BASEBALL WINTER MEETINGS : Milwaukee Signs Dave Parker

The Milwaukee Brewers joined the free-agent frenzy Sunday, signing Dave Parker as big names again traded places at baseball’s winter meetings.

Mark Davis, Joe Carter, Danny Tartabull and Jeff Reardon also might be moved this week, even though teams face no deadlines to deal at the annual gathering.

The Brewers, looking to help themselves in several areas, dipped into the free-agent pool for the first time since 1980 by signing Parker to a two-year, $3 million contract. The move came two days after Mark Langston left the Montreal Expos and got a five-year, $16 million deal from the Angels.

Parker, 38, led all designated hitters with 22 home runs and 97 RBIs, while batting .264 for the World Series champion Oakland Athletics this year. The left-handed slugger, a six-time All-Star, was selected Sunday as DH of the year in an annual American League award.

The Brewers, who tried several players at the position this season, got a combined 10 homers, 67 RBIs and .238 average from their DHs. Milwaukee left-handed batters hit a total of only 20 home runs in 1989.

Milwaukee also hopes the addition of Parker will bolster its efforts to retain free agent Robin Yount. Yount, the AL most valuable player, is being wooed by big money from California and other clubs, and had indicated he would be more likely to re-sign with the Brewers if they showed some off-season improvement.

“The Brewers showed genuine interest from the start,” Parker said. “Plus, they’re bonafide contenders.”

Parker said the New York Yankees, Boston and the Angels also expressed more interest than Oakland.

“I think the Athletics made their decision at the end of the season,” Parker said. “They had a game plan. I don’t think they had a serious negotiating session with us. But this is a business, and we all understand that.”

The Athletics, who last week re-signed free agent outfeilder Rickey Henderson for four years at $12 million, also will need to spend big money to satisfy outfielder Jose Canseco, pitcher Dave Stewart and others.

“We would like to bring back everybody from our championship team, but the economics haven’t made it possible,” Athletics General Manager Sandy Alderson said. “We also didn’t feel we could give him the multi-year contract he was seeking.”

Parker has 307 home runs, 1,342 RBIs and a .289 average for 17 seasons. He was the National League’s MVP with Pittsburgh in 1978 and spent the past two seasons with Oakland.

The Brewers had not signed a free agent since getting Roy Howell, who had been with Toronto, on Dec. 23, 1980. Parker is only the sixth free agent Milwaukee has acquired.

“I’m looking for Dave Parker to be Dave Parker, on and off the field,” Brewer Manager Tom Trebelhorn said. “He can bring us several qualities we can use.”

The Brewers have long searched for a fulltime DH. Paul Molitor served there for one season before getting hurt. Ted Simmons did it for one year and Hank Aaron also was a DH. They are the only regular DHs the team has ever had.

Milwaukee, crippled by injuries, was 81-81 and finished fourth in the AL East, eight games behind Toronto. The division now may be the weakest in baseball, and the Brewers, projected by many as the favorites last season, wanted someone who could teach them how to win, and then help do it.

“I’m at the stage in my career where I realize I can be the last player a team needs for a championship,” Parker said. “Last season’s Oakland team might be the best I’ve ever been on, so it was nice to leave on a high note with a World Series victory.”

Parker was the only player on the go Sunday. In a front-office move, the San Diego Padres gave Manager Jack McKeon the title of vice president-baseball operations.

“At this stage of our negotiations, with both Mark Davis and Yount in the free-agent market, I want to ensure that we use all of our resources,” Padres owner Joan Kroc said.

The major league portion of the meetings begin Monday with a state of the game address by Commissioner Fay Vincent. That will be followed by the draft, in which big-league teams can pick unprotected players for $50,000.

Detroit holds the No. 1 choice and might select Greg Walker, the injury-plagued power hitter from the Chicago White Sox. Walker, who averaged 21 home runs from 1984-87, has played sparingly the past two years and hit .210 with five homers and 26 RBIs last season.

Jim Lindeman, once a promising prospect wit St. Louis, also is available.

Last year at the winter meetings in Atlanta, there were 23 trades and free-agent signings involving 45 players. This time, Davis, the NL Cy Young Award winner, and Reardon are two of the prime free agents still available.

Most of the trade rumors this year involve Carter, Cleveland’s big hitter. Kansas City is said to be offering Tartabull and catcher Mike Macfarlane in a package. Boston and San Diego also are showing interest.