Salmon, Erstad on Rebound

Go to your favorite newsstand, pick up one of the many baseball preview magazines, flip to the section about the Angels and inevitably these words will appear: “Tim Salmon and Darin Erstad must rebound.”

Indeed they must, if the Angels are to have any chance to win this season. And the spring training returns are positive: Salmon is hitting .385 and Erstad .362, with both players ranking among league leaders in slugging percentage. In 16 spring games, Erstad has scored 14 runs; Salmon has driven in 17.

Salmon underwent shoulder and foot surgery before last season, then missed part of spring training because of a groin injury. He posted career lows last season in batting average (.227) and runs batted in (49).

“Even though I was going out there getting my butt kicked every night, in my heart of hearts I knew I wasn’t right,” he said. “I knew it would be nice to feel strong again.”

Erstad’s average dropped from .355 to .258 last season, and he struck out a career-high 113 times, after a winter knee injury corrupted his swing.

“It’s a lot easier to balance at the plate,” he said. “It’s easier to get my body to respond to what I want it to do. That makes all the difference in the world. You’re able to be confident. You can plant your front foot instead of that thing spinning out of there.”

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When the Angels unilaterally renewed the contracts of Ramon Ortiz and Jarrod Washburn three weeks ago, General Manager Bill Stoneman said he would “keep the door open” to discussing long-term deals with the pitchers. The Angels and the agent for Ortiz, Pat Roache, agreed Friday to a contract that Ortiz said guarantees him a minimum of $7.25 million over three years.

No such deal appears imminent for Washburn, the Angels’ opening day starter. Since the renewal date, Washburn said, the Angels have discussed the issue only once with his agent, Scott Boras, and have not made a formal contract offer.

“Now I’m looking forward to arbitration next year,” Washburn said.

Stoneman said his position has not changed but indicated he would be unlikely to negotiate beyond opening day. Boras did not return a call seeking comment.

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Longtime Angel shortstop Gary DiSarcina, whose broken finger derailed his attempt to make a comeback with the Boston Red Sox, told the Boston Globe that Red Sox fans aren’t the only ones bemoaning a supposed curse upon their franchise. “There is a curse of the Angels too,” DiSarcina said. “Our thing is there must be Indian gods buried under our field. There are bones there.”

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Troy Glaus hit his sixth spring home run, tops in the American League, and Salmon, Brad Fullmer and Scott Spiezio also homered in a 13-3 rout of the San Francisco Giants on Sunday.... The Angels would love to pick up a right-handed hitter to replace the injured Shawn Wooten, but they’re more likely to use the waiver wire than trade one of their top pitching prospects for a proven hitter. “We’re not going to overreact,” Stoneman said.... In Wooten’s absence, Benji Gil is expected to play some first base against left-handers. “We’d be a lot worse off if we didn’t have a guy like Benji Gil,” Stoneman said. Gil’s averages against lefties: .294 last year, .246 career.... The Angels optioned shortstop Alfredo Amezaga to triple-A Salt Lake.