New Angel Gaetti Is Expected to Fit Right Into Lineup : Baseball: Third baseman signs contract; Rader counting on him to solidify offense.

He studied his reflection in the mirror, tugging on the bill of his cap and finger-combing the hair that spilled down his neck to make it look just right.

“It’s a good fit,” Gary Gaetti said as he tried on his new Angel uniform.

Conversations with club owner Gene Autry and other Angel officials convinced Gaetti that the Angels would be a perfect fit for himself and his family. He signed his four-year, $11.4-million contract Friday, moments before his introductory news conference at a restaurant near Anaheim Stadium.

“We panicked three or four times every day,” Gaetti said of the difficulty he, his wife, Debby, and two sons faced in choosing between staying with the Minnesota Twins or signing with the Angels.

“There are so many emotional ties to people, places, things. The (Twins) won the World Series (in 1987) and gradually started declining, but the emotional ties were there and that made it difficult to leave. I haven’t had a real good cry about it. I can feel it welling up in me.”

But Friday was a day of joy for the Gaettis. Gaetti smiled for TV cameras and joked with his onetime Twin teammate and partner in pranks, Angel pitcher Bert Blyleven, while Debby Gaetti chatted with Blyleven’s wife, Patti.

“Every time I get choked up about leaving Minnesota, I look at Bert and laugh,” Gaetti said. “Really, Bert was comforting. He was able to tell me some things about living here in Southern California that helped.”

Angel Manager Doug Rader expects Gaetti to help fortify the offense and solidify a starting lineup that was rarely the same from day to day. Rader hasn’t decided where the third baseman will hit in the batting order, but merely learning that he will have Gaetti in the lineup was enough to make Rader wish the season were starting today.

“The nice thing right now is we can have as close to a set lineup as possible and we can bring a little creativity to it,” Rader said from his home in Florida. “There are so many interchangeable parts. There’s Wally (Joyner), Lance (Parrish), Chili Davis, David Winfield--all those players have hit in the 3-4-5 spots and that’s outstanding.

“We’ll be able to piece together a lineup based on the competition or if a guy’s not doing well. If a guy’s slumping, we can protect him. The entire lineup is solid. . . . Gary’s had production on more than one occasion and he’s been with some very good ballclubs. I’m very happy that he’s with us.”

Gaetti’s production has declined the last few seasons, a trend that has been tied by some to his religious rebirth. Gaetti hit .287 with 34 home runs and 108 runs batted in in 1986 and hit .257 with 31 home runs and 109 RBIs in the Twins’ triumphant 1987 season. Although plagued by injuries in 1988, he hit .301 with 28 homers and 88 RBIs, figures that dropped to .251 with 19 homers and 75 RBIs in 1989.

Gaetti led the Twins in RBIs last season with 85, but he hit only .229 and struck out a club-leading 101 times as the Twins spiraled from the top of the American League West in May to the bottom. A once closely knit team splintered, with Gaetti getting criticism from Manager Tom Kelly for his lack of production and from teammates for supposedly pouring the zeal he once carried onto the field into his religious rebirth.

Gaetti said he has been hurt by those accusations. He attributes his statistical decline to injuries, rather than to a change in his attitude toward the game.

“Circumstances do change in peoples’ lives and I had to learn, because of my beliefs, some humility and self-control,” he said. “It’s a process. I don’t think a lot of the criticism was true. I had to live my life the only way I know how.

“I don’t think I ever really lost my desire to play, but I had more of a desire to find God. I’m not saying I did everything right. I did what I had to do. It wasn’t met with a lot of understanding. I know the desire was there to play. A lot of things were said early on, that if you ask people now, you’ll find they’ve changed their minds.

“My numbers were down but I had some serious injuries (he underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in August, 1988). . . . There’s a lot more to it than being a born-again Christian. People say I lost my desire but that’s not true. I’m not going to change my beliefs. I can’t. That would be foolish. I know what the truth is.

“The newness of this situation is going to do a great deal for me. Even people who were real close to me didn’t take the time to see what really happened to me.”

