Washburn Ignores Long-Term Worry

The Angels played contract hardball with Wally Joyner during his final three years with the team. After he had played the six seasons required for free agency, the estrangement between Joyner and the team was so great that Whitey Herzog, the newly hired executive asked to sign the popular first baseman to a long-term contract, threw up his hands in frustration and said he felt like a “divorce lawyer.” So, in 1991, Joyner left for the Kansas City Royals.

It is too soon to draw a parallel between the cases of Joyner and ace pitcher Jarrod Washburn, but the early signs are not encouraging. The Angels angered Washburn last year by exercising their right to renew his contract and cutting $25,000 from their final offer in the process. This year, eligible for salary arbitration for the first time, Washburn said he got nowhere when he said he wished to negotiate a long-term contract.

“They said they didn’t want to talk about it,” he said Saturday.

The Angels signed all of their arbitration-eligible players -- including Washburn, first baseman Scott Spiezio and second baseman Adam Kennedy -- to one-year contracts and did not entertain long-term proposals.

They did offer Washburn a long-term deal last year, which he rejected. The offer was similar to the deal signed by pitcher Ramon Ortiz, for three years and a fourth-year option, worth up to $12 million.

Washburn will earn $3.875 million this season. Ortiz, who agreed to sacrifice some salary for the security of a guaranteed contract, will earn $2.1 million.

Washburn, who started opening day and in Game 1 of the World Series, declined to discuss whether his contractual frustrations might influence whether he leaves as a free agent in 2005.

“That’s a long time down the road,” he said. “I’m not worried about that now. I’ll do my job to earn the contract I get.”

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Scott Schoeneweis did what the Angels asked last season, sparkling in relief after the Angels dropped him from the starting rotation in favor of rookie John Lackey. The team did not return the favor over the winter, when Schoeneweis asked the Angels to trade him to a team that would allow him to resume his career as a starter.

“It didn’t quite work out,” he said. “But the moral of the story is that I’m not unhappy in any way, shape or form. Personally, I still see myself as a starter, whether it’s in April or September or what have you.”

If Aaron Sele is not ready by opening day, Schoeneweis is one of the candidates to replace him in the rotation. Sele, who underwent shoulder surgery in October, fielded ground balls but was not allowed to throw to first base during drills Saturday.

“I’m a question mark because I’ve never had surgery before,” Sele said. “I don’t know where I’m supposed to be right now.”

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Reliever Brendan Donnelly experienced tightness in his right shoulder during winter workouts, and the Angels plan to bring him along slowly this spring. Donnelly said tests ruled out serious injury, and the Angels expect him to be ready for opening day.

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Reliever Francisco Rodriguez is expected to report to camp today, General Manager Bill Stoneman said. Political unrest near his Venezuela home prevented him from reaching the airport before Saturday.