Chance to Get Johnson Fades

While the Angels have not ruled out the possibility of acquiring Arizona ace Randy Johnson by Saturday’s 1 p.m. non-waiver trade deadline, the chances of the 6-foot-10 left-hander’s anchoring the Angel rotation for the rest of this season appear slim.

And any thoughts the Angels might have had of acquiring Pittsburgh right-hander Kris Benson have probably been dashed, because the Pirate right-hander appears headed to the New York Mets for third baseman Ty Wigginton and prospects.

The Angels seem to be waiting for the price tag on Johnson to come down, but Arizona General Manager Joe Garagiola Jr. has so far shown no inclination to back off his demands of acquiring two major league-ready prospects and one or two major league players in exchange for one of baseball’s best pitchers.

One source close to Johnson, who is scheduled to pitch tonight against Colorado, said Thursday that he believed “there’s a 90% chance he won’t be traded.� The source also said there have been no “meaningful� conversations between the Angels and Diamondbacks regarding Johnson, who, according to numerous published reports, would accept a trade only to the New York Yankees.

While acknowledging “you never want someone who doesn’t want to be here,� Angel owner Arte Moreno said he would be interested in any player who could help his team get back to the playoffs.

“I don’t care if I’m the fifth choice,� Moreno said. “If we really believe that particular player is going to help our team win, then we need to do what’s best for our team. It’s business. It’s not an emotional thing.�

The Angel farm system is far more attractive to the Diamondbacks than the Yankee system, but Moreno said the team would be reluctant to trade two of its top five prospects -- catcher Jeff Mathis, third baseman Dallas McPherson, first baseman Casey Kotchman and pitchers Ervin Santana and Bobby Jenks -- in one deal.

The Diamondbacks also are believed to be interested in Angel reliever Scot Shields and would probably accept starter Ramon Ortiz in a trade for Johnson.

Some believe as the deadline approaches, the cash-strapped Diamondbacks will be more desperate to trade Johnson, who is owed another $5 million this season and is signed for 2005 at $16 million, and lower their demands.

But the same financial concerns that might compel the Diamondbacks to trade Johnson might preclude the Angels from taking him.

“It really cuts down your flexibility to do other things,� Moreno said of such a move. “This isn’t like, ‘Geez, I’d like to have that Rolls-Royce and I’ll worry about paying for it later.’ They won’t take the Rolls-Royce, they’ll take the whole team.�

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While Troy Percival handed Francisco Rodriguez a ball marked “300� Wednesday in recognition of Percival’s record-setting save in a gesture symbolic of passing a torch to his heir apparent, the Angels say they remain confident in their current closer.

“If he was passing a torch,� Manager Mike Scioscia said, “he had two of them because he’s still holding one. I think Percy’s going to keep pitching at a very high level for some time.�

Percival, who has compensated for the loss of a few miles per hour on his fastball by mixing in more off-speed pitches, has converted all four save opportunities since coming off the disabled list late last month. He spent much of Thursday fielding congratulatory phone calls from current and former players, including Rod Carew, and smiled when Shields walked by in the clubhouse wearing a T-shirt designed to commemorate the milestone.

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Adam Kennedy, who has one hit in his last 16 at-bats, was supposed to get the day off but entered in the 13th as a defensive replacement. Chone Figgins, a middle infielder who has been used primarily in the outfield and at third base because of injuries to other Angels, made only his second start of the season at second base.... Scioscia said he and General Manager Bill Stoneman spoke with Bob Watson, baseball’s administrator in charge of on-field discipline, regarding Tuesday’s pregame fracas between Kennedy and Texas catcher Gerald Laird but did not expect any suspensions or fines.... Tim Salmon batted ninth for the first time in his career.