Multiyear Deals Shrink for Now

The multiyear contracts first baseman J.T. Snow, center fielder Jim Edmonds and reliever Troy Percival were expecting to sign Monday did not materialize. The deals are in a holding pattern while the Angels wait for their cloudy ownership picture to clear.

So, facing a Monday deadline to renew contracts of unsigned players, the Angels signed Snow ($700,000), Edmonds ($550,000), Percival ($330,000) and left fielder Garret Anderson ($250,000) to one-year deals.

But agents for Snow, Edmonds and Percival were given assurances that once the Walt Disney Co. assumes operational control of the team from the Autry family--a transfer that is expected to take place next week--the multiyear offers the players have agreed to would be restored.

Snow came to terms on a three-year, $6-million deal with a one-year option, Edmonds agreed to a four-year, $10-million deal with an option year, and Percival agreed to a four-year, $4-million deal with two option years. Anderson’s deal included an agreement to continue working toward a long-term contract.

The problem: Jackie Autry, Angel executive vice president, does not want to commit millions of dollars to players over the next three or four years for fear the Disney deal might fall through. Disney apparently doesn’t feel comfortable making such decisions until the transfer is official.

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Phil Leftwich’s start Monday against Oakland was cut short when A’s third baseman Jason Giambi lined a second-inning shot off the top of Leftwich’s right foot.

Giambi was out when the ball caromed right to Snow at first base, but so was Leftwich, who was taken to a doctor’s office for X-rays that revealed no broken bones.

“There’s some swelling and it will be sore for a few days, but I shouldn’t miss a start,” said Leftwich, who is battling for the fifth spot in the rotation. “I’m just glad nothing was broken. Something like that could set you back a month.”

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Anderson, Tim Wallach and Chris Turner homered Monday as the Angels beat the A’s, 6-3, and improved to 12-1-1 in Cactus League play. . . . With all their players signed, the Angels will have a payroll of about $26 million this season. . . . Pitcher Steve Ontiveros played long-toss and threw 40-50 pitches Monday, the first time the right-hander had thrown from a mound since he reinjured his elbow March 2. Ontiveros hopes to pitch his first spring-training inning later this week, but Manager Marcel Lachemann said there’s only a “50-50” chance he’ll be ready to start the season. . . . Closer Lee Smith, recovering from off-season knee surgery to repair a ruptured patella tendon, threw off the mound for the second consecutive day Monday and reported no problems. . . . Reserve shortstop Dick Schofield returned to the team Monday after spending a week at his Missouri home to tend to personal matters.