On the Road to Goodyear

The Angels appear to be focusing again on moving their spring home to the Phoenix suburb of Goodyear.

“We’d like them to come to town in 2006,” Goodyear Mayor Jim Cavanaugh said. “We’re ready to move.”

Cavanaugh said Bill Beverage, the Angels’ chief financial officer, recently called city officials and alerted them team executives would resume negotiations shortly. As talks cooled in recent months, the Angels had expressed interest in a proposed renovation of their current spring home in Tempe, Ariz., but City Manager Will Manley said he has not met with team executives since training camp ended.

“I definitely get the sense we’re in the on-deck circle and Goodyear is at home plate,” Manley said.

Cavanaugh said Goodyear would agree to share more revenue from the $40-million training complex with the Angels and would retract a demand that the team pay all expenses related to operation and maintenance for the first three years of the deal.

Angel owner Arte Moreno, a partner in a 20,000-acre development in Goodyear, would donate $10 million of land and front $20 million in construction costs, with those costs repaid from state funds so long as another team replaces the Angels in Tempe. The city would pay the remaining $10 million, subject to approval in a Sept. 7 election. The Chicago White Sox have talked with Tempe officials about replacing the Angels.

Moreno was unavailable for comment but has indicated he would like to strike a deal in the next 60 days.

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Bartolo Colon, who is winless in his last five starts and has a team-high 6.00 earned-run average after signing a $51-million free-agent contract, had a lengthy closed-door meeting in Manager Mike Scioscia’s office.

Scioscia said bullpen catcher Steve Soliz had noticed that Colon had shortened his stride, something he did in a previous season to compensate for an injury to his left ankle. The ankle is not injured now, Scioscia said.

“It’s been checked,” Scioscia said. “He says his ankle feels fine. His ankle is not an issue.... He could be pressing a little bit, combined with that little mechanical adjustment.”

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As the first-year player draft concluded, the Angels spent their 22nd-round pick on former UCLA quarterback Matt Moore, who quit the Bruins after his sophomore season and has not played baseball since his junior year at Newhall Hart High. Scouting director Eddie Bane said Moore called in January, asking for a tryout. The Angels subsequently scouted him in what Bane called “a Sunday beer league” and selected him as a third baseman.

The Angels also drafted West Virginia quarterback recruit Patrick White (fourth round), Oklahoma State running back recruit Tyler Johnson (12th round) and Nebraska quarterback recruit Dontavious McDowell (20th round), but Bane said the three outfielders -- and Moore -- would have to renounce football in order to sign.

“I’m not going to do two-sport deals,” Bane said. “They just don’t work.”

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Closer Troy Percival, put on the disabled list Sunday after inflammation failed to subside in his right elbow, had tests that revealed a strained right forearm.