BASEBALL MEETINGS : Abbott Sad He’s Leaving the Angels

LOUISVILLE, Ky. —  Although still confused by a trade he never wanted, Jim Abbott said he has had no second thoughts about rejecting a four-year, $16-million contract offer by the Angels. Claiming the Angels had to trade Abbott since he wouldn’t sign a long-term deal, Senior Vice President Whitey Herzog on Sunday traded the left-hander to the New York Yankees for pitchers Russ Springer and Jerry Nielsen and first baseman J.T. Snow.

“I don’t have any regrets. It’s just unfortunate the way things happened,” Abbott said Monday. “The Angels made a proposal for a four-year offer and it wasn’t what we’d asked for. It wasn’t that I wanted to leave the Angels, but they took it as that . . .

“The Angels were very fair to me and I’m not going to say that they weren’t. The contract was something we chose not to sign. We made an offer that was fair and we made an offer for a one-year deal (a compromise at $17.5 million). If that’s the way Whitey wants to play it in the papers I can’t do anything, but I hate to be played as sounding greedy. I didn’t think what we asked for was out of the question.”

Although Abbott said he and his agent, Scott Boras, were united in their decision to turn down the Angels’ offer, Manager Buck Rodgers asserted that Boras put his own interests ahead of Abbott’s.

“I think Jim Abbott wanted to sign with us all along and I hate to think we had to coddle up to his agent,” Rodgers said. “We had to make an agent trade. People are not even drafting his (clients) in the June draft. Scott Boras is becoming a guy people want to stay away from. I love Jim Abbott. I hope Jim Abbott wakes up. I want Jim Abbott to get the best deal he can for himself and his family.

“I don’t want to be vindictive, but it’s hard not to be vindictive because all of us (in the Angel organization) wanted Jim Abbott to stay. There’s no reason in the world for Jim Abbott not to take that offer. We wanted to be fair, so we offered four years for $16 million. If we wanted to, we could have started at $14 (million) and gone up to 16. Because of (Boras’) ego, the agent didn’t want to take 16 million. He had to justify his commission.”

Abbott admitted he was saddened by the trade, which he learned of when he returned from a Hawaiian vacation with his wife.

“Somewhere in the back of my mind, I thought I’d always be with the Angels. I guess I was naive to think that after all was said and done,” he said. “This is tough for me because I always felt I’d be part of the Angels. I’ll always hold a special place in my heart for (owner) Gene Autry. Every day this baseball season I’ll miss (media relations director) Tim Mead and (coach) Jimmie Reese . . .

“I’m really excited about playing with Don Mattingly and Spike Owen. I’ve heard a lot of good things about them and I’m looking forward to playing for a team that wants to win . . . It’s been a very up-and-down day for me. With each high I get from the excitement of playing in New York, I get a pang over leaving the Angels. I’m sorry that it turned out the way it did. The money thing is not that important. We have to put that behind us and start thinking about playing to win.”

Although fan reaction to the trade has been negative, Rodgers isn’t perturbed. “Twelve organizations came up to me and said, ‘You guys made a hell of a deal,”’ he said. “We’re doing things we think are right.”

The agreement between Barry Bonds and the San Francisco Giants moved closer to a settlement but remained on hold after lawyers spent the day trying to finalize the six-year contract worth an estimated $45 million.

The deal hit a snag when Giant owner Bill Lurie, who is in the process of selling the team to Peter Magowan, chairman of Safeway Inc., said he would not be responsible for paying Bonds if the sale of the team is not approved by the other major league owners.

The Boston Red Sox refused to offer arbitration to Wade Boggs. The Red Sox also decided not to offer arbitration to Tom Brunansky, Herm Winningham and Steve Lyons.

Boggs, a seven-time All-Star, has a .338 batting average in 11 seasons with the Red Sox. He batted .300 or better every year until last season, when he dropped to .259 with seven homers and a career-low 50 RBIs.

Boggs, 34, is a five-time American League batting champion and a six-time league leader in on-base percentage.

Meeting Notes

Free agent Andre Dawson, bitter over the way management has treated him, will not return to the Chicago Cubs next season.

“I never really felt comfortable with (General Manager Larry) Himes--it took the guy six months to actually speak to me,” Dawson, 38, said in an interview with WGN radio. Dawson had until 11 p.m. Monday to accept a $200,000 raise from the Cubs for one year at $3.5 million. He had been seeking $5.5 million for each of two years.

Whitey Herzog’s other talks involved the Atlanta Braves, but his ability to swing a deal hinges on several factors.

Atlanta was awaiting a response to its $32-million contract offer to free agent pitcher Greg Maddux, who on Monday went on a tour of the New York suburbs with Yankee General Manager Gene Michael. If the Braves sign Maddux, they will rid themselves of other high-salaried players; one they deem expendable without requiring much return is left-hander Charlie Leibrandt, who earned $2.6 million plus incentives in 1992.

That salary is high for the Angels, but they might assume it if they can’t find a proven starter for the fourth or fifth spot in their rotation. The teams are also discussing a deal that would send Ron Gant to the Angels, but that hinges on whether Deion Sanders signs a contract to play baseball exclusively or one to play baseball and football.

Still seeking a center fielder, the Angels have talked to the Expos about Cliff Floyd, Montreal’s first-round draft pick in 1990. . . . Of the Angels’ five free agents, only infielder Rene Gonzales was offered arbitration. . . . Herzog said two clubs have inquired about pitcher Chuck Finley. One is among the 13 clubs that Finley has the contractual right to veto and one is not.

Dodger Manager Tom Lasorda said it was difficult for him to say goodby to veteran catcher Mike Scioscia, who was not offered arbitration and is not in the Dodgers’ plans for next season.

“It will be tough not having Mike with me next year,” Lasorda said. “He’s been with me since we brought him up in 1981, and I can truly say he has been one of the greatest Dodgers of all.”

Also not offered arbitration were infielder Dave Anderson and pitchers Bob Ojeda, Jay Howell and John Candelaria.

Scioscia, 34, is reportedly talking with the Montreal Expos.

Despite the acquisition of outfielder/infielder Cory Snyder on Saturday, the Dodgers are still pursuing a true third baseman, perhaps Boggs.

“I don’t plan on Cory playing third base next season,” Lasorda said. “I’m not saying that he won’t, but I don’t think he will.”

The Seattle Mariners signed former Dodger Mike Marshall, 32, to a triple-A contract and invited him to spring training. He spent last season in Japan, where he failed to produce and was sent to the minors by the Nippon Ham Fighters.

The Detroit Tigers re-signed Lou Whitaker to a three-year contract worth $10-million.

The A’s offered salary arbitration to seven players, signed three others and declined to offer arbitration to four more. Offered arbitration were designated hitter Harold Baines; pitchers Ron Darling, Kelly Downs and Dave Stewart, catcher Terry Steinbach and outfielder Ruben Sierra. They didn’t offer arbitration to infielder Randy Ready, pitcher Jeff Russell and outfielder Willie Wilson. Pitcher Rick Honeycutt signed a one-year contract, while Rich Gossage and Curt Young signed minor-league contracts. . . . The Tigers re-signed right-hander Bill Gullickson for two years at $2.3 million per year. Gullickson was 14-13 with a 4.34 ERA.

Material from the Associated Press is included in this story.