Angels Increase Their Offer to Finley Before Thursday’s Hearing

The Angels have substantially raised their offer to pitcher Chuck Finley since they filed an arbitration figure of $1.75 million, but they might have to be even more generous to reach an agreement before Finley’s scheduled hearing Thursday in Chicago.

Finley, who led the Angels last season with 18 victories, filed at $2.8 million. That would be an increase of $2 million over his 1990 earnings.

Angel Senior Vice President Dan O’Brien acknowledged Tuesday that the Angels had increased their bid significantly but wouldn’t discuss the new offer. He and Finley’s agent, Alan Hendricks, have traded proposals this week and will continue to talk.

As a player’s hearing nears, clubs frequently offer to split the financial difference. (Texas’ Rafael Palmeiro and Oakland’s Walt Weiss agreed to contracts Tuesday that were about halfway between their figure and their club’s offer). In Finley’s case, splitting the initial difference of $1.05 million would result in an offer of $2.275 million.

Hendricks won a record $21.5-million contract extension last week for one of his clients, Red Sox right-hander Roger Clemens. Hendricks was to represent National League Cy Young winner Doug Drabek in a hearing today in Chicago, but that shouldn’t stop his negotiations with O’Brien.

“He’s one of the few people in this business who has my home phone number,” O’Brien said.

Angel President Richard Brown called a baseball complex in Homestead, Fla., “probably the finest spring training site I’ve ever seen.” But Brown said it’s too early to call Homestead the favorite in the Angels’ search for a new spring home.

The Angels annually spend the first half of spring training at Gene Autry Park in Mesa, Ariz., but the facility lacks seats for spectators, forcing the Angels to play their Arizona exhibition games in nearby cities. Club officials have said they expect to move by the spring of 1993.

In addition to visiting Homestead, which is south of Miami, Brown toured nine of the 18 Florida training sites during a five-day trip last week. But he is also weighing proposals from the Arizona cities of Gilbert and Tucson.

“Our first choice is Arizona but we have to see what they’re willing to give us,” Brown said. “The weather’s better (than in Florida), the travel is better and we’ve been there for a while. Arizona has the ball in its ballpark.”

The Homestead stadium will have 6,500 seats, plus sky boxes and private boxes. One drawback is the distance between Homestead and other Florida training sites, since most teams train in the northern and central part of the state.

Outfielder Dave Gallagher agreed to a one-year contract for $357,500 Tuesday, reducing to three the number of Angels still scheduled for arbitration hearings. Infielder Gary DiSarcina and catcher John Orton also agreed to one-year deals.

Gallagher, who was acquired from the Chicago White Sox in December, had filed for arbitration at $460,000. The Angels had offered $225,000. He hit a combined .254 with the White Sox and Baltimore Orioles in 68 games last season. His new contract, which also contains incentive clauses, represents a raise of $267,500 over 1990’s.

DiSarcina hit .140 in 18 games with the Angels and .212 in 90 games with triple-A Edmonton. Orton hit .241 for Edmonton and .190 in 31 games with the Angels.

Finley, outfielder Luis Polonia and third baseman Jack Howell are still scheduled for arbitration hearings.