Edmonds Trade Talk Still Lingering

The trade bait wearing Angel jersey No. 25 took his usual batting practice swings, fielded some fly balls and worked out in the weight room Sunday, but this is hardly a routine spring training for center fielder Jim Edmonds, even by his tenuous standards.

Though Edmonds has been mentioned in trade talk for several years, those rumors grew even more intense this winter and have not dissipated with the start of camp.

Colorado General Manager Dan O’Dowd confirmed Sunday that Angel General Manager Bill Stoneman called over the weekend to inquire about a possible deal for Edmonds, and there are indications that talks with Seattle, thought to be dead after the Mariners acquired outfielder Mike Cameron from Cincinnati in the Ken Griffey Jr. deal, have heated up again.

The Mariners have identified a left-handed hitting outfielder as their top priority and might be willing to part with a package of players headed by starting pitchers Brett Tomko, acquired from the Reds in the Griffey trade, or John Halama.

Edmonds, meanwhile, is trying to go about his business.

“I don’t really know what I’m going through now, I’m just taking it day by day,” Edmonds said. “I’m trying to tune it out, and I usually do fine with that until my name shows up in the paper. I won’t let it affect me.”

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Facing the threat of an age-discrimination lawsuit by two scouts who were among a dozen let go last November, the Angels have offered Nick Kamzic, 81, and Red Gaskill, 78, their jobs back.

Kamzic, who had been with the Angels since the franchise’s inception in 1961, and Gaskill, who spent 12 years with the Angels, have hired a consultant to investigate their terminations and won’t decide whether to accept the team’s offers to return to their part-time positions until that investigation is complete.

Gaskill and Kamzic had their salaries reduced by at least 50% and their benefits eliminated in 1996. They are both seeking a return to full-time status, with their full salaries and benefits restored.