Valenzuela, Samuel Offered Arbitration : Dodgers: Club makes a late bid to keep them. Mickey Hatcher also gets an offer.

Having failed to acquire a left-handed starting pitcher or a second baseman, the Dodgers made a final-hour move Friday to keep free agents Fernando Valenzuela and Juan Samuel by offering them one-year contracts with arbitration rights.

They also virtually guaranteed that free agent Mickey Hatcher would remain a Dodger by making him a similar offer.

If the Dodgers had not made the offers, they would have had to wait until May 1 to try to re-sign the players. The players have until Dec. 19 to accept the offers.

If the players accept, they will count against the roster and contracts will be negotiated, with arbitration available to settle impasses. If the players do not accept, the Dodgers must sign them by Jan. 8 or lose rights to them until May 1.

Hatcher, who wants to finish his career in Los Angeles, is certain to accept. And although originally it appeared that both Valenzuela and Samuel would go elsewhere, the feeling is that they might also accept.

They suddenly need the Dodgers because they have not been offered lucrative multiyear deals by other teams. By accepting this offer, they would retain their free-agent rights for next season, giving them opportunities to benefit from another inflated market if their performances improve.

“Who is to say that a multiyear deal would be good for Juan right now?” said Jim Turner, agent for Samuel, who batted .242 last season. “Juan is a big believer in his ability and I don’t think he wants to a sign a contract at under-market value when, after a good season next year, he could leave that contract in the dust.”

Samuel gave both the Dodgers and himself reason to believe that his hitting problems were solved by batting .277 after the All-Star break, .377 in the final month.

Valenzuela’s chances on the open market are hampered by the top draft choice it will cost a team to sign him. He is coming off a 13-13 season with a 4.59 earned-run average and a reputation for struggling if he has to pitch more than six innings.

He would like a multiyear deal, but the Dodgers are not likely to cut his $2-million base salary by much, and he likes playing in Los Angeles.

“We are talking to other people . . . it is good to know that we now have more options,” said Tony DeMarco, Valenzuela’s agent.

When asked if Valenzuela was upset that the Dodgers had not offered him a contract until now, DeMarco said, “I will not answer that one.”

The Dodgers need both players again because they failed in attempts to sign free-agent second baseman Bill Doran or left-handed pitcher Tom Browning, among others.

“Face it,” a club source said. “These guys are better right now than what we’ve got.”

By offering the contracts, the Dodgers also retain draft-choice compensation for both players. So if they still choose to go elsewhere, the Dodgers have not lost everything.

“Compensation is one factor for this move, but a lot of things go into it,” said Fred Claire, Dodger vice president. “If we felt they had absolutely no place on this team, we would not have made this offer. We are prepared to have them on the team.”

Valenzuela and Samuel could also give the Dodgers depth to make a deal for a left-handed relief pitcher, their biggest need.

Valenzuela’s presence would allow the Dodgers to trade starters Mike Morgan and Jim Neidlinger. The return of Samuel would allow the trading of either Lenny Harris or Mike Sharperson, the infielders who are expected to platoon at second base.

Claire said Friday that he began discussions with several teams this week about a left-handed reliever and, “We could soon have some fallout from that.”

Top candidates for acquisition would include Dan Plesac of Milwaukee and Mitch Williams of the Chicago Cubs. It would probably take Kal Daniels to acquire Plesac, but Sharperson or Harris would be enough for Williams.

“I’ll just say we are not finished building this team,” Claire said.