Outfield Is Set, Stoneman Says

As the Angels promoted minor league slugger Dallas McPherson to triple-A Monday, General Manager Bill Stoneman strongly rebuffed suggestions the team was pursuing Carlos Beltran, the star center fielder recently put on the trading block by the Kansas City Royals.

Stoneman would not comment on specific players or rumors, but he said the Angels were not interested in acquiring an outfielder. The Angels already have a surplus at the position, with Vladimir Guerrero in right field, Garret Anderson in center, Jose Guillen in left and Jeff DaVanon and Tim Salmon in reserve.

“Our center fielder is pretty good,” Stoneman said. “So is our left fielder. So is our right fielder.”

In exchange for Beltran, who plans to file for free agency this fall and could seek $15 million a year, the Royals want a young third baseman and young catcher. McPherson could be the former and Jeff Mathis the latter but Stoneman said he has no intention of trading the Angels’ best prospects.

Although owner Arte Moreno spent $146 million on free agents last winter and boosted the payroll above $100 million, Stoneman said he has received no pressure from Moreno to trade prospects in a push to win this year.

McPherson, 23, hit .321 in 68 games at double-A Arkansas and led the Texas League with 20 home runs and 69 runs batted in. The Angels promoted him after Monday’s Texas League All-Star Game. With Troy Glaus expected to sit out the rest of the season after shoulder surgery and file for free agency this fall, McPherson could arrive in Anaheim next season -- or late this season.

McPherson and Mathis were selected Monday as the Angels’ representatives in the Futures Game, the minor league all-star game that precedes the major league game by two days.

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The Angels plan to activate Aaron Sele to start Saturday’s game against the Dodgers, Manager Mike Scioscia said. The Angels would thus give John Lackey five days between starts, and Lackey said he would consider dropping the appeal of his five-game suspension and serve it starting today. When a sore shoulder forced Sele onto the disabled list two weeks ago, the Angels replaced him in the rotation with Ramon Ortiz. Ortiz will start Thursday, and the Angels have not decided whether to return him to the bullpen thereafter, Scioscia said. The Angels are optimistic that Jarrod Washburn, limited to two innings Sunday because of neck and back spasms, can remain off the disabled list and start as scheduled Friday.