That’s billion, with a BScott Boras won’t...

That’s billion, with a B

Scott Boras won’t need to say a word. If Alex Rodriguez wants to play for the Angels next season, his agent ought not to bother with a fancy binder packed with dozens of statistics that testify to the greatness of his client.

Rodriguez lets his bat do the talking, every day. The Angels let their bats do the talking too, but they don’t say much. During a week in which they lost six consecutive games, during which they scored six runs and Rodriguez scored seven. He has 12 home runs. The Angels have 11, five from Vladimir Guerrero.

So, assuming the Angels make a run at him this fall, what will they be willing to pay? For all the free agents Arte Moreno has signed, the Angels’ owner really hasn’t won a major bidding war.

He beat out the Mets and Orioles for Guerrero, but the Orioles offered more money and the Mets wouldn’t offer five years. He got Bartolo Colon by adding a fourth year to his offer. The Angels and White Sox made comparable bids for Paul Konerko, who stayed in Chicago.

And, after Moreno pulled out of the bidding on Alfonso Soriano at $115 million, the Cubs signed him for $136 million. Moreno is wary of paying anyone more than Guerrero, who will make $15 million next season.

That is not to say Moreno would not sign Rodriguez -- he’d love to, and Rodriguez is a far more valuable player than Soriano -- but just to say that Moreno has his limits and Rodriguez has an agent skilled in the art of the auction. At the end of the season, Rodriguez can stick with his current contract with the Yankees -- with three years and $81 million remaining -- or opt for free agency.

“I told him if he opted out of his contract, he could sign a billion-dollar contract right now,” Yankees pitcher Brian Bruney told the New York Times Thursday, after Rodriguez hit his 10th home run in 14 games this season.

The Cubs will be sold this fall, and a new owner could win Chicago’s heart by signing Rodriguez to play shortstop. Estimated cost to buy the Cubs, their stake in Chicago’s cable sports channel and Rodriguez too? Say $1 billion.

‘I can show you I can get angry’

The question is almost obligatory these days. When a team plays poorly, someone will ask the manager why he has not screamed at his players, or stomped to the postgame buffet and hurled the food onto the clubhouse floor.

If you’re Lou Piniella, maybe you do. That’s your nature. If you’re Grady Little, your players will think you’ve gone nuts.

When the Phillies fell into last place in the National League East -- yes, behind the Nationals -- a reporter badgered mild-mannered Manager Charlie Manuel about why he hadn’t thrown a temper tantrum. After a testy exchange, Manuel said, “I can show you I can get angry. Why don’t you stop by my office?”

The reporter did, and ultimately two coaches had to separate him and Manuel. No matter how provoked Manuel might have felt, no matter how silly he might have considered the line of questioning, he lost it.

He might lose his job if the Phillies don’t scamper back into the race. General Manager Pat Gillick inherited Manuel and has since added former major league managers Jimy Williams and Davey Lopes to the coaching staff.

Hello, Roger Clemens? The Yanks are calling

The Yankees used three rookie starters -- Chase Wright, Kei Igawa and Darrell Rasner -- in sweeping the Indians last week. Wright won in his major league debut, and he’ll get another start tonight, against a slightly more celebrated rookie -- Daisuke Matsuzaka. ... The White Sox are playing Darin Erstad in center field regularly, wear and tear the Angels thought he could no longer take. Erstad is hitting .169. ... Cubs ace Carlos Zambrano has pitched 22 innings this season, giving up 19 runs. Teammate Rich Hill also has pitched 22 innings, giving up one run.