ANGELS : Bavasi Will Protect Stand-Ins

Angel General Manager Bill Bavasi Wednesday issued a stern warning to any of the team’s major leaguers who intend to harass replacement players, either during the baseball strike or after it is settled.

“There’s not one major league player who will decide where replacement players fit on the food chain,” said Bavasi, who is in his second year as the Angels’ general manager. “We are not going to tolerate any disruptions in our clubhouse.

“I have no problems with them holding some type of union activity, but they’re not going to cause any harm to these guys. And if any of these (replacements) go back to the minor leagues, they will not suffer. We’re not going to turn our backs on these guys.”

Bavasi has said he considers about 11 of the 47 players in Angel camp to be prospects, and when the strike is settled, he hopes to make room in the organization for as many replacements as possible.

Several major leaguers have threatened replacement players this spring, some as specific as New York Mets’ reliever John Franco, who said he would throw at a replacement if given the chance, some as subtle as Angel pitcher Mark Langston, who said replacements “should be as far away from the game as possible” when the strike is settled.

“I don’t know how they’re going to (harass replacements), but they’re not going to do it in our clubhouse,” Bavasi said. “We have work to do, and we’re not going to let petty jealousies get in the way of that.”

And what would Bavasi do if he found out a major leaguer was harassing a replacement?

“Suspension, fines, we’d take it to the limit, whatever is available,” Bavasi said. “I’ll take it as high as I can. We’ll probably have some (union) grievances, but that’s why we have lawyers.”

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Mike Schooler, a former standout in the Seattle Mariner bullpen, came looking for a job Wednesday at Temple Diablo Stadium. And, after impressing Angel management and the coaching staff with a postgame workout, he probably landed one. The Angels are expected to offer him a minor-league contract today.

A right-hander from Garden Grove High and Cal State Fullerton, Schooler had 33 saves and a 2.81 earned-run average in 1989 and 30 saves and a 2.25 ERA in 1990. Out of baseball since being released last June by the San Diego Padres after a stint at double-A Wichita, Schooler has been troubled by a shoulder injury since 1990.

“My shoulder basically popped out of the socket (in late 1990) at Kansas City,” said Schooler, who did not require surgery but was told he needed to strengthen the muscles around his shoulder.

“I threw a fastball to Willie Wilson. The next pitch was a slider and my arm felt like it crossed the plate with the ball.”

Schooler isn’t sure he would play in regular-season replacement games, but didn’t see any problem with pitching in exhibition games.

Times staff writer Elliott Teaford contributed to this story