Angels Complete Hill Deal, Trade Perisho

The Angels completed the Ken Hill trade Friday and also sent pitching prospect Matt Perisho to the Texas Rangers in what the team said was a separate deal.

The Rangers, who traded Hill to the Angels for catcher Jim Leyritz on July 31, received third baseman Robert Sasser Friday as the player to named. At the same time, they acquired Perisho for third baseman Mike Bell, the son of former major league third baseman and current Detroit Tiger Manager Buddy Bell.

“He is a kid with a great bloodline,” said Tim Mead, Angel assistant general manager. “We were a little vulnerable in our system at third base.”

According to a baseball source, the Angels and Rangers were unable to agree on the player to be named in the Hill deal, which was believed to be contingent on the Angels retaining the pitcher. Hill has an out clause in his option year and is seeking a contract extension.

The Angels said the deals were unrelated.

“[Angel General Manager] Bill Bavasi has been working on this for some time,” Mead said. “We gave up quality and we got quality.”

Sasser, 22, spent last season at Cedar Rapids, a low Class-A team. He hit .272 with 17 home runs and 77 runs batted in, but also made 29 errors. He was acquired as a Rule V player from the Atlanta Braves’ organization a year ago. It’s unlikely the Rangers would have accepted him without the second deal.

Perisho, a left-hander, was considered one of the Angels’ top prospects. After starting the season in double A, he was 0-2 with a 6.00 earned-run average in 11 games with the Angels. Team officials, though, seemed more impressed with prospects Jarrod Washburn and Scott Schoeneweis.

The Angels were not expected to protect Perisho, a third-round draft pick, in the Nov. 18 expansion draft. Instead of losing him without compensation, they decided to deal him for depth at third base.

Starting third baseman Dave Hollins is coming off knee surgery and Troy Glaus, the Angels’ first-round draft pick in June, is at least a year away. The move also could give Bavasi options in a future deal, possibly for a starting pitcher. Hollins can play first base and first baseman Darin Erstad can play the outfield.

“Matt, as the rumors went, was going to be drafted,” Mead said. “You never like to give up a pitcher. We expect a lot out of Jarrod and Scott, as we did out of Matt. But we had a hole there and we filled it. Obviously, we are hoping Glaus makes a quick ascent, but we don’t want to rush him.”

Bell, 23, split time between double-A Tulsa and triple-A Oklahoma City last season. He hit .285 with eight home runs and 23 RBIs at Tulsa and .235 with five home runs and 38 RBIs with Oklahoma City. Bell will be placed on the Angels’ 40-man roster.

The development of third baseman Fernando Tatis not only made Bell available, but allowed the Rangers to trade Dean Palmer to the Kansas City Royals during the season. Tatis hit .256 with eight home runs and 29 RBIs in 30 games.

The Angels must now come to terms with Hill, who was their best pitcher over the season’s final five weeks. However, team officials could wait until after Nov. 11, the date they must submit a list of protected players for the expansion draft. Any player signed after Nov. 11 does not have to protected.