Murray, 40, Becomes an Angel

Eddie Murray, who hit his 500th home run last September after returning to Baltimore, agreed Wednesday to a $750,000, one-year contract with the Angels.

Murray, 40, hit .260 with 22 homers and 79 runs batted in last season. He played part of the year with the Cleveland Indians before being obtained by the Orioles, and finished the season 15th on the career home run list with 501.

Murray can earn an additional $750,000 in performance bonuses, getting the full amount if he has 500 plate appearances.

The Angels traded both designated hitter Chili Davis and first baseman J.T. Snow after last season, and Murray can handle either of those roles.

“I think [he’ll be used] more at DH,” Anaheim general manager Bill Bavasi said in a conference call. “But I think Eddie will get quite a bit of time at first base.”

Murray, speaking from Tampa, Fla., said, “I would like to think I’m still capable of playing over there. I’m not sure about some of the quickness, but balls I get to, I’ll come up with.”

A native of Los Angeles who has maintained his residence in the area, Murray said he was pleased to be joining the Angels.

“Once you’re contacted, and that being the ballclub it is with a lot of young talent, it wasn’t really hard to make a decision,” he said. “And, of course, there’s always home.”

Murray obviously had some bitter feelings about his parting with the Indians, but thanked the Orioles for the way they treated him. Baltimore didn’t, however, try to strike a new deal with him until “ . . . the last moment, when things broke that I

might be going to the Angels.”

Bavasi said Murray was a good fit for the Angels.

“We had been looking to add another bat and we had been talking to Eddie for a week or so,” Bavasi said. “He helps us not only on the field but in the clubhouse. We feel he can have a real good effect on some of our younger players.”

“We think he still has good ability, looking at his numbers from last year. He’s a switch-hitter, he can play a position.”

The Angels plan to shift Darin Erstad, an outfielder as a rookie last year, to first base, and count on Murray to help Erstad make the transition.

Anaheim traded Davis to Kansas City for right-hander Mark Gubicza and dealt Snow, a two-time American League Gold Glove winner, to San Francisco for left-hander Allen Watson.

Murray, who has a career average of .288 in 2,971 games, began his major league career with Baltimore in 1977, and played for the Orioles until 1989, when he joined the Dodgers.

After playing three seasons for the Dodgers, Murray spent 1992-93 with the New York Mets, then then played for the Indians in 1994-95 and 88 games into the 1996 season before being traded back to Baltimore.

* CURTIS TO INDIANS: Chad Curtis, an former Angel and Dodger outfielder who has averaged 32 stolen bases in five seasons, agreed to a one-year contract with Cleveland. C9