BASEBALL DAILY REPORT : AROUND THE MAJOR LEAGUES : Rumors Swirl About Angels and Tapani

Although Tim Mead, the Angels’ assistant general manager, said the team has not had serious discussions with Minnesota, rumors persist that they are trying to deal for right-handed pitcher Kevin Tapani.

DiSarcina hopes the rumors are true. The Angels have spent most of the first half atop the A.L. West, but there are concerns that their pitching is too thin.

“You don’t want to give away an Andrew Lorraine [triple-A pitcher] or a Todd Greene [double-A catcher], but at the same time, we have a serious chance to win, and it’s pretty obvious the team needs to make a move,” DiSarcina said. “If we can acquire a front-line starting pitcher it’s going to take a lot of pressure off Chuck and Mark [Langston].”

General Manager Bill Bavasi said it’s doubtful the Angels can trade for the big-money, big-name pitchers believed to be available, such as Toronto Blue Jay right-hander David Cone and New York Met right-hander Bret Saberhagen. Tapani is no bargain, either, making $3.5 million a year.

“But who knows? They might surprise us,” DiSarcina said. “We can’t sit around wishing, wanting a Cone or Saberhagen. We have to work with what we have now. But adding another pitcher would definitely solidify our chances of winning.”

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Darryl Strawberry, taking another step toward the major leagues, will report to the New York Yankees’ triple-A affiliate in Columbus, Ohio today.

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The woman charged with threatening to kill Toronto second baseman Roberto Alomar will undergo further psychiatric assessment to determine whether she is fit to stand trial.

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The Philadelphia Phillies claimed pitcher Omar Olivares off waivers from the Colorado Rockies. . . . Sid Fernandez will sign with the Cincinnati Reds or the Philadelphia Phillies possibly as early as Thursday, his agent, Tom Selakovich, said. . . . The Chicago Cubs placed catcher Scott Servais on the 15-day disabled list and promoted catcher Mike Hubbard from Triple-A Iowa.

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As expected, baseball officials amended their speedup rules and pushed back the start of the changes to July 28, acting commissioner Bud Selig announced.