Edmonds Could Be Out of Space

The Angels enter the winter with what has become an annual dilemma: too many outfielders, not enough outfield positions.

But just because they’ll again have the option of moving first baseman Darin Erstad to the outfield--Dave Hollins will be available to play first, and the Angels might make a run at free-agent slugger Mo Vaughn--that does not mean center fielder Jim Edmonds has played his last game in periwinkle blue.

Edmonds has always been the subject of trade rumors in Anaheim, and with the way 1998 ended--five bitter losses to Texas in the last 12 days sparked some clubhouse bickering, with Edmonds catching some of the heat--many believe the Angels will actively shop Edmonds this winter, as opposed to their previous tack, which was to listen to offers and wait for the best deal.

“But that’s not definite,” Manager Terry Collins said Friday. “It all depends on what we do outside the club. What if we sign Mo? Then we’ve got to do something with Darin. Those options are always there, but to say [Edmonds] is out of the picture . . .

“No matter what you heard or saw in September, Jimmy was one of the guys who got it done in crunch time. He still won the Gold Glove, he hit .307 with 25 homers, 91 RBIs and 115 runs, and those are still bottom-line things. If someone knocks our socks off with a deal, then we’d have to look at it.”

The Angels have maintained for years they would only trade Edmonds for a starting pitcher who could be the ace of their rotation or another highly productive position player--Edmonds was almost sent to Oakland in 1997 as part of a deal for Mark McGwire.

They may find the market more toward their liking this winter. If center fielder Bernie Williams leaves New York, there is already talk of the Yankees trading left-hander Andy Pettitte to St. Louis for outfielder Ray Lankford. If Edmonds was plugged into such a deal, the Angels probably would jump at it.

One potential sticking point in a deal for Edmonds: because he has five years of big-league experience and is in the middle of a multiyear contract, he would have the right to demand a trade after the season in which he is traded. A team trading for Edmonds would probably want to renegotiate his contract before finalizing the deal.

General Manager Bill Bavasi said his priorities this winter will be to improve starting pitching and catching. He has met with Walt Disney Co. officials, outlining what he would like and how much it would cost, but Bavasi would not say whether he will have the financial wherewithal to pursue high-priced free agents such as Kevin Brown, Randy Johnson or Vaughn.

“All I can say is I have a feel for what we’ll be able to do,” Bavasi said, “and I’m happy with it.”

Among the Angels’ immediate concerns are replacing pitching coach Marcel Lachemann, who took a job as minor league field coordinator with the organization.

Dave Wallace, the former Dodger pitching coach who is working in the New York Mets’ front office, is Collins’ top choice. The Angels haven’t received permission from the Mets to interview Wallace, but Collins said he expects it sometime next week.

Collins also plans to interview Joe Coleman, the Angel bullpen coach, Mike Couchee, the Angels’ roving minor league pitching instructor and three pitching coaches who were released by their teams this season--Mike Pazik (Chicago White Sox), Frank Funk (Colorado) and Bruce Kison (Kansas City).

The Angels, who suffered a staggering number of injuries in 1998, are also looking for a new strength and conditioning coach. According to Bavasi, Tom Wilson, strength and conditioning coach for four seasons, and the Angels “came to a mutual decision” to part ways.

The Angels picked up the 1999 option on Omar Olivares, who went 9-9 with a 4.03 earned-run average last season and will receive $1.3 million in base salary next season. They are negotiating with free-agent second baseman Randy Velarde in hopes of bringing him back on a one-year deal, and catcher Matt Walbeck recently underwent minor arthroscopic knee surgery.