Dodgers Let Dayley Slip Away : Baseball: Left-handed relief pitcher, after visiting Los Angeles, signs a 3-year, $6.3-million contract with the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Dodgers’ search for a left-handed relief pitcher became more desperate Monday after Ken Dayley, two days after a visit here, signed a three-year, $6.3-million deal with the Toronto Blue Jays. The contract includes an option year for a fourth season, with a guaranteed $350,000 buyout.

Last week the Dodgers, unwilling to give anyone more than a three-year contract after signing Darryl Strawberry to a five-year deal, offered Dayley a three-year deal worth nearly $6 million. They would not agree to an option season.

Dayley’s decision was reportedly based on the contract difference, and the differences between the cities.

“I don’t know what it’s like to play in Toronto, but I know L.A. is a media center, and there is a lot of pressure there,” Dayley said.

Dayley, 31, was 4-4 with a 3.56 earned-run average and two saves in 58 games for St. Louis last season. Despite arm troubles, he is known as a dependable setup reliever who helped lead the Cardinals to the World Series in 1987.

The turndown by Dayley puts the Dodgers in a position that could worsen today when Dave Righetti, the other top free-agent left-handed reliever, is scheduled to meet with officials from the New York Yankees. Righetti has spent his entire 10-year career with the Yankees.

The Dodgers have discussed a contract with Righetti’s agent, Bill Goodstein, but their refusal to offer more than three years may hurt them again.

“The length of a contract prior to Darryl’s, and after Darryl’s, is always going to be a factor with us,” said Fred Claire, Dodger vice president. “Especially with a pitcher, where length of contract becomes a major consideration.”

The Dodgers attempted to woo Dayley last Friday and Saturday, when he and his wife, Jill, visited Los Angeles and were shown homes and schools. Afterward, he flew to Toronto, where he spent the rest of the weekend.

“I guess he liked the feel of Toronto better,” Claire said. “We made him a substantial offer, now we have to move on.”

In other free-agent news, it appears that outfielder Kirk Gibson is on the verge of signing with another team, a leading candidate being Kansas City. Gibson’s departure from the Dodgers has been a foregone conclusion since midseason.