Club Still Hasn’t Signed Glaus

TEMPE, Ariz. —  The Angels agreed to terms with catcher Bengie Molina on a 2001 contract Friday, leaving only two players unsigned for this season, third baseman Troy Glaus and reliever Derrick Turnbow.

Turnbow is not a huge priority--he’s expected to pitch in the minor leagues this season--but Glaus, who hit .284 with an American League-leading 47 home runs and 102 runs batted in last season, is.

The Angels have had discussions with Glaus’ agent about a multi-year deal, but the sides were unable to reach agreement on either a 2001 contract or a long-term deal by Friday, the Angels’ self-imposed deadline for signing players.

Teams have until March 11 to finalize 2001 contracts, but most set their own renewal dates before then, so negotiations do not become a distraction during training camp.

Glaus and the Angels were unable to come to terms last spring, and the Angels renewed his contract for $275,000, a process Glaus’ representatives were not happy with. The Angels did not renew Glaus’ contract Friday, so it appears they’ve extended their deadline to negotiate with him.

Craig Fenech, Glaus’ agent, declined to comment on contract talks, but he is believed to be seeking a sizable raise for Glaus based on his superb 2000 season.

Glaus, however, has virtually no leverage. Because he isn’t eligible for arbitration until after the 2001 season, the Angels can dictate his salary, just like they did last year.

Such a move could have long-term ramifications, though. If the sides can’t come to terms and the Angels renew Glaus’ contract again, it could set a foundation of hostility for future negotiations with the 24-year-old all-star, who will be eligible for free agency after the 2004 season.

Glaus is not comfortable discussing contract negotiations, but if last season is any indication, he will not let them affect his performance on the field.

“They had every right to do what they did last year--they didn’t break the rules,” Glaus said. “It was my job to accept it, and I did.”

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Pitcher Scott Schoeneweis used Friday’s Cactus League opener against a Seattle Mariner split-squad team to work on his changeup, which he hopes to add to his sinking fastball and slider.

The left-hander was happy with several of his off-speed deliveries during the Angels’ 5-2 victory, but one of them, a first-pitch changeup to Chad Alexander, was belted over Tempe Diablo Stadium’s left-field wall.

“That was probably not a good pitch-selection--he was aggressive and hit it out,” said Schoeneweis, who gave up two runs and three hits in two innings. “But that’s not going to discourage me. I’ve been throwing it well in the bullpen and threw a few good ones in the game. . . .

“I know I can’t survive in the big leagues with two pitches. I’ve always had a changeup but didn’t have a lot of confidence in it last year, so I’m keying on that this spring.”

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Ramon Ortiz followed Schoeneweis Friday and threw two scoreless innings, giving up two hits and striking out four. Relievers Shigetoshi Hasegawa, Al Levine and Mike Fyhrie each added hitless innings. . . . Garret Anderson, suffering from a strained groin, will be held out of games until at least the middle of next week. “We don’t want him playing at 80-90% this time of year,” Manager Mike Scioscia said. . . . Ismael Valdes will start today’s game against Oakland. Tim Belcher, Matt Wise and Troy Percival are also scheduled to pitch.