There’s a Big Hole in Their Draft

And now for the drawback of signing all those high-caliber free agents.

The Angels learned Tuesday when the selection order for the June 7-9 amateur draft was announced that they would have the 12th overall selection in the first round ... and then not pick again until making the 113th selection, in the fourth round.

The Angels’ second-round pick, the 53rd selection overall, goes to the Chicago White Sox as compensation for pitcher Bartolo Colon. Their third-round pick, the 83rd selection overall, goes to the Toronto Blue Jays as compensation for pitcher Kelvim Escobar.

With his team buoyed by its free-agent acquisitions and off to its best start after 26 games since going 17-9 in 1995, Angel owner Arte Moreno said that’s fine with him.

“I’d rather not be a manana person and say, ‘Well, we’ve got to wait and if we do a good job in our [minor league] system, then in three or four years we’re going to win,’ ” Moreno said. “It’s May, and maybe talk to me in October. Right now, I’m obviously very happy with what we’ve done and I think the fans are very happy with what we’ve done.”

The organization does not have to offer compensation for free-agent right fielders Vladimir Guerrero and Jose Guillen because they were not offered arbitration by their former clubs.

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After failing to make the expected impact in two injury-shortened seasons with the Angels, Aaron Sele has pitched himself back into the spotlight in the final year of a three-year, $24-million contract.

The 11-year veteran won back his job in the starting rotation after pitching well out of the bullpen and in a start Saturday against the Minnesota Twins.

Heading into his second start of the season, Thursday against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Sele said he’s eager to regain the form that helped him win at least 15 games a season from 1998-2001.

“I’m healthy and I’m at a stage where I don’t have to worry about how my arm’s going to feel and I can just go out and pitch,” said Sele, who underwent shoulder surgery in October 2002. “That makes it a lot easier to repeat pitches and be consistent and try to do the things a starter needs to do to help his team win ballgames.”

Sele has gone 15-20 with the Angels but said he has enjoyed his time here more than he did as a 15-game winner on a Seattle Mariner team that in 2001 tied the major league record with 116 victories. The difference? A World Series title.

“It’s the most exciting year I’ve ever had, even though I missed time at the end of the year with surgery,” Sele said. “Even though I wasn’t on the field every day, I did feel like I made an impact here in the clubhouse and with scouting reports and things like that.”

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Left-handed reliever Yoshitaka Mizuo cleared waivers and was outrighted to triple-A Salt Lake.