Angels Think of Second First

The Angels have made what Randy Johnson’s agent characterized as a competitive proposal for the free-agent left-hander, and the team remains in the hunt for first baseman Mo Vaughn and pitcher Todd Stottlemyre.

But Tuesday night, General Manager Bill Bavasi turned his attention to second base, where the effort to re-sign Randy Velarde took on added urgency after highly regarded second-base prospect Justin Baughman suffered a major leg injury that could sideline him for up to six months.

Baughman, the probable starter in 1999 if Velarde does not return, broke both bones in his lower left leg and suffered three less serious leg fractures when he collided with his right fielder while trying to catch a fly ball in a Mexican League game Sunday.

The fastest player in the Angel organization and a potential leadoff batter, Baughman will undergo surgery today at Centinela Hospital, where Dr. Robert Chandler will insert a metal pin in Baughman’s shin and set the broken bones.

Baughman, who hit .255 with 10 stolen bases and 20 RBIs in 63 games with the Angels last season, will begin rehabilitating the leg in early December, but doctors told him he will not be able to play again for four to six months, meaning he will have little chance of winning the second-base job in spring training.

“It’s a major setback,” said Angel third-base coach Larry Bowa, who worked extensively with Baughman this fall at the Arizona instructional league. “I never broke my leg, but I’ve seen guys who have, and it definitely affects your speed. It’s a big blow. . . . I tell you what, they better sign Velarde.”

That’s another consideration for the Angels, who already have plunged wallet-first into the free-agent bidding war this month, with a six-year, $72-million offer to Vaughn, an offer to Johnson that is believed to be in the three-year, $33-million range, and another undisclosed offer to Stottlemyre, who is seeking a four-year deal in the $30-million range.

There were no new major developments on the Vaughn front Tuesday, but one sticking point might have arisen between the slugger and the Boston Red Sox, which could work in the Angels’ favor.

According to a baseball source, Vaughn would like a no-trade clause in his new contract, but Boston General Manager Dan Duquette on Tuesday reaffirmed the club’s policy of not including no-trade clauses in multiyear deals. The Angels, according to the source, have included a no-trade clause through the length of their contract offer.

Johnson, who tormented the Angels as the Seattle Mariner ace until his trade to Houston in July, has reportedly received offers from four teams, among them the Astros, Angels and Texas Rangers.

The Yankees were expected to extend an offer Tuesday night, the Dodgers are believed to be seriously interested, and Johnson spent two hours Tuesday touring Bank One Ballpark in Phoenix and speaking with Arizona Diamondback owner Jerry Colangelo and other front-office executives.

Johnson, according to reports, wants to play for a contender, preferably one in the American League with spring-training headquarters near his Phoenix-area home, so the Angels would appear to have a legitimate chance of landing the pitcher.

Meanwhile, Bavasi was planning to have dinner Tuesday night in Naples, Fla., with agents Tom Reich and Adam Katz, who represent both Velarde and Vaughn, but they were said to be focusing more on Velarde at this meeting.

The Angels had earlier invited Velarde back as a utility player, but Velarde, who proved he had recovered from 1997 elbow reconstruction surgery by playing 49 games in August and September, said he will return only as the starting second baseman.

“I think the Angels wanted me as insurance, in case things didn’t pan out with Justin, but I want to be an everyday second baseman,” said Velarde, who hit .261 with 26 RBIs in 51 games. “I think I proved I can do that in the last 50 games.”

Velarde, whose three-year, $2.45-million contract expired at the end of the season, also set one more condition for his return to Anaheim: “I want them to improve the team--this finishing in second place is not sitting too well. It’s time to take the next step.”

One potential problem the Angels may not have considered in their blanket approach to the free-agent market: What if Vaughn, Johnson and Stottlemyre all say yes to their offers? Are they ready to jack their payroll up by $30 million?

“It would be a nice problem to have--you can never have enough talent,” Velarde said. “But if anyone has the money it’s Disney. One guy could take Fantasyland, they could give one guy Frontierland and another guy Adventureland.”