Angels Add Ochoa for Depth

With the Angels convinced that their roster needed nothing more than a little tinkering, they acquired outfielder Alex Ochoa from the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday in a five-player trade succinctly analyzed by outfielder Tim Salmon.

“It gives us something we didn’t have,” Salmon said. “We didn’t lose much. So it’s a good deal.”

In exchange for Ochoa, acquired as a backup outfielder and right-handed pinch-hitter, and minor league catcher Sal Fasano, the Angels gave up reserve catcher Jorge Fabregas and two minor leaguers to be named.

If the trade was modest, so was the price. In dollars, the cost to the Angels was $750,000, the difference between what Ochoa and Fabregas will earn over the final two months of the season. In prospects, there was virtually no cost to the Angels. By Sept. 20, the Brewers can choose two minor leaguers from a list provided by the Angels, but several sources said that no top prospects will be on that list.

Ochoa, 30, is hitting .256 with six home runs, three of which came in his first 10 at-bats of the season. He has a good arm and good speed, and as a pinch-hitter he has five hits in 15 at-bats for the last-place Brewers.

“I’m glad the Angels wanted me,” he said. “It will be exciting to be in a pennant race. Hopefully, I can go there and contribute.”

Ochoa is making $2.75 million this season and is eligible for free agency this fall.

As a player whose promise has exceeded his production, he has been traded seven times, the first time for Bobby Bonilla in 1995.

The Angels said they would do little before Wednesday’s trading deadline, and their word was good. They were pleasantly surprised when the Seattle Mariners did nothing all week and the Oakland A’s did nothing Wednesday after picking up second baseman Ray Durham and reliever Ricardo Rincon in the last week.

The Angels searched for relievers and reserve outfielders, but they refused to trade top prospects or add significantly to their payroll. The Cleveland Indians had indicated they would not pay any of the $2.2 million owed to Rincon this season and next; the Kansas City Royals had indicated they would not pay any of the $2 million owed to closer Roberto Hernandez.

The Brewers wanted to dump salary and agreed to the trade Wednesday morning, after learning that no team would assume Ochoa’s contract and provide a top prospect as well.

They accepted Fabregas, sources said, in the hope that they might later trade him should a contender need a veteran catcher who hits left-handed.

The Angels then took Fasano, a journeyman who will play at triple-A Salt Lake City as insurance against injury to Bengie and Jose Molina.

In addition to Fabregas, the Brewers have catchers Paul Bako and Robert Machado on the major league roster and Raul Casanova on rehabilitation assignment. If they cannot trade any of their catchers, they might release Fabregas.

“This is a team that was contending, and I felt like I was a big part of this team,” Fabregas said. “That’s what hurts the most. I went through the struggles last year. I’d like to go through the good times, especially if this team goes to the playoffs.”