BASEBALL : Hill Rejects Angel Option so He Can Be a Free Agent

Angel pitcher Ken Hill became a free agent by not allowing the team to pick up his option for next season, Larry Reynolds, Hill’s agent, said Friday.

The Angels had exercised an option to retain Hill, which would have paid him $4.6 million next season. Hill had 72 hours to accept or reject the option.

“This doesn’t mean we are not interested in the Angels,” Reynolds said. “We just have to look out for Ken’s best interest. He is a veteran and deserves the right to become a free agent.”

Reynolds would not say what it would cost to sign Hill.

Angel General Manager Bill Bavasi said the move had been expected.

Hill, acquired July 31 in a trade with Texas, was the Angels’ best pitcher in the last five weeks of the season. He was 4-4 with a 3.65 earned-run average after the trade.