Angels Show No Interest in Percival, Agent Says

The Angels have expressed no interest in retaining Troy Percival, and the popular closer expects to play elsewhere next season, the agent for Percival said Thursday.

“Sometimes the strongest message is no message,” agent Paul Cohen said.

Percival, Angel third baseman Troy Glaus and Dodger third baseman Adrian Beltre filed for free agency Thursday, the first day players could do so. Players can file for free agency through Nov. 11 and can sign with other teams starting Nov. 12.

Cohen said “four or five” teams contacted him Thursday to express interest in Percival. The Angels rebuffed Percival’s interest in a contract extension in spring training and have not spoken with him about a new deal since then, Cohen said.

“He wants to pitch another three or four years,” Cohen said. “He’s left with no choice but to see what else is out there.”

Angel General Manager Bill Stoneman did not immediately return a call for comment.

Percival, 35, joined the 300-save club in July and has saved 30 games in each of the last seven seasons, the only active reliever with such a streak. He sat out three weeks in June because of a strained right forearm but posted a 1.69 earned-run average thereafter.

But owner Arte Moreno wants to cut the player payroll, and the Angels can build the back end of their bullpen with Francisco Rodriguez and Brendan Donnelly, who will make a total of about $700,000 next year. Percival earned $7.5 million last season.

Cohen said Percival has not ruled out returning to the Angels if they show late interest but said the pitcher understood an Angel business decision could prevent him from fulfilling his desire to complete his career with the only team he has ever known.

“He’s not mad. He’s disappointed,” Cohen said. “There’s a sadness in the realization this could be coming to an end.”

Of the 224 players eligible to file, 65 did so Thursday. In addition to Beltre, four Dodgers filed: center fielder Steve Finley, infielder Jose Hernandez and pitchers Jose Lima and Paul Shuey.

Other top players filing included Houston outfielder Carlos Beltran, Toronto first baseman Carlos Delgado, Minnesota pitcher Brad Radke, Chicago Cub pitcher Matt Clement and Chicago White Sox outfielder Magglio Ordonez.

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Doctors removed two large bone spurs from Beltre’s left ankle in an arthroscopic procedure Thursday. Beltre will wear a brace for 10 days and a walking boot thereafter. He is expected to resume running in eight weeks, Dodger spokesman John Olguin said. He should be fully recovered well before spring training.

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Craig Biggio will be back with the Houston Astros next season. If Jeff Kent returns, it will be at a reduced rate.

Biggio’s $3-million option was exercised by the Astros, who declined Kent’s $9-million option and will pay the second baseman a $700,000 buyout.

However, General Manager Gerry Hunsicker said the team “made it clear to him that we had interest in sitting down with him and bringing him back under another contract scenario.”

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Frank Thomas exercised his $8-million option to return to the Chicago White Sox. He sat out more than half the season because of an ankle injury, and had said in early August that he would be back with the White Sox in 2005.

Outfielder Carl Everett exercised his $4-million option; the White Sox exercised a $2.5-million option on closer Shingo Takatsu and declined a $1-million option on catcher Sandy Alomar Jr.

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The Chicago Cubs declined an $11.5-million option on outfielder Moises Alou and will pay him a $2.5-million buyout.

The Cubs also declined a $2.5-million option on second baseman Mark Grudzielanek, paying him a $250,000 buyout.

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In his first moves as manager of the Seattle Mariners, Mike Hargrove decided to retain pitching coach Bryan Price and hired Ron Hassey as the team’s bench coach.

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The Colorado Rockies and Jeromy Burnitz declined to exercise a $3-million mutual option, and the outfielder will get a $250,000 buyout.

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Scott Elarton, who pitched effectively late in the season after a slow start with Cleveland, agreed to an $850,000, one-year contract with the Indians.

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Longtime Chicago Cub analyst Steve Stone announced he was leaving WGN-TV, less than one month after coming under fire for on-air comments he made criticizing the team.

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Texas reliever Frank Francisco will face a misdemeanor assault charge rather than a felony for breaking a woman’s nose when he threw a chair into the stands at Oakland.

“He has no record. He threw a plastic chair. It’s not a gun. It’s not a knife,” Alameda County Senior Deputy Dist. Atty. Norbert Chu said.

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Associated Press contributed to this report.