Kennedy Approves of Plan

Amid the wreckage of this season, Adam Kennedy has established himself as one of the finest second basemen in the major leagues. He complained about not getting the opportunity to play every day, and he shined when he did.

But the playoffs will go on next week without the Angels. If they can return to the playoffs with Miguel Tejada or Kazuo Matsui at shortstop and Kennedy splitting time with David Eckstein at second base, there will be no protest from Kennedy.

“If the situation calls for me to play against righties and not against lefties, so be it,” Kennedy said. “If that gets us to October again, it’s great for everybody, me included.”

Kennedy singled, doubled and scored a run in Wednesday’s 4-0 victory over the Seattle Mariners before 30,917 at Edison Field. The star was John Lackey, who pitched a five-hit shutout.

Lackey won Game 7 of last year’s World Series but lost Game 1 of the 2003 season. He stumbled badly in April but finished his first full major league season with a 4.63 earned-run average, including 2.65 in September.

He pitched 204 innings, won 10 games and lost 16, with the lowest run support of any American League pitcher except Jeremy Bonderman of the Detroit Tigers. He pitched the Angels’ only two shutouts this season, and the team will happily reserve a place for him in its 2004 starting rotation.

The shortstop situation is more fluid. The Angels wish to add a starting pitcher and a slugger this winter. The best fit among free agents is Montreal star Vladimir Guerrero, whom the Angels could plug into their hole in right field.

But virtually every team that can afford Guerrero, including the cash machine that is the New York Yankees, figures to make a play for him. The Angels’ chance of signing Tejada or Matsui could be much better, since the big-spending Yankees, Boston Red Sox and Texas Rangers appear set at shortstop. Tejada reportedly wants to play for a recent winner and Matsui reportedly wants to play on the West Coast, so the Baltimore Orioles and New York Mets might be out too.

If Tejada or Matsui signs, the Angels could cut Eckstein, saving the estimated $1.5 million to $2 million he could earn in arbitration. But owner Arte Moreno has said the Angels do not have “any economic restrictions in the short term,” so Eckstein could be a valuable reserve.

Kennedy has set career highs in home runs (13), walks (44) and stolen bases (22). Over the last two months, given the chance to play every day and not just against right-handers, he is hitting .295 overall and .268 against left-handers. The Angels consider him the second-best fielding second baseman in the league, behind only Seattle’s Bret Boone.

The Angels have discussed many options, including keeping Eckstein at shortstop, as well as signing a shortstop and moving Eckstein into a platoon with Kennedy.

“Has it been talked about? Sure,” Manager Mike Scioscia said. “If it comes about, we’ll have a pretty strong club. It’s not something we’re focused on right now. As the winter unfolds, we’ll see what direction the club will take.”