Stoneman Appears to Have Hillenbrand on His Radar

The Angels are interested enough in Shea Hillenbrand that General Manager Bill Stoneman spent a fair amount of Thursday investigating the circumstances surrounding the Toronto infielder’s falling out with the Blue Jays, which led to the team’s designating Hillenbrand for assignment Wednesday.

“I’m fully aware of what happened,” Stoneman said. “You have to sort through things and figure them out, and I think I have a pretty good handle on what transpired up there.”

After looking into the matter, in which Toronto Manager John Gibbons reportedly was so upset with Hillenbrand that he challenged the player to a fight, are the Angels, no fans of clubhouse turmoil, more or less inclined to pursue Hillenbrand, whom they nearly traded for in May?

“I’m not going to say either way on that,” Stoneman said.

Manager Mike Scioscia, however, intimated the Angels were still interested in Hillenbrand, who is batting .301 with 12 home runs and 39 runs batted in and might be an offensive upgrade over the current first-base platoon of Kendry Morales and Robb Quinlan.

“It’s a name we’ve bounced around as a bat that can help us,” Scioscia said. “If Bill sees a way to improve the club, he’s going to do it.”

In earlier talks, the Blue Jays asked for second baseman Adam Kennedy, but because Hillenbrand was designated for assignment, giving Toronto 10 days to either trade or release him, Hillenbrand could probably be acquired for a mid-level prospect.

Competition for the right-handed hitter could drive up the price, though. At least seven teams -- the Angels, Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers, Minnesota Twins, San Francisco Giants, Philadelphia Phillies and San Diego Padres -- expressed interest in Hillenbrand Thursday.

“We’ve had a lot of interest,” said Toronto General Manager J.P. Ricciardi, who is looking for starting pitching. “Some I’ve liked, some I haven’t liked. We’d like to get a guy who could help us in 2006 or 2007, but that doesn’t have to be the case.”

In evaluating Hillenbrand, who is making $5.8 million this season and will be a free agent this winter, the Angels must determine whether he’d be a better option than Quinlan, who is batting .356 with four homers, five doubles and 14 RBIs against left-handers, and possibly Morales, who is batting .256 with four homers and 14 RBIs against right-handers.

Hillenbrand, who bats right-handed, is hitting .337 with four homers against left-handers. Dallas McPherson, on a rehabilitation assignment at triple-A Salt Lake, also could figure into the first-base equation if he is activated soon.

The Angels are not considering Hillenbrand as a third baseman, because they don’t believe he’s strong enough defensively at that position. And Hillenbrand wouldn’t displace red-hot Juan Rivera or Garret Anderson in the designated hitter spot.

“I’m not going to say he’s not being considered,” Scioscia said of Hillenbrand, “but any time you make a change, you have to balance that with who you’re taking at-bats away from. You don’t want to erase pieces on the club if they’re going in the right direction.”

*

The Angels moved to bolster their overworked bullpen after Thursday night’s game, recalling right-hander Chris Bootcheck, who was 4-2 with a 6.61 earned-run average at triple-A Salt Lake, and sending outfielder Tommy Murphy back to Salt Lake.