SPRING TRAINING ’87 : Roundup : Ojeda May Pitch Opener for Mets

Manager Dave Johnson of the New York Mets is considering passing over Dwight Gooden as his opening-day starter in favor of left-hander Bob Ojeda.

Ojeda was 4-0 with an 0.68 earned-run average against Pittsburgh last season, and the Mets open with the Pirates on April 7 at Shea Stadium in New York.

“It could happen, but I’m not saying it will,” Johnson said. “I like using my left-handers against Pittsburgh, but opening day is a long way off.”

Gooden opened the season for the Mets in 1986 at Pittsburgh as the Mets beat the Pirates. His career record is 6-0 with a 1.49 ERA in nine starts against the Pirates.

Detroit Tiger first baseman Darrell Evans, who balked at accepting a $500,000, one-year contract, signed with the American League club.

The agreement was for one year, but no other terms were disclosed.

Evans, 39, last season earned $760,000 in the final year of a three-year contract.

He batted .241 in 151 games last year with a team-high 29 home runs and 85 runs batted in.

Barry Larkin, expected to be the starting shortstop for the Cincinnati Reds, and outfielders Tracy Jones and Leo Garcia signed one-year contracts, leaving six Reds unsigned.

Last season at Triple-A Denver, Larkin hit .329 in 103 games, with 10 home runs, 51 RBIs and 19 stolen bases. He was American Assn. Rookie of the Year and the league’s Most Valuable Player.

Larkin was called up to the Reds Aug. 13, and in 41 major league games hit .283, drove in 19 runs and stole 8 bases.

The Minnesota Twins have invited free agent outfielder Billy Sample, a lifetime .272 hitter who was not tendered a contract by the Atlanta Braves, to spring training as a non-rostered player.

Sample, 31, will not be offered a contract unless he makes the team, said Andy MacPhail, Twin executive vice president.

Sample batted .285 in 200 at-bats last year with the Braves, the third team in three years for the eight-year veteran. His best season was 1983, when he batted .274 with 12 home runs, 57 RBIs and 44 stolen bases for the Texas Rangers.

Houston Astro first baseman Glenn Davis, locked in a $70,000 contract dispute with the National League club, did not report to spring training at Kissimmee, Fla.

Davis is seeking $250,000, and the Astros have offered $180,000. Reportedly, there was no significant movement from those figures at a meeting Monday between General Manager Dick Wagner and agent Gerry Hunsicker.

Davis would not officially become a holdout until March 4.

Davis hit .265 with 31 home runs and 101 RBIs in 1986, when he earned $120,000, and was a key to Houston winning the National League West title.

The San Francisco Giants announced they have signed third baseman Chris Brown to a one-year contract.

Terms were not disclosed but it is believed Brown will receive approximately $400,000.

The 25-year-old Brown led the Giants in hitting for the second straight year in 1986 with a .317 mark and was named to the National league All-Star team in only his second year in the majors.

The New York Yankees signed right-handed pitcher Bob Tewksbury and catcher Phil Lombardi to one-year contracts. Terms of the contracts were not disclosed.

Tewksbury, 26, had a 9-5 record and a 3.31 ERA last season with the Yankees.

Lombardi, 23, hit .278 in 20 games with the Yankees and batted .292 at Columbus.