Finley Refuses Chance to Return as Reliever

Chuck Finley has rejected an offer to return to the Angels as a relief pitcher, and one of the most popular players in team history is expected to resume his career with another club as a starting pitcher.

General Manager Bill Stoneman said Thursday he had spoken with Finley and explained that the Angels’ starting rotation had no vacancies.

“I asked him if he would pitch in the bullpen, and he said no,” Stoneman said. “We’ve got a full rotation now. We’ve got more than a full rotation. I don’t see that changing in the near term. Right now, there might be some better options for him.”

Stoneman said the conversation was gracious and that he would be willing to reconsider if the Angels developed a need for a starting pitcher. By then, however, Finley is expected to sign elsewhere -- perhaps with the Seattle Mariners, the team that leads the Angels by 10 1/2 games in the American League West.

Agent Randy Hendricks said that Finley, who lives in Newport Beach, would have preferred to rejoin the Angels had they been willing to use him as a starter.

“We have other teams clearly interested in Chuck as part of their rotation,” Hendricks said.

Finley, 40, rejected an arbitration offer from the St. Louis Cardinals last winter, so any team signing him as a free agent would have owed the Cardinals a first-round draft choice as compensation.

The draft concluded this week, so the compensation expired.

Hendricks said Finley has remained in shape, plans to work out for interested teams soon and expects to pitch two or three minor league games before returning to the majors. Hendricks said Finley would not sign a minor league contract that did not guarantee a major league callup after a specific time frame.

Finley, who won a club-record 165 games for the Angels from 1986 to ‘99, went 11-15 with a 4.15 ERA for the Cardinals and Cleveland Indians last year.

The Angels’ rotation of Jarrod Washburn, Kevin Appier, Ramon Ortiz, John Lackey and Aaron Sele has combined for a 22-23 record and 4.95 ERA this season.

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Before signing with the Angels as a free agent last December, outfielder Eric Owens played two seasons for the Florida Marlins.

The Marlins rank next-to-last in the National League in attendance, averaging 13,000 fans in a stadium designed for football. The Angels make their debut there this weekend, and Owens laughed when asked how the environment there would compare to the festive atmosphere in Puerto Rico.

“It will be like going to a funeral,” Owens said. “It’s like playing a spring training game with zero fans. There’s no atmosphere.”

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ON DECK

Opponent -- Florida Marlins, three games.

Site -- Pro Player Stadium, Miami.

Radio -- KSPN (710) all three games, KWKU (1220) tonight, XKAM (950) Saturday and Sunday.

Records -- Angels 29-28, Marlins 28-33.

Record vs. Marlins -- First meeting.

Tonight, 4:30 PDT -- Kevin Appier (4-2, 4.75) vs. Carl Pavano (4-6, 4.54).

Saturday, 3 p.m. -- Aaron Sele (2-3, 7.83) vs. Tommy Phelps (2-0, 1.71).

Sunday, 10:30 a.m. -- Ramon Ortiz (5-5, 5.27) vs. Brad Penny (4-3, 3.50).