Percival leaves coaching to try comeback

Former Angels closer Troy Percival might be planning a comeback, but he won't be coming back as an Angel.

Percival formally notified the Angels Wednesday that he would be pursuing a return to the playing field and requested he be released from his contract as a minor league pitching instructor with the organization. The Angels will grant that request.

But Angels GM Bill Stoneman said the team really has no interest in signing Percival to pitch for them. The franchise leader with 316 career saves, Percival has not appeared in a major league game since July 2005 with the Detroit Tigers.

"Our bullpen is a strength," Stoneman said. "We didn't really try to sign him when he became a free agent (after the 2004 season) because we had Frankie Rodriguez. Frankie has been terrific. We still have Scot Shields. When Justin Speier gets healthy, he's another guy who is a pretty good setup man and could close for a lot of teams.

"We're so well-staffed in our bullpen. ... I don't see an opportunity for him here."

But Stoneman admitted the 37-year-old Percival could draw interest from other teams if he is able to prove his arm is sound. "Not every bullpen is as solid as ours," Stoneman said.