BASEBALL DAILY REPORT : ANGELS : Pitcher Wanted, Smith Offered

The Angels are close to trading left fielder Dwight Smith to the Baltimore Orioles for left-handed reliever Brad Pennington, according to highly placed sources.

The Angels and Orioles confirmed they have talked seriously the past few days, but the Angels declined to comment publicly.

The Angels have been attempting to trade Smith for weeks, according to several clubs, but the Orioles expressed serious interest only this week, offering a pitcher the Angels covet.

If the trade is made, the Angels will move Jim Edmonds to left field to platoon with Bo Jackson. They then would call up J.T. Snow from triple-A Vancouver to let him be the everyday first baseman, or have him platoon with Eduardo Perez.

Smith is batting .270 (before Wednesday) with four homers and 17 runs batted in. Although he is a valuable hitter and popular in the clubhouse, the Angels consider him a defensive liability.

Pennington, 25, is 6 feet 5 and capable of throwing 95 m.p.h. He was 0-1 with a 12.00 ERA this season when he was optioned April 25 to triple-A Rochester, one day after yielding a three-run homer to Seattle outfielder Ken Griffey Jr.

The trade also would reduce the Angel payroll. Smith earns a base salary of $700,000; Pennington earns $130,000.

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The Angels confirmed Wednesday that John Farrell will get one more start before they decide on his future. Farrell, 1-2 with a 9.00 ERA, probably will start sometime next week, although Manager Marcel Lachemann said it’s still possible that Farrell could start Sunday.

“There are so many good things about John Farrell,” Lachemann said, “you just can’t give up on him.”

Lachemann said it’s possible Farrell could be a reliever before his next start, but no decision has been made.

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The Angels turned down Cleveland’s request for an Aug. 15 makeup date, and now will play a doubleheader Sept. 2 in Cleveland to make up for Tuesday’s rainout. Cleveland now will have five doubleheaders in the second half of the season.

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Angel reliever Scott Lewis underwent a magnetic resonance imaging test Wednesday on his sore shoulder, and will undergo a bone scan today. The Angels fear the injury could keep him out past the all-star break.