Angels try to hit switch with Callaspo

ARLINGTON, TEXAS —  Seeking to strengthen their offense and bolster a position at which they have woefully underperformed, the Angels on Thursday acquired infielder Alberto Callaspo from the Kansas City Royals for pitchers Sean O’Sullivan and Will Smith.

The Angels hope Callaspo can serve as an upgrade over third basemen Maicer Izturis, Kevin Frandsen and Brandon Wood while boosting an offense that has sagged for long stretches since first baseman Kendry Morales suffered a season-ending leg injury in May.

The switch-hitting Callaspo, a former Angels prospect, was batting .275 with a .308 on-base percentage, eight home runs and 43 runs batted in in 88 games for the Royals, with 76 of his starts coming at third base. He was scheduled to join the Angels on Friday for the second game of a four-game series against Texas.

“We know the player very well, we’re excited to have him and we think it’s going to strengthen us in a lot of different ways,” Angels General Manager Tony Reagins said of Callaspo, who can also play shortstop and second base.

Manager Mike Scioscia intimated that Callaspo, 27, would get the bulk of playing time at third base, with Izturis rotating through every infield spot except first base. Although Reagins said a spate of injuries that landed Izturis on the disabled list for nearly two months this season was “not much of a factor” in the trade, the move appears to indicate the Angels have concerns about Izturis’ durability.

The Angels’ previous trio of third basemen had combined to hit .214 with a .260 on-base percentage before Thursday, figures that were lowest at the position in the major leagues. Their .313 slugging percentage is 29th out of 30 teams.

Although Callaspo hit .300 with 11 homers and 73 RBIs during a breakout 2009 with the Royals, his batting average has dipped somewhat this season and he has only two extra-base hits in 25 games since June 16.

“What he does in the batter’s box, he has the potential to be something special,” Scioscia said. “He can hit.”

O’Sullivan, 22, ended his Angels’ career with a strong start against the New York Yankees on Tuesday, holding them to two runs and six hits in six innings. He spent all five of his professional seasons with the Angels.

“I’ve only worn red as a pro,” said O’Sullivan, who went 5-2 with a 5.15 earned-run average in 17 career games with the Angels, including 11 starts, “but I’ll let it soak in and I feel like I’m going somewhere where they want me and I can get a chance to prove that I can play at this level.”

Smith, 21, pitched at three levels of the Angels’ farm system this season, going 2-2 with a 4.58 ERA in six starts at Class-A Rancho Cucamonga, 1-2 with a 7.23 ERA in four starts at double-A Arkansas and 2-4 with a 5.60 ERA in nine starts for triple-A Salt Lake.

The Angels traded Callaspo to the Arizona Diamondbacks in February 2006 for right-handed pitcher Jason Bulger. Callaspo joined Kansas City before the 2008 season.

Callaspo will be eligible for arbitration for the first time this winter, meaning he will remain under the Angels’ control through 2013.

“We’re here to win this thing and play good competitive baseball, not just for this year but for years to come,” Reagins said. “I think this acquisition speaks to that with not having Alberto for one month or two months but for long-term.”

Callaspo was involved in an alleged domestic dispute in May 2007 in which his wife suffered minor injuries, according to a police report. Callaspo was arrested on suspicion of criminal damage and assault, though no formal charges were filed and he later agreed to undergo counseling.

ben.bolch@latimes.com

--

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)

Callaspo statistics

Career statistics for new Angel Alberto Callaspo:

*--* YEAR TEAM AB R 2B 3B HR RBI BA 2006 Arizona 42 2 1 1 0 6 238 2007 Arizona 144 10 8 0 0 7 215 2008 Kansas City 213 21 8 3 0 16 305 2009 Kansas City 576 79 41 8 11 73 300 2010 Kansas City 349 40 19 2 8 43 275 Total 1,324 152 77 14 19 145 283 *--*

Source: baseball-reference.com