Something Mickey Mouse About Blocked Erstad Deal

A trade that would have sent Darin Erstad to the Chicago White Sox--agreed to by Angel General Manager Bill Stoneman and counterpart Kenny Williams--was killed Wednesday by “upper Angel management.”

This was the view of White Sox officials, who wouldn’t put their names to the accusation, but insisted--incredulously and heatedly at times--that either chairman Michael Eisner in Burbank or President Tony Tavares in Anaheim spit on Stoneman’s handshake after Chicago agreed to send center fielder Chris Singleton, pitcher Jon Garland and two top prospects from a farm system that has been ranked as baseball’s best to the Angels for Erstad.

“I’d like to deny there were any dealings along that line, but that wouldn’t be true,” Williams said. “I can’t describe the disappointment. There was some hard work from a lot of people. It’s unfortunate, [but] I have so much respect for the baseball end of the Angels organization that I’m not going to get into the whole situation. Make of that what you will.”

Williams and others in his organization took a circumspect approach, a club official said, out of respect for owner Jerry Reinsdorf’s desire not to get into a public exchange with the Angels, who finished 41 games behind the Seattle Mariners in the American League West and obviously have enough troubles.

Now, their general manager’s authority and autonomy has been called into question and a front office that has never been characterized by stability and a clear-cut direction seems buried in further confusion. In addition, the long-held impression that business comes before baseball for Disney has been underscored by the contention of White Sox officials that the Angels withdrew for marketing and public relations reasons, that Eisner/Tavares suddenly decided they weren’t going to trade another recognizable outfielder, one of their few familiar faces, after Stoneman’s trading of Jim Edmonds backfired so dramatically--on and off the field.

If embarrassed, Stoneman played the good soldier, refusing to confirm or deny there was an agreement--”deals aren’t done until they’re done”--and insisting that his authority hasn’t been compromised “because nothing happened” and “we’re all involved in making decisions. I keep everybody abreast of what we’re doing. That’s normal, whether we’re bringing a player up from triple A or sending him down.”

From Anaheim, a club official said it was “preposterous” to believe a trade was canceled by upper management.

“Why in the world would we enter into trade conversations regarding a particular player if we were only going to withdraw from the trade once it was made?” the official said. Added Tavares: “We don’t comment on the process, we comment on the results.”

Because there were no results Wednesday, Tavares said he would have no other comment. However, Tim Mead, his vice president of communications, scoffed at the marketing insinuation.

“Marketing doesn’t drive baseball operation,” he said. “If it was otherwise, Edmonds would never have been traded.

“I mean, we’re no different than any other organization. Before Bill does anything, he reports to upper management. But since Disney has owned us, we have the autonomy to make any deal unless it involves big money, such as the $80 million for Mo Vaughn.”

The fact that the Angels and White Sox had been negotiating an Erstad trade was one of the worst-kept secrets of the winter meetings. It was reported in detail in Wednesday’s editions of The Times.

ESPN reported it as a done deal Wednesday afternoon. White Sox scouts wore smiles in the lobby of the headquarters hotel, envisioning Erstad near the top of a productive lineup at a time when the dominant Cleveland Indians are retrenching and the White Sox believe the door is open in the American League Central.

It was time to take a shot, Williams said, explaining his thinking in giving up a four-player package that included a proven hitter/center fielder in Singleton, a young, major league-tested pitcher with top-of-the-rotation potential in Garland (slated to be the No. 3 pitcher in the White Sox rotation), and the two unidentified prospects.

“There was some discomfort with what we were [offering], but when you have a chance to win, you do things that are uncomfortable,” said Williams, who will now turn his attention to Pittsburgh outfielder Brian Giles.

Why had the Angels considered trading Erstad? Well, negotiations on a multiyear contract collapsed recently and Erstad can leave as a free agent at the end of the season, compounding closer Troy Percival’s prospective free agency. In addition, Erstad has an arthritic knee, is coming off the second of two sub-par seasons sandwiched around his sensational performance (.355 average, 25 homers, 100 RBIs) in 2000 and the Angels, looking to add quality starting pitching, had few trade weapons with which to acquire it.

Reached by Times writer Mike DiGiovanna at his North Dakota home, Erstad said he had no ill will toward the Angels, that they have consistently supported him and he found it humbling to be the centerpiece in a four-for-one trade.

“I love playing baseball,” he said. “Wherever that is, that is. I don’t take it personal. I have bigger concerns, having two bad years out of three. I’m more concerned getting my act together than where I’m going to play next year. If I throw another year like that out there, I’ll be playing in Europe after that.”

Besides, he said, the premature reports on ESPN brought nonstop calls from long-missing friends. “I talked to a lot of people I haven’t talked to in a while,” he said. “It’s been great.”

Not so great for the Angels, who still need that pitching help, who still have an owner seemingly unwilling to spend at a time when it is trying to sell. If the Angels are now going to retain two players (Erstad and Percival) in their walk years, how do they fill the voids?

Can Disney really expect the still-interested Baltimore Orioles to take Vaughn and his $50 million off its hands? Or speaking of those hands: Can any club now dealing with Disney trust that handshake?