BASEBALL DAILY REPORT : Swindell Expected to Sign With Indians

The Angels tried to sign pitcher Greg Swindell Thursday but were told, “Thanks, but no thanks.” Swindell, a left-hander who cleared waivers after having been released by the Houston Astros on Tuesday, is on the verge of signing with the Cleveland Indians.

“The Angels made a nice, interesting pitch and I really like working with those guys,” said Alan Hendricks, Swindell’s agent. “But it’s just not a good fit right now. We’re going in another direction.”

Swindell, who played his first six seasons, 1986-91, with the Indians, worked out in Cleveland on Thursday, and Manager Mike Hargrove said, “We brought him here with every intention of signing him.” The pitching-rich Indians plan to use Swindell as a long reliever and spot starter.

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Not only will Angel pitcher Jason Grimsley have a chance this weekend to beat the team that traded him, he will have a shot at beating the player he was traded for. Grimsley will square off against Cleveland left-hander Brian Anderson on Sunday in Jacobs Field.

“That’ll be a first,” said Grimsley, acquired with pitcher Pep Harris for Anderson the day before spring training started in February. “But you can’t put extra emphasis on who’s on the mound for the other team. If you get caught in that trap, you run into problems.”

Grimsley said he bears the Indians no ill will.

“They treated me real well,” he said. “They have great starting pitching, especially all those right-handers, and I didn’t fit into the picture. That’s the nature of the game.”