Notes: Angels break from Weaver Stoneman says club has ended negotiations for good By Mike Scarr / MLB.com TEMPE, Ariz. -- Jered Weaver's road to becoming an Angel has seemingly come to an end as the club broke off negotiations with their first-round draft choice early Thursday. According to a number of published reports, the Angels had offered a $5.25 million, five-year deal to the right-hander. Weaver and his agent, Scott Boras, had initially asked for a reported $10.5 million but had lowered their price to $8 million. Unwilling to bridge a nearly $3 million gap, general manager Bill Stoneman set a midnight deadline for Wednesday and when that passed, the offer expired and the Angels say their pursuit of Weaver has officially ended. "The offer is off the table," Stoneman said. "We offered the guy the best contract in the 2004 draft and the best of any player in the 2003 draft." Weaver had been paired with Rice hurler Jeff Niemann as the top pitchers of last year's class. But Niemann ended up being the third pitcher taken when the Devil Rays grabbed him with the fourth overall selection while Weaver slipped to 14th overall and the ninth pitcher chosen. Weaver had been projected as high as the top overall pick, but teams stayed away because of his expected contract demands. Niemann recently signed with Tampa Bay for $5.2 million. After starring at Long Beach State, Weaver was considered the closest to the Major Leagues of any of the 2004 crop of pitchers and drew comparisons to Mark Prior in terms of refinement, stuff and knowledge of the strike zone. Manager Mike Scioscia, for one, was anxious to get him signed and take a look at him in camp. "He is a talent. He's going to have a good career," Scioscia said. "Unfortunately, it isn't going to be with us." Weaver would have figured prominently into the Angels' plans, but the club remains confident they are still well stocked with prospects. "It would be great to add another arm, but we have a pool of talented young pitchers that are going to be knocking on the door," Scioscia said, citing right-handers Ervin Santana, Steven Shell and Chris Bootcheck and lefty Joe Saunders. "The potential to keep that championship caliber staff is still alive." With the Cactus League schedule officially opening with a 9-8 loss to the Giants Thursday, the club is moving on. "The focus is on this team getting ready to start the '05 season, which explains the timing of withdrawing the offer," Stoneman said. "We have to focus on the players that are part of this organization." The Angels will receive a sandwich pick between the first and second rounds of the 2005 First-Year Player Draft as compensation. Damn Boras strikes again...... on the other hand, weaver would look great in an astros uniform, just dont think its worth the trouble.....
