It’s Time for Their Frank Evaluation

Angel coaches, executives and scouts will sit down tonight for their annual end-of-spring-training personnel meeting, disregarding salaries and guaranteed contracts and evaluating players on performance alone.

It’s sure to be a spirited gathering, with many unanswered questions as the club begins the last week of spring training:

* Is the team better off with smooth-fielding youngster Troy Glaus, who has crushed opposing pitching this spring, or erratic-fielding veteran Dave Hollins, who has been slowed by a hamstring injury, at third base?

* If Glaus starts, does Hollins have the temperament to handle a reserve role? If Hollins starts, will Glaus be better off playing every day at triple-A Edmonton?

* Who will get most of the playing time in left field, Darin Erstad or Garret Anderson? And if Erstad is in left, should it be Anderson’s consistent bat or Todd Greene’s potential power in the designated hitter spot?

* Is Greene’s right shoulder really strong enough for him catch two or three times a week, and do they trust Greene and inexperienced catcher Phil Nevin enough to lift Charlie O’Brien for a pinch-hitter in the late innings of close games? Or do they give Fausto Tejero, a solid defender, another look?

* Who will start at shortstop if Gary DiSarcina is not ready to open the season--Jeff Huson, who has been the most impressive of utility infield candidates, Andy Stankiewicz or Luis Rivera?

* With Orlando Palmeiro a lock for a reserve outfield spot, who will win the last bench job--Nevin, who can play first, third, outfield and catcher, or left-handed hitting first baseman Chris Pritchett?

“We need to see where everyone stands on certain players,” Manager Terry Collins said.

Third base is the stickiest issue, because Glaus has outplayed Hollins, hitting .457 with 17 RBIs and spraying hits to all fields, which is exactly what the Angels had in mind.

But Hollins, who is batting .269, has a guaranteed $2.4-million contract and has shown improvement this week, banging out two hits and running much better in Tuesday’s 14-6 loss to Arizona at Tucson.

If the Angels go with Hollins, Glaus will start in Edmonton. If they go with Glaus, they’ll do everything they can to trade Hollins. If no deal can be made, Hollins will probably open as a backup third baseman, first baseman and DH, all but ending Pritchett’s hopes.

Greene made his third start behind the plate Tuesday, going six innings and making one decent throw to second on Luis Gonzalez’s stolen base. “I didn’t care if it was accurate, as long as it didn’t hurt,” Greene said. “I felt fine. I think I can catch twice a week, and hopefully by the end of the season I can be an everyday catcher, but I don’t want to kill myself doing it. We’ve got to be smart about this.”

Huson has the edge in the shortstop-utility infielder race, but the Angels could make a trade before opening day. San Diego is believed to be interested in Nevin and would be willing to part with either Ed Giavanola or Andy Sheets, both infielders.

Collins confirmed that Omar Olivares will be the fifth starter, behind Chuck Finley, Tim Belcher, Ken Hill and Steve Sparks, and the bullpen appears set with Troy Percival, Shigetoshi Hasegawa, Rich DeLucia, Mike Holtz, Mark Petkovsek and Mike Magnante.

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Hill was bombed for six runs in three innings, giving up home runs to Travis Lee and Tony Batista that cleared the 40-foot wall behind Tucson Electric Park’s 405-foot center-field fence. Hill, who walked four and struck out three, said he had trouble with his mechanics but reported no pain in his surgically repaired elbow.

Jim Edmonds, who sat out four games because of a tight groin, had two hits and homered, and Pritchett added two hits.