Colon Joins the Angel Armory

The Angels have awarded the second-largest contract in franchise history to free-agent pitcher Bartolo Colon, baseball sources said Monday, the most significant step in an expensive makeover of their starting rotation.

The Angels are expected to hold a news conference today to announce that Colon has accepted a four-year, $48-million contract, a value exceeded in club history only by the ill-fated six-year, $80-million signing of first baseman Mo Vaughn in 1998.

Owner Arte Moreno, whose September statement that he did not envision adding more than one free agent with an annual salary above $10 million would appear to eliminate the Angels’ chance to sign outfielder Vladimir Guerrero, is expected to fly from his Arizona home to welcome Colon.

The Angels have put starters Jarrod Washburn and Ramon Ortiz on the trading block, a National League executive said. The Angels and Boston Red Sox have discussed a trade that would send Washburn to Boston for shortstop Nomar Garciaparra, although the Red Sox and Texas Rangers must first agree on a proposal in which Texas swaps shortstop Alex Rodriguez for outfielder Manny Ramirez.

And, although the Angels have a vacancy at first base and another in the outfield, another National League executive said Monday that free-agent first baseman Rafael Palmeiro could be headed to Anaheim.

“From what I’ve heard, Anaheim is pretty far down the road with him,” the executive said.

Colon, 30, tied for the major league lead with nine complete games last season -- the Angels had a total of five -- and ranked second by pitching 242 innings. He went 15-13 with a 3.87 earned-run average for the Chicago White Sox and has posted a winning record in each of his six full major league seasons. He won 20 games in 2002, a milestone last accomplished in Anaheim by Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan in 1974.

In his major league career, Colon has averaged 216 innings and has never been put on the disabled list because of an arm injury. Still, with insurance prohibitively expensive on contracts longer than three years, the White Sox were willing to match the Angels at $12 million per year but were unwilling to guarantee a fourth year.

“Nothing personal against him, but it’s a high-risk occupation,” Chicago General Manager Ken Williams told the Chicago Tribune in today’s editions. “If something should turn sour, we could be stuck. If a team such as ours is stuck with that high a percentage [of the payroll] with one guy, it would be devastating.”

The Angels’ player payroll is expected to top $90 million next season, including $12 million to the released Kevin Appier.

General Manager Bill Stoneman’s off-season plan has revealed itself over the last two weeks, with the signings of Colon and another free-agent starter, Kelvim Escobar, for a combined $67 million. The Angels identified Colon, Escobar and Andy Pettitte as the top free-agent starters, were happy to land one and thrilled to land two.

Colon’s agent, Mitch Frankel, did not return calls Monday. The Angels, whose poor finish last season enables them to retain their first-round draft pick, have lost their second- and third-round picks as compensation for signing Colon and Escobar.

Stoneman would not comment on Colon on Monday but said he had targeted starting pitching as the Angels’ primary weakness. Despite an injury-riddled offense, the Angels scored only 32 fewer runs than the American League West champion Oakland Athletics. The Angels, with the best bullpen in the league, gave up 100 more runs than the A’s and finished 19 games out.

“With good starting pitching in ‘03, we’re in it, even with our injury problems,” Stoneman said. “Even if we didn’t beat Oakland, we would have had a shot at the wild card.”

The Angels still need offensive help. They pursued outfielder Shannon Stewart and shortstop Kazuo Matsui, but did not make a formal offer to Stewart, who is staying with Minnesota, and did not care to match the New York Mets’ offer to Matsui of three years and $20.1 million. Shortstop Miguel Tejada, who said in September that he would like to play for the Angels and subsequently exchanged greetings with Moreno in an Anaheim restaurant, remains available in free agency.

With Colon at the head of a crowded rotation that includes Escobar, Washburn, Ortiz, John Lackey and Aaron Sele, the Angels can trade Washburn or Ortiz for offensive help and keep Scot Shields in the bullpen as insurance against another erratic season by Sele.

Washburn said Monday he was intrigued by the possibility of a trade to the Red Sox -- “I think Boston would be a great place to play. I love Fenway” -- but also excited by the chance to pitch in the Angels’ upgraded rotation. He said he would consider granting the Angels a hometown discount in a long-term contract, a reversal of his previous stance.

“It’s always been my wish to try to work out a long-term deal,” he said. “I’ll consider anything.”

Washburn, who won 18 games in 2002 and started Game 1 of the playoffs and World Series, is two seasons from free agency. He is expected to make about $6 million next season.

While the Angels would not save any money by trading Washburn for Garciaparra unless they included third baseman Troy Glaus in the deal, they could trade Washburn elsewhere for offensive help, payroll savings or both.

Some savings could be applied to the acquisition of Palmeiro or another free-agent first baseman, Travis Lee.

Palmeiro, 39, hit .260 with 38 home runs and 112 runs batted in last season. He rejected an invitation to return to the Texas Rangers, who reportedly proposed slashing his salary from $9 million to less than $2 million.

The Angels’ former first baseman, Scott Spiezio, said that he believed the team has not ruled out moving center fielder Darin Erstad to first base. Spiezio, who declined a pay cut of more than 50% in what he said was a non-negotiable offer, said late Sunday he thought the Angels’ proposal “wasn’t fair” but said he sympathized with Stoneman.

Baseball rules force teams to decide on their own free agents in December, even if Stoneman might have had the starting job for Spiezio in January that he doesn’t have now.

“I can’t blame him,” Spiezio said. “I think he’s handcuffed by some deals he’s in the middle of right now. It’s just bad timing.”