and shortstop Gary DiSarcina to a three-year, $2.9-million contract.

“We’ve already established the fact that if you bust your butt, we’re bringing you to the big leagues,” Angel Manager Buck Rodgers said. “Now, we’re saying that if you produce for the California Angels, you’re going to be rewarded.”

The Angels, who helped reduce potential hostilities between players and management by hiring Rosenthal to negotiate contracts this winter, say that averting arbitration will further enhance relations.

“I always thought arbitration is very acrimonious to the environment you put the player in,” said Angel owner Jackie Autry, who stayed at the ballpark Thursday to approve the three contracts. “The (arbitration) system says that you have to tear down good players, and that’s not beneficial.”

Instead of lingering hostilities, the Angels embark upon this exhibition season as if they’re a more cohesive family than the Brady Bunch. No one berates ownership. No one criticizes the team’s direction. No one publicly wants out.

“Everyone’s excited about this whole thing,” Brown said, “but I don’t think anyone in the American League is going to be congratulating us.

“If I’m an American League owner or president, I would be awfully concerned about the Angels, because this is going to be a very, very good team for the next three or four years.”

* MONEY MATTERS

Incentives and award bonuses in player contracts could create a great flux in the Angels’ payroll. C22

* BO’S START JUST GRAND

Bo Jackson hit a grand slam in the Angels’ 7-6 victory over Colorado in their exhibition opener. C22