BASEBALL DAILY REPORT : ANGELS : Trade Talks With Mets Would Send Snow for Pitcher Anthony Young

The Angels, in a desperate search for a starting pitcher, are discussing a trade that would send first baseman J.T. Snow to the New York Mets for starter Anthony Young.

“We’ve talked to them, and he’s the type of guy we’d like to have,” Angel General Manager Bill Bavasi said, “but we don’t have anything done yet.

“We definitely want to get another starter, and to get one, we’ll have to go through some pain. We’re going to have to give up somebody that that we like.”

Snow, the principal player acquired in the Jim Abbott trade of a year ago, batted .241 with 16 homers and 57 RBIs during his rookie season. He’s considered expendable because of the play of Eduardo Perez, who had been projected to be the starting left fielder, but his tender elbow and deficiencies in the outfield now have the Angels believing he would be more suited at first base.

Perez, who’s batting .320 with eight RBIs this spring, also made two stellar defensive plays at first base Tuesday in the Angels’ 13-6 victory over the San Diego Padres.

“Obviously, there will be less wear and tear on the elbow at first base,” Angel Manager Buck Rodgers said, “so we’ve got to find out whether we need both of them in the lineup.”

“We’ve got to evaluate J.T., and decide whether to keep him, send him down, or we trade him.”

If the Angels trade Snow, they can keep rookie left fielder Jim Edmonds. It also would create more playing time for outfielders Bo Jackson and Dwight Smith.

Last season Young, 28, set the major league record for losing--27 consecutive games over two seasons. The streak ended July 28, and Young finished the season with a 1-16 record and 3.77 ERA.

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Second baseman Kevin Flora played in his first “A” game since suffering a strained right quadriceps March 6 and is the front-runner to be the Angels’ opening-day second baseman. . . . The Angels placed catcher Mike Fitzgerald on waivers for the purpose of giving him his unconditional release, and optioned left fielder Garret Anderson to triple-A Vancouver. Fitzgerald is expected to reject the Angels’ offer to be their backup catcher at triple-A Vancouver and is interested in a coaching career.