Harvey Returns to Angels : Baseball: Relief pitcher, rehabilitating from arm surgery, signs one-year, $500,000 contract.

Bryan Harvey, the relief pitcher the Angels let go in 1992, returned Wednesday, signing a one-year contract with the team.

Harvey, 32, signed a major league contract for $500,000, but could receive as much as $1.75 million more in bonuses. The base salary is guaranteed, pending a physical in January. Harvey underwent reconstructive elbow surgery on May 3.

“I’m not sure he can pitch this evening, but I think he will be ready by opening day or soon after,” General Manager Bill Bavasi said.

Harvey, who played for the Angels from 1988-92, has 177 career saves. But Bavasi said he will be used as a middle reliever. Lee Smith will remain the team’s closer and Troy Percival the late-inning setup man.

Smith saved 37 games in 1995. Percival was 3-2 with three saves and a 1.95 earned-run average.

“It’s going to be a little different for me,” Harvey said. “The game won’t be over when I get three outs. Coming in in the seventh inning, the game will still be on the line.

“I just want to be healthy. I don’t care what I will be doing.”

Harvey pitched in one game last season, facing three batters. A examination determined he had a torn ligament in his forearm. He underwent a surgical procedure similar to the one that saved Tommy John’s career in 1974.

It was Harvey’s third arm operation. He had bone chips removed in 1992 and a bone spur removed in 1994.

Harvey began rehabilitation in November but has thrown only fastballs. He said he will begin throwing his forkball in January. He has been throwing, to a catcher and against his barn, at his farm in North Carolina.

“Right now I’m 80 to 85%,” said Harvey, who has pitched in only 13 games the last two seasons. “There were no delays or setbacks with the rehabilitation. Everything is coming back on schedule. Everything feels good.”

The Florida Marlins were unwilling to take a chance and did not offer him salary arbitration.

Harvey considered offers from other teams, but leaned toward the Angels because of Manager Marcel Lachemann, who was the Angels’ pitching coach on Harvey’s previous tour with the team. In 1993, Harvey rejoined Lachemann, who was the Marlins’ pitching coach before being named Angel manager in 1994.

The two kept in contact last summer, when Harvey was injured.

When he was healthy, Harvey was one of baseball’s top relievers. He saved an Angel team-record 46 games in 1991 and was named American League co-fireman of the year. But the Angels left him exposed to the expansion draft after the 1992 season. Team president Richard Brown said there were concerns about Harvey’s arm. He also said they were looking to unload his three-year, $11.25-million contract.

Harvey returns during another era of Angel fiscal responsibility.

The Angels must sign starters Chuck Finley and Jim Abbott by Jan. 8 or risk losing them to free agency. But Angel officials are still awaiting approval of Disney’s purchase of 25% of the team. Until then, they are obligated to keep the team’s payroll to the approximately $25 million it was when the deal was consummated in May.

That has limited Bavasi to smaller maneuvers, such as that for Harvey, who is the fourth former Angel to be signed in the last month. The team previously signed third baseman Jack Howell, shortstop Dick Schofield and catcher Ron Tingley to minor league contracts. They also signed former Dodger third baseman Tim Wallach, but only $50,000 of his $400,000 contract is guaranteed.

Harvey’s contract is incentive-heavy. He will receive a $300,000 bonus if he is active all season. He could receive $150,000 for 30 appearances, another $200,000 for 35, 40 and 45 games and $300,000 for 50 games. He also could receive $200,000 for appearing in 20 games before the All-Star break, $200,000 for appearing in 25 afterward.

Notes

By the 9 p.m. deadline Wednesday, there were only five high-profile players who were neither signed nor tendered contracts: Oriole pitcher Ben McDonald, Cub third baseman Todd Zeile, Dodger starter Kevin Tapani, Red catcher Benito Santiago and the Giants’ Deion Sanders.

The Padres are involved in talks to acquire Royal first baseman Wally Joyner and his $5-million contract for Bip Roberts, but the club has also offered free-agent outfielder Ron Gant a three-year $15 million deal. . . . The Orioles, who signed infielder B.J. Surhoff to a three-year, $3.7-million contract, are confident they’ll sign free-agent second baseman Roberto Alomar and free-agent pitcher David Cone--which will cost about $12 million alone in annual salary. . . . The Boston Red Sox made offers to free-agent pitchers Tom Gordon and Andy Benes.

Times staff writer Bob Nightengale contributed to this story.