Salmon to Call It Quits Even if He’s Short of 300

The farewell milestone suddenly appears in jeopardy. However, even if he finishes one home run shy of 300, Tim Salmon insists this remains his final season.

“Sure, 300 is a well-rounded number,” he said Thursday. “But, if I end up with 299, does that diminish anything?”

Salmon, the Angels’ all-time leader in home runs, started this season with 290 and hit six in the first 49 games. But he has stalled at 296, with no homers in the past 39 games, and he has lost playing time to Juan Rivera.

Andres Galarraga joined the Angels late in the 2004 season, two home runs shy of 400. He hit one and never again played in the majors; the New York Mets released him the following spring.

Salmon, who turns 38 next month, said he has no desire to scramble for an invitation to spring training next year. He endured two operations and nearly two years of rehabilitation, he said, in an effort to complete his career with one team and retire on his own terms.

“This year, there was so much motivation and reason,” he said. “Beyond that, there isn’t.”

He has no post-career plans yet. He said he does not anticipate exploring full-time jobs “at least for a year or so” -- in coaching, broadcasting or otherwise -- but would welcome the chance to serve as an instructor during spring training, alongside such alumni as Jim Abbott and Bobby Grich.

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In 1998, Japanese right-hander Koji Uehara turned down $3 million from the Angels, who offered to sign him out of college. Asian players tend to stay at home, at least early in their careers, and Uehara emerged as a star for the Yomiuri Giants.

The Angels got to see Uehara and another right-hander, Daisuke Matsuzaka, during the World Baseball Classic.

Japan won the tournament, with Matsuzaka honored as most valuable player and Uehara leading all pitchers in strikeouts.

Both pitchers have expressed interest in jumping to the major leagues. Angels scouting director Eddie Bane said the team would pursue Uehara and Matsuzaka as they become available, in free agency or if their Japanese clubs auction negotiating rights before then.

“We’ll be somewhere in the hunt,” Bane said.

As the Angels develop a greater presence in Asia, Bane was particularly tickled by last week’s $1-million signing of South Korean right-hander Young-Il Jung, 18. Bane said Jung is the first Korean prospect in five years to sign with a major league organization out of high school. The Angels are out of minor league visas this season, Bane said, so Jung will join the organization during the fall instructional league.

Bane flew to South Korea to join Jung and his family at a news conference, which he said attracted 150 media members, including 15 photographers.

“They just snapped away as if it was Halle Berry or something,” Bane said. “I don’t think we had that big a press conference when we signed Vlad,” referring to All-Star Vladimir Guerrero.

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Third baseman Dallas McPherson (back) and first baseman Casey Kotchman (mononucleosis) started rehabilitation assignments Thursday at triple-A Salt Lake. Manager Mike Scioscia said there is no timetable for the return of either player, although such assignments are limited to 20 days.... Center fielder Terry Evans, acquired last week for pitcher Jeff Weaver, hit four home runs in his first six games at double-A Arkansas.... The Angels are making a pitcher out of Travis Schlichting, the infielder they acquired last winter for catcher Josh Paul. Schlichting, 21, batted .242 in 31 games at Class A Cedar Rapids.