Much has happened during the off-season that should improve the Angels’ offense and address their defensive concerns at second base.

“I’m excited about playing in California,” Gaetti said. “I look forward to what this area has to offer and what I can add to it. I just want to win this thing.”

THE ANGELS’ SOARING PAYROLL The addition of Gary Gaetti and second-year salary of Mark Langston will push the Angel payroll past $30 million this season, up from last year’s total of approximately $21 million. The final amount will be determined by the arbitration process and the contracts of players who have not yet signed. (1990 figures include bonuses).

Player Pay in 1990 Status for 1991 Jim Abbott $185,000 Unsigned, can be renewed at amount determined by club. Kent Anderson $105,000 Unsigned, can be renewed at amount determined by club. Scott Bailes $425,000 Arbitration: Asked--$500,000; Offered--$390,000 Floyd Bannister* Played in Japan $250,000, plus $450,000 if on Opening Day roster Dante Bichette $120,000 Unsigned, can be renewed at amount determined by club. Bert Blyleven $1,225,000 Under contract for $1,750,000 Chili Davis $1,375,000 New look free agent, has until Jan. 29 to reach new agreement or return to Angels for $1,450,000. Brian Downing $1,250,000 Unsigned, free agent Mark Eichhorn $272,500 Under contract for $625,000 Junior Felix* $155,000 Unsigned, can be renewed at amount determined by club. Mike Fetters $100,000 Unsigned, can be renewed at amount determined by club. Chuck Finley $800,000 Arbitration: Asked--$2,800,000; Offered--$1,750,000. Gary Gaetti* $500,000 Under contract for $2,700,000 Dave Gallagher* $150,000 Under contract for $460,000 Joe Grahe $100,000 Unsigned, can be renewed at amount determined by club. Bryan Harvey $332,500 Arbitration: Asked--$1,225,000; Offered--$850,000. Donnie Hill $225,000 Under contract for $500,000. Jack Howell $652,500 Arbitration: Asked--$835,000; Offered--$652,500. Wally Joyner $1,750,000 Arbitration: Asked--$2,100,000; Offered--$1,650,000. Mark Langston $3,000,000 Under contract for $3,250,000. Fred Manrique* Not available Under contract for $325,000. Kirk McCaskill $967,500 Arbitration: Asked--$2,400,000; Offered--$1,650,000. Bob McClure $825,000 Under contract for $700,000. Lance Parrish $1,750,000 Under contract for $2,250,000 Luis Polonia $220,000 Unsigned, can be renewed at amount determined by club. Johnny Ray $1,000,000 Released, signed with team in Japan. Jeff Robinson* $925,000 Under contract for $1,000,000. Dick Schofield $900,000 Under contract for $1,400,000. Rick Schu $150,000 Under contract for $300,000. Luis Soho* $100,000 Unsigned, can be renewed at amount determined by club. Lee Stevens $100,000 Unsigned, can be renewed at amount determined by club. Max Venable $235,000 Under contract for $425,000. Dave Winfield** $2,122,890 Under contract for $3,200,000.

*--Signed with Angels after 1990 season. **--Acquired by Angels in May, 1990. GARY GAETTI CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

Sept. 20, 1981 Hits home run in his first major league at-bat off Charlie Hough in Texas, the 48th player in major league history to accomplish the feat. 1984 Season Leads American League third basemen with 142 putouts, 334 assists and 496 chances. July 5-Aug. 25, 1987 Sets club record of 47 consecutive errorless games at third base. 1987 Playoffs Wins Lee MacPhail Award as Most Valuable Player in American League Championship Series. 1988 Season Breaks own club record with .977 fielding percentage, voted by managers and scouts as American League’s best defensive third baseman, wins third straight Gold Glove Award. April 7, 1989 Has 10th four-hit game of career, against Baltimore. April 16, 1989 Ties career high of six RBIs in two-homer game in New York. June 23, 1989 Has 12th two-home run game of career, in Boston.