Strawberry’s Glad He’s Back in Right : Dodgers: He says he is relieved he won’t have the pressure of playing a new position after a news conference introducing Butler and Ojeda.

The developments of the weekend left the Straw stirring a dash of disappointment with a measure of relief.

Darryl Strawberry said Monday he was sorry the Dodgers traded Hubie Brooks to the New York Mets but happy that the acquisition of free-agent center fielder Brett Butler would allow him to play his natural position, right field, rather than center.

“I could have made the move, but I feel at ease knowing I won’t have to,” Strawberry said after a Dodger Stadium news conference for Butler and pitcher Bob Ojeda, who was acquired in the trade for Brooks.

“The important thing for me in coming to the Dodgers is to be able to go out and have fun, and now I can do that without the pressure of adapting to a different position,” Strawberry said. “After all the pressure of playing in New York, I want to be able to relax, and I think Tommy (Lasorda) was concerned about that, too. He didn’t want me to have to deal with the extra pressure of performing at a new position.”

The departure of right fielder Brooks leaves Butler in center, Strawberry in right and Kal Daniels in left.

“It would have been special playing with Hubie again,” Strawberry said of his former teammate with the Mets. “Even when I was a minor leaguer there he would take time to talk to me. He was always there to give good advice. He’s a great leader, a positive influence in the clubhouse. I’m disappointed that I won’t have the chance to play with him again, and I know he’s disappointed having to go back to New York. I mean, you know how badly I wanted out. I wouldn’t wish that on anybody.”

Strawberry had only praise for Butler.

“He reminds me of Lenny Dykstra,” Strawberry said. “He plays hard. He’ll run through a wall if necessary. He’s a great leadoff hitter, and that sets the tone right there.”

Butler reiterated his joy over joining the Dodgers. He was born in Los Angeles and has dreamed of playing for the Dodgers since he was 6. It was a dream shared by his late father.

“My father died in 1984 at the age of 49, but I know in spirit he’s here,” Butler said. “If I could have picked my life, it couldn’t be any better than it is right now.”

Ojeda said that he, too, felt like a kid again, calling the move something he needed to keep his career going. He was 51-40 in five years with the Mets but 7-6 last season when he shuffled between the rotation and bullpen, hoping for a trade that never happened. Now he becomes a full-time starter again with the Dodgers.

“Frank Cashen (the Mets’ general manager) made two great moves, bringing me to the Mets (from the Boston Red Sox) and trading me to the Dodgers,” Ojeda said. “He also said a very intelligent thing to me when he called to tell me I was being traded to Los Angeles. He said, ‘You can never have too much pitching, but there are times you can have too many pitchers,’ and that’s what happened in New York last season.

“Doc (Gooden), Frankie (Viola), Sid (Fernandez) and David (Cone) generally knew when they were going to start, but Ron (Darling) and myself had no idea what our role was.”

Ojeda celebrated his 33rd birthday Monday, and the Dodgers presented him with a cake at the start of the news conference. It is still not clear whether they should save a piece for Fernando Valenzuela, who must decide by 9 p.m. Wednesday if he is going to accept the Dodgers’ offer of arbitration or remain a free agent. If he rejects arbitration and the Dodgers do not re-sign him by Jan. 8, he cannot re-sign with the team until May 1.

Valenzuela has encountered a cautious market. His attorney, Dick Moss, who attended the news conference as Butler’s representative, said several teams have expressed interest in Valenzuela but won’t be convinced he is serious about leaving the Dodgers until he rejects the arbitration offer--if, in fact, he decides to do that. In the meantime, Moss implied, the proud Valenzuela isn’t really sure the Dodgers want him back.

Fred Claire, Dodger executive vice president, said: “As with Juan Samuel (who accepted arbitration Saturday), we wouldn’t have made the offer if we weren’t agreeable to having Fernando back.”