BASEBALL WINTER MEETINGS : Teams Watch, Wait for Yount, Davis Moves

Free agents Robin Yount and Mark Davis held off making decisions Monday, putting several possible trades on hold at baseball’s winter meetings.

The Chicago Cubs said they were told by Yount’s agent, his brother Larry, that nothing was imminent concerning their multi-year, $3 million-per-season offer to Yount, the American League’s Most Valuable Player.

“We called this afternoon to find out the situation, and they said no decision would be made at the meetings,” Cubs president Don Grenesko said.

As usual, there was more talking than trading. The New York Yankees sent Don Slaught to Pittsburgh for Jeff Robinson and a minor leaguer in the only definite deal, while rumors swirled about Joe Carter and Mike Greenwell.

The annual draft of players left off 40-man rosters did produce some familiar names. Mike Dunne, one of the best rookie pitchers in 1987, was taken by San Diego, and Sil Campusano, once Toronto’s most promising prospect, was selected by Philadelphia.

Commissioner Fay Vincent, in his first state of the game address, said he did not think there would be a work stoppage next season. He also talked about broadening baseball’s interest in Europe, and reiterated that a timetable for expansion will come within 90 days of a new contract between players and owners.

It remained uncertain, however, when free agents Yount and Davis would announce their plans.

Yount is being wooed by big offers from Milwaukee, the Angels, San Diego and the Cubs. He has played his entire career with the Brewers and they--along with the free-spending Angels--appeared to be the favorites to get him.

“We don’t have anything to say one way or the other right now,” Angels general manager Mike Port said. “Everyone except us was going around yesterday saying we had him.”

If the Angels get Yount, they are rumored to be interested in packaging Devon White and Kirk McCaskill to Cleveland for the hard-hitting Carter. San Diego also might be more willing to trade young catcher Sandy Alomar Jr. for Carter, if Yount signed with San Diego.

While Larry Yount did business by telephone from Arizona, the agents for Davis came to Nashville.

Alan and Randy Hendricks met Monday with San Diego general manager--and newly named vice president--Jack McKeon to talk about Davis, the National League Cy Young winner, staying with the Padres.

“We don’t have any timetable,” Alan Hendricks said. “We’ll try to it, as lawyers say, with all deliberate speed.”

Philadelphia, the team Davis started with, has entered the big-bucks bidding and has thrown in another incentive--the chance for Davis to become a starter.

Davis was a successful starter in the minors but struggled in that role in the majors. Now a successful reliever, Davis may want another chance in someone’s rotation.

The Yankees are anxious to get Davis and, if they can’t get him, perhaps sign free agent Jeff Reardon. The Yankees are interested in Chicago White Sox reliever Bobby Thigpen, but won’t make a move until settling their situation with Davis and Reardon.

The Yankees made the first trade of the meetings, sending Slaught to the Pirates for Robinson and pitcher Willie Smith. Pittsburgh still isn’t sure how injured catcher Mike Lavalliere will heal, so Slaught, 31, who hit .251 with five home runs and 38 RBIs in 117 games, should help.

Robinson, 28, was 7-13 with a 4.58 earned run average as a starter and reliever. Smith, 22, was a combined 7-5 in Class A and Class AA.

“One of our primary objectives was to come up with a right-handed hitting catcher,” Pirates general manager Larry Doughty said. “Don Slaught was our No. 1 target.”

Boston and Kansas City, along with San Diego and California, remained interested in Carter. The Indians wanted to hold several meetings Monday and today and hoped to have something done by then.

The Red Sox did talk with Atlanta, which was pursuing Mike Greenwell. Boston would part with him, but was asking for young pitchers that the Braves seemed unwilling to trade.

Detroit, needing almost everything after compiling the worst record in the majors, expressed interest in free agent Tony Phillips, an infielder with the World Series champion Oakland Athletics.

In a lesser move, Texas agreed to terms with Pat Dodson, who hit for power in the minors for Boston and recently played in Japan.

The Padres, whether they get Davis or not, added Dunne to their staff in the draft. Dunne, 27, was 13-6 with Pittsburgh in 1987 but has not been able to duplicate that success.

Campusano, 22, was Toronto’s starting center fielder on opening day in 1988. He was the reason the Blue Jays tried to make George Bell a designated hitter that season, a move that blew up.

In all, 18 players were taken in the draft, the most since 19 were selected in 1980. Detroit made minor league pitcher Steve Wapnick the No. 1 choice.

Vincent opened the major league portion of the meetings with a speech in which he predicted owners and players could avoid a strike or lockout next year. He said the two sides needed to work more on a joint drug agreement.

Vincent made several references to Bart Giamatti, his friend and the former commissioner who died Sept. 1. Peter Ueberroth gave the state of the game talk last December and this time Vincent sadly said he was making a speech that “all expected would have been made by someone else.”