Angels, Hill Reach New Deal

The Angels solidified their rotation Sunday by signing free-agent pitcher Ken Hill to a three-year, $16.05-million contract with an option year and incentive clauses that could push the package to $22.35 million.

It seems a steep price for a pitcher who has never won more than 16 games in nine major league seasons, has a career 99-83 record and went a combined 9-12 for the Texas Rangers and Angels in 1997.

But the right-hander who turns 32 in December also has an impressive 3.76 career earned-run average, and his value jumped significantly in August and September, when he gave up 10 earned runs in 52 innings in his last seven Angel starts.

“When was the last time you saw a quality starting pitcher sign and you said, ‘Man, they got him real cheap?’ ” Angel General Manager Bill Bavasi said. “It doesn’t happen. If he’s a quality pitcher, you have to pay him.”

Hill, acquired in a July 29 trade from Texas, will make $5 million in 1998, joining pitcher Chuck Finley and right fielder Tim Salmon as the highest-paid Angels. He’ll make $5.45 million in 1999 and $5.6 million in 2000, and there is a vesting option for 2001 at $6 million.

The fourth year will be guaranteed if Hill meets certain criteria for games started and innings pitched over the next three years. Hill can also make an additional $300,000 in incentives, most of them for awards.

Another bonus for Hill, who has played for five teams in the past four years: He has a full no-trade clause for 1998 and partial no-trade clauses for 1999 and 2000.

With Hill, the Angels have $29.4 million in salary (including retired pitcher Jim Abbott’s $3 million) committed to 10 players in 1998. Bavasi said he’d like to acquire another bat--preferably a leadoff hitter--and perhaps another starting pitcher.