Yan Is New Guy in Bullpen

By Mike DiGiovanna

Dec. 14, 2004 12 AM PT

Times Staff Writer

It wasn’t quite the lovely parting gift the Angels were hoping for, but they did leave the winter meetings with a hard-throwing free-agent pitcher -- reliever Esteban Yan, who agreed to terms on a two-year, $2.25-million contract Monday, bolstering a bullpen that lost closer Troy Percival to Detroit.

The Angels remain in the hunt for their top pitching target, starter Matt Clement, but with Boston losing Pedro Martinez to the New York Mets on Monday, the Red Sox stepped up their efforts to land Clement, the 30-year-old Chicago Cub right-hander.

The Angels (three years, $21 million), Toronto Blue Jays (three years, $25 million) and Cleveland Indians (three years, $19 million) have made offers to Clement, and the Dodgers and St. Louis Cardinals are interested.

But with the Red Sox and what agent Barry Axelrod called “a couple of new teams” expressing serious interest, the market for Clement is heating up, with the price tag likely to follow.

Clement’s timeline for a decision, though, won’t change.

“We’re way down the line with some teams, and we don’t want to start the process over,” Axelrod said. “If you’re in, be quick. We’re not going to drag this on.”

Axelrod began soliciting “final offers” from the finalists Monday night, a process that could be completed today. He spoke by phone with Angel General Manager Bill Stoneman and believes the Angels will sweeten their offer.

Then again ...

“I usually don’t get involved in bidding wars,” Stoneman said. “We take our best shot, and if it doesn’t work out, we move on.”

Stoneman said his pursuit of a starting pitcher is taking him “down a few tracks,” and the Angels are believed to have inquired about Eric Milton, even though the left-hander was reportedly close to signing with the New York Yankees.

“We still have the same confidence,” Stoneman said. “We’re going to add a starting pitcher to our staff.”

He added an impact reliever in Yan, the 6-foot-4, 255-pound right-hander who was 3-6 with a 3.83 earned-run average and seven saves in 69 games for the Tigers last season. Yan, who mixes a nasty split-fingered fastball and good slider with a 96-mph fastball, will team with Scot Shields and Brendan Donnelly in the short- and middle-relief roles.

As in 2004, it appears the Angels will start 2005 without a left-hander in the bullpen, “but I still maintain it has everything to do with performance and quality,” Stoneman said, “and not a lot to do with which arm you throw with.”

The Angels lost pitcher Phil Wilson, a 6-7 right-hander who was 3-9 with a 6.50 ERA for Class-A Rancho Cucamonga last season, to Tampa Bay’s double-A team, the Montgomery (Ala.) Biscuits, in the minor league portion of Monday’s Rule 5 draft.... Stoneman said Cuban slugger Kendry Morales, who agreed to terms on a six-year deal earlier this month, has gained permanent residency in the Dominican Republic, a prerequisite to receiving clearance from the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control to sign a contract and play in the U.S.

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Signing On

A look at some of the top free-agent signings so far this off-season with previous team and deal:

Armando Benitez, Pitcher, Florida.

Signed three-year, $21.5-million deal with San Francisco.

Kris Benson, Pitcher, N.Y. Mets.

Signed three-year, $22.5-million deal with N.Y. Mets.

Jermaine Dye, Outfielder, Oakland.

Signed two-year, $10.15-million deal with Chicago White Sox.

Steve Finley, Outfielder, Dodgers.

Signed two-year, $14-million deal with Angels.

Nomar Garciaparra, Shortstop, Chicago Cubs.