Gary Gaetti, considered one of baseball's best third basemen when he signed a four-year, $11.4 million contract with the California Angels nearly 21/2 years ago, has been placed on release waivers.
Gaetti, who joined the Angels before the 1991 season as a new-look free agent, has been a bench-warmer most of this year, getting nine hits in 50 at-bats for a .180 average. He had no homers and four RBIs in 20 games.Gaetti, 34, was placed on waivers Thursday to make room for third baseman Kelly Gruber, who will join the team in Detroit today after completing a rehabilitation assignment at the Angels' Vancouver farm club of the Pacific Coast League.
Gruber, acquired from Toronto in December for infielder Luis Sojo and cash, revealed in January that he had pain in his left shoulder. Gruber, 31, underwent surgery in February to repair a partial tear of his rotator cuff and cartilage in the shoulder and has been on the disabled list all season.
A two-time All-Star during his nine-plus seasons with the Minnesota Twins, Gaetti played in 153 games for the Angels in 1991 and hit .246 with 18 homers and 66 RBIs. Last season, he played in 130 games and hit .226 with 12 homers and 48 RBIs.
Gaetti hit 25 or more home runs four times and drove in 85 or more runs four times with the Twins and was one of their key players in 1987 when they won the World Series.
The Angels still owe Gaetti $2,027,472 for this year and $3 million for next year.