Team Signs 43-Year-Old Galarraga

MINNEAPOLIS —  The Angels signed Andres Galarraga to a minor league contract Wednesday, giving the veteran slugger, who has twice beaten cancer, an opportunity to reach 400 homers if he can prove his skills have not significantly diminished.

Galarraga, whose 398 homers tie him with Dale Murphy for 40th on the all-time list, is scheduled to report today to triple-A Salt Lake, where the first baseman will attempt to show he can still be productive at age 43.

“Andres’ record speaks for itself, and I think his recent play shows that he’s a guy that has some gas left in his tank,” Angel Manager Mike Scioscia said.

“He’s a guy that seems like he’s kept his skills to a level that he can still do some things, and hopefully we’ll see those.”

Galarraga batted .301 with 12 homers and 42 runs batted in last season for the San Francisco Giants. The 18-year veteran, who sat out the 1999 season after being diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, had a recurrence last November that prompted a stem-cell transplant that again has put him in remission.

News of Galarraga’s signing brought smiles in the clubhouse to the faces of Venezuelans Francisco Rodriguez and Kelvim Escobar, who had watched their countryman on television growing up.

“When I was a kid, he was a big superstar with the Expos and Colorado,” Rodriguez said. “I wanted to be like him.”

“He’s got a big heart,” said Escobar, who has collaborated with Galarraga on charity work in their native country.

“I remember when he went through the cancer and everything -- everyone in my country was worried about him.”

Escobar said he saw Galarraga last year at an All-Star game in Caracas, Venezuela, and that the player affectionately dubbed “The Big Cat” looked strong and healthy.

Vladimir Guerrero said he learned a lot about batting from Galarraga when they were teammates in 2002 with the Montreal Expos and thought the career .288 batter could be productive given enough at-bats.

But Scioscia stressed there was no guarantee that Galarraga would make the Angel roster and if he did, it might not be until rosters expand to 40 players in September.

“If he’s productive and he’s doing some of the things that he’s done in the past,” Scioscia said, “then he’s the kind of guy you make room for. The guy is two years younger than me, and he’s still playing. That’s incredible.”

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The Angels recalled catcher Wil Nieves from Salt Lake to take the roster spot of Bengie Molina, who was put on the disabled list Tuesday with a broken right index finger. Scioscia said he expected Jose Molina and Josh Paul to handle most of the catching duties, with Nieves adding depth behind the plate and at first base.

Nieves, who batted .292 with nine homers and 45 RBIs with the Stingers and was among the Pacific Coast League leaders with seven triples, also played one game at third base. “Thank God nobody hit the ball to me,” Nieves joked.

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Minnesota Manager Ron Gardenhire sent a message of apology to the Angel clubhouse after pitcher Carlos Silva fired a ball into the upper deck of the Metrodome on Tuesday after his first career shutout. “The kid just got caught up in the moment,” Scioscia said. “He pitched a terrific game, a shutout, and just went a little too far.” Silva also issued an apology to the Angels through Minnesota reporters after the game.... The Angels purchased the contract of Northern League pitcher Dominic Woody and assigned the right-hander to Class-A Rancho Cucamonga.... Jeff DaVanon, recovering from back spasms, will report to Salt Lake today to begin a rehabilitation assignment.