Angels Now Comforted by Their Staff

A sense of doom hit Tim Mead in late December, and the Angel assistant general manager’s spirits sank like a Chuck Finley forkball.

Free-agent pitchers Finley and Jim Abbott were not signed, and there was growing concern the Angels might lose the left-handers. The free-agent pool was evaporating, and the chances of acquiring a top-notch right-handed starter dimmed each day.

In light of such developments, Mead was asked to project a possible rotation for 1996. His response at the time: “Mark Langston, Phil Leftwich, Brian Anderson, Scott Sanderson and Julio Valera.”

Now there’s a group that might contend in the West . . . the Big West.

“But I was dead serious,” Mead said. “There was definitely a cause for concern.”

Two months and a stunning four-year, $25.7-million commitment later, Mead’s mood has improved dramatically.

Angel pitchers and catchers begin spring workouts today, and both Finley, who signed a four-year, $18-million contract in January, and Abbott, who signed a three-year, $7.8-million deal a few days later, will be here.

So will right-hander Steve Ontiveros, a 1995 all-star whom the Angels snagged with a creative financing package that includes a $225,000 base salary and $607,000 in incentives.

Add Langston, and the Angels have a rotation that includes two 1995 all-stars (Finley and Ontiveros), a four-time all-star (Langston) and the pitcher with the American League’s ninth-best earned-run average in 1995 (Abbott).

With Seattle losing starters Andy Benes and Tim Belcher from a 1995 team that lost to Cleveland in the AL championship series, pitching depth might give the Angels a slight edge over the Mariners in the AL West.

“This is arguably one of the finest pitching staffs we’ve ever started spring training with,” said Mead, who believes this group compares favorably to the 1986 foursome of Mike Witt, Don Sutton, Kirk McCaskill and John Candelaria.

“You have guys who have pitched together for a long time, who have given us big games, who have been durable . . . and, with the exception of Ontiveros, have been devoid of major injuries.”

Ontiveros, who went 9-6 with a 4.37 ERA for Oakland last season, could be the key. When sound, he has been one of the league’s better pitchers, but he has been on the disabled list seven times in eight major league seasons and had surgery to remove a bone spur in his elbow in 1995.

Without Ontiveros, the rotation shifts from outstanding to above average. ‘You’re always going to have concerns,” Mead said, “but a healthy Ontiveros gives us four very established starters and gives our clubhouse a lot of confidence.”

Will the pitchers have that kind of confidence in their catcher, though? The Angels were unable to recharge the other end of their battery.

They ran out of money and couldn’t sign free-agent catchers Joe Oliver or Benito Santiago. That leaves Jorge Fabregas, an average defensive catcher with no power, recycled Angel veterans Ron Tingley and John Orton, weak hitters but better catchers, and rookie Todd Greene, the best hitter of the bunch but the weakest defensive player.

“I’d like to see us get a guy like [Oakland’s] Terry Steinbach, a proven catcher with some pop and leadership,” Finley said. “We have veteran pitchers who know how to handle themselves, but it’s tough to take total control of a game. You need some input from someone you can trust.”

Finley doesn’t see any more holes in the lineup. First baseman J.T. Snow, shortstop Gary DiSarcina, left fielder Garret Anderson and center fielder Jim Edmonds, who all had breakthrough years in ‘95, are back.

So is right fielder Tim Salmon, among the top 10 AL MVP vote-getters, and designated hitter Chili Davis. Randy Velarde, the free-agent acquisition from the New York Yankees, should boost the offense at second or third base.

Finley is also confident the Angels will suffer no ill effects from their 1995 collapse, when they blew an 11-game lead in early August and lost to Seattle in a one-game playoff for the West title.

“I look for us to be better than last year, because the guys have a better idea of what they need to do,” Finley said. “The front office did a great job putting this team together. There was some chaos up there, and a lot of guys could have moved on, but they came through.”