Angels Trade Davis for Pitcher Gubicza

The Angels began their winter renovation project--the one involving the team, not the stadium, uniforms or cheerleaders--by trading designated hitter Chili Davis to the Kansas City Royals Monday for veteran pitcher Mark Gubicza and double-A pitcher Mike Bovee.

The team also has narrowed its search for a manager, bringing Baltimore Oriole batting instructor Rick Down, former Houston Astro Manager Terry Collins and former New York Met third-base coach Mike Cubbage back for second interviews.

All three candidates met this past week with Angel President Tony Tavares, as did former Cincinnati and Detroit Manager Sparky Anderson, who bypassed the initial interview process with Angel executives and proceeded directly to Tavares, the Disney Sports Enterprises president.

Atlanta third-base coach Jimy Williams will be interviewed Wednesday or Thursday, and the Angels could have a new manager by the end of this week or early next week.

The hiring of a manager has been the Angels’ No. 1 priority, but they still found time to swing a deal that won’t vault the team into playoff contention but has good long-term implications for the franchise.

Gubicza, a 34-year-old right-hander, is a two-time American League all-star whose career has been marred by injuries the last six years--he missed half of the 1990 season because of a partial tear of his rotator cuff, half of 1992 because of shoulder inflammation and half of 1996 because of a broken leg.

Gubicza isn’t an ace. But the Angels didn’t acquire Gubicza with visions of the 6-foot-5, 230-pounder solving the team’s pitching woes.

In fact, the benefit for the Angels may not be so much what they got, but what they no longer have--an aging, lead-footed DH whose presence blocked the paths of younger prospects and whose $3.8-million salary put a major strain on the team’s budget.

The Angels have agreed to pay about $400,000 of Davis’ 1997 salary, but with Gubicza signed through 1997 at $1.6 million, the Angels have freed up more than $1.5 million to pursue others through trades and free agency.

Davis’ departure also will enable the Angels to rotate the DH spot among their four outfielders, Tim Salmon, Jim Edmonds, Garret Anderson and Darin Erstad, and the addition of Erstad will add much needed speed to the leadoff spot.

“Our goal is to add pitching wherever we can find it,” General Manager Bill Bavasi said. “We would like to play the four young outfielders and free up some money to do something elsewhere, and to do all those things we paid a price.”

Indeed, Davis has been a fixture in the heart of the Angel lineup for four seasons, averaging 25 homers and 94 runs batted in. He was the Angels’ most consistent offensive player in 1996, batting .292 with 28 homers and 95 RBIs.

The loss of the switch-hitter may leave the Angels vulnerable to good left-handed pitchers--Erstad, Edmonds and Anderson are lefties, and first baseman J.T. Snow, a switch-hitter, has had little success against lefties. And there will be one less veteran leader in a clubhouse short on leaders.

But Davis will be 37 next season, he has had a history of hamstring problems, and he was as much a threat to hit into a double play as he was to homer.

“We give up some power,” said Bavasi, adding that the Davis deal wouldn’t preclude trading Anderson, “but we gain some speed with Erstad.”

Davis, who grew up in Los Angeles, said he was “a little surprised” at the trade but didn’t seem too disappointed.

“At my age, and with the time I’ve played and the time I have left, it’s nice to know someone wants you,” said Davis, who should boost a Kansas City offense that ranked last in the league in runs and second-to-last in homers.

“I’ve always told young guys that to get traded is not an insult. It’s a business, and things are done for the whole, not the individual.”

When Davis, a 15-year veteran, was playing for the San Francisco Giants in 1986 he was nearly traded to the Royals for Gubicza, whom Davis said is a close friend.

“It would have been nice to have him as a teammate,” said Davis, who also played with the Minnesota Twins and had two stints with the Angels. “Instead, we’re still going to be playing against each other.”

Gubicza, who became more of a sinker-slider pitcher after 1990 shoulder surgery, went 4-12 with a 5.13 earned-run average last season, which ended when a Paul Molitor line drive broke his left tibia on July 5. He went 12-14 with a 3.75 ERA in 1995.

Gubicza spent much of the summer in a cast, but the 13-year veteran, who has played his entire career with the Royals, has begun riding a stationary bike, the Stairmaster and lifting weights. Bavasi said Angel team physicians have been in contact with Royal team doctors and are convinced Gubicza is healthy.

“The leg feels great,” said Gubicza, who could have vetoed the deal as a player with 10 years experience, five with the same team. “I’m pretty excited. The Angels have a good, young team, and hopefully I’ll be able to help them out.”

Gubicza, who lives in Northridge, said he has always liked playing in Anaheim--he met his future wife, Lisa, after a game here in the mid-1980s--and every time he became a free agent, he asked his agent to contact the Angels.

He spoke to the Angels last winter before signing a two-year deal with the Royals, but with four solid starters--Kevin Appier, Tim Belcher, Chris Haney and Jose Rosado--and two top-rated prospects coming up from triple-A Omaha--Jim Pittsley and Glendon Rusch--Gubicza became expendable.

“But he has plenty left,” Royal Manager Bob Boone said. “He kept us in every game, and we gave him no run support for two years. He’s one of the hardest workers in the game, and I have no doubt he’ll be in tremendous shape when spring training starts.”

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

The Statistics

Career statistics for Chili Davis and Mark Gubicza who were involved in Monday’s Angel-Kansas City Royal trade:

CHILI DAVIS

*--*

Year, Team HR RBI AVG 1981, San Francisco 0 0 .133 1982, San Francisco 19 76 .261 1983, San Francisco 11 59 .233 1984, San Francisco 21 81 .315 1985, San Francisco 13 56 .270 1986, San Francisco 13 70 .278 1987, San Francisco 24 76 .250 1988, Angels 21 93 .268 1989, Angels 22 90 .271 1990, Angels 12 58 .265 1991, Minnesota 29 93 .277 1992, Minnesota 12 66 .288 1993, Angels 27 112 .243 1994, Angels 26 84 .311 1995, Angels 20 86 .318 1996, Angels 28 95 .292 Totals 298 1,195 .274

*--*

MARK GUBICZA

*--*

Year, Team W-L ERA 1984, Kansas City 10-14 4.05 1985, Kansas City 14-10 4.06 1986, Kansas City 12-6 3.64 1987, Kansas City 13-18 3.98 1988, Kansas City 20-8 2.70 1989, Kansas City 15-11 3.04 1990, Kansas City 4-7 4.50 1991, Kansas City 9-12 5.68 1992, Kansas City 7-6 3.72 1993, Kansas City 5-8 4.66 1994, Kansas City 7-9 4.50 1995, Kansas City 12-14 3.75 1996, Kansas City 4-12 5.13 Totals 132-135 3.91

*--*