Angels Hope to Sign Reliever Lee Smith

The Angels have prepared a two-year contract offer for free-agent relief pitcher Lee Smith and hope to sign him within 10 days.

“It’s very possible we could come to an agreement soon,” Brian David, Smith’s agent, said Thursday. “We’ve been moving in a hurry.”

The Angels, originally considered longshots in the bidding for Smith’s services, are said to be willing to offer Smith a two-year guaranteed contract that would pay a base salary of about $2 million a year, plus incentives and award bonuses.

Tim Mead, Angel assistant general manager, who’s negotiating the deal with David, declined to confirm or deny the offer.

Smith earned a major league-leading 33 saves for the Baltimore Orioles last season and was on pace for his fourth consecutive 40-plus save season until the strike was called Aug. 12. Smith, 37, is baseball’s all-time save leader and has posted at least 29 saves in 11 of the last 12 seasons.