BASEBALL / DAILY REPORT : ANGELS : Team Is Still Trying to Help Flora

Hoping to beef up their bench production and at the same time find playing time for Kevin Flora, the Angels purchased the contract of infielder Carlos Martinez from triple-A Vancouver and designated Flora for assignment.

The Angels want to keep Flora, an infielder/outfielder, but they could lose him if another club claims him off waivers before the Monday deadline. The Angels hope teams will be busy trimming their rosters from 28 to 25 by Monday and will pass on Flora. They can’t option him to Vancouver because they are out of options.

Martinez, who plays first and third, batted .357 (15 for 42) in 10 games at Vancouver. Angel reserves were five for 55 (.091) before Wednesday’s game.

The Angels believe Flora will be best served by playing every day, which was not possible in Anaheim. He played in two games for the Angels, pinch-running once and pinch-hitting once.

Asked if the Angels feel a special relationship with Flora, who when his wife was killed in an auto accident in 1993 was given all the time off he needed to recover emotionally, General Manager Bill Bavasi said, “Yes, but it’s not dramatic enough that we’d do something stupid. Whatever we do, the rules will protect this guy.”

Flora hopes he remains with the organization, in large part because the Angels stuck by him during a difficult period.

“I want to pay them back for standing by me, which they didn’t have to do at all,” said Flora, who missed most of the past year and a half after his wife’s death. “If I clear waivers and go down (to Vancouver) and play every day, great. If I don’t, great.”

*

The Mark Langston-to-the-Yankees rumor mill has been cranked to full throttle with George Steinbrenner calling for his club to make the trade.

Meanwhile back in Anaheim, Bavasi continues to deny a deal is near.

“The reports are highly exaggerated,” Bavasi said. “I got three calls today (from general managers asking about possible trades) and none of them were about him.”

Langston said he wishes the rumors would stop.

*

Last season, Bavasi said he had few conversations with other clubs about trades until just before the July 31 trading deadline. This season, there has been an usual number of calls for so early in the season.

Langston, Chuck Finley and Lee Smith are among the names most frequently asked about.

And the least asked about?

“Tim Salmon,” Bavasi said. “Because he’s obviously not going anywhere.”