Angels Thinking Dollars and Sense

From Mike Scioscia to Bill Stoneman and Arte Moreno, the torch has been passed, the hot seat under the Angel manager doused and the one under the team’s general manager and owner lighted.

From now until spring, the difficult decisions will be in the hands of the Angel front office, not Scioscia, whose last fateful call to the bullpen Friday produced an American League division series-clinching walk-off home run by the Red Sox on the only pitch thrown by an Angel left-handed relief specialist all season.

That’s one issue that will be addressed this winter -- whether the Angels, who went all season without a situational left-hander, need one for situations like Friday’s, when Scioscia used left-handed starter Jarrod Washburn to face left-handed slugger David Ortiz, who deposited Washburn’s first pitch over Fenway Park’s Green Monster in the 10th inning to complete Boston’s three-game playoff sweep of the Angels.

But the left-handed relief question is far down the Angels’ list of priorities in what could be their most challenging -- and most complex -- off-season in recent franchise history.

While last winter brought the much-celebrated $146-million additions of outfielders Vladimir Guerrero and Jose Guillen and pitchers Bartolo Colon and Kelvim Escobar, players who helped bring Anaheim its first AL West championship since 1986, this winter’s big decisions will be about possible subtractions.

* Do the Angels, who want to trim their payroll from $112 million to somewhere between $90 million and $100 million, retain popular closer Troy Percival at $8 million, or let Percival walk as a free agent, hand super setup man Francisco Rodriguez the job and move relievers Brendan Donnelly, Scot Shields and Kevin Gregg up a notch in the bullpen pecking order?

* Do the Angels retain third baseman Troy Glaus, a proven power hitter in his prime, at a cost of $10 million a year or more, or let Glaus go as a free agent and reap the savings with rookie Dallas McPherson, who showed glimpses of his power potential when he became an emergency starter after second baseman Adam Kennedy suffered a knee injury Sept. 20?

* Do the Angels keep the troubled Guillen at a cost of $3.5 million, hoping he eliminates the irrational behavior and emotional outbursts that led to his Sept. 26 suspension, or do they trade him and absorb the loss of 27 home runs, 104 runs batted in and one of baseball’s best outfield throwing arms?

* Do they pick up catcher Bengie Molina’s $3-million option or promote Jose Molina, Bengie’s younger and cheaper brother, to starter? Do they sign first-round pick Jered Weaver, the college pitcher some believe could challenge for a rotation spot next spring, for $7 million or more, or use that money to pursue a free-agent pitcher?

“All these decisions are going to be big,” Stoneman said, “because any time you change a player, it’s going to impact your club.”

Will money be the biggest factor in these decisions?

“It’s always going to play a role,” Stoneman said.

“It’s a question of what sort of production you’re looking at and how much it’s going to cost. If you have a guy who’s going to give you production for lower money, you’re going to be directed that way.”

Both Percival, who ranks 12th on the all-time save list with 316, and Glaus, who has 182 home runs and is coming off surgery on his right shoulder, say they would love to remain in Anaheim, but the math doesn’t seem to add up to their return.

With the 2004 salaries of Kevin Appier ($12 million) and Aaron Sele ($8.5 million) coming off the books, and assuming pitcher Ramon Ortiz’s $5.5-million option isn’t picked up, the Angels would accrue $26 million in savings.

If Bengie Molina and Guillen aren’t retained, the Angels would save an additional $6.5 million, and with Colon’s salary going from $9 million this season to $8 million in 2005, the Angels could trim a total of $33.5 million off their 2004 payroll.

But raises to such veterans as Garret Anderson, Guerrero and Erstad and salary bumps for arbitration-eligible players would add, conservatively, $11.5 million in 2005, bringing the payroll to $90 million even without Glaus and Percival.

At best, it seems there is room for only one Troy next season. Complicating matters could be the fact that neither Troy is willing to accept a reduced role -- Percival, who had a 1.67 earned-run average after the All-Star break and has gained command of a curve and changeup to go with his 94-mph fastball, has no interest in being a setup man, and Glaus has no interest in becoming a designated hitter.

If the Angels do decide to make a run at Glaus, they might try to persuade him to move to first base, which would enable McPherson to play third, first baseman Darin Erstad to move back to center field and Anderson to move from center to left.

There are no plans to convert McPherson to an outfielder or first baseman, and the Angels don’t want to turn such a promising young player into a DH.

“We’ll see what kind of vibes we get when we talk to these guys,” Stoneman said of Glaus, 28, and Percival, 35. “The thing we don’t know about Glaus is how his shoulder will stand up. Can he go back to third base? That’s a question.

“Percival wasn’t available at times this year because of injuries, but his performance was very good at the end of the year. He’s so competitive, he finds a way to get the job done.... But is it time to pass the baton or isn’t it?”

Stoneman said whatever moves the Angels make “have to fit together and make you better,” but he may have a tough time convincing fans that allowing Glaus and Percival, who are proven and productive, to depart when their loss would take a huge bite out of the Angel offense and sap the bullpen of considerable depth, would make the Angels better.

“But getting better is also nurturing the longer-term health of the club,” Stoneman said. “I’m not just looking at one season. I’m not doing everything aimed at the short term. If we have an opportunity to allow young guys to get better and gain experience, that helps the organization. That makes us better.

“I understand the fans and the media look at the short term, but I have to take a long-term view of the organization, to look at the whole picture.”

The Angels’ pursuit of a starting pitcher -- a top priority, Stoneman said -- could hinge on Glaus and/or Percival. There are solid free-agent options: Boston’s Pedro Martinez, Florida’s Carl Pavano, Minnesota’s Brad Radke, St. Louis’ Matt Morris and the Dodgers’ Odalis Perez head a deep pitching pool.

And the annual question of whether the Angels should upgrade from David Eckstein at shortstop could take on more weight with the Cubs’ Nomar Garciaparra, who would love to return to Southern California, and Boston’s Orlando Cabrera among the free-agent shortstops available.

Stoneman said fans shouldn’t expect the Angels to add three big-money players again, “but I wouldn’t rule out the possibility that we’re going to do something,” he said.

“You always look at how you can best utilize your resources. You can only spend the dollar once; once you spend it, it’s spent. I know there are some out there who think there’s an unlimited supply, but that’s not the case.”