Angels Get a Healthy Hitter

Brad Fullmer is accustomed to big events marking his birthday.

Eight years ago on Jan. 17, Fullmer was awakened in Studio City by the Northridge earthquake. Last year, he signed his first multiyear major league contract with the Toronto Blue Jays.

And on Thursday, as Fullmer turned 27, he got a going-away gift from the Blue Jays, who traded the designated hitter to the Angels in exchange for pitcher Brian Cooper.

“I’m a West Coast guy, a California guy,” said Fullmer, a Van Nuys Montclair Prep graduate who batted .274 with 18 home runs and 83 runs batted in last season. “It just seems like a perfect fit for me.”

The trade for Fullmer probably completes the Angels’ off-season shopping, General Manager Bill Stoneman said.

On consecutive days in late December, the Angels signed free-agent pitcher Aaron Sele and acquired pitcher Kevin Appier from the New York Mets in a trade for first baseman Mo Vaughn. Outfielder Darin Erstad signed a one-year, $6.25-million contract on Wednesday, and the club announced the Fullmer trade 24 hours later.

The Angels also announced that they avoided arbitration by coming to terms with reliever Al Levine on a one-year contract. Terms were not disclosed. Levine made $715,000 last season.

“We’re really very much better rounded than we’ve been since I’ve been here,” Stoneman said. “We’ll continue to talk to other general managers--that goes on year-around--but I’m happy with the way it looks.”

So is Fullmer, a left-handed batter who played parts of three seasons with the Montreal Expos before he was traded to the Blue Jays in a three-way deal with the Texas Rangers on March 16, 2000. Fullmer had a breakthrough season in 2000 when he hit .295 with 32 homers and 104 RBIs in 133 games for the Blue Jays. He said he tried to do too much last season and faltered at times.

“A lot of the year, I was pressing, putting too much pressure on myself to duplicate that year in 2000,” he said.

Even if Fullmer were not to recapture the form of his best year, he is expected to provide a big boost over what the Angels got from their designated hitters last season. The 15 players who filled that role batted only .212 with franchise-lows of 121 hits, eight home runs and 56 RBIs.

Stoneman had been seeking a big hitter since the Vaughn trade and said he had discussions with several free agents when the possibility of acquiring Fullmer arose last week.

“He’s a guy who’s been a productive hitter. He’s still young and improving,” Stoneman said. “He’s going to be a big part of our offense next year.”

Fullmer has never been on the disabled list and was available probably because of his salary. He is in the final year of a two-year, $6.5-million contract and will make $3.75-million this season. He cannot become a free agent until he plays three more seasons.

J.P. Ricciardi, who took over as general manager of the Blue Jays in November, has traded closer Billy Koch to Oakland, shortstop Alex Gonzalez to the Chicago Cubs and reliever Paul Quantrill to the Dodgers.

“I can’t speak for the GM, the first time I spoke to him was this afternoon,” Fullmer said. “It looks like, based on some of the moves they have made, that they are trying to cut down salary and give some young guys a chance to play.”

Fullmer thinks he is a good fit in the Angel lineup and called the club, “a team on the rise.” He said he is capable of playing first base, if needed, but has had his best seasons as a DH.

“I’m just going to keep doing what I’ve done--come to play and be prepared and bust my butt every day. No one is going to outwork me,” he said.

The signing of Levine leaves the Angels with only one player eligible for arbitration, first baseman Scott Spiezio.

Cooper, 27, is a former USC star who pitched in parts of three big league seasons with the Angels. He was 5-10 with a 5.33 earned-run average in 27 games. He was 0-1 with a 2.63 ERA in one start and six relief appearances last season.

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Full of Promise

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